Lido Vietnamese restaurant is situated in the heart of Perth’s quasi China Town in Northbridge. Walking in, my eyes had to adjust to the brightness of the lights. The restaurant is big and on a Friday night, the place was packed.
Within seconds of being seated, we were given tap water and handed a menu each.
The menu was big; eight pages of food choices. As we were on a quest for authentic Vietnamese cuisine, I consulted a waitress who pointed out the traditional dishes. For entrée we opted for boneless roast duck rice paper rolls ($8.50) and medium rare veal salad in tamarind sauce ($17).
The two rice paper rolls, served with a peanut hoisin dipping sauce, were fresh and tasty. The duck was tender and the addition of vegetables added some crunch while the mint and coriander intensified the freshness.
Medium rare veal in taramind sauce
The veal salad was delightful. The balanced dressing is what really made this dish stand out. The tender veal was sliced very thin and the crispy salad added texture. It felt healthy to eat and it had me going back for more. The serving size was generous – big enough for a lunch for one.
Beef stew with five special herbs
For main course, beef stewed in five special herbs with mild chilli (19.50) was pleasant enough, but lacked intensity. The beef was tender, however, it was completely overshadowed by our other main dish.
The Patagonian tooth fish with ginger and shallots ($30) was one of the pricier dishes on the menu, but well worth it. The flaky fish texture just melted in my mouth and the flavor of the sauce, which was poured over the fish by our waiter at the table, gorgeous – the perfect balance of salty, sweet, and sour. The sauce had me filling up my bowl with steamed rice ($3) several times just so it could be topped with more sauce.
Patagonian tooth fish with ginger and shallots
Whilst not the cheapest Vietnamese / Asian restaurant, the food makes paying a little extra worthwhile and the service was attentive and helpful. Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience.
FACT FILE
Lido Vietnamese Restaurant
416 Williams Street, Northbridge WA 6000
Tel: 08 9227 5545
Open Monday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Fully licensed, BYO wine only.
This post was also published on Food Wine Sleep and West Australasia Media Network (WAMN).