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Viet Grill

We have been waiting for this moment. Where we come across a restaurant that would be worth any sacrifice to visit, be it family pet or much-loved partner. And the absolute best bit is that no murder will be necessary. Viet Grill serves up delicious food for low prices in a casual setting. Book a table or just rock up and wait your turn. Either way you'll be pleased you did.

Seeing as we're not exactly the country's experts on the authenticity of Vietnamese cuisine Itchy enlisted a chum who had just returned from her Gap Yah to regale us with tales of 3 day boat trips and explain the difference between spring rolls and summer rolls. Which was just as well because both turned up on our vegetarian platter of mixed starters, as well as chilli salt and pepper tofu (officially the best tasting tofu we have ever inhaled) and a generous bit of salad. And even the salad was seriously tasty.

Eyes bigger than stomachs as ever, we ordered egg fried rice and plain noodles with bean sprouts and onion as well as three meat dishes. Beef Vinh, a house speciality of marinated, tender rolled beef with the perfect dipping sauce was enjoyed but tellingly left unfinished. Chicken Royale, well seasoned cuts of chicken with a soy broth that we'd probably have drunk if we hadn't been in public, was given a good old seeing to (although its bed of salad was left limp and unloved). Neither even came close to the Sitting Duck Curry and its rich, soft duck pieces in a coconut sauce.

There was no hope of us managing dessert, we think we all knew that from the beginning. But the last bit of our wine, a Gewurztraminer recommended by one of the cheery waiting staff, was a wonderful drop to round off our meal. We ate there yesterday. We would happily go back today, even if they refused to serve us anything but their insanely delicious ”plain“ noodles. And if that isn't the sign of a great restaurant, we don't know what is.

www.vietnamesekitchen.co.uk/vietgrill

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