it is about time that i gave au lac a review. this is a neighbourhood haunt. so fond are we of this vietnamese eatery that we eat in or take out from here. insofar as the authenticity of the food is concerned, there are mixed opinions about it – to start with the menu is a mix of chinese and vietnamese food, but all said and done the food is actually very tasty.
somewhat like busaba we have some standard favourites, so every time we eat at au lac we always order the chicken stir fried with coconut cream and chilli. the chilli is julienned and added to the mix so the overall soothing of coconut is broken by the chilli. the slightly crisp fried garlic adds more flavour. o always orders the tamarind chicken which i must profess i am not so keen on. it tastes more chinese as the chicken is fried in a sweetish batter before being folded into a light tamarind sauce with some diced peppers and onions. i always order a dish of tofu and usually get to eat a fair amount of it without having to share given that that o isn’t too keen on it. this time however, the tofu with aubergine in black sauce that came sizzling on a hot plate was an absolute hit. thin strips of tofu, slightly fried and then added to the sauce along with chunks of aubergine whose flesh is soft and skins slightly caramelised are perfect on a freezing cold winter evening. this is the first time we have ordered the egg noodles, which glisten slightly with the oil from the stir fry and are crunchy with bean sprouts. o and i split a side of steamed rice.
there are other things we love eating at au lac like the very authentic pho, a quintessential vietnamese classic. a perfect clear broth brimming with the flavour of meat with flat noodles accompanied with basil, bean sprouts and lime. equally good are the stir fried prawns with crispy fried slivers of garlic. i’ve had the clear soup with green leaves and prawns which is delicious and o loves the sweet and sour soup.
we’ve (i and o and i) have eaten food from au lac lots since we’ve been in this neighbourhood and have never had a disappointing experience.
