Vietnamese street food continues to grow in popularity as we see these types of stores pop up all over the state. One of the three stores that I’m aware of down Henley Beach Road is the unimaginatively named Henley Beach Vietnamese Meat Rolls. As their name suggests, they offer five types of bread roll, as well as Dim Sims, Cold Rolls, Fried Noodles, Cold Noodle Salads, Spring Rolls and Fried Rice.

The decor is fairly basic with the only exciting thing being the menu on the wall. There are a handful of chairs and tables for customers, and there is a good amount of natural light flowing through it’s frontage.

For lunch, I ordered the Roast Pork Roll. The amount of filling was rather conservative as I could taste more bread than filling with every bite. The roast pork was well marinated, but the meat was fatty, and the crunchy skin was few and far between. The coriander was fresh and the pickled carrot and daikon was sweet and tangy. The cucumber added a nice crunchy texture and the fresh chilli really packed a lot of heat. The red onion added nice depth to the dish, and the bread roll was fresh and crusty.

The staff were friendly and the service was fast and efficient. The atmosphere was relaxed and the pricing was very reasonable. The cost of the Roast Pork Roll was $5 which is great value, however, the amount of filling was a reflection on price. Generally, everything is cheap at this place with the most expensive item being $7.

This place certainly has the makings for producing a standout Vietnamese roll, but it’s not quite there yet.

WHERE: Shop 8, 239 Henley Beach Rd, Brooklyn Park