Set in the former railway site is Madame Hanoi which serves up classic Vietnamese dishes, some of which are French influenced. The menu consists of salads, steamed buns, baguette sliders, street food, and a selection of small and large plates. Prior to ordering, I was told the serving sizes were small as the dishes were designed to be shared.

Madame Hanoi is a fictitious character, but the actual picture is based on a real nurse living in Vietnam.

From what I could see, there are 4 separate dining spaces and 2 bars. The old ticketing booths that once stood here have been retained, and they’ve taken advantage of the high ceilings by adding an upstairs dining area. There are picture frames on many of the walls which showcase a journey through Vietnam.

For lunch, I had the Banh Mi Heo Quay, which translated from Vietnamese means Roast Pork Bread Roll. While I understand it was their first morning of opening, it did take a good 30 minutes before this dish got to me. The staff did provide me with regular updates which did make things a little better.

When it finally came out, my first impression was that the bread roll was small. The filling wasn’t inside a typical crusty bread roll but something that was more firm and spongy. The roast pork was simply amazing. The meat was well marinated, tender and succulent, and the pork skin was perfectly crunchy. I could hardly see any fat on the pork which was a bonus. The coriander was fresh, the pickled carrot was sweet and tangy, and the Barossa Valley pate provided good depth.

The next dish was the Banh Bao Cua Lot, which literally translated means Soft Shell Crab Bao. The striking feature of this dish was the black bao which had a bit of squid ink mixed into it. The soft shell crab was lightly battered and had a lovely crunchy texture. The chilli lime mayonnaise was nice and zesty, and complimented the crab well.

Half way through eating this dish, I found a long strand of black hair. I informed the Manager and my lunch was on the house.

The staff were really friendly and accommodating, and the service was average. Drinks arrived on time and there were plenty of staff asking how I was going, but at the end of the day, my meal took too long to arrive.

The atmosphere was relaxed and the pricing is reasonable if you’re looking at it from a tapas perspective. The Roast Pork Roll was $6.60 and the Soft Shell Crab Bao was $6.90. I thought the serving sizes were a bit small, but their presentation, execution and taste were rather exceptional, and that sort of made up for it.

While the experience wasn’t without fault, this place does look very promising.

WHERE: Adelaide Casino, North Terrace