Keeping it real with Real Rolls was such a pleasure!

Tucked down a small alleyway at Rundle Mall you’ll find this cute little stall at James Place, which has captured our hearts for their Banh Mi.

Their signature Banh Mi is the Mega Meat Combo which comes topped with a fried egg so of course, we had to order one. It came out great, fantastic flavour as we chose chilli mayo sauce to accompany the dish. We took a bite of the crunchy roast pork with crackling, and it was as expected, delicious. For $8.90 this is a great deal of value.

We also got to try the Cold Rolls with sugar cane prawns which I had never experienced before. The prawns were processed in sugar cane and then fried for a sweeter flavour. David, one of the co-owners, mentioned that everything is made fresh in the store, daily. That explains the alluring aroma you can smell from afar. He gave us three different dips (peanut sauce, fish sauce and soy sauce with sambal chilli) although my mind craves for the peanut sauce — a perfect combination which beautifully complements the sweet sugar cane prawns.

I see bao, I order now. That’s how my life works around baos. We were tempted to get what seems to be familiar to us, which was the roast pork, but we challenged ourselves to try something new, so we ordered Baos with crispy prawns. It came in a pair for $7.90 although you can order one for $4.50. They fry the prawns upon order, so when we get to taste it, they were crunchy, warm and tasty. By this stage, we didn’t ask questions anymore; flavours approved!

Another main we picked from the ‘Big Bite’ section comes with a choice of rice or noodles, salad and meat of your choice. We were intrigued with the Lemongrass Chicken, and we decided to have that with rice, what a great choice. Perfectly designed for lunch, they put this in a takeaway biodegradable bowl box, so you have the option to sit down and enjoy your meals in the store or take it away. The lemongrass chicken was sweet, tender and satisfying. Next time we would like to try the stir fry beef or the bbq pork.

Last but not least was from their Small Bite section, we ordered the BBQ Pork Balls. It came on a stick and wow, what a snack! They were basically like meatballs, very soft yet chewy, sweet yet savoury. It’s the right mix of flavours, and we thoroughly enjoyed snacking on these.

Real Rolls has been around for a while. Their first store opened up in Woodville on Hanson Rd years ago. A family business which plans to expand in the future. While they have a similar concept of food, their Woodville restaurant is more for a proper dine-in, and the one in Rundle Mall is more of a quick bite stop for people who work around the Rundle Mall area. We noticed they have done their homework and therefore picked quick and easy dishes to take away or eat there if they choose to do so. Being next to another Vietnamese store didn’t stop them from doing well. We wish Real Rolls all the best for their new baby and if you happen to be in Rundle Mall and you like your Vietnamese Coffee strong, do us a favour and go here. It will not disappoint.

Words by Dee Pene from Adelaide Food Authority

WHERE: Shop 5, 10-20 James Place, Adelaide