Bau Truong

Ask for tips and the waitress might jot numbers on the paper table cover. Stick with her, she’s clued in, and straying too far may prove some numbers don’t add up. No. 72, duck braised in preserved beancurd, is more than generous. Crisp dice of pork belly stir-fried with shrimp paste and chilli, number 82, disappears in a trice. And 90, beef with pepper and butter glaze, is as tender as the night. Smart, modern and colourful (the bright murals are Chinese opera masks), this place challenges the stereotype of traditional Vietnamese in Marrickville. It’s pricier but more glam than Bau Truong in Cabramatta and Canley Heights, too.