Strings Premium Vietnamese Noodle Bar | Newtown
Strings Vietnamese Noodle Bar has brought authentic Vietnamese cuisine to the Inner West. No longer do you have to travel so far out west to Cabramatta to eat the real deal, just take a train to Newtown Station and a short walk away waits this restaurant that will make you think "What the phở-ck! how did I not know about this?!". We have recently moved out of the Cabramatta area and have been craving a good bowl of phở - we loved Strings Noodle Bar so much that we have been back since to taste their other noodle options.
Aside from the food, what made us really want to come back was Jen and Andrew, the owners of Strings Noodle Bar. They are such a lovely young couple and we literally spent hours talking with Jen. The atmosphere is really casual and we get the sense that they treat all their customers as family, making sure you are comfortable in their restaurant. We can say that this is something we don't often feel, even when invited to dine - so for us to mention this means the service is special!
Lychee shake
We started the night with some drinks, a coconut juice (which is standard for Matt) and a Lychee shake. The lychee shake was very sweet and didn't have that watery texture.
Bún Riêu
This traditional Vietnamese soup was delicious with strong tomato flavour, shrimp paste and OH the crab meat ball was out of this world. It was so soft and juicy! If you like something fresh with a sour kick, this soup would be the best option for you. If you ever visit Vietnam, you are able to find this dish on the streets of Saigon (though it originated from Hanoi). The depth of flavour and cooking technique to make the crab balls is AMAZING.
Phở Bò
Phở has got to be one of our favourite Vietnamese dishes. Simple ingredients which make up simple yet incredibly phở-nominal flavours (excuse the puns). While it is hard to make phở look good in a photo, you have to take our word for the flavour. The Strings Premium difference is the length of time it takes to create the broth. While most restaurants will cook their broth for 8 hours at most, String Premium took it one step further and cooks their phở for a solid 12 hours to make sure all the flavour and nutrients from the ingredients can be tasted. Normally we would be adding hoisin sauce for added flavour, but there was absolutely no need. What you can do however is ask for some fresh chilli. The chilli used is grown by Strings Vietnamese, but originally originated from Vietnamese. We can hold our own when it comes to chilli, but only 4 seeds and the whole bowl tasted like it was on fire!
Truffle Phở
Imagine everything we just described. The fresh, tasty flavours of a 12 hour phở sitting on the bench in front of you. Now imagine what it would taste like if there was truffle infused with the broth. Tasty? You bet! Their latest creation uses the truly expensive ingredient truffle and infuses it with one of their special dishes, the 12 hour Phở Bò. Because truffle is quite expensive, Strings Premium doesn't overdo it with the seasoning, but it gives it quite a unsubtle hint of flavour that slaps you in the face... and we LOVE it!
DIY Vietnamese Mixed Mead Vermicelli Rolls
Vermicelli rolls are considered a quick go-to for most who are trying to be health conscious during their lunch break. Known to be light and full of salad, they are quite a good option. This dish is more hands on than walking down to the shop and ordering it in a plastic container, this method is how we make them at home. It's hand on and each vermicelli wrap is made to your personal taste. Don't want mint? well don't add it! Served with the platter is Nem nướng (char grilled sesame and garlic pork sausage - don't mind the colour as it is supposed to be pink!), beef and Vietnamese spring rolls. Served with it is pickled carrots, bean sprouts, fresh mint, salad and vermicelli (of course!). Dip the hard sheet of rice paper into warm water and let it soften on your plate, add your ingredients on top and wrap. This is a very simple task, but can be very entertaining for kids and even adults who act like kids! We try to stuff as much filling in as possible.. yes we are still kids! The rice paper rolls are also served with fish sauce for dipping - I suggest you order multiple dishes so you don't fight over the sauce!
Definitely give it a try and let us know what you think. We love this restaurant and have recommended it to friends and family already. We even recently celebrated a family birthday here - we loved it that much!