Alpha Gourmet Cafe, Circular Quay, Sydney (3 April 2017)

38 Pitt Street, Circular Quay NSW 2000

Multi-cuisine cafe

Now first is it Hainamese or Hainanese? It's the first time I've seen Hainamese Chicken on a menu.

Hidden inside a building shared with Australia Post I would have never expected to find a decent Asian eatery here with breakfast specials signage of coffee, toast and bacon and egg rolls. The look of this place is a bit old school cafe with plenty of seating for dine ins. A plethora of ad hoc tacky menu signage greets you at the service counter. Boss Lady keeps the ordering efficient and kitchen in check. Once given your order number raffle ticket you can take seat and they'll bring and serve your dish when ready. Apparently they've been around for 9 years and it's the first time I've really noticed this place after working in the city for more than 20 years. I go for the Egg noodle soup with crispy chicken ($13). The chicken has a decent crispy skin as hoped and the meat is fairly moist but I have had better. The piping hot soup is very flavoursome with a good amount of al dente egg noodles. The dipping sauce is more mild in heat than you'd expect from the fiery red presentation. It's a decent feed from an unexpected cafe that has Australian, Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese on the menu along with sandwiches, burgers, fresh juices, chicken schnitzel, grilled fish and even a Lebanese wrap and Beef Stroganoff. I do wonder if they do a decent job of the Vittoria Coffee they're serving up. Another time perhaps with that bacon and egg roll breakfast special for $5 or $6.80 with a coffee, I'm curious and tempted.

Bò 7 Món THANH TÂM: Vietnamese, CBD Sydney (29 Nov, 3 Dec 2010)

50 Hunter Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Phone: (02) 8252 7815

Hunting down a new Vietnamese

If you can't get a seat at the ever popular Malay-Chinese then check out the new Vietnamese restaurant next door and downstairs in the Hunter Bar which has only been opened for about 6 weeks. It's got plenty of seating, the owner always seems to be smiling and the dishes are reasonably priced and pretty tasty. On my first visit the Beef Noodle Soup ($8) is decently sized and the broth isn't too oily. The meat could be a little rarer and thinner but I'm pretty happy with it. The Crispy Chicken with Egg Noodle Soup ($9.50) is certainly crispy and one of the better ones I've come across in the city with it's moist meat. Accompanied with a large bowl of noodle soup it's quite good value. The Pork Chop, Shredded Pork and Fried Egg Rice ($9.50) is served on a large plate and comes with a nicely cooked soft egg ready to combine with the rice.

On the second visit a few days later it's noticeably more busy and the Chicken rice noodle soup ($8) is reasonably sized and not too oily as well. There seems to be an introduction of set menus and the Set 4 menu ($10) comes with a Fried Won ton which unfortunately wasn't particularly hot but the freshly cooked Grilled charcoal pork rice noodle was reportedly pretty tasty. The set menu includes a drink for which a soft drink was chosen. A beer or wine can be chosen with the set menu but there's a supplement to pay for this which wasn't clearly stated. Orders receive a buzzer so you know when your meal is ready to collect from the service counter giving you time to purchase your drinks from the bar and find a seat. I'm looking forward to trying other dishes on the menu.

Other visits to Bò 7 Món THANH TÂM:

• 25 July 2011 - Fried Spring Rolls, Steamed Chicken Rice, Vietnamese Coffee, Grilled pork and spring roll with rice noodle

• 29 Nov 2010, 3 Dec 2010 - Beef Noodle Soup, Crispy Chicken with Egg Noodle, Pork Chop, Chicken Rice Noodle Soup, Pork Rice Noodle

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Plenty of seating, Reasonably priced, Tasty dishes, Alcoholic drinks available at the bar, Toilets available, Friendly service, Open for lunch and dinner

CONS: Queue for ordering can get long when busy, No windows and natural light, Decor a bit dark, Service can struggle a bit as they find their feet when very busy, There seems to be different menus outside and inside so it can be a little confusing what's available, Wine and beer supplement on set menu isn't clearly specified, Possibly MSG used

MUST TRY: Crispy Chicken with Egg Noodle Soup, More of the menu

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Beef Noodle Soup ($8)

Crispy Chicken with Egg Noodle Soup ($9.50)

Pork Chop, Shredded Pork and Fried Egg Rice ($9.50)

Chicken rice noodle soup ($8)

Set 4: Fried Won ton, Grilled charcoal pork rice noodle, Lemonade ($10)

Lunch menus

Service counter and dining area

Dining area

Bar area

Downstairs to restaurant and bar

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