Ms G

Ms G (a play on words referring to the taste enhancer MSG) is a lively, casual eatery serving Vietnamese-influenced food.  It is a lively place with dining split over three levels. No reservations were taken, and there was a mix of communal dining and individual tables. The head chef was chef Jowett Yu, who was not in the restaurant when I  visited.

The place was very busy, even early on a Sunday night. Tables were plain, with cutlery provided in shared steel trays, and fairly loud music was playing. Lighting was partly from fluorescent strips, and assorted unmatched chairs contributed to a consciously casual feel. It was very much a young, fashionable crowd (plus me), with a quite short menu. The wine list was spread out over a couple of pages and had wines like Mount Difficulty Roaring Meg 2010 at AUD 48 for a wine you can buy in a shop for AUD 18, Mayer Big Betty 2010 at AUD 68 for a wine that retails at AUD 36, and Donhoff Riesling 2008 at AUD 90 for a wine that will set you back AUD 30 in a shop.

A nibble of "banh mi" (Vietnamese sandwich) was essentially a mini burger bun containing chicken katsu i.e. fried spicy chicken as you might find in Japan, priced at AUD 6. This was very tasty, fried chicken in a bun that had lively seasoning (13/20). Fried squid (AUD 14) was served with a bacon chilli jam with cubes of fried potato, lettuce and a lively dressing with chilli and lime. The squid was not chewy and the dressing worked well (13/20). Grilled king prawns (AUD 28) were served with lettuce leaves (in which to wrap the prawns) and sambal matal, an Indonesian chilli dressing in this case with lemongrass and shallots. The prawns themselves were carefully cooked and had good flavour, while the sambal was surprisingly indistinct in flavour (12/20).

I skipped dessert but you could have a dish like mandarin granita, lime mousse and calpis yoghurt sorbet. The bill for one came to AUD 72 (£47) with just beer to drink. Service was casual but friendly and attentive. The food here was enjoyable but it is hardly a bargain.