The inner west suburb of Marrickville is known for its multicultural diverse community with a strong presence of Vietnamese, Thai and Greek food culture. One of the longest running Vietnamese restaurants in the area is the classic Bay Tinh, now trading in its 28th year.
Bay Tinh Vietnamese Restaurant, Marrickville
The restaurant was named after the founder, Mr Tinh Tran and the word “Bay” represents him being the sixth child in his family. Mr Tran, a highly qualified chef was also the personal chef to the ex Prime Minister of South Vietnam.
Bay Tinh is an unassuming place with charming décor, artworks on the walls, red pendant ceiling lights, two floors of dining areas with variety of table sizes and attentive staff.
Harry Hoang, the current owner of Bay Tinh took us to an evening of unforgettable food journey that ignited our palate with dishes from all the three regions of Vietnam including his own which combine classic Vietnamese cuisine with a contemporary French accent.
Crispy Pancake
The progressive tasting started with Crispy Pancake ($14.50), yes very crispy with no residual oil. Filled with prawns, pork and beans sprouts, the dish was served with salad, pickles and nuoc cham (fish sauce).
Duck Salad
The Duck Salad ($12) was succulent with loads of flavour. Twice cooked duck with aromatic spices, dressed with Kaffir lime and special Vietnamese ingredients were served with a lightly pickled salad, lettuce leaves and prawn crackers.
Little Rice Cakes
Little Rice Cakes ($14.50) are a traditional Southern Vietnam dish and they’re rarely served in Australia. They’re savoury with a velvety texture, creamy taste and overall a lovely dish.
Grilled Pork Skewer
The folded exotic Grilled Pork Skewer ($8) had marinated pork slices, grilled on a skewer, wrapped in a lettuce leaf with special rice noodle cakes, pickles, mint and Bay Tinh’s special sauce.
Duck with Cumquat and Ginger Sauce
Duck with Cumquat and Ginger Sauce ($18) was a stellar dish. Cooked sous vide, the duck had tangy Asian cumquat and ginger sauce.
Bonfire
The generous serving of Bonfire ($28) was a truly roll-it-yourself experience. Premium meat and prawns are cooked at the table in a pot with caramelised onion, coriander and peanuts. The staff set the flame alight and all was left was to eagerly wait for it to cook. The dish was accompanied by rice-paper wrap, lettuce, herbs, pickles, cucumber strips, chunks of pineapple, beans sprouts and Harry’s special anchovy sauce.
Caramelised Pork
The Caramelised Pork ($24.50) was a sensational dish, with slow-cooked pork belly and boiled eggs in a clay pot.
Harry’s Crispy Crepe
Lastly, the luscious Harry’s Crispy Crepe ($15) has banana glazed with caramelised sugar and butter, wrapped in a crispy crepe and served with Belgium chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream.
A glass of 2013 Logan “Weemala” Pinot Gris worked well with all the dishes.
Bay Tinh’s menu is extensive. It starts with the house specialties, tasting duet (tasting entrée dishes), vegetarian and onto royal banquet, seafood banquet and winter banquet.
There has never been a Sydney Vietnamese venue that offers guests flavours and dishes from all three regions in Vietnam: the North, South and Centre in one place. All the dishes are made with fresh, quality, seasonal and local produce while incorporating classic Vietnamese ingredients and spices ensuring the chefs are honouring and respecting each region’s traditional recipes.
Bay Tinh Marrickville
316-318 Victoria Road, Marrickville
Ph: 9560 8673
Also at Bay Tinh Crows Nest | 16 Falcon Street, Crows Nest | 9438 5118
Photography © by Ed Sullivan for Gourmantic – Copyright: All rights reserved.
