My Tho Vietnamese Noodle Bar, Shop 49 Inala Town Centre

My Tho Vietnamese Noodle Bar, Shop 49 Inala Town Centre 
Open 7 Days
Monday - Friday: 8.30am to 8pm
Saturday: 8.30am to 4pm
Sunday: 9.30am to 5pm
Phone: (07) 3162 7979

I have been holding back writing a little review on this little dine in and take away restaurant tucked away back in the food court inside Inala Plaza.  I have been to My Tho Noodle Bar at least 10 times since it opened last year.   Business has been so well for this little place and during lunch time its packed and customers don't even mind eating out in the food court.  I have been to nearly every restaurant in Inala and in my opinion offers the best Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) and hu tieu mi tho thap cam (combination egg noodle soup) here. 

Atmosphere:  

Decor

It's a small place with a few tables and has a pretty mediocre environment like most Vietnamese restaurants.   White tiled walls with a hint of blue.   There is a lack of space but I don't really mind going around tables and seats.  Above you will see the main dishes that they serve from their Vietnamese noodle soups to combination rice dishes.  It's pretty busy around lunch time so you will have to wait for a seat or you can eat out in the food court.   I was there on Sunday in the late afternoon and of course there were only about 6 people there.


Service:  Service is efficient and the ladies that serve are very polite and can get whatever you need.  Most importantly they smile! :).   They didn't rush me in ordering but I knew what I wanted.  It took 10 minutes and the food was piping hot.  There is always condiments on the table and fresh chilli.  Also the ladies will serve you some complimentary tea.


Food:  Okay down to the food.  The food is great and I had no problems.   The food and the service is what keeps me going back to eat a cheap filling meal.  I have only ordered the special Vietnamese beef noodle soups and the combination noodle soups.  I found that the soups were not too salty or sweet.  I have yet to try the other dishes on the menu.  I just love the egg noodle soup and Vietnamese beef noodle soups too much!

On the Menu above:  My Tho Style Combination Noodle Soup, Steamed rice with crispy chicken, egg noodle with seafood (dry or soup), egg noodle soup with steamed duck,

The dine in / takeaway serve mainly the  hu tieu my tho hoac mi (clear rice noodle or egg soup), pho bo (beef rice noodle soup), banh canh (starch noodle soup), rice vermicelli dishes and the broken rice dishes. Prices range from $8.00 to $10.00 a dish.  They did have a price hike in some of their main dishes. The prices do correspond to their quality and quantity to the dishes so I don't mind paying more.

Hu tieu my tho thap cam nuoc (my tho style combination rice noodle soup)

The photo above is the combination rice noodle soup and is my favourite (next to the pho).  I think at this place it offers more pieces of meats and seafood in the dish.  They even have a few juicy scallops put in, quail eggs, fish cake, thinly sliced liver, peppery minced meat, BBQ pork, squid over your choice of thin egg noodles or fresh rice noodle soup.  You can have this dish dry but I always go for the soup variety.  Soup dishes are always served with garnish of bean sprouts, green herbs and a wedge of lemon or lime.  I just love the Chinese chives in the dish.  At some places the noodles can be a bit mushy but I found here the noodles has been consistent and the same - fresh and not slimy.

Overall Rating:  Overall this place is pretty cheap for what they offer.  The menu is solid and the food has been consistent, service is quick but the decor is mediocre which I don't mind.  After all I am there to eat a cheap meal after a long day busy shopping for groceries.   I know it is a small place but families can come here and eat and always can eat in the food court.  I am going here again next week for another bowl of their soups!

I forget to mention that parking is sure not a problem but very busy during the lunch hour.   They do serve drinks and they haven't said anything about me taking a McDonalds coffee into the joint :).


I rate the place 8/10 because its cheap, the service is fantastic and the quality of the food is fantastic.

Passion fruit Mousee Cake

Passion fruit Mousse Cake

I attempted to make this Passion fruit Mousse Cake by Do What I Like on the weekend and I have to say it was pretty good yet the chiffon cake was dry?  I think because I blasted my oven on full force fan or may be I didn't measure the ingredients to the exact amount.  Or maybe time had surpassed and I forgot? 

I didn't have fresh passion fruit so I used the canned passion fruit pulp that you can get at Woolworths and I didn't have other fresh fruit on hand so I used some grapes lol.   It was okay.   But I reckon that having fresh mangoes or strawberries or even kiwi fruit be so much better to compliment the passion fruit flavour!

What it looked out when it came out of the spring-form pan

That's what it looked like the next day.  The cake takes a lot of time.  You have to bake chiffon cake first, let it cool pretty much the whole day, then cut it into 3 layers (in my case only 2) and then you have to make the mousse then assemble the cake, chill for 2 to 3 hours and then make the glaze and chill.  After that decorate.  I just whipped up cream and covered the sides of the cake and decorated it with toasted slithered almonds.   It takes a lot of effort and now I know why cakes like this are pretty expensive. 

The mousse tasted really good - light and creamy.  The sponge I have to work at :)

I am still practicing cake making every single weekend so maybe next week I probably make a chocolate/coffee mousse cake.  I think that sounds a bit better.

Coffee Chiffon Cake

Coffee Chiffon Cake

I love chiffon cake and this is the 7th time I have made it.  Two out of five times it was a success!  This one "Coffee Chiffon Cake" is by far is the best chiffon ever!   I found this recipe on My Food Affair and I was surprised that I didn't need any kind of milk especially coconut milk!  I was very happy with the outcome of the cake and it was so light, fluffy and very moist.  I baked it for about close to one hour (just in case) and I tested it with skewer and it came out clean for the first time!

I am so naughty, I didn't really follow the instructions (oops) but with the egg mixture part I just tipped everything in (all the dry ingredients mixed together first) and mixed it well with a whisk.   And with the egg whites folding into the egg yolk part, I mixed it through with clean hands instead of a spatula or a whisk.  I wanted to be careful that I don't lose any air and still mix the egg yolk and egg whites mixture properly.

This is how it came out like:

It came out very nice, tall, airy and fluffy.  

You can eat this cake plain but I dressed mine up by making it a 3 layer chiffon cake with layers of freshly made custard and coffee whipped cream!

 

I am still practicing decorating skills but it still tasted pretty good.  It wasn't too bitter and not very sweet.

Coffee Chiffon Cake

adapted by Just Baking from My Food Affair

Pan: 22cm stainless steel angel food/chiffon cake tin (do not use non stick - it will not work). Do not grease since you already have a sufficient amount of oil in this recipe.

A) 

4tbs of instant coffee

2/3 of hot water

6 egg yolks at room temperature 

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

2 tsp of vanilla extract

1cup of caster sugar

2 1/4 cups of CAKE flour (if you only have plain flour and want to make cake flour - for every 1 cup of plain flour take out 2 tbs and replace with 2tbs of corn flour)

1tbs of baking powder

1/4 tsp of salt

B)

1/2 cup of caster sugar

6 egg whites at room temperature

1/2tsp of cream of tarter

If you want to decorate your cake like mine:

go to custard recipe for a custard layer

or you want a coffee whipped cream you will need:

400mls of cream

4 tbs of powdered sugar

1tbs of instant coffee

Method

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 160 (fan forced)

A)
2. Dissolve coffee in the water in a cup.  Then transfer this to a bigger bowl together with oil, vanilla, egg yolk and sugar.  Mix well with a whisk.

3. Sift together baking powder, cake flour (if making cake flour incorporate the corn flour and plain flour together first) and salt.  Add to the coffee mixture and mix well with a whisk.


B)
4. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tarter with an electric mixture until soft peaks form.  Add the sugar one tablespoon at a time and beat until you get stiff peaks.  To check the egg meringue shouldn't slide out of the bowl if placed over your head :P.

5.  Gently fold the egg whites into the coffee mixture in three batches.  Blend thoroughly but do not over mix.  I gently fold the mixtures with either a whisk or with clean hands.

6. Transfer the batter to a chiffon cake pan.

7. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. (Do not open the oven when its baking!)

8. Remove the pan from the oven and invert it over a cooling rack onto its feet. Let the cake cool completely.  It will take about 2 to 4 hours to completely cool.

9.  When the cake is completely cool, carefully run a knife or spatula around the sides of the cake to loosen it before inverting onto a wire rack.

Coffee Whipped Cream

1. Whip the cream, sugar, coffee until stiff.  Do not overbeat because the cream will split.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until required.  I usually whip the cream while the cake is baking.

2.  Slice the cake into 3 equal layers and spread the filling on each layer.


Decorate your cake with chocolate bits or nuts.  Whatever you feel like.

How to make fresh custard

I would have to say fresh custard is always better than the powdered custard.  I find fresh made custard is more yummy and comforting but the powdered stuff tastes like plastic!  When you will have a taste of this custard,  I don't think you will ever buy the powdered stuff ever again.  This recipe is so quick and easy.

You will need:

3 egg yolks
1/2 cup of caster sugar
2tbs of corn flour
250ml of cream
170ml of milk
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

In a saucepan, add egg yolks, caster sugar and corn flour.  Mix well.  Then add the cream and milk and mix til smooth.  Put the pan on medium high heat and beat til it thickens and boils.  Do not over beat cause it will curdle.  Remove from heat and add in the vanilla extract and mix.   Transfer into bowl and cover with cling wrap to prevent from skin forming.

Braised Tofu and Vegetables

Braised Tofu and Vegetables

Tonight I cooked something meatless - Braised Tofu and Vegetables.  It was such a light and lovely meal!  The tofu was so beautiful - crunchy outside and moist inside.   I am trying to cut back by eating less meat and more vegetables in my diet.  Instead of eating white rice I had some spaghetti coated in a bit of garlic chilli oil.   It was a delicious combination.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

400grams of fresh regular tofu
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1 bunch of any greens like bok choy, choi sum into 10cm lengths
1 clove of garlic crushed and sliced in thinly
1 cup of mushroom slices
1 small carrot cut into slices
some water
2 tbs of light vegetarian soy sauce (or just light soy sauce)
2 tbs of vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce (or the normal oyster sauce)
pinch salt
shallots to to garnish



Method:

Cut tofu in small small squares approximately 2 to 2.5cms and transfer on a plate
Heat the oil in a work or a large heavy based pan on high
Slide or tip the tofu gently into the pan sideways with a knife (I find this easier because the oil will splatter if you place a square tofu in the oil one by one!)
Turn the tofu until its golden brown on each side and then drain on paper towel. Set aside
Pour off any excess oil from the pan and leave about 1TBS and reheat on high.
Add the garlic til golden (not burnt) and quickly add in the mushrooms and saute.  Set aside with the mushroom juices in another bowl
Add the carrots and a bit of water and cook (don't let it over cook) and then add the green vegetables.  Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, add the sauces, some water (if you want a thin sauce) and stir.   Carefully place the tofu pieces into the pan and coat with the sauce.  Add all of the vegetables and cook for a further 2  minutes.
Salt to taste
Garnish with shallots and serve immediately over hot jasmine rice (or spaghetti in my case)