By Ms. Taste
As they say, word of mouth spreads like wildfire. When it works in your favour, it can be a great thing. But when it doesn’t, it can be enough to ruin your business.
Darlinghurst’s trendy Vietnamese eatery, Phamish is unique in that I’ve heard both extremes – while some adore it, others wouldn’t dream of going back. It wasn’t until my first visit there that I realised why.
Papaya and Beef Salad - $16.50
Shall we start on the bad?
I have a pet hate for restaurants that don’t take bookings. Phamish is one of these restaurants. The first time I visited Phamish, my girlfriends and I arrived 15 minutes after opening and missed the first sitting – which meant that we had to wait an hour before getting a table. The second time, Mr. Taste and I made sure we were there 6pm on the dot. We figured it was worth killing ourselves to get there on time than face the agonising wait.
Front Counter
Both times I’ve visited, the service was unfriendly. I’ve also heard horror stories of customers getting screamed at for missing their spot in the queue. The staff don’t take orders, so you have to line up at the counter to place your order (on most nights, the line is as long as the restaurant itself). While the food does come out quite fast, you’re also expected to vacate your table just as quickly. Dishes are cleared almost as soon as you take the last bite.
Duck and Prawn Pancake - $14
Bad service or not, the food is definitely worth coming for. Some say Phamish is a mix of Vietnamese and Thai, but I think it’s more Chinamese fusion in that it takes a fresh approach to Chinese and Vietnamese cooking. The duck and prawn rice paper rolls here are sensational. These jumbo sized rolls combine duck pancake, banh xeo and rice paper roll all in one fascinating mix. They are definitely one of the first dishes to be taken off the menu on a busy night, so make sure you order these early!
Blue Swimmer Crab Dumplings (with dipping sauce) - $12
The Blue Swimmer Crab Dumplings are just as popular. These crispy wontons are stuffed with a crab meat filling with shitake mushrooms and corn. A word of warning, the dumpings are prepared fresh from the deep fryer, so be careful not to burn your tongue!
Papaya and Beef Salad - $16.50
The papaya salad is quiet mild in comparison to the ones Mr Taste’s aunts make. It’s still plenty tasty though, especially with the pan-fried beef slices.
Other signature dishes include the salt and pepper squid, lamb curry and the banana blossom salad.
Phamish
And one last thing….. For those of you who’ve been, what is up with the chairs? While I love the look, they’re awfully uncomfortable to sit on. After two hours on these seats, I’m in need a good back rub.
Phamish
Phamish
Shop 109, 50 Burton St,
Darlinghurst NSW 2010
# 02 9357 2688
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