One of the best things about returning back to Australia has been the sheer quality and variety of Asian restaurants! There just isn't the selection or quality in Europe, but then again, you have a different selection of food available there... but I really did miss the Asian stuff!
Anyway, one of my favourite types of food is Vietnamese food. Due to the history of the country, it is an interesting mix of Western (French) and Asian styles... which leads to some pretty spicy but very clean tastes.
This particular Vietnamese restaurant (ToMi's Kitchen) is located in the central library and arts area of Chatswood... and Chatswood is home to a huge Asian ethnic community, which means that there is a stupendous array of great food on offer!
The Space
I visited in summer/spring, and the shop has outdoor seating... but if you choose to sit inside (which I generally do...), you have lots of light coming in from the large windows... making the space bright and airy in feel. A perfect place to kill time and to do some administration stuff between rehearsals!
I do love the darker wooden finish to the furniture all around as well!
The Menu
Lots of familiar traditional Vietnamese dishes on offer... when I see it in English, I'm not going to recognise it... but I'm also not going to recognise it in Vietnamese either! I really wish that there were photos to go with it... most of the time, that is the only way that I know what I'm getting in Asian restaurants!
The Food
Fried Duck and Tomato Rice was what I had settled on... I love crispy fried duck, and having flavoured rice is one of the best things that I like about Vietnamese and Middle Eastern foods. Sure, plain rice is alright... but it is so much nicer with some sort of flavouring. My favourite is chicken rice... speaking of which, I will do that sometime this week for the kids to have with something else.
A relatively small serving... but for an afternoon break, it wasn't too bad at all. No point overeating!
Normally, I would get an a strong Vietnamese coffee when I'm at these sorts of places... but they either didn't have it, or they misunderstood me. Oh well... the coffee was good, but if you have ever had a drip coffee with sweet condensed milk with ice... well, you will never have anything else instead! That reminds me... I did buy some condensed milk recently to do something like that!
The Experience
Convenient location near the arts centre where I was working... and quiet enough during the non-rush hours. Spacious enough for a single diner to spread out a bit, and with a staff that just let you eat and rest in peace. I really enjoyed this place! The food was good, and I didn't find anything wrong with it at all... just comforting food that eased the stomach. Well, the duck maybe not so much... but the rice always settles my stomach which can tend to play up when I'm travelling and eating out way too much...
Opening Times
Monday Closed
Tuesday 11 am–9 pm
Wednesday 11 am–9 pm
Thursday 11 am–9 pm
Friday 11 am–9 pm
Saturday 11 am–9 pm
Sunday 11 am–9 pm
Contact Details
Address: Shop 5, The Concourse, 409 Victoria Ave, Chatswood NSW 2067
Website: https://tomiskitchen.com.au/
Phone: 0412 224 664
Email: [email protected]