When Street Food Became Trendy @ Hem Nine Nine - Glebe [ Closed ]

Hem Nine Nine, Mama Linh’s new establishment has found a permanent place in Glebe area. Serving Vietnamese food with Mama’s own recipe, you can still taste the authentic flavour but this time they differentiate themselves with a modern touch on every dish.

I bet you have heard about Mama Linh’s Food Truck before, haven’t you? Talking about their Beef Pho Roll (I bet you can’t simply find it anywhere) – the tender, juicy and richly flavoured beef in a soft Vietnamese bread roll – well, they don’t have the roll here but don’t fret as they have the Special Bone Marrow Pho which I’m gonna talk more about it if you still keep on reading~

Hem Nine Nine is nicely decorated with a bold color choices and somehow resembles a hidden gem you can find in a laneway in Vietnam.  It might look small from the outside but they do have more seatings at the back courtyard. 

I always believe double deep fried means double goodness and not double badness (ps: I'm not lying to myself). So, when I see this Lemongrass Pork Chop Bun on the menu, there is no way I'd miss it~ Tender pork chop with a caramel-lemongrass marinade, fried to perfection and served with pickled cucumber, baby radish and chili mayo. The mantou bun is also flash-fried, so you'll get the soft, fluffy and yet crispy bun with flavorful and juicy meat on the inside all in every bite!

Char-grilled Bo Lu Lac aka Black Pepper Beef Skewers is another favorite! The wagyu marble score +9 shines here as each bite of the beef cubes is so tender, juicy and peppery. I imagine putting these cubes over the top of lettuce with a little bit of tangy vinegar dressing will definitely become my must-eat salad combination ever!

Make sure you don't miss this Hem Special Pho every time you visit this place! Bone marrow is packed with rich flavor that is undeniable for pho broth. Simmered for 18 hours, the broth has intense beefy flavor with warm aroma of herbs and the gelatine gives extra richness and mouth-coating texture! Served with tender Rare Wagyu Beef (9+ marble score), sliced brisket,and oven roasted bone marrow.. There's always room for a second bowl!

Another thing you can't miss is this Bun Rieu! This place is doing a great makeover to the traditional look of Bun Rieu by adding squid ink into the soup. Served with crispy Banh Hoi noodles as the base and topped with soft shell crab for extra crunch, the soup gets my attention the most with its comforting and rich taste like it's been simmered for hours.

Hem Nine Nine

Address:

99 Glebe Point Road, Glebe

Opening Hours:

Tuesday - Friday 12pm - 3pm for LUNCH 

Tuesday - Sunday 5pm - 10pm for DINNER

Vietnamese Through Parisian Lense at Grand Duk - CBD

Grand Duk firstly opened its door as a sleek bistro in the heart of the CBD serving modern Vietnamese dishes with a French twist. I heard at first the menu focuses more on the slow cooked dishes like its sibling, the Naked Duck, but then Amy Lee, the owner, has decided to launch a new all day menu with some seasonal specials alongside their signature Grand Duk coffee blend supplied by Toby's Estate.

Breakfast is the most important meal and if you don't have time to prepare your own - get this Trifle and refuel on your way to work. Layers of fruits and nutty muesli topped with natural yoghurt and fresh berries, this kind of breakfast is not only yummy but also healthy and definitely rich in antioxidants. 

One thing that shouldn't be missed when talking about Vietnamese food is this Goi Cuon aka Rice Paper Roll. Freshly rolled with the right proportion of meat, vermicelli, lettuce, and served with hoisin peanut dip - they are sold individually and you can choose to have it with Sichuan Duck (my fave!) or Tiger Prawn or 5 Spice Tofu or simply one each if you can't decide!

I rarely eat salad for breakfast but I guess this Breakfast Bowl might change the way I think and plan for my next meal. Served with poached eggs, green leaves, mashed avocado, mixed nuts and seeds, and Vietnamese daikon & carrot pickles - this light and refreshing combination is bursting with sweet and tangy taste as well as extra crunchy texture from the pickles and the nuts. 

5 SPICE TOFU SALAD - bean sprouts, pickles, enoki, snowpeas, water chestnuts, herbs, peanuts & sesame vinaigrette

I always have a soft spot for Vietnamese food in my heart more because I feel healthy knowing that they use mostly herbs and fresh vegetables (with less oil too) - like this 5 Spice Tofu Salad, the peanut and sesame vinaigrette gives extra tangy kick to the combination of fresh veggies and Vietnamese pickles. 

Who will give the Salt and Pepper Squid a miss when it's served straight out of the fryer, fried to a light and golden crunch? For me personally, the refreshing green papaya salad is actually the attention-stealer with its tangy, sweet, sour and spicy flavours although I usually can't live without this tender, nicely spiced and deep-fried glory!

Duck Meatballs Bahn Mi 

Sticky Master Stock Pork Belly (on the right)

Ginger Baked King Salmon

I'd say out of these three, my favorite is their Ginger Baked King Salmon! The salmon gives a very nice Asian flare with a hint of ginger and garlic. Every bite with the pho duck broth is so flakey, moist and flavourful that leaves me craving the more I eat it. The Duck Meatball is another interesting approach to the usual Bahn Mi, it is juicy and tender but unfortunately a bit too salty for my liking. Another everyone's favorite, the Sticky Pork Belly is slow-cooked till flavorful (definitely has strong lemongrass taste) and served Asian style with steamed brown rice on the side.

Grand Duk creates the humble Mango Pudding and Deep Fried Ice Cream into something extraordinary! At a glance, their Coconut Crumble Deep Fried Ice Cream looks like a crispy golden brown lamington with smooth vanila bean ice cream awaits within the hot crispy shell. Served chilled with the addition of ginger sago and kaffir lime caramel, the Mango Pudding has smooth and creamy texture with rich mango and gingery taste and a hint of citrusy fragrant.

Grand Duk

Address:

225 George Street, CBD

Opening Hours:

Monday - Friday 7am - 4.30pm

-Let's Nomnom dined as guest of Grand Duk. Thanks Amy for the warm service and hospitality. All opinions here are our own and independent-