Detour #2: Trang Restaurant (59 Hardgrave Road, Brisbane)

Attendees: Beata, Bobbie, Bo, Candice


A combination of work and pleasure brings me up to the sunshine state. A visit to a Vietnamese restaurant in Brisvegas provides an opportunity to give the ChChCh formula another whirl outside Victoria St. Bobbie and I impulsively take on the challenge single-handedly. Bo and Bobbie swear by Thy Thy from their Melbourne visits and it's time to see how Brisbane's Trang shapes up.

On a warm autumnal afternoon we have drank ourselves sober with a carton of cider and are hoping some Vietnamese food and a couple of bottles of red will serve as a pick-me-up.

It's lucky a reservation has been made as all the outdoor tables are full and people are spilling out onto the footpath. I am desperately thirsty and wanting to wash the taste of cider out of my mouth but in our tucked away corner table it seems to take forever to get the waiter's attention.

Bobbie and I embark on the challenge with rice paper rolls. These are of the average variety, relatively tasty but nothing to change states for.

Next up are the mussels with chilli from Trang's specials. They seem to be fresh and have the taste of the sea. The sauce is more on the sweet-chilli side with bits of red capsicum. These are taken care of quite quickly.

For number 27 we have counted down the Chinese section of the menu and ended up with braised duck with mushrooms. The duck is quite fatty but the abundance of vegetables is notable. There are 3 types of mushroom (button, shitake and chinese) and as Bobbie says these are "juicy and delicious".

It seems that all the food has come out and is practically finished. A bottle of wine has been consumed but where is our pho? I fin

ally manage to get the waiter's attention and it seems it has been forgotten. Chopstick Chowdown Challenge will not be complete without pho! It comes out a few minutes later and is very enjoyable.

During the re-ordering of pho, spring rolls have come out and despite full bellies it is our duty to taste-test them. The main descriptor that comes to mind is 'stringy'. When asked to do the ratings, Candice comments "they're not very tasty, I give them an 8." Maybe Queenslanders are more liberal with their ratings!


Ratings
Beef pho 8.3/10
Rice paper rolls 7/10
#27 (braised duck with mushrooms) 8/10
Special (mussels with chilli) 8.3/10
Vegetarian spring rolls 6.8/10