Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Vietnamese Pancakes

Thick Noodles in Crab Soup

The Special Beef Noodle Soup

The only reason Jack would want Vietnamese food is if he is craving the fresh spring rolls. The last Vietnamese restaurant we went to had decent spring rolls (it's very hard to screw them up unless you've never eaten them before and still try to sell it *cough Jamaica Blue cough*) but the service was appalling. I know not to expect great service from cheapish Asian eateries but still, half an hour before taking an order when it's not busy is NOT cool.

Five Star Vietnamese fortunately was much more efficient and the food was awesome. They even had different sauces for the entrees (there were three sauces but I was too busy eating entree number three to take a photo)because every other place I've been to so far it's been the same sauce for every single thing. So that was a bit of a novelty for us (easily impressed). They didn't have many pictures in the menu and because of their efficiency in taking our order :) and my hunger (damn you stomach?!), in panic I randomly picked the crab noodle soup even though I wanted a rice dish but was too scared to order "broken rice". What is that?! Nevertheless it was great but Jacks beef noodle soup was the star dish (five star? ha... don't encourage me). The beef slowly cooked itself in the broth so it wasn't freakishly raw and ended up so tender and flavourful. The beef serving was plentiful enough for me to keep picking at his bowl for him to still be full. When I say picking it was more putting my food on hiatus until his was gone and then back to mine. There isn't too much competition, but Five Star Vietnamese, you may just have become our favourite Vietnamese restaurant in town!

On the subject of tender beef, I know New Zealand is famous for their beef, but the best beef I've ever had was in Japan. The shabu shabu place was all you can eat so it wasn't even super expensive high class grade A stuff but man did it melt in your mouth. I can't wait for the day I'm back there... sushi what? beef!!!

Shabu Shabu and Kobe Beef

After lunch I let Jack have his time with his ducks. As the photo will depict, I stayed well away! We ran out of cereal and bread, they didn't like his cookies... he lost his charm...

The loyal few ducks...