I’ve been a bit remiss recently on reporting on my
restaurant visits, which have included Jia in South
Kensington again, Mayfair Garden
in North Audley Street and Ember Yard in
Berwick Street. But as we have now
returned for the fifth time to a new Vietnamese restaurant on the “strip” in
South Croydon, I thought I had to make the effort.
Cat
Ba Island took over from the Mae Ping Thai restaurant in South End back in
January. We’ve been there just the two
of us a couple of times, and with P&M and with H. And then today we went again. As you can
guess, we quite like it there!
The menu is extensive, with a big selection of Pho dishes –
we haven’t tried those, but P did and was well satisfied. They are massive
bowls of soup and noodles with whatever protein you choose.
Aside from the Pho, the menu is huge – as are the
portions. Starters we have enjoyed include
minced pork with lemongrass, rice paper duck rolls, crispy pork and crabmeat
spring rolls, raw beef with herbs, soft-shell crab. These are nearly enough on their own to fill
you up.
Main courses have included a pork belly in a roasting pot
with tea-light, chilli prawns (8 in a portion) or king prawn tamarind, sizzling
beef, wok-fried “shaking” beef and a magnificently presented crispy fillet of
sea bass, with the rest of the fish wrapped around it. There are dozens of other rice and noodle
dishes too.
The Australian house wines – Hidden Road Sauvignon Blanc or
Merlot – are incredibly priced at £14, which for the Williams family means a
great reduction in the bill. Service is
friendly and reasonably efficient (“Quick wine”), and the atmosphere nice and
friendly. This Friday it was very busy and buzzing, yet the service was still
rapid – too fast if anything.
So full marks to Cat Ba Island. It’s not sophisticated, but
hard to beat for value.
