Red Lantern on Riley, Darlinghurst

Red Lantern on Riley, the Darlinghurst outpost of famed Red Lantern, opened in 2012. The storefront, plucked from colonial Vietnam, is situated at the northern end of quiet Riley St. Its only signage is a small plaque underneath the store number, but that’s ok, I think it’s fairly obvious which restaurant it is.

Step through a floor to ceiling glass door and into a beautifully designed dining room. Despite the fact that it’s a sleepy lunch service, the service was solid. Most of the room is various muted shades of white and brown with accents of red here and there. One of the side walls is decorated with photos of the Nguyen family.

Ca nuong va goi hoa chuoi ($39)

I think the pan-fried fish fillets are barramundi; they’re crumbed with various seeds like pumpkin seeds for a little crunch. It’s accompanied by a banana blossom and mung bean sprout salad. Personally, I dislike mung bean sprouts because to me, they taste like water, but banana blossom is yummy. It’s all served with a slightly sour tamarind sauce.

Ga goi chien don ($38.50)

According to the menu, the spatchcocked chicken has been poached in master stock; I think it adds extra flavour. While the skin is crispy, the meat is nice and tender. I soaked each portion of chicken in the dipping sauce before eating it with rice.

Banh cam mang cau ($16)

Three sesame and rice flour dumplings sit in a shallow pool of evaporated milk which has a distinct heat thanks to some Vietnamese cinnamon. The dumplings are straight out of the fryer so the sweet soursop jam inside is still warm. A final scoop of smooth black sesame ice cream and a handful of baked shredded coconut finished the dessert.

While the price may be a little steep for a casual lunch, Red Lantern on Riley is classy enough for a formal dinner. With these restaurants, there’s not a complete absence of higher-end, quality Vietnamese food.

Red Lantern on Riley
60 Riley St
Darlinghurst NSW
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