I think I’ve finally gotten over my addiction to soft shell crab. The first time I had it was in a Japanese restaurant, as tempura. I loved the crunch and the fact that you could eat the crab in one go, without having to negotiate bits of normally hard shell. Since then, I find that when you order it, it’s often a bit of a hit-or-miss affair. If done well, it can be lovely and crispy. All it really needs is to be dredged in seasoned flour, deep fried and served with a spicy sauce on the side. I don’t think I’ve ever tried local soft shell crab. Apparently they are of better quality, but are also almost three times as expensive as the imported ones, which usually arrive to our shores flash frozen in boxes all the way from countries like Malaysia. Defrosting them yields quite a bit of liquid, and if not patted well dry, can result in soggy watery bits of crab.

Tonight was a quiet family meal. The choice was between Vietnamese or Chinese, and as I don’t often get a chance to eat Vietnamese food, it seemed like the more interesting option. My parents frequent this restaurant on and off, and the owner greets them warmly when we enter.

Upon recommendation, we end up with two entrees of crispy salt and pepper quail and stuffed chicken wings – both substantial portions, and a main dish of the soft shell crab. With these dishes, we had tomato rice and stir fried chinese spinach. The quail was suitably salty and spicy, and quite tasty, but as my dad says, with a dish like this, you can’t really go wrong with deep frying – just ask the Colonel. The tamarind sauce on the crab was a sweet and sour type of number, which was actually quite nice, but it drowned out the slightly soggy crab which you could barely taste anyway. The stuffed chicken wings was probably the nicest of all the dishes. Deboned and stuffed with chicken mince, glass noodles and something else I can’t recall the specifics of, it was juicy and flavoursome, whilst retaining the crisp and crunch of the outer skin.

While not all the dishes were a success, it was still an enjoyable night, and a welcome change to what I’m normally used to, when it comes to having Vietnamese food – which usually involves sugar cane prawns, vegetable rice paper rolls and bowls of Pho.

Saigon Cuisine
Shop U2b, 2 Central Ave
Thornleigh 2120