jardin tan

Jardin Tan is not the typical tourist restaurant which springs to mind when you think of a cafe in the Botanical Gardens. On the contrary, it is everything an urban Vietnamese restaurant in the midst of Melbourne city should be.

Set in the lush green peace of the gardens, the edgily rustic interior has the vibe of an organised chaos. The sort of vibe you’d get on the streets of Vietnam, where market stalls set out on train tracks can be packed up in a second at the sound of an approaching train, and reset after it passes. Sitting and eating at Jardin Tan feels like a picnic, but indoors, away from the chilly wind and bum-wetting grassy evils of the great outdoors.

Most importantly, the food is good. Made with the vibrancy and freshness that is traditional to Vietnamese food, the tapa style shared dishes are full of flavours of lemongrass and spice. Throughout the meal, my mouth was simmering with the zing of just enough chilli to come out with functioning tastebuds. Lucky I also had a lemonade to tone things down a bit.

Today, we ordered:

• Pho bo (gf) - Blackmore wagyu beef, rice noodles, bean sprouts, chilli $14.5 Verdict - I loved the mouth-watering broth and wide rice noodles; although you can never beat the massive bowls of pho found on Victoria Street, this came pretty close, with the plus of the location and funky environment.

• Dau hu chien gion, xa ot (v, gf) -crispy tofu, fermented chilli, lemongrass salt $9 Verdict - This was so good. The hot, deep-fried goodness of the crispy outside, and the soft, tender inside was perfect.

• Su on tru u nu ong (n, gf) - Flinders island chargrilled lamb ribs, chilli caramel $19 Verdict - This is definitely one of their most famous dishes for a reason. The lamb was cooked perfectly and the sweet twist in the chilli sauce was delicious. Order away.

• Banh cuon (gf) - noodle wrapped pork mince, mint fish sauce $16 Verdict - I highly recommend asking for some lettuce to wrap these in; it adds the perfect crunch to the soft wrapped mince. A really nice, balanced taste.

• Murc xao muoi tieu - wok fried crispy salt and pepper squid $22 Verdict - The batter was a bit too salty and the squid a bit too fried; nice to share as a side.

A visit to Jardin Tan made my Sunday 100% better; I will definitely be coming back. So much love for the vibrant buzz of the restaurant. Ensure that you ring up and book, otherwise you might have to wait.

http://jardintan.com.au

Royal Botanic Gardens, Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra, 3141 (next to the Visitor’s Centre) 9021 2111

Love, Ingrid