*Our restaurant critics’ picks of the latest and best eats around the country right now: Madame Hanoi Bar & Bistro, Adelaide.
- Hungry hordes prowling the city en route to big AFL games at Adelaide Oval are finding Madame Hanoi’s banh bao and beer to be the perfect new-era footy food. Not to be confused with banh mi baguettes, banh bao look a lot like the classic Cantonese pork buns you’d see at yum cha, and at the Adelaide Casino’s versatile Vietnamese-themed bar and bistro, Kiwi cook Nic Watt has come up with four interesting variations on the theme. The best is packed with feisty Sichuan-spiced tofu, crunchy carrot and coriander, while another winning option pairs spicy pork belly with green papaya, pickled cucumber and roasted peanuts. There are lots of beer choices, too, with a dozen craft barrels on tap (try King Brown by Adelaide’s Brewboys), and an enticing wine list heavy on boutique SA producers beside interesting French bottles. It’s an impressive introduction to a versatile menu that embraces a wide array of French-Vietnamese street food and shared plates.[
Madame Hanoi Bar & Bistro](http://www.madamehanoi.com.au/), Adelaide Casino, North Tce, Adelaide, SA, (08) 8218 4166
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