Dreamy St Cloud was a go-to destination for my family’s catch ups since it opened in late 2015. The two-story restaurant is a mix of modern Vietnamese and trendy bar with many diners choosing it as a spot for romantic dates, friends’ catch ups, and (usually in our case) family get togethers.
But sadly, I had not eaten here for over a year. I was eager to get back. This week, I got to try it again. I totally impressed by the menu, atmosphere and interesting drinks list.
Entering the buzzing restaurant, your eyes will need to adjust to the dim lighting, before you try to read the menu. There are many tasty vegetarian options including small plates, mains and sides. Sharing between two of us (this food is best shared – and then you get to try more anyway), we opted for two of the small plates and a half serve of curry.
The radish cake held delightful flavours and textures. It was made with radish that had been mashed and put into two long rectangles then fried. It looked like a rosti but was more like a cake with something like rice flour binding it together. The outside was crispy and inside soft. On top was soft and sweet eggplant, heaps of different herbs, thin slices of raw, white radish, with a tangy sweet vinegar sauce.
The turmeric and coconut pancakes were equally delicious. They tasted strongly of coconut and had been cooked in little, shallow, concave pans. These were served with lettuce and lots of mint and other herbs. You could put it all together, but the pancakes tasted best just with the sweet, salty sauce.
The coconut curry was my friend’s favourite. The sauce was nutty and creamy with lots of coconut milk and chili. Inside were green beans which had been cooked until soft, but still with a bit of bite; okra which had been halved long-ways to soak up the sauce; and, deep fried silken tofu. The highlight in this dish were the little stewed cumquats which gave an intense but sweet citrus, and the plentiful Vietnamese mint.
There are many interesting drinks on the menu. My friend had the lychee and passionfruit soda. A taste told me it was delicious, but extremely sweet and strong.
Upon finishing the meal, we agreed that we needed to come back, soon, and with more people, to try all the other things on the menu our stomachs could not muster in one sitting: roasted pumpkin with whipped tofu, Vietnamese slaw, green mango salad, and the wok tossed corn.
St Cloud
644 Burwood Road
Hawthorn East 3123
03 9882 0146
stcloudeatinghouse.com.au
Opening Hours:
Tuesday to Sunday 12pm to 10pm
Monday 5:30pm to 10pm
But sadly, I had not eaten here for over a year. I was eager to get back. This week, I got to try it again. I totally impressed by the menu, atmosphere and interesting drinks list.
Entering the buzzing restaurant, your eyes will need to adjust to the dim lighting, before you try to read the menu. There are many tasty vegetarian options including small plates, mains and sides. Sharing between two of us (this food is best shared – and then you get to try more anyway), we opted for two of the small plates and a half serve of curry.
The radish cake held delightful flavours and textures. It was made with radish that had been mashed and put into two long rectangles then fried. It looked like a rosti but was more like a cake with something like rice flour binding it together. The outside was crispy and inside soft. On top was soft and sweet eggplant, heaps of different herbs, thin slices of raw, white radish, with a tangy sweet vinegar sauce.
 |
| Radish cake with lychee passionfruit Soda |
The turmeric and coconut pancakes were equally delicious. They tasted strongly of coconut and had been cooked in little, shallow, concave pans. These were served with lettuce and lots of mint and other herbs. You could put it all together, but the pancakes tasted best just with the sweet, salty sauce.
 |
| Turmeric and coconut pancakes |
The coconut curry was my friend’s favourite. The sauce was nutty and creamy with lots of coconut milk and chili. Inside were green beans which had been cooked until soft, but still with a bit of bite; okra which had been halved long-ways to soak up the sauce; and, deep fried silken tofu. The highlight in this dish were the little stewed cumquats which gave an intense but sweet citrus, and the plentiful Vietnamese mint.
 |
| Delicious coconut curry with surprise cumquats |
There are many interesting drinks on the menu. My friend had the lychee and passionfruit soda. A taste told me it was delicious, but extremely sweet and strong.
Upon finishing the meal, we agreed that we needed to come back, soon, and with more people, to try all the other things on the menu our stomachs could not muster in one sitting: roasted pumpkin with whipped tofu, Vietnamese slaw, green mango salad, and the wok tossed corn.
St Cloud
644 Burwood Road
Hawthorn East 3123
03 9882 0146
stcloudeatinghouse.com.au
Opening Hours:
Tuesday to Sunday 12pm to 10pm
Monday 5:30pm to 10pm