This restaurant masquerades as a Vietnamese restaurant. In fact, ‘Asian’ would be a much better description. Many Chinese standards, some Indonesian and Malaysian dishes and, yes, a few Vietnamese dishes feature as well. The chef, Mr. Tinh used to be the PM of South Vietnam’s personal cook, travelling with the politician be he in Saigon, Taipei or Washington. He eventually came to Australia and opened his own restaurant.
Bay Tinh looks like hundreds of other suburban Chinese restaurants. Whitewashed walls, kitsch wall decorations, the odd dragon or two, laminex tables and rickety chairs paint a mental picture. What sets it apart is that all the waitresses wear traditional Vietnamese dress.
The food is professional, filling, predictable and utterly boring. Nothing stands out, except the price. Eating at Bay Tinh is incredibly good value for money. You could not even buy half the ingredients for what they charge you for the finished dish. If you are hungry and momentarily poor, I cannot think of a better place to go, as long as you can put up with the absolutely appalling service.
Score: 4.5/10
For more information or bookings:
Bay Tinh
318 Victoria Road
Marrickville
Tel.: 02 9560 8673