This is Vietnamese cuisine - not merely food - prepared with care, finesse and artistry.
It is an easy cuisine to love, with its abundance of fresh herbs, subtle spices, and grand array of organic meats and local seafood, with that delicious meld of Asian tradition with French technique. The Green Papaya menu is extensive, and at times bewildering in its range and choice, but both the staff and the written menu encourage diners to share a number of dishes in the Vietnamese tradition.
The Emperor Pork is a treat not to be missed – slow cooked, tender, delicate and sweet – without the over-reduced stickiness presented by so many restaurants today.
The restaurant is large and extremely busy, but separated into a number of rooms that have been renovated, and the decor is now smart and modern, lifting the whole experience up a notch or two.
Service is attentive and friendly, but necessarily brisk due to the sheer number of people who dine there.
Aromatic whites quite sensibly dominate the wine list, which is very well priced and carries many interesting locals and imports.
The Green Papaya is open for lunch on Fridays from 12 to 3pm and for dinner Tuesday to Saturday from 6 to 10pm. It’s fully licenced or you can BYO wine. Main courses start from around $15 and deserts from $14. Bookings are essential.
