Xic Lo Parramatta

I wanted to go somewhere else for lunch, as there are loads of Vietnamese restaurants around Parramatta, some of them very good. I wasn’t really keen on trying a "Westernised" Asian place – where you get fancy décor but pay twice the normal price for a main. However, some in our party wanted somewhere "nice" to have lunch, so I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt.

Food

I was hoping to be proved wrong but I was very disappointed. The menu was basically a pared-down version of the typical Vietnamese. It seems like they only kept the safe and "Westernised" dishes, so the more interesting things were off the menu. I wanted to try something I thought might be special to this place since it’s not your “typical” Viet, but alas, there was nothing.

And so I ordered the spicy beef and pork noodle soup ($10), which came in a very nice designer looking bowl. The soup – the all important ingredient to judge Vietnamese food, was so so. There was certainly no complexity to it – basically tasted salty and had a very very slight hint of chilli only, maybe a 1 on the radar.

The noodles were actually rounded rice noodles, and were nice and slippery, the beef was cooked to very well done and the pork was unremarkable. I actually wished there were more vegetables.

Rating - 4

Atmosphere

Well, the place was dead this Friday lunchtime, unlike Bamboodle a couple of doors down, and I can probably guess why. It was an overcast and windy day, but the restaurant was very dark and cold – they could’ve made it a bit brighter!

Décor wise, it’s very hip and modern, red, black and white being the theme. Now if only their food matches up with the décor…

Rating - 2

Service

Well, since we were the only customers, there weren’t anyone else to serve. They pretty much delivered our meals and left us alone.

Rating - 3

C-factor

I think this is definitely style over substance. Now, I am never partial to paying good money for my meal, in this case, it definitely didn’t justify the cause.

Rating - 0

Brownie Points - 9

Info

Shop 2185A, Westfild Parramatta
Argyle Street (opposite station)
Parramatta
NSW 2150
Phone (02) 9687 5669