Last year I lamented the lack of food trucks and street food in Canberra. Since then I've tried RJs (now closed I've heard), Westside Acton Park, the Hamlet but never made it to Mandalay Bus, which is probably the highest rated of the lot. On a sunny Friday evening, the Hamlet was pumping with people filling the seats, queuing and eating along the streets. It was the perfect opportunity to keep walking past and join the younger demographic with their BYO alcohol and hysteria.
- Prawn twisters $9 - prawns chopped into pieces and deep fried into thin rolls;
- Jalapeno aioli waffle fries $9 - exceptional waffle-shaped potatoes topped with mild aioli. Some of the most memorable fries I've ever had. Add some extra chilli to this fantastic dish.
- Satay chicken with kimchi on roti $9 - very nice tender satay with a tasty salad. Couldn't detect any kimchi in the salad and the roti quality was pretty average (flat, firm and chewy rather than flaky, buttery and soft). To me a roti should be soft and flexible whereas this one conformed to the bent boat shape of the box.
Overall the food quality was excellent, especially considering the price and setting. There aren't many places in Canberra you can eat for that price (the baby Brod being the possible exception). I'm quite keen to try the fried wings and pork belly saigon roll with tikka slaw & sambal next time. Of course the waffle fries are a given.