Hanh Phuc means happiness and this Vietnamese vegan eatery is full of it from the sweet service, astoundingly good prices, complimentary snacks and fruit and the wholesome vegan fare. Come along and find out what is on the menu and why this humble restaurant is so popular.
It was originally my idea to go to Hanh Phuc for my birthday with my vegan in laws. It had everything that they love: tasty vegan food, incredible prices and complimentary fruit.
Hanh Phuc is run by one woman working here seven days a week from 11am till 3/4pm. "Just call me Hanh Phuc!" she says smiling. The restaurant has been open for 30 years, with 10 years at this location, and over that time it has fed many happy customers.
The menu here is simple. There are three choices and they are all vegan and $10 each. When you walk in, you take a piece of paper and write down what you want out of the three items and then hand it over to her and pay when you finish.
Hanh Phuc is a sweet and calm presence offering a plate with a mandarin and two slices of baguette with butter. She points to the mandarin and says, "Make sure to share this because this means that you'll be together for a long time. Peel it like a flower." Everyone gets a different plate. I see a man get a mandarin and a muffin and a woman get a mandarin and a chocolate muffin.
The vegan pho is fantastic and is my favourite dish of the three. You can choose between ginger, lemongrass or Coco Yellow lemongrass and we just went with coco yellow lemongrass. Obviously it's made without beef stock or beef but it's got thin rice noodles, cabbage, cauliflower and a delicious hit of lemongrass. It's comforting and a massive serve too.
The rice is good. The other two dishes come with a choice of lemongrass or yellow tofu. It's paired with fried tofu and crunchy lettuce with a soy based dipping sauce.
The salad is quite nice again with the fried tofu and noodles and you just mix it all together. But my favourite is the soup which I keep going back to.
At the end she brings us some cakes as well as a bowl of red rice porridge. Mr NQN peels the mandarin and presents it like a flower.
And as if we haven't eaten our fill, when we go to pay, she gives us a soft bread roll to take with us and we promise to come back.
So tell me Dear Reader, do you have a favourite vegan restaurant? What do you think of Hanh Phuc?
This meal was independently paid for.
Hanh Phuc
242 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Phone: (02) 9029 9908
Monday to Friday 11am-4pm
Saturday and Sunday 11am-3pm
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