Randomness Guide to London - Differences between Version 13 and Version 12 of Au Lac, N5 2XE

Version 13 Version 12
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Vietnamese restaurant in [[Locale Highbury|Highbury]]. It's dimly lit and cosy, seating around 50 people.
Au Lac is well-known in the neighbourhoods surrounding Highbury Park and Blackstock Road. It is a cosy, dark Vietnamese restaurant that advertises air conditioning in summer. The quality of the food is fairly consistent, the weekends showing the least consistency.
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The menu includes some Chinese dishes as well as Vietnamese. However, the Vietnamese specialties include seafood starters, such as squid with garlic and chilli, banh xeo (billed as "traditional Vietnamese pancake"), cold chicken and prawn salads (lotus shoots, kohlrabi and morning glory), curry dishes, crispy tilapia, and pho (a kind of noodle soup). They also have a vegetarian selection which includes food appropriate for vegans.
They deliver to the surrounding areas, within 2 miles of their location, usually quite promptly. [[Allolex]] has often received deliveries within 20 minutes of ordering.
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[[Kake]] visited on a Thursday lunchtime in July 2013. There was only one other customer present while I was there. No music was playing. Although [[Allolex]] has previously noted the restaurant advertising air conditioning in summer, it wasn't apparent on this visit. A dish of prawn crackers was brought as I sat down (and didn't appear on the bill). Tap water arrived promptly on request.
Specialties include seafood starters, such as squid with garlic and chilli, banh xeo (billed as "traditional Vietnamese pancake"), cold chicken and prawn salads (lotus shoots, kohlrabi and morning glory), curry dishes, crispy tilapia, and pho (a kind of noodle soup). They also have a vegetarian selection which also offers food appropriate for vegans.
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Rice vermicelli with chargrilled fillet fish (&pound;7) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/9330867675/ photo]</small> was pretty good. The vermicelli was cooked competently, the pickled carrot and daikon were nicely-judged, and the shredded lettuce was fresh and showed competent knifework. The fish itself was beautifully done; tender and non-greasy.
As of May 2009, the prices range from &pound;2.50 to &pound;11, but most dishes are around &pound;5.
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They also deliver to the surrounding areas, within 2 miles of their location, usually quite promptly. [[Allolex]] has often received deliveries within 20 minutes of ordering.
[[Allolex]] comments: There have been periods where I've ordered from Au Lac twice a week. I'm a big fan of their food since it's always tasty and not laden with grease like a lot of East Asian takeaways are. Maybe this is due to the fact that they are a restaurant that does takeaway, and work to a higher standard.
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[[Allolex]]'s verdict: Au Lac is well-known in the neighbourhoods surrounding Highbury Park and Blackstock Road. The quality of the food is fairly consistent, the weekends showing the least consistency. There have been periods where I've ordered from Au Lac twice a week. I'm a big fan of their food since it's always tasty and not laden with grease like a lot of East Asian takeaways are.

[[Kake]]'s verdict: I'd come back if I was passing through the area &#8212; I'd like to try the pho, and my experience with the grilled fish suggests the grilled meats might be worth a try too.

Accessibility: A step to get in; this is downwards, and not immediately obvious, so take care on entering. The toilets are down a flight of stairs with a handrail on one side that doesn't go all the way down.

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* Photos of the menu as of July 2013: [http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/9330875701/ 1], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/9330871601/ 2]
* [http://comeconella.blogspot.
co.uk/2010/01/au-lac-vietnamese.html Come Con Ella review]
* [http://theskinnybib.com/2011/03/13/au-lac/ The Skinny Bib review]
* [http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/restaurants/restaurant-185149-details/Au+Lac/restaurantReview.do Evening Standard review]
* [http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/restaurant/1w6107o/ Trusted Places comments]
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* [http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/au-lac-london Yelp comments]
* [http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/london/view/99846/ Square Meal review]
* [[Allolex]]'s photos of the food: [http://allolex.net/noblock/randomness/Davison
-20050910-3820-Randomness-600px.jpg 1], [http://allolex.net/noblock/randomness/Davison-20050910-3821-Randomness-600px.jpg 2], [http://allolex.net/noblock/randomness/Davison-20050910-3822-Randomness-600px.jpg 3], [http://allolex.net/noblock/randomness/Davison-20050910-3823-Randomness-600px.jpg 3], [http://allolex.net/noblock/randomness/Davison-20050910-3824-Randomness-600px.jpg 4], [http://allolex.net/noblock/randomness/Davison-20050910-3825-Randomness-600px.jpg 5], [http://allolex.net/noblock/randomness/Davison-20050910-3826-Randomness-600px.jpg 6], [http://allolex.net/noblock/randomness/Davison-20050910-3827-Randomness-600px.jpg 7], [http://allolex.net/noblock/randomness/Davison-20050910-3830-Randomness-600px.jpg 8]
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<div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Kake]], July 2013. Opening hours taken from the Au Lac website, July 2013.</div>
<div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Allolex]], 12 May 2009. Opening hours taken from menu, May 2009.</div>
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formatted_website_text='aulac.co.uk'
host='81.187.166.218'
formatted_website_text=''
host='212.57.245.34'
== Line 36 ==
node_image='https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5499/9330878399_6994fc5ef8_m.jpg'
node_image_copyright='Kake'
node_image_licence='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/'
node_image_url='https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/9330878399/'
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summary='A good Vietnamese restaurant and takeaway in Highbury.' summary='Small Vietnamese restaurant and takeaway in Highbury.'
website='http://www.aulac.co.uk/'
summary='A good Vietnamese restaurant and takeaway in Highbury.' website='http://www.aulac.co.uk/'

Au Lac is well-known in the neighbourhoods surrounding Highbury Park and Blackstock Road. It is a cosy, dark Vietnamese restaurant that advertises air conditioning in summer. The quality of the food is fairly consistent, the weekends showing the least consistency.

They deliver to the surrounding areas, within 2 miles of their location, usually quite promptly. Allolex has often received deliveries within 20 minutes of ordering.

Specialties include seafood starters, such as squid with garlic and chilli, banh xeo (billed as "traditional Vietnamese pancake"), cold chicken and prawn salads (lotus shoots, kohlrabi and morning glory), curry dishes, crispy tilapia, and pho (a kind of noodle soup). They also have a vegetarian selection which also offers food appropriate for vegans.

As of May 2009, the prices range from £2.50 to £11, but most dishes are around £5.

Allolex comments: There have been periods where I've ordered from Au Lac twice a week. I'm a big fan of their food since it's always tasty and not laden with grease like a lot of East Asian takeaways are. Maybe this is due to the fact that they are a restaurant that does takeaway, and work to a higher standard.

See also:

Last visited by Allolex, 12 May 2009. Opening hours taken from menu, May 2009.

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