While the basic decor, dark entrances and questionable signage up the Chinatown end of Wickham Terrace may not be immediately appealing, inside The Vietnamese (yes, that is its real and whole name) is Asian food of the delicious yet supremely affordable variety. While many a student would have entered its front doors based on the BYO lettering alone, long-time residents of Brisbane will know of The Vietnamese’s deep-etched history.

In 1975 the Le family travelled from Vietnam to Adelaide, before moving to Brisbane two years later. In 1983, they opened their first tiny shop in West End before outgrowing that locale and moving to the current Fortitude Valley spot. Post a devastating fire in 1997, the restaurant closed for several months before reopening with an additional function room upstairs. Ingredients are sourced locally, including from the Le’s own farm, and Bich Le still works in the kitchen preparing your fun rolls, pho soup and vermicelli noodles each day.