You can find this casual-chic diner smack bang in the middle of crowded Darling Square, serving tart cocktails and big plates of generosity. Cuong Nguyen’s dishes beckon diners to dig in, starting with rich chicken-liver mousse on mung- bean bread with soft herbs and pickles.

Follow up with a refreshing charcoal grilled octopus papaya salad (goi bach tuoc) that doesn’t hold back on the zing. Desserts are fine (Vietnamese ice-coffee trifle, say), but we reckon it’s more fun to fill up with a crunchy coconut- and turmeric-laden banh xeo, the crepe cradling meaty prawns, or the DIY rice paper rolls with crushed peanuts and barbecued pork jowl.

The food arrives quickly, as do the good times, although grilled wagyu with a pho demi-glace can be a half-hour wait. Is the $80 steak worth it? You bet.

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