Informal neighbourhood Vietnamese

On the one hand there are the spartan canteens - no frills, no nonsense and no concessions to non-Vietnamese speakers.

And on the other there is a sprinkling of glossy, West End establishments.

This branch of Au Lac is hidden away in Highbury and has a dining room that is comfortable in an informal, shabby sort of way, with knick-knacks on the walls.

There's now a newer, flashier branch on the Kingsland Road.

Start with goi cuon.

These are soft rice-flour pancakes wrapped around crunchy veg and large grilled prawns, and they're fresh and light.

Then there's goi tom - you get large steamed prawns, a small pot of hot and spicy sauce, and several large iceberg lettuce leaves.

Take a leaf, add sauce and prawn, wrap, eat, enjoy.

The deep-fried monkfish with garlic and chilli is very good and there are good soups, too.

The noodle soups - pho, bun bo, and tom hue - come in large portions.

They are cheap and tasty, good for eating when alone.

For a more sociable, sharing meal, try the chicken with lemongrass and chilli.

The noodles are also very good - pho xao do bien is a grand dish of stir-fried rice noodles with fresh herbs and seafood, providing a good combination of flavours and textures.

Another very impressive dish is the 'minced pork with aubergine in hot pot'.

Ordering this brings a small casserole whose contents appear almost black.

Very dark, very rich, very tasty.

If offered special 'Vietnamese sake' beware - this clear hooch is very ferocious indeed.

Au Lac
Highbury Park, London, N5 2XE