TWEE'S HUT

Twee's Hut
Shop 26 343 Little Collins St. Melbourne
9917 2017

I was invited by Jimmy from Twee's Hut to find out more about their new venture in the city.  Given I work in the building next door and I walk past 10 times a day, this was a great opportunity to check out a new potential lunch destination.

As a bit of background, Twee's Hut is owned by husband and wife Ricky and Thuy (Twee).  This is their first foray into hospitality, having run businesses in other industries previously.  The driver of this venture is Thuy's desire to share her native cuisine which has been a family affair up until now.  Thuy's father is a traditional Vietnamese baker, so culinary entrepreneurship seems to be in the family.

I live next to Victoria St in Richmond so Vietnamese food needs to be pretty decent to get my attention.  What we've seen lately is a spate of franchised 'Vietnamese food to go' restaurants open as it lines up well with the healthy gourmet take away thematic.  Whilst these vary in quality, they typically have a fairly limited menu given thee high velocity/turn that they seek to generate.  

I find it refreshing that Twee's Hut has a more extensive menu, and is priced reasonably so that a meal will typically be sub $12.  Twee's hut has taken traditional Vietnamese dishes from a number of regions and given them catchy names.  

I asked to be given a number of sample sized dishes so I could get a sense of the breadth of the menu.  Fortunately (or unfortunately for my weight) I was given full sized dishes.  

Twee's hut has a nice compact layout, with enough seating to dine in but also plenty of room for the take away lunch crowd. 

Twee's Hut

The menu is extensive and well priced.  Note the Mama and Papa dishes that pay homage to Thuy's parents.

Extensive menu with catchy names (my Vietnamese pronunciation is horrible so this is a big plus)

 Freshly squeezed juices are squeezed on demand

Fresh Juices

'Grenades' or rice paper rolls were well made with fresh ingredients.

Tofu and Roast Pork 'Grenades'

Baguettes were tasty, however the bread was a bit 'compressed', with the bottom of the baguette cut too thin.  A shame because the bread is made by Thuy's father and was quite nice.

Roast Pork 'Captain Baguette'

'The Bomb' is essentially a salad of fresh ingredients.  I liked the addition of spring rolls and the nuts added another element to texture.  The sweet chilli sauce was also a bit more sour than I was used to.

Combination 'The Bomb'

 The Mama Spicy Beef was a highlight, and definitely lives up to it's name (although I am admittedly a bit soft when it comes to spice).  Well cooked and seasoned, it's an interesting take on more traditional pho.

'Mama' Spicy Beef

Thanks to Jimmy and Thuy for their hospitality.