• 5
• dreamy durian

According to their menu, Fina's aims to bring the taste of real Vietnamese veg*n food to Australia. My lunch there today compared favourably to the best I had in Vietnam. The cheerful interior took me back to the sunny streets of Saigon. There's even a little plot of fake grass and child-size cyclo in the window, and plenty of indoor plants. I ordered the salad and a vegan durian shake. The salad was delicious, crunchy, and refreshing with julienned cucumber, apple, cabbage, fresh Vietnamese herbs and sweet dressing. It's served with vegan prawn crackers and scattered with mock ham, which is the best I've had - smoky, salty, and crispy. I expected the dish to be spicy, since the menu recommended eating it with rice, but it wasn't at all. I wouldn't recommend ordering rice as a side dish. It was perfectly cooked but unnecessary and left me feeling stuffed. I still managed to find room for that durian shake and I couldn't have been happier with it. Damn, I didn't know when I'd have a chance to enjoy durian again and this shake was thick, creamy, and dreamy. It might even rival Yong's cacao shake as my favourite sweet Brunswick Street treat. I'm not in that part of town often, but I'll definitely be back for more.