QT Kitchen

Gastrology visited QT Kitchen on behalf of the Australian Good Food Guide.

QT Kitchen is a modern and relaxed Vietnamese restaurant that showcases contemporary Vietnamese cuisine in the heart of Glen Iris. The dining room is welcoming and relaxed with the large airy space accented by a tropical cocktail bar theme – think bright neon signs, thatched roofs lining the window into the kitchen and overhead fishing nets and bamboos setting the scene.

QT Kitchen is the brainchild of headchef and owner, Kevin. Having honed his skills internationally within hotels in the Mantra Group, it is unsurprising that QT Kitchen is an impressive Modern Vietnamese restaurant which celebrates the rich and diverse cuisine.

We commenced our culinary journey with the QT signature spring rolls. Perfectly crisp, these babies were filled with a flavoursome mix of prawn, pork and wood ears mushrooms.

The QT style san choi bao was similarly delicious. We loved topping our lettuce cups with umami laden spoonful’s of Water Chestnut, Edamame, Shallot, Young Herbs and minced Duck. A contemporary take on a Cantonese dish, this offered a myriad of bold, but complementary, flavours.

For mains the QT beef steak is a must have. Served with sautéed vegetables, Master Kobe 300g Wagyu Rump MB9+ is laced with the most addictive salted garlic caramel sauce. It was an excellent dish which typified Kevin’s multi-faceted style of cooking. Displaying a mastery in the manner the steak was cooked, the inch thick cut of beef was cooked perfectly from end to end. A light searing ensured that each steak was lined with a thin crisp layer packed with caramelised beef flavour.

For curry lovers the homemade red curry certainly gratifies. We opted for the pan seared duck breast option and were not disappointed. Generous morsels of perfectly cooked duck sat atop the luscious curry. The perfectly seasoned curry broth possessed the customary punchy flavours exhibited by South East Asian curries.

To finish the lychee pannacotta is a house speciality and it is easy to understand why. QT’s rendition of the pannacotta was texturally perfect. It was silky smooth and simply melted in our mouths and we loved how it was served with crispy pistachios - a perfect contrast for the pannacotta's silky texture. We also loved the dessert’s slightly tangy raspberry coulis which added a wonderful freshness.

QT Kitchen delivers high quality Modern Vietnamese cuisine. In a market where casual dining is in vogue, QT Kitchen assimilates perfectly. Fortunately, unlike some other restaurants which implement a casual approach to the detriment of the food that they produce, QT Kitchen adheres to a very high standard – we simply cannot wait to return.

Location: Shop 2/10-12 High Street, Glen Iris

Phone: 03 9885 2009

Link: https://qtkitchen.com.au/