Hai Lua Quan Asiatiska Bistro
“Another contender in the Vietnamese restaurant scene.”
It’s time for another Vietnamese place! Yes, I am on a mission to map out all of them in Gothenburg. This time, Hai Lua Quan, a fairly new place at Södra Vägen 69, right across the world cultural museum. They opened in Spring this year (2024), so let’s have a look at it!
Right from the bat, it looks surprisingly cosy inside. Not super impressive, but a nice wall painting and decorations go a long way. From the moment you enter, the staff will seat you and give you a menu to take the order later. A bit odd to see table service in a place like this, but hey, let’s give it a shot.
The menu is full of pictures and descriptions, but one thing becomes obvious fast: vegan options are very very limited. Not even Summer Rolls are indicated as vegan available. They have some vegan spring rolls (probably from wholesale) and one main dish (Bun Xao, the rice noodle salad). While the price point is low with 69 SEK for an entry and 149 SEK for a main, this is a bit disappointing, as the Vietnamese cuisine is full of great vegan options.
In any case, we asked nicely if we can get vegan Summer Rolls and they were happy to help with that and ordered two Bun Xao.
Didn’t take too long to receive the orders and they do look cute and nice, I’ll give them that! The Summer Rolls are rather average and lack herbs. Also the fried onions on the sauce make you feel a bit nauseous, so all in all, no thank you to those.
Bun Xao on the other hand is surprisingly good. The tofu is nicely stir fried and seasoned, the arrangement is nice and I am quite happy in fact. Weird is only that the sauce is simple soy sauce and nothing else. But it works in this dish.
Nothing more to expect from here, so one decent main dish at 149 SEK. I can live with that, but it’s also a tad disappointing to miss out on all the vegan options of Vietnamese cuisine.
One more word about the table service: it doesn’t work. The staff is quickly overwhelmed and I think a pay at the counter setting might be a better fit.
So, I don’t hate it. In fact, I did enjoy the Bun Xao and the presentation of it. I can imagine myself coming back if I am at the museum and getting hungry, or if I would live in the neighbourhood. But as a place to seek out intentionally, not really.
Price:
Summer Rolls: 69 SEK
Bun Xao: 149 SEK
The Verdict
A fairly new restaurant that claims to be traditional Vietnamese. While the place looks cute, the menu is rather disappointing for vegans. Basically only one dish is available (Bun Xao, rice noodle salad) and even Summer Rolls can only be made vegan by asking nicely. Not super welcoming on that front. The Bun Xao is surprisingly nice with decently seasoned tofu and a beautiful arrangement, but served with just soy sauce is a bit of a disappointment. Though it is still good and at a price tag of 149 SEK affordable, it’s nothing I would actively come back to. When you are around the neighbourhood it’s a good option, but other than that, plenty of better Vietnamese restaurants around Gothenburg. It’s alright.
3/5 Leaves
Pro
Cute interior
Staff is friendly and tries their best
Bun Xao is surprisingly good
Con
Vegan Summer Rolls only on asking, but not on the menu
Only one vegan main dish on the menu
Location
Södra Vägen 69
Opening Hours
Mo-Th: 11:00 - 21:00
Fr: 11:00 - 22:00
Sa: 12:00 - 22:00
Su: 13:00 - 21:00
