Dunny fruit. If you grew up in the ’burbs in the ’80s you’ll know what I’m talking about. Yep, chokos. We had a vine free-ranging all over the outdoor loo. So when I first peruse the menu at Forty Licks, a new Vietnamese eatery in the CBD, steamed choko with crushed peanuts and black sesame salt jumps out at me. I have to order it.

The basement space has a bit of a nightclub vibe, with exposed bricks, neon back-lighting in the bar, and rattan tendrils entwined around columns and woven through metal cages. Owner Tony Mowad has cast a wide net to create a part restaurant,  part late-night cocktail saloon to lure in those up for a big night or a bite.

The punters are loud, the beats are louder and the drinks – clever cocktails and a tight spice-friendly wine list – are flowing like the mighty Mekong. Pleasingly, though, the food, while not strictly traditional, makes a pretty emphatic statement, too.

Chef Joel Manton, who spent six years cooking in Vietnam, has teamed up with consultant chef Justin North, who’s fluent in French cuisine, to deliver a mod, street-style Vietnamese menu. Gorgeously sticky dumplings plump with new-season Abrolhos Island scallops and king prawns wade in a sweet and spicy nuoc cham dressing. They’re wonderful. Sadly, the choko is under-cooked and under-seasoned, but fortunately, it’s the only low point.

Banh xeo, crisp pancakes, with bean sprouts, herbs, pork floss and a king prawn are brilliant, while spicy Lao sausage is beautifully seasoned against sticky rice and a racy little fermented chilli you’d love to bottle.

For a happy ending, caramelised banana with coconut-milk tapioca and peanut brittle will please rice pudding fans. It’s a final flourish and reminderthat while Forty Licks is a fun house,  it knows that good food will keep the punters rolling through the door.