Pho

If you need a dummy's guide to Vietnamese street food - in the form of a gleamingly inoffensive and unintimidating restaurant - then Pho might be it.

The second branch of this friendly little establishment (the first one is in Clerkenwell) promises, in not so many words, to hold your hand throughout as they guide you on a culinary journey throughVietnam's finest offerings. Handy if the closest you've ever been to Ho Chi Minh City was by sampling the 'Vietnamese spring roll' at your local Chinese, but if you've already hoovered up the hotpots of Hanoi, you might be disappointed.

The menu is concise and carefully
set out with a selection of popular Vietnamese street foods, from pho (pronounced like 'fur' in Vietnamese) to banh xeo (bright yellow filled pancakes), ensuring that the first-time diner is not overwhelmed by choices. All the dishes are prepared in-house and nothing is prepackaged, Pho's manifesto brags, down to the meatballs and nuoc cham dipping sauce.

Whether the dishes actually lived up to the bravado is another thing altogether. One starter that did was the goi cuon tom (summer rolls with prawn and fresh herbs); with refreshing mint and zingy coriander leaf and piquant dipping sauce, it was a delight.

Other starters were not so impressive. We could have forgiven the meagre portion of its handmade nem nuong (pork and lemongrass meatballs) if there was more than a whisper of the herb hidden in the dry meat. At a whopping £4.50 for four small balls, we were saddened. High hopes were held for the chao tom (prawn paste wrapped around sugar cane) but again portions were disappointingly small and the sugarcane whittled down to the width
of a chopstick, stunting almost all enjoyment from gnawing at the cane to get at the sweet juices.

Expectations ran high for Pho's eponymous signature dish, which is Vietnam's answer to comfort food. The warming, aromatic broth with slippery, al dente rice noodles and tender slices of beef (or any other meat) is what often makes or breaks the restaurant serving it. We tried the benchmark pho tai (rice noodle soup with thinly sliced fillet steak) but found the noodles to be undercooked, the beef chewy (despite having asked for the fattier cut 'often served with pho in Vietnam') and the broth tasting more of vegetables (mostly carrots) than meaty beef and spices. Bun bo hue (hot and spicy beef brisket soup, originating from the imperial city of Hue) was better - tender, soft beef brisket served in a
very moreish beef soup with only a mild kick of chilli (but the accompanying shrimp paste described on the menu didn't materialise). We noted appreciatively the presence of ngo gai (saw-leaf herb) alongside the obligatory mint, lime and rau que (Asian basil), which added much-needed complexity to both broths.

We ended on a high note with the impressively heady 'weasel' coffee, balanced with sweet and creamy condensed milk. This particular brew, so the story goes, is made from coffee beans eaten and regurgitated by Vietnamese weasels before being cleaned and roasted. Myth or not, it's a smoother, stronger and almost chocolatey espresso - we couldn't get enough.

The waitresses did their best and were extremely attentive, frequently asking if we found the food to our liking. To be fair, we nearly did (and we're sure it'll be a hit among those curious about this amazing cuisine) - but we soon found ourselves pining for the rough-and-ready Vietnamese joints, complete with bamboo, giant lobsters and conical hats, down on Kingsland Road.
Charmaine Mok. Photography Michael Franke

Time Out Issue 1962 March 27-April 2

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Latest user reviews

Usually I eat in and have never failed to be impressed by the wonderful food. Just had a takeaway today and wow does it hit the spot. Nothing like a hot and spicy soup to wash away the hangover! The best restaurant and now the best takeaway north of Oxford Street.
Anonymous  May 6 2008

Our office thinks this a fantastic place and already is a regular haunt even though it is has just been open a couple of weeks. Hooray for Pho - finally we can eat Vietnamese food that contains nice meat, is served with a fantastic mix of fresh herbs and even plays decent music. Try the pho...
d berry  Apr 4 2008

Just had lunch at Pho and it was delicious. The beef soup (with meatballs, brisket and steak) was a massive meal in itself and a perfect meal on the go. Makes Wagamama look like old news! Highly recommend.
Martin Muirhead  Apr 4 2008