Restaurants

This 'new' Vietnamese has taken over the original site of Café East, which has since moved to larger premises near the Surrey Quays Leisure Centre. Run by members of the same family who own Café East, the menu has stayed true to the original; as its name suggests, pho (noodle soup) is a mainstay.

Mama Pho is slicker than its predecessor. The noodle dishes are big and bold and prove to be meals in themselves – their bun cha gio nit thuong (vermicelli noodles with grilled lemongrass pork, spring rolls, salad and all) are one of the better value dishes on the menu, at £6 for the lot. For an extra quid (at £7), try the com tam cha suon bi – a more unusual but fairly authentic dish of lemongrass porkchop, shredded pork skin (with its
challenging rubbery textures), Vietnamese meat loaf and a sprinkling of roasted rice powder. Douse it all in a sweetly piquant nuoc cham dressing for a real thrill. And don’t miss the cha hue (fried Vietnamese sausage).

Time Out London Issue 2024: June 4-10 2009