Food

Review: Pho Vietnamese

I was first introduced to Pho in Adelaide, South Australia by a dear friend of friend. Since moving to London, I have been on the search for the Pho that reminds me of home. At Pho and Bun, I found it. Actually if I’m telling the truth, Pho and Bun do it better. The venue itself is funky and intimate, perfect for dinner dates or small get together with friends. Within half an hour of arriving, the place was packed. Despite this, it wasn’t loud and staff were quick to serve all who entered.

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While the menu is quite small, everything looks very tempting and we had a tough time trying to decide what to eat. Luckily staff, were super friendly and we’re happy to recommend their favourites. To start with my friend and I shared a plate of ‘Nem Cua Be (Crispy Spring Roll Pork And Crab) – £2.95’. These were delicious. Full of flavour and easy to eat. I’m pretty sure I could easily become addicted to these.

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I opted for the Pho ‘Pho Ga (Pho With Corn-Fed Chicken) – £7.95’, as this was my main reason for wanting to try out this restaurant. It was amazing. Far the best I’ve had since moving to London. I commented to staff that I was pleased I didn’t have to add any extra sauces such as the chilli to the Pho. The secret behind this apparently is the broth made by soaking beef bones for 18 hours over a low heat instead of adding loads of chemicals usually found in Asian cooking.

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As I had the Pho, my friend chose to try the second part of this restaurant’s name sake. The bun is marketed as a Vietnamese twist to the classic burger. It was recommended she try the ‘Banh Bao Kep Thit Bo Nuong (Steamed Bun Beef Burger With Lettuce, Coriander, Mango and Smokey Mayonnaise) – £7.95’ with a side of ‘Salted Sweet Potato Chips With Chilli Mayonnaise) – £2.50’. When the burger arrived it looked amazing and I instantly had food envy. Zainab enjoyed the burger but did feel the mango became too sweet and overpowering as she ate. I’ll be visiting Pho and Bun again in the near future to try this bun myself and am looking forward to it.

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I was luckily enough to meet the founder and chef, Andy Le after our meal and got to personally thank him for a delightful evening. This was a nice touch as you don’t often get to meet the brains and heart behind a restaurant. All in all, make sure you head down to Pho and Bun and check out the menu. The food is definitely something that’ll keep you warm and full on a cold winter’s night out.

Reporter: Tegan LeBon
Twitter: @toogs1

Pho & Bun

76 Shaftesbury Avenue

London W1D 6ND

020 7287 3528
[email protected]

Website: vieteat.co.uk/pho-bun
Instagram: /phoandbun
Twitter: @phoandbun
Facebook: /PhoandBun