[Melbourne 2022] Pho Hung Vuong Saigon @ Footscray

Wanted to try at least one of the more authentic/traditional pho places in Melbourne and so, one day we came across one at Hopkins Street. The shop seemed popular with lots of people still eating even at 3pm!

The store manager was very business-like and she'll inform every walk-in customers (especially non-regulars) that we are free to take a seat at any available table.

menu

So we chose a spot that could fit the 4 of us and it was pretty near the washroom/kitchen area.

self-service

The system here is pretty clear-cut, choose the serving size and then which type of pho. The prices AUD15 (small), AUD16 (medium) and AUD18 (Large). With such a small price difference, maybe it made more sense to order a large to share amongst two pax but we just went ahead and ordered a small bowl each. =P

There is a flask placed at each table, so feel free to pour yourself a cup of hot tea while awaiting for the order to arrive. Small perks like this does brighten up our day especially when the weather was chilly.

hot tea

I was being greedy and chose the beef and chicken combination with offal. Although I was very hungry at such a late timing for lunch, the small bowl of pho turned out to be rather filling and satisfying! 

Beef and Chicken Combination (with offal) - AUD15 (small)

The soup here was flavourful with the necessary depth. Tasted like it had been boiled adequately and with the right ingredients. Loved the raw herbs and sprouts that came with it.

fresh vegetables for the pho

small piece of tendon (perhaps?)

plenty of poached chicken strips

There was plenty of ingredients inside the bowl and was happy with my choice. To change-up the taste, one could always make use of the chili oil condiment for that spicy kick.

this chili oil was good

We also ordered a rice dish to share. Just to have a taste on their grilled meats. Oh, and it didn't disappoint! The grilled pork chop was nicely firm and tender. Sweet savoury meaty bites. However, the shredded pork didn't seem to have much flavour. I loved the pickled carrots on that plate, so good! Plus, the sunny side up still had runny yolk, which was great as it added an eggy creaminess to the plate. The sliced cucumbers had a refreshing taste to reset the palate.

Grilled Pork Chop, Fried Egg and Shredded Pork Rice @AUD16

Sliced Beef and Beef Balls with additional order of blood curd

It was a good meal at this place and with reasonable prices. Payment at the counter, after your meal.

The staff are mainly perfunctory and efficient, so one need to take care and to move out of their way as they go about doing their daily chores.

Pho Hung Vuong Saigon

Address: 128 Hopkins St, Footscray VIC 3011, Australia

Contact: +61 3 9689 6002

Business Hours:

Closed on Wednesdays.

Thu - Tue: 9AM–8:30PM

[Melbourne 2022] Kitchen 8 Hastings @ Salmon Street

We were done with sightseeing for the day and was looking for a lunch place. We would also be doing some meat shopping for a grilled dinner later on. Therefore, Tracy and Hence Googled and found Kitchen 8 Hastings. From the name itself, am not sure what food it serves.

shopfront

menu

Seems like this place serves Cambodian/Chinese/Vietnamese home-style foods. Ahh, I've never had Cambodian food before.

We were there pretty late at 1.30pm, so we placed our orders quickly. I'll be having a bite from what the rest ordered. Because I don't think I can finish a whole bowl of pho on my own plus am not sure how big a serve would be at this place.

pot of tea (jasmine) @AUD3.50

The food was served pretty quickly after ordering. There weren't a lot of other customers at that late hour as well.

Beef Pho with sliced beef and beef balls @AUD14.50

a squeeze of lemon and let's eat

let's eat!

There's nothing more comforting on a cool day than a hot bowl of hearty pho. Granted the soup here didn't have enough depth, it was still nice to satisfy the hungry tummies. The noodles were cooked just right, as it was not too soft nor too hard.

Prawn Rice Paper Rolls @AUD7.50 (2 rolls)

The paper rolls were served with peanut sauce so that was interesting. Clean tasting on its own, so I had a bite of it with the chili sauce (sweet vinaigrette) served with the Crispy Chicken Red Rice dish.

Crispy Chicken with Red Rice @AUD14.50

Is the red rice from the tomato sauce used? But then, it doesn't have a strong tomato-ey taste. Hmm, it tasted like fried rice without any particular aromatics in it. The chicken was well fried and tasted good with the chili sauce.

Matt's Special (Spicy Hot) @AUD17.50

Ivan had the Matt's Special which had beef and wanton dumplings in it. I must say, the dumplings were good. It was plump and meaty. The soup for the special, wasn't that spicy actually. Tasted similar  to the beef pho soup with dashes of chili oil.

I asked the owner, like who is this mysterious Matt in the menu. Turns out, these dishes were frequently requested off the menu by their regulars, so much so that it appeared in the menu with the guest name! Hahaa, I see. Nice to know such information. =)

Kitchen 8 Hastings

Address: 8/145 Salmon St, Hastings VIC 3915, Australia

Website: https://www.facebook.com/Kitchen8Hastings

Business Hours:

Closed on Sat.

Sun: 9.30am to 2.30pm

Mon-Wed: 10.00am to 3.00pm

Thu-Fri: 10am–2:30pm, 4–7pm

Trung Nguyen Coffee @ International Plaza

Trung Nguyen is a coffee chain from Vietnam, and first taste of it was in 2011 when we were at Ho Chi Minh. Lunch hour at International Plaza always sees throngs of office workers looking for a place to dine.

This place is not so crowded so we were there after our meeting. Lunch set $11.90 consist of a main dish, an appetiser and coffee. Pay at the cashier and await for food. Noticeably, those who ordered noodles will get their orders first. Perhaps, it was easier to prepare? One could see two big pots of soup bubbling at the counter.

pay and wait

I got myself a banh mi pâté which consist of french baguette stuffed vegetable, a slice of ham and chicken liver pate. For appetiser, I had the fresh spring roll. And of course, coffee.

fresh spring roll

The spring rolls were prepped prior and one just need to peel off the cling wrap from the small plate. It was compact with rice vermicelli, lettuce, cucumber, cilantro and a prawn. The sauce was like a watery sweet chili sauce but necessary. Light and mild.

chicken liver pâté banh mi 

There's something about chewing on a baguette with stuffings. The more you chew, the tastier it becomes. Loved all the lettuce, pickles, thin spread of pâté with each bite. Yums.

The staff forgot about my coffee so had to remind them. All the cups were pre-prepared and one just needed to top it with hot water for it to start dripping.

cà phê sữa nóng

The coffee taste was agreeable. Not too sweet. The temperature after drip was right for drinking. Just need to stir the coffee to get the condensed milk mixed well.

hot coffee with condensed milk

Pho Street Vietnamese Street Delight @ Westgate

Pho Street has been around since December 2013, and since then it has grown to two outlets. One at Bedok Mall and the other at Westgate, conveniently serving diners at both ends of Singapore. If you had visited Pho Street before June 2015, it is now time for a revisit! Since 2 June onwards, Pho Street proudly presents its revamped menu that is more visual and with more items.

Pho Street revamped menu

Was invited to its Westgate branch to try some of the items. Vietnamese food to me, has always been synonymous with pho and coffee. Well, there are more things out there, if one cared to try.
 
Singapore has been experiencing a spell of hot weather lately, and it makes one crave for iced cold drinks. Got myself a glass of Passionfruit & Basil Mojito.

Passionfruit & Basil Mojito @$3.50

The drink was refreshing and a good thirst quencher. Not too sweet and not overloaded with greens.

If you're in a party of two or more, I'd recommend getting the Vietnamese Snack Platter to munch on. A sampler of sorts, with the slightly spicy chicken skewers that tasted pretty much like a non-oily variation of satay, the well fried delectable pork rolls and a slightly salty crabcake with minced pork. Tasty on its own, hence there wasn't any need for the side dips.

Vietnamese Snack Platter - Vietnamese Crabcakes, Crispy Fried Pork Rolls, Roasted Chicken Skewers @$8.90

If you had ever wondered how does Vietnamese deep fried wings would taste like, well..wonder no more. A plate of Crispy Fried Chicken Mid-wings served with Caramelised Sweet Dip would cure any curiousity.

Crispy Fried Chicken mid-wings with caramelised sweet dip @$4.90

The wings were fried upon order, and its seasoned batter was light and very crispy. Bits of pepper can be seen in the batter. Served piping hot, with still-juicy meat intact. The sauce was slightly on the salty side so a light dip will do.

If deep fried is not your thing, then how about the evergreen Summer Rolls? A visit to a Vietnamese food place will likely feel incomplete if one does not order the rolls. Its rice wrap was slightly on the chewy side and so tightly packed. The prawns are seen through the translucent wrap, and it looked pretty attractive.

Fresh Summer Rolls with Prawn, Pork Belly & Fresh Herbs @$4.90

One bite into the rolls, and one would be transported to a garden of greens. One mouthful yields quite a bit of herbs and vermicelli. The oil from the pork belly gave it a good meaty aroma.

light healthy meal

Just when you thought we're done with snacks, there's one new item that may soon prove to be quite addictive. Crispy sesame rice crackers eaten with fragrant minced meat and spices dip. Yums. Those crunchy crackers were all imported from Vietnam.

put as much or as little

Sesame Rice Crackers with Fragrant Minced Meat and Spices Dip @$6.90

The man behind the menu revamp, is Chef Kenny Hà. A quiet unassuming boyish-looking chef, from Ho Chi Minh, whom had no qualms about infusing his own personal preferences into his recipes.

What's the bestseller at Pho Street, you may ask. The Pho Beef Combination has received much love and so, we just had to try one.

Pho Beef Combination - beef balls, beef slices, beef shank, beef tendons and beef tripe @$9.90

delicious comfort

The beef broth was tasty and slurp worthy. Liked the beef shank for its texture and taste. The tripe was good too as it was cooked down just nicely. Could do with more herbs though, so if you like a stronger herb taste, do request from the service staff so that they could add more into the bowl. Oh, don't forget to try the sweet peanut dip with the chili. For those that likes the heat, this dip is not to be missed.

If you don't eat beef, fret not. There are other non-beef options available. For example, the Dry Rice Vermicelli with Roasted Pork Chop & Spring Roll that's said to be a favourite amongst ladies. Or, the Roasted Pork Chop with Fragrant Rice for those that need rice as their primary carb.

Roasted Pork Chop with rice @$7.90

The pork chop rice didn't work for me though. Found it a tad too salty.

Haven't tried any banh mi before, so when opportunity presented itself, decided to grab it!

Banh Mi Combination - 3 meats of Pork Belly, Grilled Beef and Chicken Ham @$6.90

cross section

Pho Street worked with its bread maker to supply the banh mi bread based on its recipe. Freshly baked and delivered on on a daily basis and toasted upon order. The sauce represented the elements of salty, sourish, sweet, and spicy. The most dominant meat taste was from the pork belly. Paired well with the pickled vegetables that cuts through the fats from the belly.

Pho Street has an unusual dessert of Cream of Mung Bean with Coconut Sauce & Crushed Peanuts.

dessert - Cream of Mung Bean with Coconut Sauce & Crushed Peanuts @$3.50

My brother thinks it tasted like 白云糕. I do agree. The taste is very similar! The mung bean was very sweet, with some waterchestnut bits. An acquired taste this one.

The Westgate outlet has an open space concept where everyone could see what you're eating, while the one at Bedok Mall is said to be more like a restaurant space with better ambience.

tables and chairs

Westgate outlet

Overall, the prices are reasonable and the food has hits and misses. Go for the snack platter, summer rolls for the health conscious, the beef pho for those who can and banh mi for days that you want to eat bread.

Thanks to Mei Ping for the invite and Chef Kenny for preparing our food. Not forgetting the friendly crew of Pho Street.

Pho Street @ Westgate

Address: 3 Gateway Drive, #B2-K6/K7 Singapore 608532
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhoStreet
Instagram: @pho_street

Trung Nguyen @ Le Loi Street, Ho Chi Minh

Trung Nguyen is like THE coffee brand in Vietnam. It's practically everywhere. In markets, departmental stores, its own cafe etc.

Visited one of the Trung Nguyen cafe that is quite near our hotel, somewhere along Le Loi Street. Exact location, if you ask me now, seriously, I have no idea!

First impression, the place was packed! Many tourists and locals enjoying their cuppa in the air-conditioned and small cosy cafe.

order here if you're taking away

Just find a seat and the service staff will give you the menu and take your order. They will also serve the drinks to you. Trung Nguyen coffee has beans that ranges from number 1 to 5. Probably its intensity level? Seems so. Ordered a number 3 iced-coffee without milk. One cuppa can set you back by VND45,000 thereabout. It's slightly more expensive if it's with milk.

After you've placed your order, the service staff brought us iced-tea (probably oolong or green tea unsweetened). So, instead of ice water, we got iced-tea in Ho Chi Minh. Cool, right?

iced-tea

still need to drip even if its iced coffee

The service staff was helpful. Knowing that we're tourists, he advised us to wait for 5 minutes for the coffee to drip finish. When the 5 minutes was about up, he came by to help us remove the coffee filter. So nice of him!

hot coffee with condensed milk

taking a peek!

done dripping, then add sugar

The sugar is added after the coffee had dripped finished and then its poured into the tall glass with ice.

ta dah, iced-coffee in front and iced-coffee with milk at the back

The taste is pretty intense. Very buttery and fragrant as well. Nice and smooth but can really feel the heatiness after drinking it.

Trung Nguyen Coffee

watch the world go by as you sip your coffee in comfort...

interior of the cafe

We also bought the coffee powder and the drip as well. The coffee powder and the drip costs about SGD6+.

makes a good souvenir, and its slightly cheaper than Ben Thanh market

Heard the staff guiding another tourist from Philippines with regards to the coffee milk ratio. He said 2 spoonfuls of coffee powder and 4 teaspoons of condensed milk. Coffee powder put it inside the drip, while the milk is onto the small cup. Hot water is poured into the drip and should be ready within 5 minutes.

Haven't tried it myself. Will experiment next time.