After one of the most delicious takeaways I've had from Deliveroo last night, I have to write up my thoughts on Pho. This Vietnamese restaurant is one of the most taste sensational places to eat that I have been lucky enough to discover. Even my strictly Carnivore boyfriend was impressed by my dishes and said he could quite happily eat my option as it was jam packed full of flavour.
Their aim is to create authentic Vietnamese dishes that are fresh, healthy and tasty which keep you coming back for more. I'm sure I can speak for quite a few when I say they nail that 100%.
Without further ado, here is my full review on this exciting place to eat...
Staff: The staff in Pho have always been accommodating, having only been there twice though I wouldn't say I have a huge amount of experience here.
When going there for the first time they very patiently explained that the whole menu was practically Gluten free and pointed out which of the few items I should steer clear of. They talked me through the options I had for Vegan as well, again so many! The second set of servers were great as well, patient and helpful with the menu. Recommending certain items on the menu and even explaining how to eat the Pho soup dish, it comes in several parts!
The only downside I would have to say is that during my second visit, we had about 5 different servers during our meal. This led to some delays in food arriving and also a new explanation of myself being Gluten free Vegan for each server. Not ideal when you don't like even saying it once some days.
8/10
Food:
The food. Wow. It is like nothing I have had before since becoming Gluten Free Vegan. It is so fresh and I'm imagining that it is super authentic to it's inspirational home, Vietnam. The flavours hit you from the first bite continuing the whole way through, with a wonderful combination of seasoning, stock and fresh Vegetables.
So far since enjoying Pho, I have tried three different mains (incredible in itself). The first I had was the Pho Xao, this is a flat noodle dish in the style of Pad Thai, but better. The dish contains Flat Rice Noodles, Tofu and Mushrooms with Lemongrass, Chilli, Beansprouts and Asian Greens. The seasoning and flavours that they use is second to none. Considering when I go to Wagamamas I have to ask for the seasoning or sauce to be taken off which in turn sacrifices the part that makes the dish, Pho completely soar over them for the top spot.
The second dish I tried was their Pho Chay, this is a noodle soup dish which is the meal that they base their whole restaurant on. As it was the specialty of the place, of course I had to try it. Usually I don't like soup dishes as I find them too tricky to eat, repetitive and filling. I was however willing to give this one a go, after all if anywhere were going to nail it, Pho were going to be the ones.
I wasn't wrong, they nailed it completely. The first hint of a mouthful and I was in love. Their veggie broth is incredible, it is like drinking bottled gold created out of only the best Vegetables. Add to that their Tofu, which they somehow cook in a way I haven't seen before. It is so well browned on the outside without being tough, melt in the middle and soaked full of soup without being drowned. Mix this with the wonderful Mushrooms, add Beansprouts and Herbs that you choose how much or how little you like and you have a gold medalist. The only thing to cement the dish was the noodles which I like to have as a base. Obviously they did not disappoint either, silky ribbons of delight. Definitely the best soup based dish I've had in a restaurant ever.
Thirdly we come to last nights dinner. Everyone was getting a takeaway Gourmet Burger, but this is not something for me at all. I naturally had to go for Pho, I'm so glad I did if not for the reason it arrived a whole hour before anyone else's but because it is Pho. The dish I tried from there this time around was the Ca-ri. This is a rich, fragrant Vietnamese curry with Tofu, Veggies & Mushrooms topped with Nuts & served with broken Rice.
Now before I begin on this dish, I don't eat curry as a rule. I do not like spice, I don't like the consistency and I have always associated it with a ready meal. Obviously I knew Pho would be different and in order to expand my horizons a little I decided that I was going to have to give it a go at some point!
I am so happy that I did. The flavours were out of this world, the creaminess of the sauce mixed with the soft magically cooked Tofu and the random mix of Vegetables combined like they were soulmates. I even found a Tomato in there, I thought that would be strange yet it wasn't. Each part perfectly matched each other and the Rice was cooked to perfection, not sticky and heavy like so many restaurants go for. Their's was broken and lightly cooked to accompany what could have been a super dense Curry if it were not for the cooking style. I am not going to lie, I did struggle to finish it, but that is because there was a lot and my stomach is the size of a pea! However I stuck with it for about half an hour and I managed, I couldn't leave any of the liquid gold in the tub.
As an accompaniment, each time I have had Gỏi cuốn. These are fresh Rice Paper Summer Rolls with Herbs, Vermicelli & Pickle, with a side dip of peanut sauce which I thought I'd hate. Again, they made me rethink, it is the perfect strangely sweet dip to go with the sometimes sharp flavours inside the roll. It is a little strange that they are cold, though that is just how they are served and they taste delicious anyway.
Finally, I tried their Mango Sorbet one of the times. The waiter was actually drooling and super jealous when he brought it over, gave it a good seal of approval before I tried it. He was totally right, the sorbet was one of the freshest and most pallet cleansing I've ever had. The sweet and sharpness combined perfectly and it genuinely felt like my tastebuds were having a party. A perfect end to a perfect three course meal! Of course, my stomach was crying out for respite at this point so I had to stop. I'm sure if my eyes were indeed responsible for the size of my belly, I'd have gone through a lot more of the menu! Maybe next time...
10/10
Allergies/Intolerances:
There's no faulting here. To have the majority of their menu Gluten Free and the dishes containing Gluten asterisked instead is incredible. They are one of the few restaurants to be certified by Coeliac UK which shows their commitment not only to allergens but also authenticity to where the food originates. No need to add something just for the fun of it.
For the Vegan part, as the majority if not all of the Vegetarian dishes are also Vegan there isn't more I could ask for. It makes it not only easy to eat here, almost impossible to not eat here! Trying to convince my brain to go somewhere else now is hard, as I have at least another 3 things to try from the menu before I repeat the main meal again.
If you have any further allergies, you can ask them for more information at the restaurant. They don't have this online, only slight downside, to be fair though they have covered the majority above so I have no complaints.
10/10
If you haven't experienced the delights of Pho yet, this is something you must do. They are in most main cities across the UK, mostly London based at the moment though I'm sure with the success they will grow quickly. I just hope that they remain true to their menu as this is what makes the place so special, authentic flavours without a shred of sacrifice. Including no sacrifice for me.
I will continue to eat there for a long time, trying new dishes and I'm sure blogging about them again in the future. Thank you Pho! I love you so much!
Happy Veganuary everyone! We're on Blog 21 of 21 days now!