Where to eat in London (... and Brighton!)

September 08, 2015

Where to eat in London (... and Brighton!) - Pho Vietnamese!

OK, so I know London cabbies are known for saying some pretty random things, and when I moved down to London and got into the taxi, one of the first things this London cabbie told me was "you gotta try Pho love!"

Now, when it comes to Japanese, I've always been a Wagamama kinda girl. However, I've got to admit I've gone off it a little more recently. I don't know if you agree, but go back 5/10 years when it more niche, it had a little more about it. Now, with cafes popping up all over the joint, it's kind of lost it's appeal.

Enter Pho! Owned by couple Stephen and Juliette Wall, who opened up their first outlet in London Clerkenwell, ten years on Pho is still a family run business with restaurants in London, Brighton, Leeds and Manchester. So, following a day to Brighton beach with my girlies, we decided to give Pho a go!

Natalie, Pauline and I at Brighton beach

Brighton beach

Located just behind Brighton beach, in a little cobbled street, the restaurant is bright and inviting. After a quick pic, we were ready to fill our hungry stomachs!

Pho!

Inside, restaurant features an open lay out and, keeping in the Vietnamese tradition, has long seated benches with tables for sharing.

Interior

Unsurpisingly, it was the 'Phojito' Cocktail that caught our eye, a Vietnamese take on our favourite mojito made with Son Tinh Rurou spirits. Just what was needed after a morning spent on the Brighton Pier rollercoasters!

Juices

Now, time for food! Unsurprisingly (given the name), the restaurants specialise in pho - Vietnam's national dish - however the menu also offers various other authentic Vietnamese specialities, coffees, beers, fresh juices and cocktails. Everything is made in house, with the ingredients all sourced locally.

With everything looking so delicious, we decided to all go for a different option each, so we could test more out! First up, some prawn filled rice paper rolls as starters...

Starter

For mains, Natalie went for the Prawn Cam Tam - or, in English, 'broken rice'. A fragrant Vietnamese curry with veggies and mushrooms, topped with crushed nuts and served with the 'broken rice'. We are still trying to figure out exactly what makes the rice 'broken' ... but regardless, it tasted good!

Prawn Cam Tam

Meanwhile, Pauline (also a Waga's kinda girl!) was looking for something similar to the Pad Thai style dish she would usually get, so was delighted to see the Pho Xoa - or, in English, 'Wok fried noodles'. Lemongrass, Chilli and Asian greens, stir fried with noodles and then topped with peanuts, it didn't disappoint! The only thing we felt is that it could have done with some soy sauce through it, however the waiter was more than happy to bring us along a separate little dish to mix in. Perfect!

Pho Xoa

And finally, my turn! Given it is their specialty, I decided to go for the Pho. It was a debate between the steak and the prawn version, but eventually I decided on the latter - being just by the seaside, it seemed a shame to pass this option by! Served a fantastic bowl of steaming rice noodle soup, the beansprouts and herbs were placed on the side for me to add once I was ready, keeping the flavours fresh and crisp. Adding in some fish sauce and hoi-sin from the dips on the table, it was delicious.

Pho

Herb sides

Best Part: Great for anybody who has an interest in what they are eating, not only is everything at Pho made from fresh (never pre-packed!), but also offer options that are diary, gluten and egg free. Top top this off, they also provide nutritional info on their website, where you can find out the calories, protein, fat and fibre content of every dish on the menu - super impressive!

Best For: Lunch, dinner, drinks, coffees - Pho really does suit any occassion. Added to this, they also offer takeaway - perfect alternative to that carry-out Chinese if you're trying to be healthy!!

Pho to Go

Price: Fantastic! With dishes around £10 each, this is a great purse friendly option but, with delicious food, generous portion sizes, and fantastic service, by no means does if feel like you're dining out on a budget.

Must try dish: Most definitely the Pho - it is their speciality for a reason!

Would I go back? Definitely! With 11 restaurants dotted around London, I don't even need to wait until another trip to the seaside before I go back. Having said that, Brighton was great fun - even if the weather wasn't so good, the delicious meal and awesome rides at Brighton Pier more than made up for it!!