A Brand New Pho-nomenon

While we Singaporeans enjoy having Mango Sticky Rice and Ginseng Chicken, there is a popular type of cuisine creeping into the local food scene — Vietnamese food. Lifestyle Writers Fatin Amira Hairy and Jolene Ang visit three eateries to discover the different delights of Vietnamese cuisine.

By Fatin Amira Hairy and Jolene Ang

Known for their light flavours and healthy ingredients, Vietnamese street food like pho (rice noodle soup with herbs and meat) and goi cuon (Vietnamese rice paper rolls) are gaining popularity in Singapore. And with so many of such eateries popping up over the country, we had to find out just what it is about Vietnamese food that keeps people coming back for more.

PHOTOS: Benedict Yeo

Mrs Pho

349 Beach Road
S199570
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm daily
Closed on Sundays

For a hipster café alternative — Mrs Pho

A little café along Beach Road now brings the quaint Vietnamese streets closer to us. Serving up authentic and affordable dishes that cost less than $10, this café offers Vietnamese eats in large portions and low prices.

We were impressed by Mrs Pho’s offbeat décor, with a unique mix of mismatched furniture and eclectic decorations. The concrete walls were filled with graffiti and posters, reminding us of traditional alleyways in Vietnam. With posters filled with puns such as “Pho Real” and “School of Pholosophy”, you know that the pho here is clearly the highlight of the café.

Striving to “feed you like family”, Mrs Pho serves dishes with the taste of home cooked meals.

PHOTOS: Benedict Yeo

The Pho Bu Tai Nam ($7.90) is a beef noodle soup with beef slices done medium well and well-done brisket. The thin beef slices were delectably tender and almost melted in our mouths. We even found ourselves digging through the bowl to ensure we left no slivers of meat behind.

It’s no wonder why Mrs Pho has customers returning back into her arms — there are several sauces available for customers to customize their very own bowl of pho. From special ho-sin sauce (a sweet and spicy dark red sauce made from soya beans, vinegar, sugar and garlic), to sweet chilli, fish sauce and lime, every slurp of the broth will taste even more enriching with layers of spiciness and tinges of sourness, depending on the sauces you add.

We also had the Saigon Salty Lemonade ($2.00). True to its name, this unusual update on lemonade has a mild salty aftertaste that cuts through the sourness of the lemon, making it a refreshing drink and an amazing thirst quencher.

PHOTOS: Benedict Yeo

Goi Cuon ($3.50) caught our attention with its generous filling peeking through the translucent rice paper skins. Each bite was satisfying — full of fresh greens, vermicelli and prawns. While the rice paper rolls were bland on their own, the thick dipping sauce made all the difference. The sauce was nutty, sweet and somehow reminiscent of satay sauce. It was a shame that only a small portion of it was served – we would have wanted to dip some of our beef into it as well.

For its pocket-friendly prices, homely Vietnamese food and trendy décor, Mrs Pho is very much fitting for youths looking for a new hipster café to visit.

PHOTOS: Benedict Yeo

Pho4All

7 Jalan Pisang
S199074

Opening Hours: 11am – 9pm daily
Closed on Sundays

For a healthy fix — Pho4All

The culinary scene of Arab Street is known for its cluster of Middle Eastern restaurants. It might seem out of place to find Pho4All, a Vietnamese diner, in Arab Street.

Opened by Mr Jumali Johari, 49, and Mr Ramly Djamil, 48, Pho4All is Singapore’s first Malay Muslim Vietnamese restaurant. After Mr Jumali took a trip to Vietnam, he fell in love with the flavours of the food there. He was inspired to recreate the same taste using only quality ingredients with no artificial seasoning, since he and his co-founder noted the general trend of Singaporeans getting increasingly more health-conscious.

Wanting to serve only the best food made from prime ingredients, the owners decided upon a humble menu comprising only five types of pho and a limited range of side dishes and beverages. Capturing the true essence of Vietnamese cuisine, Pho4All only serves beef soups — just the way the Vietnamese like their pho.

PHOTOS: Benedict Yeo

While most beef soups look clearer and are lighter in taste, the basic Beef Pho ($7.90) that we tried was more robust and packed with flavours. It was comforting to know that this hearty soup is made with only natural ingredients.

This simple restaurant will take you by surprise with its generous portions and flavourful beef noodle soups created using natural ingredients.

PHOTOS: Jolene Ang

So Pho

50 Jurong Gateway Road
#B1-08 Jurong East Mall
S608549

Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm daily

For a modern update — So Pho

The dimly-lit exterior of the restaurant may appear inconspicuous among others in the basement of Jurong East Mall (JEM), but So Pho is a place that should not be missed.

Once inside, the restaurant’s chic interior decór impressed us even before we opened the menu. Marble tabletops, potted plants and books neatly lined on glass shelves gave the whole place a modern and minimalistic feel, a sneak preview to the modern-fusion cuisine that they serve.

Being the sister restaurant of popular Thai food chain BaliThai, it made sense that many offerings in So Pho had a light touch of Thai influence. Some typical Thai ingredients such as tom yum (a spicy and sour paste) and basil are incorporated in many of their dishes, resulting in a unique fusion of flavours like no other.

PHOTOS: Jolene Ang

The Vietnamese Fried Rice with Seafood ($9.80) that we tried tasted rather bland initially. Hints of spice and chilli were mellow, and on our first bite, it seemed like another plate of fried rice you can get at your local tze char (chinese stir-fry) stall.

However, subsequent mouthfuls worked up the full flavour of the dish. The burst of chilli, salt and lemongrass awakened our taste buds, while the shrimps and squid slices were fresh and springy. The build up of tom yum flavour in the rice also gave the dish an added fragrance. By the end of the meal, our initial impression of the dish was thoroughly blown away and we were left craving for seconds.

The Banh Mi Kep Ga Pate ($5.90) was another dish that caught our attention. Like a Vietnamese version of Subway, this dish came with grilled chicken and chicken pâté (a mixture of minced cooked ground meat and fat) sandwiched in a baguette loaf. The crispy bread was evenly toasted, a perfect complement to the tender grilled chicken so generously slathered with pâté.

Coupled with So Pho’s signature sauce, this salty and zesty concoction had hints of pepper and Thai lemongrass infused in it. A definite crowd pleaser, we’d say.

So Pho’s Thai influence in their menu makes it unique to other Vietnamese eateries. Drop by this place for a gastronomical adventure that offers the best of both worlds.