Pho – ohdenny

Miss Saigon

March 3, 2017 Posted in Box Hill, Food Reviews, Restaurant Reviews, VietnameseLeave a comment

Miss Saigon, a recent entry to the Box Hill food scene, adds to the growing list of Vietnamese eateries in this renowned Chinese food hub. Miss Saigon predominantly offers a wide selection of Pho options, where you can opt for a beef soup option with various beef toppings, and the same with the chicken soup base and chicken toppings but of course there’s always an option for a mix of beef and chicken. They also have Grilled Pork and Grilled Chicken with Pho for something a bit different.

While they only really do offer Pho for a main dish, they do also offer spring rolls (as you do) and rice paper rolls, and quite an extensive list of drink options such as my personal favourite Three Colours dessert/drink, as well as Vietnamese Coffee, Fresh Sugar Cane and Mango Smoothies.

Their Pho is served hot, unlike Indochine which is served very lukewarm. The beef and chicken soup bases aren’t particularly memorable but it has enough flavour to it.

I did quite like the Grilled Pork Pho, but it adds quite a bit of oil to the soup which makes it less appetising. The grilled pork though, had nice flavour.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

The Three Colours drink is basically cendol (green jelly), red bean (bigger variety) and mung bean with ice and coconut milk. Refreshing and not too sweet.

Last words
While, Miss Saigon probably won’t win any awards for authenticity, the Pho is decent enough to be a satisfactory meal.

Miss Saigon
Shop 68B, 1 Main Street
Box Hill Central
Box Hill VIC 3128

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Indochine

September 23, 2016 Posted in Box Hill, Food Reviews, Restaurant Reviews, VietnameseLeave a comment

Indochine on Carrington Road is a popular eatery in Box Hill serving an array of authentic Vietnamese dishes. You might be surprised to know that there are quite a number of Vietnamese restaurants in Box Hill such as the recently renovated Pho Huong Viet, Tien Dat, Pho 888, Tan Tan and the new kid on the block, Miss Saigon. Having tried a majority of these, nothing seems to compare to what you may come across in the Vietnamese hubs like Springvale, Richmond or Footscray.

The pho at Indochine is a mixed bag, while the broth is one of the better ones in Box Hill, it’s served at such a lukewarm temperature that you’d rather have a slightly poorer tasting Pho than order this again.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Having been disappointed in the tomato rice dishes in Richmond, I finally found a great one. It’s on par with what I ordered in Springvale. The tomato rice is fried nicely, not too wet and not too dry and cooked with scrambled egg. The crispy chicken at Indochine is also pretty tasty, crispy skin and maybe just slightly over cooked chicken. Served with a slice of lemon and extra salt, which I find you won’t really need anyway.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Last words
Come to Indochine for their tasty Vietnamese food but maybe not for their pho.

Indochine

51 Carrington Road
Box Hill VIC 3128

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Binh Minh

July 24, 2015 Posted in Food Reviews, Malaysian, Restaurant Reviews, Richmond, VietnameseLeave a comment

I’ve been to Binh Minh a couple times now, but I have trouble understanding the sheer popularity of it all. Located just by North Richmond Station on Victoria Street, they serve Vietnamese & Malaysian cuisine.

They offer your standard Vietnamese dishes like Pho, and Diced Beef & Tomato Rice and in addition they offer Laksa (!) on their menu too. I’ve tried their Salmon with vegetables, and their Tomato Rice but in both occasions I found it to be quite oily, and although flavour isn’t lacking, it isn’t anything great that can set it apart from the rest.

Impressions

For cheap lunchtime meals, Binh Minh might be a good place to go but I wouldn’t go there thinking it’s one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Richmond.

Binh Minh
40 Victoria Street
Richmond VIC 3121

Pho Huong Viet

May 1, 2015 Posted in Box Hill, Food Reviews, Restaurant Reviews, VietnameseLeave a comment

Pho Huong Viet is one of the few Vietnamese restaurants in the heart of Box Hill and while it may not stand tall against the top Vietnamese restaurants in Springvale or Richmond, for a decent Vietnamese meal around the Eastern Suburbs it’s one of the tastier options.

Their Pho soup base isn’t as strong as I would have liked, milder but I’d definitely prefer this as compared with Indochine, where I can’t understand it’s popularity. It’s not as clean tasting as some other Pho’s I’ve had either overall I’d say it’s above average.

Their Bun Thit Nuong (Vietnamese Grilled Pork over Vermicelli Noodles), is quite fresh and tasty with the sauce poured all over it. I loved the tender pork and the crispy spring rolls that come with it. It isn’t a cold dish as you might think, as the vermicelli here has been just cooked along with the pork and spring rolls, so you get this mix of cold ingredients such as the sauce and fresh vegetables with the hot ingredients. I’d probably go back for this one actually.

Impressions

While Pho Huong Viet doesn’t reach the highs of other Vietnamese restaurants in Melbourne, it’s also a bit difficult to find a great one around these parts of town. Though, I would say Pho 888 is the one to beat in Box Hill.

Tan Tan

June 13, 2014 Posted in Box Hill, VietnameseLeave a comment

In the Box Hill hub, there are quite a few Vietnamese restaurants on Carrington Street. Indochine is probably the largest and most popular one,. I’ve tried Indochine, and couldn’t understand the appeal, so off to the next one on the street. Tan Tan is just a few doors down from Indochine and now being so far away from Springvale, I’ve still yet to find a great Crispy Chicken with Tomato Rice dish, so for every new Vietnamese restaurant I try, I always seek out this dish which has yet to be topped.

Tan Tan’s Crispy Chicken with Tomato Rice lacks the highs of a great dish, the tomato rice is devoid of tomato flavour, and seems overly soft. I prefer a bit of bite to my rice when it is fried, and a great Tomato rice in my eyes also adds egg. The chicken also lacks flavour, just salt and unfortunately, too dry. The sweet and sour sauce is much needed to bring flavour to this dish that is dry and lacking in taste. A real shame

The Lemongrass Chicken and Stir Fry with Rice, is an especially fragrant dish with the lemongrass but again, nothing really stood out. The chicken cooked well, and the capsicum adds depth of flavour, apart from that it could be a little forgettable.

Beef and Chicken Combination Pho is a staple at every Vietnamese restaurant, however the soup here isn’t too flash. Lacking in flavour as compared with the popular and local favourite Pho places such as I Love Pho 264 in Richmond, and Pho Hung Vuong in Springvale. The soup is the star of a Pho dish so it’s disappointing that it is very average here.

Impressions

I can’t say that I found Tan Tan to be memorable for its dishes which I really did hope it would be. One of the pluses was that the staff were very friendly, and the dishes weren’t too expensive but I’m not too sure that would be enough to get me to go back there again for sometime.

Tan Tan
9 Carrington Rd
Box Hill VIC 3128

Pho 888 Box Hill

November 1, 2013 Posted in Box Hill, Food Reviews, Restaurant Reviews, VietnameseLeave a comment

Pho 888 Box Hill on Station Street, is one of the few Vietnamese restaurants in Box Hill. Primarily serving Pho, it does have a small selection of rice dishes and entrees as well. The restaurant is one of your typical Pho joints that you may find on Victoria Street, Richmond or Springvale, how does it compare? Lets see

I ordered the Beef sausage Pho just to try something a bit different (a bit unusual), the soup base lacks a bit of flavour and I also noticed they do not add coriander as a garnish to their soup. That’s not to say the soup was bland, it definitely has a nice flavour to it but compared with the greats in Melbourne, it is just a bit lacking.

The plentiful of onions they add are very strong in taste, probably too much onions for my liking but some might be preferential to their generosity. The beef sausage falls apart very easily, I’m not sure how it’s made because it’s almost like eating mince meat with a bit of pepper balls as seasoning. Not the best sausage I must admit, I think the beef and chicken would actually taste better together.

Finding good Vietnamese food in Box Hill is a challenge, so my opinion on Pho 888 is that it’s sufficient but if you miss great Vietnamese food from places in Richmond and Springvale, or maybe even Footscray, you may be a bit disappointed.

Pho 888 Box Hill

552 Station Street
Box Hill VIC 3128

Thanh Phong

September 13, 2013 Posted in Food Reviews, Restaurant Reviews, Richmond, VietnameseLeave a comment

Thanh Phong on Victoria Street is one of the many Vietnamese restaurants in Richmond. It’s one of the more cleaner venues around these parts. They must have renovated maybe in the past couple of years or so. During lunchtime weekdays, I wouldn’t call this place busy but it has a decent following. I wouldn’t say the food here sets it apart from the other Vietnamese eateries in anyway. It serves mostly the same cuisine you’d find elsewhere.

Pictured above, is their Cambodian Dry Noodle Soup (Alt: Hu Tieu Nam Vang), it comes with this crispy pastry which I believe is filled with some sort of vegetable, along with warm seasoned noodles with bean shoots, chicken, celery and fried and spring onions and coriander as their garnishes. It is served with soup with seafood and spring onions and coriander on top. Let’s start with the soup, it’s your very typical Vietnamese soup. Seasoned well, so it is certainly bursting with flavour and the prawn, fish ball and calamari. The seafood is a pleasant surprise and although tough calamari isn’t usually my thing, it complements the noodles well.

The pastry is nice and crunchy, but with enough bite to it (it has some chewiness to it). I really did enjoy the dressing or seasoning they add to the noodles but I can’t really put my finger on what they add to it. Probably a bit of soy, and it’s has a tongue tingling spiciness to it. It’s a very crunchy dish overall because of the celery, pastry and bean sprouts. Quite a lovely, tasty and fresh dish.

Impressions

Their Broken Rice with Egg and Pate, is a tad disappointing though. Clumpy wet rice isn’t at all appetising. Although Thanh Phong’s Spicy Beef Noodle Soup is both spicy and delicious. Similar to Pho, but a red tinged colour and wonderfully beefy in taste.

Thanh Phong, probably isn’t for everyone. There are a few dishes you could probably find better places to order like Pho (I Love Pho) but their Cambodian noodles are the best I’ve had on Victoria Street. It is just sifting through their menu to find the gems, like you may do with many other restaurants.

Not my first place I think of when I want Vietnamese but not so far down on my list. I’d say give it a go.

Thanh Phong

240 Victoria St
Richmond VIC 3121

Pho Bo Ga Mekong Vietnam

November 23, 2012 Posted in Food Reviews, Melbourne, Restaurant Reviews, VietnameseLeave a comment

Mekong is a Vietnamese restaurant located on Swanston Street, Melbourne and I’ve walked by it countless of times but never really have the urge to venture in. For one, the place looks like it hasn’t been renovated or cleaned in at least 10 years and many years back they voluntarily closed for pest control. My relatives came down for a visit and they like this kind of food so we thought there shouldn’t be any harm in dining there and it seems quite popular so it must be good?

My impressions of the place were already at an all time low, and getting seated you can see that cleanliness is not their priority. Tables and floors all have food scraps around. The supposedly clean tea cups still have food remnants on them. I don’t think I’m an utter clean freak or anything, but I do like to dine at places that at least feel clean.

Well I guess people come here for food so let’s talk about that. To go to a restaurant with the word Pho in it and not try their Pho seems blasphemous. So I opted for the Small Pho with Chicken, and I think it was reasonable. The soup wasn’t fantastic by any means, that feat goes to I Love Pho on Victoria St, Richmond and Pho Hung Vuong, Springvale but respectable. It lacks that same punch you get from the others, probably MSG but flavour is lacking.

Everything else is pretty much standard, it’s a nice cheapish meal but my OCD with cleanliness probably got in the way with actually enjoying the meal.

Pho Bo Ga Mekong Vietnam
241 Swanston St
Melbourne VIC 3000

Pho Hung Vuong

September 7, 2012 Posted in Food Reviews, Restaurant Reviews, Springvale, VietnameseLeave a comment

Pho Hung Vuong has been around ever since I can remember. Located in Springvale, the South East’s bustling Vietnamese community, has one of the most popular Vietnamese restaurants in Victoria. Not only is it always packed full of people, but is well known for its delicious and authentic Pho. It used to have a few other restaurants, one on Victoria Street, Richmond, I think it’s called Pho Hung Vuong 2 (Original!) but I’m not too sure if there are owned by the same people.

Pho Hung Vuong doesn’t go out of its way to impress you, the place looks like it hasn’t been maintained since the shopping centre opened way back when. Although it’s not the most pleasant experience, the food does more than make up for it.

Everybody that visits Pho Hung Vuong comes for their famous Pho. In three different sizes, like most Pho eateries, small, medium and large, with your choice of chicken, beef, mixed or even with added sausage. There are quite a few other ingredients you can add to your order but the above mentioned ones are the most popular.

What makes their Pho so good is the soup. It is packed full of flavour, I don’t know if it’s also packed full of MSG (Probably) but it is one of the best tasting soups around so it’s hard to make a fuss about it. The chicken/beef are perfectly cooked, with the beef gently cooking in the hot soup while you eat. It’s tender and delicious, what more could you ask for.

Of course they just don’t serve Pho, as it is a Vietnamese restaurant you can get the Fried Pork/Chicken dishes with Vietnamese salad/vegetables and rice, and all the other standards you would normally find in a Vietnamese eatery. My lack of discussion over their other food isn’t meant to be an indication of the quality of their other dishes. It’s by all means quite good. It’s just when you come to Pho Hung Vuong, you definitely come for the Pho.

You really would be hard pressed to find a better Pho restaurant in Victoria.

Pho Hung Vuong

Shop 2 / 15 Balmoral Avenue
Springvale VIC 3171

03 9558 5147

I Love Pho 264

January 20, 2012 Posted in Food Reviews, Restaurant Reviews, Richmond, Vietnamese3 Comments

I Love Pho is located in the heart of the Richmond-Vietnamese community. On Victoria St, I Love Pho is a popular destination to order some delicious Pho. It appears it only does indeed serve Pho, but please correct me if I’m wrong.

At I Love Pho, there are many different types of ingredients you can add to your Pho. I ordered the Chicken and Beef Combination, but you can order tofu and vegies, a special beef combination with extras or simply just beef or chicken. All for a considerably decent price range. You can check out the menu here

During lunch hours, the service appears average at best, though, it depends on how you look at it. You order and get served very quickly, but it’s mostly a rushed environment to get as many people in and out as they can.

Onto the Pho that I did try, the beef was quite nice and seasoned and still slightly rare which makes it all the better, as the very popular restaurant in Springvale well known for their Pho has chewy and tough beef. The chicken was also soft and moist and not dry at all so it was a pleasant surprise.

The soup is what I guess most people enjoy, and I Love Pho’s soup is very good. It has a great flavour to it, but it isn’t too strong. For some it may be slightly ‘watery’ but I enjoyed it and after finishing my Pho (almost finishing anyway), I was extremely full and satisfied.

I Love Pho knows what it does best, it hardly needs to change a thing as people arrive in droves. You can see why it is so popular on Victoria St, and a favourite of many as well.

I Love Pho

264 Victoria St
Richmond, VIC 3121

(03) 9427 7749