It’s rare to find stir fried pho in Sydney, and for our first tasting we had a simple medium special beef pho ($19), with beef brisket and stir fried beef. The beef, stir fried before being mixed in the broth, added a heightened degree of oiliness to the bowl, not normally seen. A degree of tenderness that normally accompanies rare beef pho is lost with stir fried beef, and the flavours somewhat overpowered by the liberal helping of onion. The lack of bean sprouts also hurt me, and so whilst I respect that some people may prefer this version of the bowl, it’s just simply not for me.
The red wine beef with bread roll ($18) felt a lot less like the Vietnamese food I’m used to and a lot more like a beef bourguignon. I say this as a non-Vietnamese person, though and if I am told in the comments I’m wrong then I guess I will be wrong.
This donut / fried dough cruller / you tiao ($2) was quite good, freshly fried, crispy, and probably better than a lot that I’ve had at actual Chinese restaurants. A surprising strength.
The salted coffee ($8) was an interesting and valuable experience. It was a bit salty, a bit sweet, and actually quite enjoyable for someone who doesn’t normally go for a salted caramel type thing. Something to try, even if not something I’d have on a regular basis.
Pho Viet Xua 1919
279 Illawarra Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204