PROFILED BY DE GROOST MEDIAIt’s easy to find a great Vietnamese restaurant in Campbelltown or Bankstown, but to find a good, let alone great one in the Eastern Suburbs is a rare treat. Pho Le, situated along the retail strip of Randwick Junction, has been a mainstay of the area for over 15 years. The interior is simply furnished, however the window decorated with ferns and bamboo and the Buddha water feature add an exotic charm.
When you find a new restaurant it’s a good idea to try the staples of the cuisine, and in Vietnam it’s the Pho Bo (rice noodles topped with rare, paper-thin slices of beef, covered in a hearty stock). Traditionally a breakfast dish, to a Western sensibility it feels more appropriate for lunch or dinner. The difference with the Pho here is the stock, and after some coaxing the chef admits his is better because of the marrow-rich knuckles he roasts off and simmers a whole day before he serves. Starters are simple: crispy spring rolls, chicken wings stuffed with pork mince, water chestnuts and shallots, but the Vietnamese pancake is the winner (a crispy golden egg pancake folded over bean sprouts, pork slices and prawns, served with fresh lettuce and a sweet spicy dipping sauce). For the less adventurous the pork chops served with tomato rice can’t fail.
Drew Haywood