PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIALocated in the heart of the CBD, this is a small, unpretentious eatery with a few photos of Ha Long Bay decorating the walls, bare tables, a semi-open kitchen and food which is much better than first appearances might lead one to expect. A Vietnamese boat baby and former Sydney fishmonger, chef Ed Nguyen serves three great
phos from a smallish lunchtime menu and offers a dinner menu with a choice of 45 options running from
goi cuon rolls to claypot classics.
In addition, there are traditional hot and sour soups, salads, curries, noodles and beef, chicken, seafood, pork and vegetable stir-fries along with less usual but authentic dishes like sugar cane prawns and caramelised fish. One of the highlights are the Vietnamese pickles from his homeland, which he serves with wok-seared rump and the claypot of caramelised pork and whole egg. While he’ll turn up the chilli heat if you ask, the spicing of the dishes is already beautifully balanced and the food, as well as the dining space itself, is redolent of the aromas of lemongrass, mint, coconut, ginger and that pungent Vietnamese essential – fish sauce.
Graeme Phillips