Hello Pho - Menu

Hello Pho, tucked in a quiet corner of the food court on the side of Anzac Square, Central railway station.The soups! Love them! I tried4 different types over t... read more Hello Pho, tucked in a quiet corner of the food court on the side of Anzac Square, Central railway station.The soups! Love them! I tried4 different types over the course of a week. Each had its own unique flavour, great depth and bless taste. My favourite is the beef noodle soup (pho); I would rate it to be the best in the cbd; I am especially pleased that I can detect the hint of black cardamom in the stock which gives it a subtle smoky fragrance, making it a standout among the pho from other places. The banh mi thit is very good too; I had the classic the other day; it has their homemade paté, besides the cold meats, yumm.., I tried the salad with grilled pork today; great portion, again, clean tasting sauce, and the meat has that beautifully charcoal-ly grilled flavour that is missing from "grilled" meat at other places or from my electric griller the at home. Very cheerful and friendly service from staff and owner (his wife is the cook). Will be back to try... read more

Located in the foodourt of Anzac Square arcade, this is one of the dining options. In spite of the outside having a lot of people sitting around there this plac... read more Located in the foodourt of Anzac Square arcade, this is one of the dining options. In spite of the outside having a lot of people sitting around there this place has the feeling of either being quiet with business or just used as thoroughfare for commuters from the train. One day after work, before heading home to do some weights I decided to go on a wander to find something to eat. Somehow, I had not been into the dining precinct in Anzac Sqaure Arcade despite living in the city practically my whole life. That has come to an end now, since I found myself in here looking at what caught my fancy to try out. I noticed this new, cheap Vietnamese place and after sussing out the menu, it sounded like exactly what I wanted. To describe the looks of it, this is a station in the food court area. It is slightly plain, with a darker lot of hue for design. Seating is the standard style of food court, with one long bench at the far end. If there was a good word to use to describe the service, I would say that it is quick. It is essentially counter service: order, pay, wait for your meal. With a bit more friendly demeanour than expected, it goes well. When I was here, by it being quick the order was all ready before I knew it - was not even checked in when I heard my name being hollered from the counter. I swear that I have been to fast food places beforehand that have not had the food ready this quickly. Hello Pho's menu is a range of Vietnam's most popular and famous street food. These include the soup pho (as per the name), bun (or vermecilli noodle salad), com (Saigon broken rice, all options with a side of meat), bahn mis, bo kho (what I ordered - so descriptions are later), goi (fresh Vietnamese salad), chicken or fish curry laksa and rice paper rolls among others. Most of these come with a choice of meat as a base. If it is value for money you are wanting, there are the combos which are one several meals that come with a choice side of the rice paper rolls. Several drinks are available to round off the meal. It is Vietnamese that they serve here, and it is quite simple Vietnamese. I went and ordered a dish called "Bo Kho". This is a simple beef stew mixed with carrot, red onions, chili and mixed herbs. Out of the choices for the base or side to have with the stew, I ordered it with broken rice. As simple as it was, only one word ought to do is justice and that word is delicious. The serving size was really generous for a small price, and the meat that they used was really tender, plus the fresh and abundant mix of vegetables used really added to the consistency of the stew. The rice was slightly spicy, and a little crunchy. Mixing all of this together, the stew was a solid, filling meal which was more than satisfactory up until dinner time. Like I always say, I stumble upon a Vietnamese place I got to see if they do the signature iced coffee. Well, this is another success in the streak. To have on the side with the stew, I got a Vietnamese iced coffee. As per usual, this was quite good. Maybe it was a bit weaker than most other ones (I do like my coffee to be strong), but it was still the cold, refreshing, sweet and creamy delight that makes it a drink I keep on coming back to. For me, this place really rates itself as a 4.0. While I don't have any reservations per se about the food and everything, it is still quite a basic place in what is essentially a food court. For a quick lunch option, this one works on a number of levels which includes food that is wholesome and tasty, the area cannot be argued with too much (if you choose to go to the green space outside), the location is central and the food is served really quickly. It ain't among the greats, but it is doing just fine with its own efforts.