With frequent visits to the city, a lot of the time I get off at the Myer Center bus way - and I often get a bus from here in addition to that. That aspect leads to be walking past this place a lot, or until recently from this review, what used to be a walled up area that was advertising a new pho place. Right next to the ramen bar of all places .... time to ignite the noodle soup wars again. Anyways, that meant a new place to try, and something in the food court which did not default to fast food again - and was close to my ride either way. Each time around here, check and see if it is open - and one day it was. That is about the extent of it.
Well, this is a bar meets a food court outlet. It has a nice enough look to it, with a wooden background, the kitchen is all intact and visible at the back, and they tuck the dining area around the corner with a continuous bench with chairs, and a sneeze guard. After collecting the order from the ordering station, they is a tray with all the needed condiments and cutlery - hot sauce, chilli, spoons and all that. This is one that is mostly self-sufficient with how it is arranged.
You get some decent service here as well, in fact better than what the look of the place would imply. From an observation, I think this might be a family run joint which if it is would definitely explain the friendly and caring nature that exudes from the place. It is quick, they are up for a chat, and within the kitchen, there is a non-stop buzz of cooking sounds and smells which may remind anyone of the home kitchen. If anything, the service and atmosphere of the place belongs in a corner somewhere in Sunnybank or Market Square, or something a bit more out into the suburbs than here. Just having it in the city center, amidst all the chaos is something beyond control but I am just analysing how it could work the best.
It is basically an array of street foods from Vietnam that they offer. That is bahn mis, rice paper rolls, vermicelli salads and a few kinds of pho. Don't expect too much of an extensive array here with the most latter. A few drinks are also available, with the basic sodas and water, and some signature ones from the home country.
With a name like it has got, there is probably only one real item to order and eat here. And that is, of course, pho. I should soon start ordering more varieties of pho, since what I always seem to go for the combination - getting the bang for the buck and everything. The combination beef pho here had rare beef, bits of brisket, and meatballs among the usual pho ingredients. The noodles were soft and tasty, the broth had all the needed flavours (plus a fresh lemon wedge), plus they were generous with the amount of meat they included in the meal - and the meat was tasty and tender too. As well as that, the broth was smooth and hot, with just the right hint of each taste and ingredient, plus it balanced well on the whole. Props giving to how the whole arrangement is given right on the tray. It does pretty well for itself so far.
On the side, I also got a spring roll. This, is basically a spring roll. That is something I have come to conclude - a spring roll is now more or less a spring roll every time.
Coming back a second time, it was to give it a fair shot as I now like to do to a place. As much as I had a spring roll on the side the first time, a spring roll is a spring roll. What I got this time was one of my all time favourites from any cuisine - a bahn mi. When they have the crackling pork option, what other choice is there to make? That is what I got. This ain't a bad one either. The bits of meat were thick and chunky, plus I also got a good amount of the crackling on the bread - that can't be a fault in any way. The pork was tender, freshly cut off a big roast that is glistening well and cooked fresh. The fresh condiments of coriander, chilli, cucumber and the sauce poured on all combined to make a complete and well-rounded array of flavours. It was rich, it was spicy, and the bread was robust and moreish. Overall, a passable bahn mi.
Let's be honest here, Pho Dau is a fine place. All that it is really aiming to be is a pho bar, a little bar where the consumer would go for a quick snack. They keep it relatively simple, making sure that the process is streamlined and quick to order, with no frills or anything else getting in the way. Really, there is nothing much else to talk about it - any discretion would ignore what it is trying to be, while at the same time we have to be realistic. Pho Dau serves its purpose having convenience be the trump card, does a good enough effort with it, and can be seen as a fall-back option.
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