For The Love of Pho

First published in Options, The Edge, Oct 9, 2017

Comparing Vietnamese beef noodles from three restaurants

The Vietnamese food scene in the Klang valley has exploded over the past few years, from being a specialty cuisine confined to one or two restaurants, to well over a dozen independent outlets in KL and PJ. 

Vietnamese style noodle soup, pho – especially beef pho, is considered to be quintessentially Vietnamese.

The popularity of pho has led to numerous interpretations, with different regions in Vietnam developing their own versions.  The variety found outside Vietnam is usually South-Vietnamese style pho.

A sampling of three pho restaurants:

Pho Vietz has outlets in shopping malls in the KL-PJ area.  There’s a good variety of pho types on offer as well as a comprehensive selection of Vietnamese dishes, including rice and banh mi.  Australian-sourced beef and free-range chicken are used in the dishes.

The best-selling “4-Beef Combo Noodle Soup” (Rm19.90) features beef slices, shank, brisket and beef balls, in a large bowl pre-mixed with vegetables - fragrant basil, green onion slices and spring onion – with thin-cut flat rice noodles.  

The soup is intense, dark and robust, with a smooth, rich beefy flavor. The beef pieces are thick and chunky as pho goes, and they are superb, being dense and lean with a fresh, meaty flavor. Even the beef balls are big and heavy to the extent that this feels like a beef, rather than a noodle dish. The noodles are relatively thick in density and the overall size is big, making this a hefty meal. It is the choice of the red meat lover, with a strong masculine flavor, and generous portions of premium beef.  

Pho Vietz,

Lot S312, 2^nd Floor, High Street,

One Utama Shopping Center,

47800 Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya

Tel: 03-77311653

Super Saigon specializes in “Melbourne-style” pho.  The restaurant in TTDI is bright, with a blue and white theme, with some plastic plants within for a touch of green.  Pho is the star here, with various beef pho permutations and a vegetarian option, as well as a smattering of other Vietnamese dishes.  The restaurant uses Australian beef.

The premium offering, the Special Beef Combination, (Rm19.90), is a large bowl of noodles with Sliced Beef, Brisket, Tendon, Tripe and beef balls.  Bean sprouts, basil leaves and cut chili are served separately, to be added by the diner. 

The beef broth is light and sweet, yet beefy without being strong.  The beef slices are thinly cut and just cooked in the hot broth, being pink, tender and sweet.  In contrast, the beef brisket slices are coarser-textured, with a thin ribbon of fat at the edges.  Pieces of beef tendon and tripe add to the variety. Beef balls are small and cut into half.  

Super Saigon Pho Café

28, Jalan Datuk Sulaiman, 6000 TTDI

Tel: 03-77328874

www.supersaigon.com.my

Business Hours: 11.30am-10.00pm daily

Pho King has a simple, unfussy interior in pale shades,.  It has a smaller selection of Vietnamese food, with pork and beef pho, as well as salad noodles and snacks.  It also uses Australian beef.

The Traditional Vietnamese Beef Noodles (Rm15.50) mixes beef brisket with “Australian rare beef slices”. The pho is reasonably sized, and was steaming hot when served.  Basil leaves, raw beansprouts, cut chili and a slice of lime are served separately, so that diners can enjoy their pho “Hanoi-style” or “Saigon-style” with or without adding the herbs.

The broth looks quite dark, with thin beef and brisket slices sharing the deep bowl with a goodly portion of noodles, garnished with sliced spring onions, coriander and green onions.  The broth is the lightest and sweetest of the lot, with an almost delicate flavour. The beef slices are thinly sliced and tender, balancing out well with the springy noodles.  The portion is not heavy yet makes for a substantial meal with a light side dish.    

Pho King

153, Jalan SS2/6 Petaling Jaya

Tel: 0183510513

Business Hours: 12pm – 9pm daily, closed on Thursdays.

So there, three different pho restaurants, each with their own take on the traditional Vietnamese favourite, with enough variation between them to satisfy differences in preference and taste, and there are many other restaurants besides.  There’s never been a better time to reach out for a bowl of pho.