Everyone loves a good soup. For me, I find them delicious but a little dainty. In my piggy opinion, if it doesn’t have meat or carbs, it is an entrée. So I love it when two desires for soup and sustenance are met in the form of a Vietnamese Pho. They are filling, light, wholesome, clean, warm, refreshing, spicy and good for you, what more could you want?  So if you live in Brisbane and feel like taking a little trip to Saigon via a soup I suggest you go for a beef Pho at one (or all) of these restaurants:

My Pho Bar

This is hands down the best pho I have ever had! I have no reason to ever go to, or near Jindalee other than to get my beef Pho fix. As the name suggests Pho’s are the specialty, you can get them with a variety of meats but I suggest you go the rare steak. Thinly sliced, raw lashings of beef are dropped into the hot soup right before they are served making them tender and perfectly cooked. They are served in a huge bowl big enough to feed an army but if you are feeling brave you can attempt the pho challenge which consists of a mammoth bowl with 800g of noodles, 800gm of meat and a couple of litres of soup. If you finish it within the hour you get it for free!

Shop 6, 19 Kooringal Dr, Jindalee, QLD 4074 – (07) 3376 9746

The Vietnamese

The interior of this place is about as bland as the name. But, what they lack in creativity and style they make up for in flavoursome food and serious bang for buck. You can get a small or large pho here, the small which is actually big will cost you only $9. It tastes delicious and is served with a side of bean shoots, Vietnamese mint, lemon and chilli, like all good phos should be. It is a popular place in the heart of China Town so you better book before your beef!

194 Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006 – www.thevietnameserestaurant.com.au

Trang

This place is as popular as the pho is good. The food is ridiculously cheap and it is Brisbane’s worst kept secret. If you want to venture to West End for your pho fix I recommend you get there early, book or keep the table small if you want to get a seat. There is food coming out of the kitchen faster than Usain Bolt so you know it is fresh. Here you can get a huge pho for under $10 and it is BYO too… what more could you ask for?

Trang – 59 Hardgrave Rd, West End, QLD 4101 - 07 3255 1610

Oink oink,

Truffle Pig