New to the slew of cafes and eateries in Upper Thomson is Pho Viet, a humble Vietnamese eatery situated along the same stretch where Maneko Japanese Restaurant and One Man Coffee are located at.
They serve up anything from the classic pho to other lesser known Vietnamese dishes, mostly priced below S$10. Being literally the only Vietnamese joint in the whole stretch, we had pretty high expectations but did it meet them, surpass them or disappoint? Read on to find out.
Starting off with what many of us would consider a Vietnamese staple, the Beef Brisket Noodle Soup (S$8.90) is one of the most popular dishes in Pho Viet amongst diners which goes highly recommended by their staff.
Pho Viet’s rendition of the noodle soup dish features thick rice noodles topped with beef slices and beef meatballs. While the rice noodles were silky smooth just the way we like it, we thought that the broth could do with more flavours and that the beef pieces were a major letdown.
The meatballs that were served were undercooked, resulting in a hard texture whereas the beef slices were tough and lacked flavour.
The Pork Stew with Quail Eggs (S$8.90), on the other hand, came packed with robust flavours. A traditional dish that is consumed by the Vietnamese during Lunar New Year, this dish sees fork-tender pork belly pieces alongside quail eggs.
Served with steamed rice, the stew came with caramelised pork belly pieces and quail eggs which were both well-marinated in a sweet-savoury sauce. However, considering the price point of this item, we thought that they could afford to be more generous with its portion.
Pho Viet also offers a variety of appetisers on the menu ranging from barbecued seafood to Vietnamese baguettes. We ordered up a portion of BBQ Pork (S$8.90), our personal essential whenever we patronise a Vietnamese eatery.
Presented in the form of skewers, the pork pieces had a pleasant bite to it. Be that as it may, we thought that the skewers were overly salty. Besides the strong notes of fish sauce used in its marination, the skewers lacked dimension to its flavours taste-wise.
Pho Viet
215M Upper Thomson Road
Tel: +65 8518 0090
Daily: 11am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Marymount