Pho is one of the restaurant/cafe hat has branches many parts of the UK. This Vietnamese restaurant is best know for serving one of the most famous Vietnamese street food “Pho”. And here is my opinion of this restaurant:
Place
This time I’ve tried out the Birmingham branch which is located in the Grand Central (Birmingham New Street train station ) on the first floor with a balcony looking view. The restaurant is full with wooden tables and chairs that are often unavailable. The booking is not required to dine in this restaurant. However, I was lucky enough to get a table as I went there in late morning but not yet lunch time. As soon as the clock hit 12 on Saturday afternoon, I saw loads of people were lining up to get seats. But no matter how busy it is, everyone is severed fast and the place is always clean.
Service
The service is excellent as the staff will try to keep an eye on every customer to make sure everyone is being served. Despite the amount of people dining, the food is usually served within five minutes after you make an order and the staffs are always around for requests. On every chair, there is a blanket which is provided just in case the customers are cold. Also, if you are curious about the dishes in the menu as the dishes are in Vienamese name, you can ask one of the staffs and they will explain it very clearly.
Phở gà: Chicken breast in chicken broth (thin noodles) £8.75
Food
There are many dishes to choose from the menu which I believe to cover all of the dietary preferences. The most popular dish to order is Pho which are provided with choices of broth (chicken, beef and vegetable), noodles (thin and thick), and toppings (such as King prawn, meet ball, chicken, tofu etc.). Apart form Pho, the restaurant also has other Vietnamese street food such as spring rolls, crispy chicken wins served with Sriracha, Vietnamese style salads, curry, desserts and many more. I wasn't surprise that the restaurant has Vietnamese coffee which is my favorite drink among all and taste very authentic (the combination of coffee and condense milk). You can looked up to menu online on their website as the menu is different in each branch.
Cà phê sữa đá: Ice coffee with condense milk (can choose without condense milk) £2.95
Pho is usually served with a plate of fresh herbs, a slice of lime and cut chili pepper to spice up the soup along with condiments provided on the table. Their Pho taste amazing in general as the clear soup combines well with the rice noodles. I love the chicken broth as I found beef broth to be quite oily and veggie broth to be herby and lack of taste. I the first time I went there and ordered Pho with regular noodle which was the thick one, it was the perfect fit for me. The second time I went there because of the irresistible taste of Pho, I tried there thin noodles which for me was okay. Thin noodles were much easier to eat but I felt like the noodles were quite undercooked and didn't absorb much of the broth taste like the thick one. Also, the drinks were amazing, but I haven't tried the desserts yet (a reason to go there again).
Phở chay: tofu & button mushrooms in chicken broth £8.50
Phở tái lăn: flash fried steak with garlic in beef broth £9.25
Price
The price of Pho is between £8 - £11 which is worth for the quantity and quality. The price of the starters starts from £4 to £8 depending on the number of servings and desert from £3 - £10. Other main dishes are in the same price range with Pho, which the price of full course will be roughly around £40 for 2 people.
Phở tôm: king prawns with veggie broth (thin noodles) £9.95
Conclusion
If you are in Birmingham city center and tired of walking around the mall or are waiting for the train, Pho is one of the great choice you can go. Depending on the time, the restaurant can get very crowded at lunch time and dinner. The food was amazing as well as the drinks that is suitable for many dietary preferences including vegan. The price is cheap and the quantity will keep you full for a while. Also, the staff is very nice and the food is served fast.