FOOD : Pho, Vietnamese Street Food, Edinburgh

Pho, pronounced ‘fuh’, is to the Vietnamese as haggis is to the Scots. It’s the National Dish, a foodie treasure and something that has been recreated, reinvented thousands of times over in new variations.

Pho is essentially a soup that has been made with a bone beef broth, banh pho noodles, thin slices of beef and a side of bean sprouts and herbs. Pho Restaurant, has taken this concept and switched it up, delivering a creative menu of delicious Vietnamese street food, where you’ll have difficulty picking a favourite.

Pho have several restaurants in London, one in Cardiff and as of today (Monday 15th November 2021) will officially have opened in Edinburgh, in the St James Quarter.

REVIEW OF PHO, VIETNAMESE STREET FOOD, EDINBURGH

I went along last week for a sneak peak tasting and was blown away by the versatile flavour profiles, the freshness and zing and the endless gorgeous rainbow plates of food that came out of the kitchen.

I took way too many photos of this dish (can you tell I fell in love with it, and after trying four dishes, I have chosen a favourite ….for now). This is the Spring Rolls served with lettuce and herbs to wrap and dip and the peanut sauce. You can choose the veg version for £6.25 or the pork version for £6.75.

Well presented, six crispy spring rolls served with a large bowl of THE MOST INCREDIBLE peanut sauce I have ever tasted! This sauce needs to be a separate item on the menu where you can order a one litre bowl of this stuff. Ooooft, you’ll be crying when its finished!

I loved the serving custom of wrapping your hot spring roll in lettuce with a mint leaf and dunking it into the sauce. The combination of flavours and the textures will ensure there’s a party going on in your mouth. A nice touch is that your server will explain this custom table side on delivery of your food. Follow the instructions, its worth it.

I beg you please… please order these with the peanut sauce on your visit, you will not be disappointed.

As a complete contrast to the Spring Rolls, we ordered the Summer Rolls; fresh rice paper rolls with herbs, vermicelli and pickle and this time the sauce choice was the nuoc cham. You can choose veg £5.75, chicken £5.95, non chicken £6.25 and prawn £6.25.

Fully loaded and stuffed, these Summer Rolls are Spring and Summer all wrapped into one. The gorgeous fresh zing of vegetables, with the softness of the vermicelli created a symphony of tastes.

There was also a very large plate of Prawn Crackers and sweet chilli sauce to tuck into inbetween dishes.

To make sure we were balancing out our meal, we added in a super healthy option of the Morning Glory - stir fried water spinach in garlic, £5.95.

Again the flavours here are amazing. So much garlic but it works very well with the spinach that you won’t even know you’re eating something healthy!

For mains, it was Vermicelli Noodles with lemongrass and chilli wok fried topping; served with fresh herbs, beansprouts, veggie spring roll and peanuts. This was the King Prawn, £11.25 but you can choose from chicken, beef, nem nuong pork balls, tofu and mushroom, THIS isnt chicken and veggie spring rolls.

What a size! This bowl is brimming with all the good stuff. The noodles are served at room temperature and you pour over the nuoc cham sauce and mix. A large bowl of contrasts - cripsy, crunchy, soft, sweet, sour and heat. Bring your appetite for this one!

Next it was the Classic Chicken Pho, £9.95. Aromatic and delicious rice noodle soup served with a side plate of fresh herbs to add as you wish. The herbs included coriander, mint and chillies. It’s lovely as you can tailor the soup to your own tastes adding additional condiments which are on the table.

Their 12 hour broth is tasty but it is only the vessel and benefits from you adding your own ingredients to enhance the flavours. I loved how you can choose ingredients to suit your palate.

Pho is a much needed edition to the Edinburgh food scene. The food is super tasty, the service is great with friendly and helpful staff. Do try the Spritzer of ginger, lemongrass and mint or the Spicy Lemonade to drink - so refreshing!

All in all, although this was part of their soft launch, I highly recommend Pho and I cannot wait to go back to try more dishes on their menu but really for the Spring Rolls and THAT peanut sauce.

Pho Vietnamese Street Food, St James Quarter, Edinburgh www.phocafe.co.uk/locations/edinburgh/

My Spoon Award : Gold Spoon 9/10

I was invited by Pho to review their menu. Food and drink were complimentary but the views are very much my own.