There’s a popular saying in Vietnam
that goes ‘Chở củi về rừng’ which has the same idiomatic meaning as ‘Don’t
carry coals to Newcastle’ – or ‘Don't do things in a needlessly laborious
way.’ Hence, my short and sweet post about Manchester Chinatown’s only Vietnamese restaurant (café), I Am Pho.
What and where? From its subterranean setting on George Street, I am Pho serves a simple menu of Vietnamese ‘street food’ favourites including Phở, Bánh
Cuốn, Bún, Hủ Tiếu, Nộm, Gỏi and Bánh mì – basically all that is good!
What I ate: I’ve been on a few occasions and
have sampled:
Nem Cuốn Tôm
– Summer rolls with prawns: beautifully made, fresh, crisp and not served too chilled.
Nộm Gòi –
Vietnamese Salad with Prawns: the chilli sauce was a little sweet and sticky
for my taste but it’s a decent potion and the ingredients are fresh, generous
and assembled with care.
Phớ Bò Tái –
thinly sliced beef cooked in a deep bowl of clear broth (I asked for mushrooms
to be added to mine). The Phớ is very good and comes with a side of spring
onions, coriander, bean sprouts, herbs, fresh chilli and lime for flavouring
and seasoning. Add Beef Paste for a more robust / ‘beefier’ flavour, Hoisin for
sweetness and Nước Mắm to adjust ‘tanginess’ and of course Chilli for heat.
Bánh Mì - Vietnamese baguette (French stick) with pickled carrots
and fresh coriander with Sliced Pork. They also do Pate, Beef, Pork Sausage and Chicken - I have since been advised to order the Pate and add 'meat/s of choice' as extra fillings for 50p. (My next order will be a pork feast of pate plus, sliced Pork and pork
Nem Chua –
fermented pork: a wonderfully simple dish with an amazing sharp, sour flavour that
is lifted by the fresh, crisp cucumber and coriander.
Food high points: my favourite dishes are the Nem Chua and Nem Cuốn Tôm – I’ll always order some of these with whatever main I
am having.
Food low points: Not really a low point because the Bánh Mì (at £2.99) is still very good
and excellent value but in Vietnam they traditionally add rice powder to the
dough that results in a lighter, more airy bake with a thinner crust. Chilli
was also noticeably absent from the fillings but a thin smear of the oil or
sauce provided soon rectifies this or (as I will next time) you could ask for some chilli to be added when ordering - the staff are friendly and I'm sure they would be happy to accommodate such a request.
Décor / ambience: very much on the café / school
canteen style with the expected clichéd touches from the nón lá (leaf hats) and pictures of rice paddies adorning the walls. It's a great lunchtime place (I am yet to visit in the evening).
Service: swift, efficient and friendly. Decent chopsticks are provided – not the cheap
things that give you splinters.
Verdict (Would I return?): Love it! I would, have and will again
(several times). I am tempted to say it’s pho-nomenal, but I daren’t be that
corny.
Tweet
Follow @HungryHoss
No comments:
Post a Comment