Pho sure!!!!

Hello all,

It has been a while since my last blog... report writing at school means not enough blogging time for this foodie. But, I ate at one of my favourite pho houses today so I thought I would take the time to share with you. Pho Huong is on High St, Preston (near the market). It is a conveyor belt of Pho and other yummy Vietnamese goodies- the tables are ALWAYS full, but guaranteed someone will stand up as you walk in for a quick feed.

We were in need of Pho this morning after respective nights out- a hens night and a bucks night for the same wedding. The boy and I were feeling a little tired and worse for wear, and as I have said several times in this blog- I believe Pho is the best thing to get you back to life after any kind of illness... even if its self inflicted!

For those of you who have never had Pho, I should probably explain what it is and why I love it so much. Pho is the traditional breakfast food in Vietnam, and we absolutely adored it whilst on our trip over there, eating it for breakfast and lunch where-ever we could. It is the perfect breakfast in a country that is so hot and humid, that immediate hydration in the morning is the perfect start to the day. I have such fond memories of sitting in the little booth kitchen area at the Rendevous Hotel in Hanoi, being served steaming bowls of Pho from smiling Vietnamese coupled with an amazing cup of hot coffee (traditionally served cold on ice with a dash of sweetened milk). Perhaps thats one of the reasons why this is my favourite food, it brings back amazing memories of wonderful travel times. But, there is so much more to love about it.

So what is Pho? It is a large (too large really!) bowl of steaming, beautifully spiced broth complete with soft hand-made rice noodles, and your chosen meat. We are a fan of Pho Bo Ga which is chicken and beef. On the side you get a dish of all the additions you can put in your Pho to your taste- chili, bean shoots, Vietnamese mint, lemon, lime. I generally go for a decent amount of each, especially the bean shoots as I can't get enough. Its kind of a do-it-yourself soup. It can take up to half an hour to slurp your way through the huge steaming bowl of broth, especially when wrestling with those lovely, slippery rice noodles. But what a better way to kill half an hour than with someone you enjoy being with, eating a dish that makes you feel like you are glowing from the inside! It hydrates you, contains protein and vegetables and fills you up for most of the day. Get on it people- forget salads, pho is the new health food.




Phu Huong, High St Preston


I strongly recommend trying it. My favourite Pho houses are Pho Huong in High St, or Pho 888 in Box Hill. Both have consistently fabulous pho, and as you will see, are frequented by a huge range of people- today we saw families with children, Vietnamese people getting a feed of their home countries specialty, older people, younger people, couples, groups of friends. Oh, and did I mention at 10 bucks a bowl it is an awesomely cheap way to eat out?! Complimentary Vietnamese tea in a thermos is on the table also.

Pho 888, Station St, Box Hill

Go on- try some Pho... and let me know what you think of my all-time favourite fare.