270 Victoria Street, Richmond (map)
9427 7749
Ten days ago I caught up with my ladies K and J for some midweek phố, and instead of going to one of our regular haunts Thanh Nga Nine or Co Do, I suggested we give Pho Chu The a try. I hadn't been there for a few years, but I remembered it being pretty good. J looked up the address online and joked to us that it was the half empty restaurant that she takes guys to when she doesn't want to be seen with them, like the Chinese restaurant in an old episode of Sex and the City.
Whether or not Pho Chu The was the venue where J was clandesdining, it certainly wasn't half empty: on a Wednesday night there was a queue of about ten people out the door. The decor is strictly no frills and the service is brusque and swift, with food coming out within about two minutes of ordering. My kind of fast food!
Mystifyingly, the restaurant was overrun by the skinny jeans brigade... I guess they're all here because the phố is so damn good.
$8.50 a bowl, and the restaurant serves nothing but beef, chicken and vegetable phố and spring rolls. One bowl of the phở bò with rare beef was enough for me to declare Pho Chu The my new favourite phở joint on Victoria Street. The magic is in the broth.
20 comments:
Fabulous! This may give you incentive to write an updated guide to "clandesdining: how to successfully have an affair without compromising a good meal out"!!
I went by Chu The sometime last year on one of the phohunt outings but wasn't impressed by the place. Maybe it was an off day but the broth was thin and the noodles lacking in luster. I'll have to go back to try it out again. Coz it sure sounds as tho we were eating at two different places!
Glad you liked Pho Chu The - it's been my favourite pho joint on Vic street for years.
The skinny jeans thing is perturbing though - I have never come across the cool kids there before...
you had me at "the best pho"....i am addicted to this! Love that it comes in 2mins...love the herbs & bean sprouts to accompany + that they focus on what they do best pho & spring rolls! Dayle
My friend kate took me here a few weeks ago! I've never had pho, and was blown away by how delicious the chicken pho was. I loved the way you could tweak it yourself.
Also, we had some of the fantastic spring rolls too. The pork ones were melt-in-the-mouth.
Their store in Footscray is even better.
I personally love Pho Hung Vong 2 @ 150 Vic St. I am a big lover of Pho and tried quite a few over the years. When my bf took me to hung vong2 (he is chinese viet) I was SOLD! esp their rare beef pho, the broth is one of the best I have tried. Please give it a try if you happen to be around there again. :)
(same as pho chu the they only sell pho, broken rice and spring rolls only)
one of my favorite as well! don't know why some people still prefer mekong in the city to chu the.
That looks good..sadly I can't eat this :( BUT I'll pss on the good news :)
What a bargain! It also looks fantastic. I would eat here all the time if I lived nearby
It's my favourite pho place! They're opening up another restaurant about 3 doors down from the current one as they want a bigger kitchen.
The Vietnamese restaurants on Victoria St (or anywhere else for that matter) aren't as good as the Footscray ones. I'd recommend you check em out if you haven't yet.. at least before declaring "the best" one.
wow, it looks so delicious!
I agree - Chu The do, indeed, serve the best pho. Well, the one in Footscray anyway (though I'm sure Richmond's one is just as impressive!)
I go here every weekend without fail - it seriously is the best! Try the shredded chicken :)
There's a new Pho joint on Lygon st- Saigon Pho 106 Lygon St Carlton. To all the Pho lovers out there, come try pho at Saigon Pho and see if you have tried the best.
I'd recommend for you to try Hung Vuong 2 on Victoria St, just a block or so from Chu The.
Thanks for your comments and suggestions re: other pho joints, lovely people! Will do my best to check them all out.
Oh, and to Anonymous #2 who suggested I check out Footscray restaurants before declaring "the best" one, perhaps you didn't notice that I deliberately narrowed the scope of my inquiry to the best pho on Victoria Street! :p
Pho Chu The is contender for best Pho in Melbourne IMO!
The only place I have been to that's better is Thanh Thanh (towards abbotsford on same side). That place is soooo damned good!
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