Pho Stop (Closed)

Tanjong Pagar Road may be known as Little Korea for its multitude of Korean eateries, but there's the occasional oddball that bucks the pattern. Pho Stop, a sensible little outfit sandwiched between 2 Korean barbecue eateries, churns out notable Vietnamese cuisine for those not keen on bulgogi or kimchi. Which was exactly what we were thankful for when we found ourselves stuck in the area without a brolly in the middle of a thunderstorm.We'd thought a steaming hot bowl of soupy noodles would hit the comfort button in rainy weather, so we walked in even though Pho Stop's clean, modern aesthetic didn't quite inspire confidence for authenticity. Turned out the food was great. Not as great as Long Phung, the undisputed best Vietnamese restaurant in sg imho, but great for its centralised location, less brusque service, less shabby ambience and wallet-friendly price points. The Cha Gio ($5.50) a cornucopia of minced root vegetables and pork mince, was a lot more meaty than I'd expected. Most Vietnamese spring rolls are 80% vegetables 20% meat, but this was the other way round. Perfectly decent but I prefer Long Phung's more authentic, vegetable-heavy version. The Pho Ga ($8.50), Hanoi-styled chicken noodles, was flush with shredded chicken, and while the broth was delicate, it was flavourful.The Pho Bo Tai Va Bo Vien ($9), a sumptuous beef noodles with fatty slices of beef and juicy beef balls, and an additional order of Poached Egg ($1), was full-bodied without being cloyingly saccharine. Pho Stop72 Tanjong Pagar RoadTel: 6534 8178Open Mondays & Tuesdays from 11.30am to 10pm;Wednesdays & Thursdays from 11.30am to 12midnight;Fridays & Saturdays from 11.30am to 2am;Closed on Sundays http://www.phostop.sg/ continue reading

Well, a bunch of us arrived at Pho Street recently to try out their revamped menu. The eatery seems be well contained in a humble space and setting. We also met Chef Hà Vị Cang Kenny, who brings with him more than a decade of experience in Vietnamese cuisine, aiming to whet appetites with the vibrant flavours of authentic Vietnamese dishes. The quiet chef can also speak some Chinese, but he was too shy to do so! So cute! lol.Anyway, getting back to business... who is up pho (fuh) some good pho? lol. Pho Street is a quick service restaurant which serves authentic Vietnamese street food to people from all walks of life as represented by the street. Knowing that there is a lack of good authentic Vietnamese food in Singapore, Pho Street aims to reignite the Vietnamese food culture in Singapore with an emphasis on the vibrancy of Vietnamese cuisine. Details Area: Bedok (Bedok Mall) / Jurong (WestGate)Country: SingaporePrice: $Good For: Small Groups / Friends / Solo / FamilyAccessibility: Approx. 2 minutes walk from both Bedok and Jurong East MRT Station (for either branches)Let's Eat!Both Bedok and Westgate outlets has launched a brand new revamped menu since 2 June 2015, which I will be touching on here.Lemon Cooler with Peppermint & Basil, Passionfruit & Basil Mojito ($3.50 each)These thirst quenching, refreshing drinks had set the tone right for our tasting session.Cheers! Was glad to have met a few foodies, who have become friends along the way. We enjoy food, we talk about food, we blog about food. That's why food becomes such a passion for us, an enjoyment, rather than just sustenance. We need to feed our souls too, alright? So cheers to friendship, and continue to join us on this journey!Pho Beef Combination ($9.90)Not being a very pho person, I honestly enjoyed this dish. Its broth is light and flavourful, and contains beef slices, beef balls, shank, tendon and tripe. The ingredients were well cooked as well, and absorbed the lovely flavour of the broth. Remember to squeeze some lime into it for an added zing.Dry Rice Vermicelli with Roasted Pork Chop & Spring Roll ($8.90)Another signature noodle dish from Vietnam not often found in Singapore is the Dry Rice Vermicelli. This noodle is served with a crunchy mix of vegetables, pickled carrots and radish as well as an appetising sweet sour sauce. Another dish I enjoyed too, my little gripe is of the slightly harder-to-chew-on pork chop.Roasted Pork Chop with Fragrant Rice ($7.90)This wasn't one of my favourites here as the pork chop tasted the same as the one in the dry vermicelli. The sauce cooked with the pork chop was good though, and I ate it with rice, and that's how I pretty much enjoyed it. What to do, I'm such a sucker for rice!Banh Mi Combination ($6.90)Enjoy not 1, not 2, but 3 types of meats in this Banh Mi Combination, which is a sandwich stuffed with Pork Belly, Grilled Beef and Chicken Ham. Yes, you can also have either of the meats in a whole sandwich, but why not all three! It is also stuffed with pickled carrot & radish, cucumber, chilli and fresh cilantro,My favourite was the pork belly one. Oh so sinful, but oh so nice. No time to sit down and eat? Takeaway! Easy for those who are constantly on-the-go.Vietnamese Snack Platter ($8.90)This comes with 2 crispy fried pork rolls, roasted chicken skewers and 2 crabcakes. A great starter to your meal! Remember to dip in the sweet chilli sauce provided.Fresh Summer Rolls with Prawn, Pork Belly, Fresh Herbs ($4.90)This is an interesting mix - prawn and sliced pork belly! Did I hear a resounding yes? With the prawn and pork belly peeking out at you from the delicate, almost transparent rice paper, we almost could not wait to get started on this. The rice paper (the skin) was directly imported from Vietnam, so here's another cheers to authentic taste! Remember to eat with the sauce that comes with it too!Crispy Fried Chicken Mid-wings ($4.90)So crispy and juicy. Who can hate on chicken wings? Seriously. Dip it into its winning caramelised sweet dip and you're ready to fly from all its goodness!Sesame Rice Crackers with Fragrant Minced Meat and Spices Dip ($6.90)This is another ingredient which is imported from Vietnam. Sesame rice crackers! This is pretty unique to Pho Street as you'd hardly find another Vietnamese restaurant with this type of cracker. Remember, eat together with the minced meat. The meat is so fragrant and addictive, we almost asked for seconds! You'll not regret it if you order this.Cream of Mung Bean with Coconut Sauce and Crushed Peanuts ($3.50)This was a great finale to the entire tasting session. The drink had a lovely sweetness to it, due to the mung bean mixed with coconut. The salty peanuts on top also created a awesome texture to this dessert.Go on, sip it all in.This was an invited media tasting session. continue reading

Since the last time I went wandering around Chinatown, Pho Stop has been on my mind because of a dessert I found on the menu... this was the page I saw, and at the top of the list in the Desserts section it reads: Warm Banana Cake with Coconut Ice Cream. The word Coconut magnified a thousand times in my mind. I have a soft spot for coconut-flavoured desserts, anything coconut milk/ice-cream/pastries can change the magnetic force fields around said dessert and me and I will be drawn to it by gravity. /I-exaggerateThere's an alfresco seating for those who needs their cigarettes while chomping, but for the rest of the lung-loving diners you can be seated inside. I love the colourful chopsticks meant to pick up the Vietnamese spring rolls or pho noodles.I really liked the simple design and more so, Pho Stop's playlist. Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien was playing when I entered, and I immediately fell in love with this space. There's this old-school charm to it and really quiet and almost empty on a weekday afternoon. I wonder why, this place is so lovely to be in.Warm Banana Cake with Coconut Ice Cream - $5.50++I was curious how the presentation of this dessert would be like, and they deconstructed my imagination - I thought the chocolate would be drizzled all over the cake and the dollop of ice-cream heaped over the cake as well. But no, kept separated they were, but all the better as it was time to play with food!Did I mention the dessert was served on a warm plate? I love the thoughtfulness of places that actually chill/warm the platter according to the dessert served. It just feels much more complete with that amount of attention to detail. The chocolate sauce was really rich and tasted like quality Cadbury melted chocolate!The banana wasn't mixed in the cake dough, but instead it is layered between cake and tasted a little like goreng pisang (fried banana fritters). Kind of weird because I was expecting a more English sort of banana cake but I forgot this is a Vietnamese cafe. Well, it was interesting to have though! Coconut ice-cream is good. Really my little bowl of heaven that will never be enough; not till I become a cloud of coconut ice-cream myself. I love this dessert a lot! I might drop by for the mains next time, but it's a little on the pricey side - that might refrain me. For more food adventures, follow me at http://spherepiece.blogspot.sg/ continue reading

A stop for Vietnamese cuisine, which would otherwise be quite hidden if not for the loyal crowd from the working adults around the area at Tanjong Pagar. Pho Stop, as the name suggests, specializes in Pho (pronounced as ‘fuh‘). Pho, a Vietnamese Rice Noodle Soup, is commonly seen served with beef and chicken. In this establishment, about three-quarter of its mains are served with the former. I am not one who frequents Vietnamese Restaurants, but I find this decent, though not to scream for.It’s challenging to get seats for lunch on a weekday, also thanks to their limited seating space (it can probably only house less than 50 diners at one go). I was there for a weekday dinner, much much better. Quiet, serene, and relatively secluded. And it gives me more time to look around and have fun with their colorful chopsticks.Vietnamese Drip Coffee (White) ($3.50++): I was intrigued by it being a Drip Coffee. It was my maiden Drip Coffee. Not only is its mechanics (or the lack thereof) interesting to look at, it is meant to taste better as well. As water seeps through the roasted, ground coffee bean in a filter, it absorbs its oils and essences, making it more flavorful. Give it 3 – 5 minutes and you’re good to go indulge in it. One of the best coffees I’ve had.Fish Cakes ($6.60++): We were contemplating whether to have the Fries or the Fish Cakes for starters, and decided on the latter in hope to taste something more unique. However, it was a pure let down. There was nothing special about it, and whatever its marination and flavor were meant to exude, failed. Plus, it’s pricey. If given another chance, I’d rather try their Fries.Dry Noodles with Pork Chop ($9.20++): It was nothing spectacular, nothing poor. I like that the noodles were soft but quantifiable. The pork chop, however, was forgettable.In a nutshell, Pho Stop is a restaurant I wouldn’t fiercely recommend, but if I’m in the area and lost for places to eat, I wouldn’t mind stepping in again. continue reading

Ice Cream Banana Cake - It was a special dessert because in Singapore we don't have a small bottle containing ice cream in it and we have a hard time making the ice cream out. Grilled Pork rice with a lovely egg - I ate that it was really nice. As the pork was well cooked but i don't really know how to eat with the sauce through.My mum ate the vegetarian popiah bee hoon. My mum say it was a bit weird maybe because she haven't ate vietnam dish before. My boyfriend ate the grilled chicken bee hoon. It was too little for him as he was a big eater but overall i think is nice.The coffee was not as bitter.Cover page of Menu.Old style. continue reading