Searching for the best phố in Melbourne

It’s not something people talk about a lot but whenever I bring up phố there is enormous interest about where to eat it. People are always interested in the best places to eat in Victoria Street Richmond. When they hear I have a list of the best local phố restaurants from a phố expert in Sydney their notebooks and PDAs come out as they copy out the list.

I discovered the “I Love Phố” exhibition that was held in Liverpool in NSW through Noodlepie, a blog with a distinctly Vietnamese slant. Cuong Phu Le, curator of “I Love Phố” was hoping to take his exhibition that covered poetry, art, installations, recipes and the food itself national and international (If Matt Preston is reading you should bring it down for the food festival). A 64 page booklet was produced which really is an amazing homage to the noodle soup.
The only thing missing is a podcast (I may just put one together) on how to pronounce phố.
About a year ago I was about to fly out to Hanoi and I was filled-in on the minute detail of hoe to pronounce what I was told is “feu”. My language was hi-jacked by f**dies who thought they knew how to pronounce it but didn’t.
I successfully ordered my first phố in Vietnam, in a small hotel in the old town, only acheived by simply ticking a box on a slip. I sat with my back to the window and didn’t see the kitchen hand negotiate the early morning traffic of thousands of mopeds and bicycles with a tray of the soup. I was eating street food and a love affaird with it started. I dumped my guidebook realising that the best food was on the street.All I had to do was follow the crowds of locals and the best food in Hanoi would be mine. Of course, it wasn’t that simple. Try ordering “pho” or “feu” and you aren’t going to come away with much as I discovered phố isn’t pronounced that way.

Anyway, it is a little easier to order the soup in Melbourne and for the record these are the places I was recomended. Is there any restaurant missing from the list?

Pho Dzung Tan Dinh
208 Victoria St
Richmond 3121 VIC
Phone: (03) 9427 0292
Pho Dzung City Noodle Shop
234 Russell Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone (03) 9663 8885
Pho Bang Restaurant
71 Alfrieda St
St Albans VIC 3021
Phone (03) 9356 0930
Pho Bo Ga Mekong Vietnam
241 Swanston Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone (03) 9663 3288
The Pho Chu
69 Main Rd West
St Albans VIC 3021
Phone (03) 9356 0188

The Pho Chu
92 Hopkins St Footscray 3011
(03) 9687 8265