pho stop, tanjong pagar.
i'll start off by saying that i really like this place. this is, in fact, my third visit, and i brought my sister along.
the first time i went, i became completely enamoured with their take on vietnamese chicken salad ($7). crunchy cabbage slaw combined with shredded chicken, topped with crispy golden fried shallots, peanuts and pickled bombay onions. the dressing was tangy and appetizing. since then, i've never failed to order this (picture was taken on my first visit).
for my main, i had my usual order of grilled chicken chop bún ($9.30) while my sister had the deep fried spring rolls bún ($8.50). i always want to try something else, but i remember how good the grilled chicken is... and so i end up getting the same thing. good that i went with my sister then- i got to try the spring rolls. i expected the spring rolls to be vegetarian for some reason, though the menu did not say so; and so i was pleasantly surprised to bite into a juicy, meaty roll that was almost reminiscent of a dumpling. it came piping hot with a crackly wrapper- of course i liked it.
i've never liked bún before trying their version, as i've always found the dressing disturbingly sweet. the fish sauce that came with this bún had no trace of saccharine sweetness at all, and went really well with the vermicelli and vegetables. not sure how an authentic bún is supposed to be, but who cares, i like this. the grilled chicken was as good as the first time i had it, with a charred exterior and tender meat, though it leans towards the salty side. plus, portion is definitely not stingy, especially the chicken.
service was efficient- we were served in about ten minutes despite the place being packed and it being lunch hour. also, i asked for my grilled chicken bún to have more veggies and less noodles, and the guy taking my order was very good about it. in fact, when i was placing my sister's order, he even took the initiative to ask if i wanted that order to be normal or the same as mine, which was a nice touch.
one of my favorite places for vietnamese. i wish i work in the cbd at times like this- so many good places to eat at!
pho stop
72+74 tanjong pagar road
