Thankfully for anyone based south of the river, Pho’s latest opening on Battersea Rise is a piece of cake to get to, and you won’t be disappointed when you arrive. The cocktail menu alone is worth a trip, with creations to match all taste-buds. We tried (and loved) the Lemon and Basil Martini — a house special made using actual Vietnamese spirits.
The food was equally as good. We opted to start with a Vietnamese rice crepe with chicken and prawns, and lemongrass pork balls with chilli sauce. For main we couldn’t not have the signature dish, Pho. Ordering can be confusing with 15 combinations of stocks, meats and vegetables to choose from, but our waitress pointed us the right way. The best bit about pho is the customisation element — we added extra veg, chilli sauce, and some fresh lime, but you can have all of that and more if you’re game. Don’t be scared of the hot and spicy soups either, they’re not too spicy and the portions were huge so you won’t leave hungry…
Even if you do struggle with the chilli, the basil and strawberry ice cream will cool you right down.
Everything we ate was freshly prepared, delicious, and came within five minutes of ordering, so if you’re after a fast dinner then you can’t go much wrong with Pho. We’d definitely recommend taking a glass of water before bed though, the Vietnamese alcohol really packs a punch.
50-52 Battersea Rise, SW11 1EG
www.phocafe.co.uk