Nha Hang Pho Cafe 33 - Hello My Friend!

11 Darra Station Rd, Darra, Brisbane, Australia (07) 3375 7177

By GF Jones

Perhaps the one of the best hidden restaurants around, one could be forgiven for driving straight past. Nestled in the Bac Thien Market, a warehouse containing a fresh fruit and veg market, a butcher, an Asian supermarket, a clothing store, and a restaurant under a sign reading Thanh Van. On my first visit I was utterly confused, and certainly not sure I had sat down at the restaurant I was looking for. Certainly, it looked and smelled like they served good pho here, so I was happy to try it.

'Hello my Friend'! The guy at front of house rushes around frantically, despite being later in the afternoon and not so busy, loudly giving orders to staff, and calling 'hello my friend!', 'thankyou my friend'!, and 'my friend, see you next week'! to all the customers. We order rice paper rolls and pho.

The rice paper rolls are massive, they're the size of a thick sausage roll, they're fresh and delicious. Be warned though, eat a whole one and I ensure difficulty in finishing a bowl of pho.

The pho comes and it is delicious, certainly one of the best bowls in Australia. It's thick and it's astonishingly rich. There is more beef and noodles crammed into the bowl than even in my wildest pho dreams. If you even think about dinner after having lunch pho at Cafe 33, I applaud your eating ability and am in awe of your capacity. There is a serving of fruit to eat after the meal, and rather than being rushed out in the usual manner to clear the table, another flask of tea is placed on the table. Just as well, as I'm pleasantly away with the pho glow.

Verdict - Thankyou my friend, see you next week!