304 Illarwarra Rd, Marrickville, Sydney, Australia. (02) 9559 5078
By GF Jones
With the bliss of my first sips of a fine champagne, blossoming into the tipsy headiness under the stars of a warm spring evening, I recall my first trip to Pho Bac Hai Duong. It was as though I had discovered myself, and the greater world beyond, with one spicy bowl of beef broth. The flavour caressed my entire self, and lulled me to my first pho glow, the peaceful relaxed state which only a truly great pho can bring. Everything is good, the petty worries of life massaged from ones entire being, as I sat slumped, watching the fish with lidded eyes, gliding through the water of the counter top tank. Not long after, I moved to a house only one block from this most heavenly place on earth, and never had I cooked so little, nor been so happy.
There is love in that room, a small, simply decorated restaurant, you feel it as you step through the door and smell the star anise. You have been welcomed as family by the bouquet of Sydney's finest pho; sit and enjoy a tea before ordering. After a mumbled communication, you are soon served a plate of cleansing bean sprouts, Thai basil, fresh chilli and lemon. Next, the steamy hot pho, rare beef cooking as you watch and draw deeply on its fragrance. First, taste the broth, the backbone of any pho, at Pho Bac it is rich, sweet, complex and beefy, the extraordinary flavour brings with it a sliver of excitement. You are sharing the secrets of a families' treasured recipe. Stir the broth and squeeze the lemon, dropping the remainder in the bowl for a rich sourness to cook through. Taste again and add fresh chilli, Thai Basil and bean sprouts to complete. Sriracha and chilli seed in oil are on offer as in any decent pho establishment, but I prefer not to adulterate pho of this purity. Save it for pho which needs saving.
Servings of beef are generous and of good quality, the noodles are slick and silken in texture. Various additions such as onion, shallots or coriander vary from one visit to the next. As does the flavour of the broth, whilst never exactly the same, it always has the signature Pho Bac rich sweetness. Whilst sometimes it may drop from outstanding to merely excellent, you will never leave disappointed.
Verdict - Dine with a thin person, they will often leave pho for you to clean up. Oh heavenly bliss, is this the pinnacle of life?
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