The 7 best pho in Sydney

When it comes to comfort food, there’s nothing quite as warming as a steaming bowl of pho. The Vietnamese soup is a national addiction.. It’s hearty and healing, and chefs have their own way of whipping it up. While the core cooking technique stays the same – extracting the natural flavours of the meat and vegetables – there are regional differences between northern and southern Vietnam, so your bowl may be salty, spicy or sweet.

We’ve rounded up the best pho in Sydney, so you can find your favourite.

An Restaurant

This foodie favourite is all about the Northern-style pho. The broth is brewed for ten hours with ginger, star anise, cardamom, and cloves, it’s deliciously fragrant and slightly spicy. The pho menu is extensive and to turn up the heat, dip your meat into a mixture of chilli and hoison sauce before dunking it in your soup.

27 Greenfield Parade, Bankstown

So 9

To tuck into a heart-warming bowl of pho in a chic setting, head to So 9 in Waterloo. The restaurant offers a comforting beef and chicken pho, as well as bun suong, a rather rare noodle soup loaded with pork and shrimp sausage. To round out your meal, try a crunchy banh mi and the lemongrass beef rice paper rolls.

CASBA, 1/18 Danks Street, Waterloo

Mama’s Buoi

At Bao Hoang’s eateries everything is inspired by his childhood – from the communal tables to the pho, which is simmered for seven hours every day. The ingredients are incredibly fresh, so for a nourishing nutrient hit, go for the Fragrant Veggie Pho with noodles and a vegetarian broth. Otherwise, the chicken and beef pho are just as good.

Surry Hills, Crows Nest and Forest Lodge

Huang Xua

Huang Xua is known for two things: its signature spring rolls, and for having Australia’s biggest pho bowl, which weighs in at 1.5 kilograms. It’s made up of equal parts noodles and beef, plus a litre of soup. The pho is cooked Northern-style. Opt for the beef: lightly stir-fried with fish sauce and garlic, it’s a tastebud sensation.

219 Canley Vale Road, Canley Heights

Great Aunty Three

The menu here is classic and fresh, featuring rice paper rolls, banh mi, and 12-hour roast pork. Then there’s the pho. Chef Michael Le uses a recipe passed down by his grandmother, and it’s authentic and aromatic thanks to basil and star anise. Along with the usual beef and chicken bowls, the eatery serves up vegan pho topped with soy chicken or soy prawns.

Enmore and Surry Hills

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Pho Tau Bay

This tiny, no-frills noodle house has been catering to pho connoisseurs since 1980. The bowls arrive steaming, and coated with chef Thi Nhu Pham’s perfectly balanced broth that’s not too sweet, salty or spicy. If you’re in the mood for meat, get the bestselling pho dac biet, or the aromatic pho ga. Both arrive with a slew of condiments on the side.

12/117 John Street, Cabramatta

PHD & Pho PHD

When a restaurant has two venues within walking distance, you know it has to be good. The demand is there for a reason: the owners dish up a delicious Southern-style pho, which is sweeter than that of other regions. Flavoured with onions, ginger, fried garlic and cracked pepper, it comes with your choice of medium rare beef, brisket, chicken, seafood or bean curd.

PHD – 308 Illawarra Road, Marrickville

Pho PHD – 260 Marrickville Road, Marrickville