Pho PHD, Marrickville

There aren’t many pho places that I truly enjoy in Sydney – I can think of a handful: Pho An, the famous one in Bankstown that starting taking orders electronically before the iPad even came out and funnily enough, with a similar name, Pho Ann in Cabramatta. Pho PHD is a definite inclusion in this list.

There are two Pho PHDs in Marrickville – one on Illawarra Road and one on Marrickville Road. I’ve only ever been to the Illawarra Road one so I can only speak about the pho there.

The pho is consistently delicious. I’ve been once a quarter the last year though a good friend of mine tells me she used to go once a week. The key is the broth. You can smell it as soon as you step into the restaurant. There is an alluring depth of flavour – you can really taste and smell the star anise, the cloves, the onion, the ginger. This is the reason why I would never even attempt to cook pho at home – it is just too complex for simple cooks like myself.

The ‘pho dac biet’ which is the special combination beef pho has beef slices, tripe, brisket and beef balls (meatballs, not literally balls) costs $12 for a regular, $15 for the large. This is the go-to pho if you’ve never had it before assuming you can eat tripe and brisket. If you can’t or are a bit hesitant about different cuts of beef, I recommend the ‘pho tai’ which is a lighter dish. The regular bowl was more than enough for me and at $12 a pop, it really is decent value, especially with the quantum of noodles and meat they put in it. And don’t forget the bean sprouts and herbs which you should definitely throw in. Yum.

Details: 308 Illawarra Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204