We were craving some Vietnamese food and whilst in the city we remembered twenty pho seven. However, when we got there, it has now changed to Straight Outta Saigon and is no longer 24hours BUT they were the same owners AND the menu has tweaked a bit. We thought to ourselves, well why not check it out and luckily we got a table immediately on a school night.
To start off the night we got the soft shell crab baos and the deep fried chicken banh mi sliders. The bao had a kick to it with the the kimchi chili mayo and the soft shell crab were super oily. The bao itself was soft and sweet which is a PLUS! The banh mi sliders were quite small and the chicken was so damn good – juicy, succulent and not dry at all.
Soft Shell Crab Bao (2pc) – $15
Served with coriander , cucumber and topped with kimchi chili mayo
Saigon Banh Mi Sliders (2pc) $14
Signature deep fried chicken served with pickled carrots, daikon, cucumber, coriander & siracha mayo
We got the beef and beef brisket pho to share and the soup was light, aromatic and seasoned very well. For $16, it was quite small which was disappointing.
Beef and Beef Brisket Pho – $16
Finally we got the crispy pork belly apple slaw with nuoc mam on the side. The pork belly was super crispy but a touch on the dry side and the apple slaw was crunchy and very refreshing.
Crispy Pork Belly Apple Slaw – $22
The service here was awesome with very attentive and friendly staff that will come over and make sure everything is okay and a very casual vibe where you can catch up with friends or bring your date for a date night. The pho was awesome sauce and the banh mi sliders are a recommended dish. However, it is a touch more expensive than the usual Vietnamese eateries around but hey, if you want cocktails and a nice ambiance, you gotta pay for it in Melbourne.
Verdict: 🍷🍷🍷
Food: 🍷🍷🍷
Service: 🍷🍷🍷🍷
Value: 🍷🍷🍷
138 Russell St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 9654 2024
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