SIN: Pho Hoa {CLOSED}

How adventurous are you when it comes to 'pho'?

UPDATE (27/11/2018): The restaurant has closed down.

I rarely eat Vietnamese food throughout my 20+ years of life. I guess I can count with my fingers the number of times I've indulged in Vietnamese cuisine, and the fact that I've never been to Vietnam before makes me kinda oblivious to its charm and variety. Upon a recommendation from a friend, I managed to discover a bit more by visiting Pho Hoa in Suntec City Mall.

Assorted Rolls S$9.25

Taste: 8/10

The appetiser consists of fresh summer rolls, fried spring rolls and fried netted scallop rolls. As I tried all of them the other day, I enjoyed the summer rolls more than the scallop ones, which in turn were more delectable than the other fried variety. The former had shrimps, chicken, rice vermicelli and vegetables, each bound with an enjoyably chewy rice wrap. The sweet and sour dipping sauce matched the summer rolls best. The chewy scallops had light and crispy nets around them, while the fried spring rolls were filled with minced chicken and vegetables.

Deep-Fried Mini Potato Pancakes S$4.50

Taste: 8/10

Another appetiser I tried was the mini potato pancakes which weren't greasy. Served piping hot, they were crispy on the outside, but moist on the inside. The orange-coloured dipping sauce had a nice sweet and sour balance, and it was adequately thick.

The Adventurer's Choice Pho (Large) S$17.95

Taste: 8/10

A quintessential Vietnamese beef noodle soup, the one served wasn't as adventurous as one might think since it didn't include any internal organs at all, but rather a medley of beef steak, brisket, flank, tendon, tripe and meatballs. The soup was mildly sweet and no doubt hearty, although it wasn't as robust as I thought it'd be. Served on the side were beansprouts, basil leaves, lime and chili. Pika's advice: Note that the beansprouts had a very intense raw taste. I couldn't really take them even after immersing them into the hot soup.

Grilled Chicken and Egg Cake Rice Plate S$15.95

Taste: 7.5/10

The grilled chicken which was brushed with nice sweet sauce was pretty tender, but not particularly succulent. It went well with the chili oil which wasn't hair-pulling spicy. The steamed egg cake which was primarily made of ground pork (and eggs, of course) was moist. The same sweet and sour sauce that came with the assorted rolls was also given, although I felt that it didn't really match this particular rice dish.

Coconut Flan with Caramel S$3.95

Taste: 6/10

It seems that I rarely have luck when it comes to flan. The one that I had that day was adequately smooth, but it actually lacked the coconut taste the name promised. Furthermore, the caramel lacked the heady aroma it was supposed to have, even though it wasn't cloyingly sweet.

Three Coloured Drink S$4.95

Taste: 6.5/10

If you count white as a colour, it'd be a drink with four colours: white coconut milk, green jelly strips, red beans and yellow mung beans having their skins removed. The drink wasn't excessively sweet, but neither was the coconut milk rich enough to make me crave for more.

Vietnamese Drip Coffee with Milk and Ice S$5.50

Taste: 8.5/10

The dark roasted coffee almost reached the full-bodied quality with its strong aroma and level of bitterness. Added with a bit of not-so-sweet condensed milk, it became creamy enough without having its aroma zapped out. I was also glad that the ice cubes were provided separately in another glass. I only used a quarter of the amount given.

Melon's Rating

Taste: 7.5/10

Ambience: 7/10

Service: 8/10

Overall: 7.5/10

Service was a tad slow, especially when I had to wait for 10 minutes for the rice dish to come after the pho was served. However, the Vietnamese server was really friendly and never failed to smile when he came to the table.

Pho Hoa

3 Temasek Boulevard
#03-27 Suntec City Mall
Singapore
(Daily: 11.00am - 10.00pm)

*Prices quoted are subject to 10% service charge and 7% GST.

Have a nice meal,

Cliff(y)