Michelin-Recognised Pho Le Opens on Elizabeth Street
In the last few years, the number of international food chains in Melbourne has grown rapidly, as international residents seek a taste of home and well-travelled locals look to revisit what they’ve encountered overseas. Indonesian padang restaurant Sederhana recently opened on Queen Street, 76-year-old Hanoi institution Pho Gia Truyen landed on Lonsdale Street, and Singaporean Hainanese chicken rice chain Wee Nam Kee is about to launch.
Ho Chi Minh-based Pho Le is the latest to join the ranks, introduced by franchise owner The Dao in July and drawing on more than 50 years of history in Vietnam as a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand-awarded restaurant.
“They started with a small trolley that became very popular and famous since that time,” Dao says. “Pho Le is one of the authentic flavours from our culture.”
The focus is, unsurprisingly, pho. It’s served in ceramic bowls imported from Bát Tràng Ceramic Village in Hanoi, which has more than 700 years of pottery-making history.
The beef broth is simmered for eight to 10 hours with aromatics including cinnamon, star anise, cardamom and ginger, making for a richer, sweeter version than the pho served in northern Vietnam, then served with your choice of five types of beef: rare, brisket, fatty brisket, tendon or meatballs.
You can choose a single type of or any mix of the five, plus a medium or large bowl of broth. Otherwise, the menu is fairly short, with shrimp and pork spring rolls and rice paper rolls rounding things out.
At the original restaurant, the thick, chewy rice noodles are sourced locally. Here, they’re from Australia but selected to be as close as possible to those used in Vietnam, while the broth is made fresh each day.
“The best flavour of the soup comes from a daily cook,” Dao says.
There’s no liquor licence, but Vietnamese coffee is available in iced and salted variations, alongside honey gold lemon tea.
Dao plans to introduce a broader range of dishes down the track, but given how popular the chain venue has already been, he’s keeping things simple for now to keep up with demand.
Pho Le
(03) 9588 9999
Hours
Daily 10am to 8pm
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