pho hien vuong pasteur, footscray

I rarely make my way to any suburbs that aren't a reasonable walk or a short tram ride away, but late last year I've had to run a couple of errands in Footscray.

When I knew I had to make the trip to Footscray, the first thing that came to mind was that I wanted Vietnamese food for lunch. Of course.

The choices abound. We ended up at Pho Hien Vuong Pasteur (144 Hopkins St, Footscray).

In the beverage section, the custard apple juice immediately caught my eye. It was icy, sweet, and the distinct deliciousness of custard apple shone through. I liked it.

Custard apple juice ($3.50).
I had already decided that I would have pho. They come in three sizes here: $8 for small, $9 for medium, and $10 for large. The small one was just right for me.

Funnily enough, Simon and I saw that the menu had both "Special Beef & Chicken", and "Chicken & Beef Combination". Naturally, we thought we would order one of each, to assess the difference. The woman taking our order looked at us like we were crazy. "They're the same thing." Oh. Alright then.

Special combination chicken and beef pho (the small serving, $8).
Anyhow, it was pretty great. The broth had a lovely spiced warmth and complexity, with a depth of flavour that goes beyond mere MSG (though I'm sure that was included, too). The noodles were super smooth and slippery. The meat and offal were tasty, and the trimmings (beansprouts, basil, chilli) were fresh.

The combination pho with all the trimmings.
I'll have to pop by Footscray again for another errand soon. It's tempting to return to Hien Vuong for more pho, but if you've got any other suggestions, do leave a comment!