Pho has been serving Vietnamese food in Britain since 2005. This branch is in Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, a short distance from the city’s Historic Dockyard and the Spinnaker Tower. As a result, it’s the ideal place to unwind after a day taking in the city’s famed naval history, also acting as the perfect break during a day’s shopping.
Starters include summer rolls, chicken wings, baby squid, stir fried morning glory and pork and lemongrass meatballs. These dishes can also be ordered as sides alongside a main. You’ll also find Vietnamese pancakes (available with This Isn’t Chicken) and a range of salads, including green papaya salad and mango salad. By offering such a breadth of Vietnamese and south east Asian cuisine, Pho makes for a great place for these new to dishes from this part of the world, while still offering enough variation to cater for seasoned pros.
Pho, unsurprisingly, accounts for most of the main course options. Each bowl of the rice noodle soup is accompanied by a side plate of fresh herbs, designed to be added as you see fit. The traditional thinly sliced steak, beef brisket, tofu and chicken are all available, as are house specials like crab noodle soup and super green (morning glory, green beans, pak choi, fresh lime and Thai basil in a veggie broth).
Away from pho, there’s curries and wok fried dishes. All curries are topped with peanuts and served with a choice of cauliflower or broken rice. The line up proteins largely mirrors what’s available to have with a pho; the same can be said for the wok dishes.
Over a quarter of the menu at Pho is vegan. It also serves a range of fresh juices, such as apple, mint and line; spinach, cucumber, pear and lemon; orange, carrot and ginger.