Mr Ho’s by Yum Yum Foods

Disclaimer - The restaurant in question and this review are entirely a work of fiction. They are excerpts from my novel called The Curse of Gluttony , an inter-generational battle between the old and new world of restaurant critics.

We visited Uncle Ho’s last week and it was pan-French Vietnamese at its very best. The vibrancy of these delta dishes seems to sum up the historic battle for survival of the Vietnamese boat people. 

We were greeted at the door with a Xin Chao by our hostess, wearing the most glamorous long silk tunic, with pants. It’s called an Áo Dái. Friends on the internet, where can we get them? We need them in our lives.                                                                                                

The banging Bhán Mi was such a cute sensation of flavours. The colonial French bread was sublime filled with meat, pickled carrots, sriracha sauce. It comes with a fried egg on top because everything in life is improved by an egg.

We were transported to the streets of Saigon, down by the river.

Of course, the emblematic dish of Vietnam is Phố. Now it’s important to know how to pronounce Phố, the correct way is ‘Fuh.’ This bowl of aromatic beef broth, noodles and vegetables is a dish that cleanses your soul. The stock bubbles away for endless hours. Elevated by coriander, mint and lemon grass.

If it is good enough for Bourdain and Obama, then its good enough for us. Thankfully no tiny plastic chairs though.

A bowl of lush tiger prawns rests on oodles and oodles of noodles. Nice and slurpy, boat noodles with a spicy sauce on the side.

We have turmeric fried fish, kissed with warmth, crunchy peanuts and tangy pickles that explode in your mouth.

A sublime green mango salad, served with fluffy pork floss, sprinkled with spring onions and chilli flakes. Flavours that just chime with goodness. Almost obscenely healthy.

Communal bench seating and buckets of ice-cold Tiger beer makes this a very happy setting.

A neon sign on the wall quotes a famous Vietnamese proverb. ‘When eating fruit, remember who planted the tree.’ Wise words for this troubled world that we live in.

So, the verdict is Phố sure, you will love Mr Ho’s.

Much Love,

Poppy & Daisy

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