To whomever it was that recommended this place: good call! This was a pleasant surprise (49 Circular Road, 6536-1847). They pretty much did at least the bare minimum - if not more - of what I would expect from a Vietnamese place, including the big bowls for the pho and the lime juice made from scratch, complete with a long spoon to stir up the grains of sugar (none of that pre-made crap...next time I should see if they can use soda water too). The broth was light and piping hot, and it all came out super speedy like it should. They're also open until midnight on Friday and Saturday, which makes it a convenient post-Boat Quay drinking snack, assuming you're not out too late. Nice one.
No, it wasn't all perfect. The selection of beef cuts for the pho were a bit limited, and oddly they neglected to bring me bean sprouts and such too until I asked for them. But this place was indeed better than most of the other selections around town, and has pretty much leapt to the head of my list of Vietnamese spots in Singapore. Then again, I've been eating so much Vietnamese lately that admittedly I'm getting a bit sick of it (I guess there really is quite a selection of Vietnamese food around here - and there's still a couple more that I haven't tried yet). Well, again, a big thanks for this recommendation.
2 comments:
Can I suggest that if you're in the middle of a Vietnamese streak, you try the pho shops in Joo Chiat? There's one in the end of Joo Chiat closest to Geylang Serai which is quite good. I can't give you the exact details, but it's a stall in a corner coffee shop across from an open field.
The pho is quite different from the pho I'm used to from New York, but very very good. The chilli is also incredibly hot, much hotter than I expected.
Hi TTH, I happen to spot this Viet Inn restaurant at Circular road and went down to try the food with my colleague, and yes, it was quite good. In fact one of very few great ones we have tried in Singapore. The combination of price and great taste indeed reminds me of the wonderful aroma so common in Vietnam. I love the exquisite crispy spring rolls, though the prawn & meat omelette could do better cos ours was served hard to the bite. The satay kebab is tender and taste really good when wrapped in fresh vegs. Service is generally good, which is an excellent plus point for a Vietnamese restaurant, cos quite frankly, most other vietnames restaurants in Singapore really still believe that customer service should never be part of their daily menu! I feel that if they really want to prosper here, its time to pull up those dirty socks; especially those in Joo Chiat! Check out this link which I stumbled upon and you'll know what I mean: http://www.dwedding.com/node/284
My wedding studio that's around the corner from Viet-Inn is coincidentally catering to Vietnamese customers who wants makeover and wedding photography, so vietnames eatery is not uncommon and my personal fav is BANH MI. My colleague is from Vietnam and very often I get to taste viet food. She commented that she finds the home cook taste of this restaurant a great reminder of her Vietnam which she misses so much. Hence, it's kinda gel into our flavour for vietnamese based business too!
I personally would go back there again, if the great taste of authentic viet cuisine plus their good service continues on, or even better upon. Why go elsewhere when this excellent combination its so conveniently located in the heart of Boat Quay? And for me, just a few steps away!
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