5 authentic Vietnamese restaurants in Singapore handpicked pho you
Digging into Vietnamese food is a mind-blowing sensory experience. It's a colourful sight, and you get a variety of flavours, textures and smells with each mouth-watering bite.
Get the real deal here. Savour signature Vietnamese dishes in their unadulterated forms at these restaurants serving up the best of what Vietnam has to offer, taste-wise. From the iconic bowl of pho to the crusty banh mi, have your fill of authentic Vietnamese food.
1. Pho Street at Bedok Mall and Westgate
As its name suggests, Pho Street serves up the best of Vietnamese street food, including the well-known pho. Soak up the cheery and vibrant dining ambience that reminds one of the cosy, nondescript restaurants of Vietnam where locals gather for a hearty meal. Start off with some street snacks and order the Vietnamese Snack Platter, where you get to sample a bit of everything. Expect Crispy Fried Prawn Rolls, Roasted Chicken Skewers and Vietnamese Prawn Cakes, the perfect bites to get your appetite going. If you love meat, the Pho Beef Combination is a godsend with a generous portion of beef balls, beef slices, beef shank, beef tendons and beef tripe paired with silky smooth rice noodles and a hot, savoury broth. Another eye-opener is the Banh Mi Combination, a crusty baguette with pork belly, grilled beef, chicken ham and vegetables. That’s not all; the menu has a wide selection of other dishes ranging from Bún (rice vermicelli) to local desserts. Don’t forget to try another famous item – the Vietnamese Coffee. For an exciting and unforgettable taste of Vietnam, you have to pay Pho Street a visit.
2. So Pho at IMM, Tampines Mall, and The Star Vista
Here's one casual eatery if you're looking to have a leisurely meal. Order up familiar dishes like spring rolls, noodles, banh mi and desserts. So Pho prides itself on using only the freshest ingredients.
For starters, whet your appetite with the refreshing Summer Rolls, parcels of pure goodness stuffed with prawns and greens for a healthy yet tasty and filling snack.
The quintessential Pho is not to be ignored, with its tender sliced beef, brisket and beef balls and rice noodles soaked in a wholesome spiced broth. The Grilled Lemongrass Chicken Set is another example of Vietnamese food done right, with juicy chicken plated with fluffy rice, a beautifully fried egg and salad on the side. All you need is a taste of these dishes to be transported to the busy streets of Hanoi!
3. Nam Nam Noodle Bar at Plaza Singapura and Raffles City
Nam Nam Noodle Bar is the go-to place for affordable Vietnamese street eats. The restaurant is decked with bright red lanterns and wooden tables and stools, giving an old-school vibe reminiscent of the roadside dining experience along the streets of Vietnam. Enticing rows of baguettes stacked behind a display case with ingredients at the side add to the street vibe.
The Pho Australian Beef Slices & Beef Balls is a delightful combination of chewy rice noodles, thinly sliced beef, and sizeable beef balls soaked in an addictive broth then adorned with garnishes. The broth is naturally flavoured with no added MSG, so savour every drop without feeling guilty. Don’t forget the Sriracha chilli, fish sauce and hoisin sauce thoughtfully provided as accompanying dips for your meat. If you don’t feel like pho, choose from six types of Banh Mi, from the more traditional Nam Nam Signature Thit Nguoi to the modern Home-Smoked Salmon, Tofu and Cream Cheese Banh Mi. It’s easy to get lost in the moment and imagine yourself having a delectable meal in Ho Chi Minh.
4. COMNAM at Raffles City Singapore
Drop by COMNAM for a taste of well-loved Vietnamese street foods to excite your taste buds. Inspired by traditional recipes with influences from the Vietnamese and the French, these dishes hail from the streets of northern, southern and central Vietnam.
One eye-catching dish that takes centre stage is the humble Bánh Xèo, a great appetizer for sharing. Available with three varieties of delectable fillings, the savoury pancakes are served hot and crispy with an array of fresh greens and herbs, and nước chấm – a dipping sauce made from base ingredients like fish sauce, chilli, lime and peanuts. Enjoy the dish the authentic way by using a lettuce leaf as a base and layering a mustard leaf on top of it along with the remaining herbs, before adding a small section of the pancake and rolling it up. The final step is dipping the roll into the nước chấm sauce, and you’ll be eating just like a local.
95% of the menu items do not contain MSG, so you can be assured that your food is naturally flavoured. The authentic experience is not complete without appreciating the cosy vintage interior that evokes nostalgia of simpler times past of shared, intimate meals with family and friends.
5. Little Saigon at Clarke Quay
As you approach Little Saigon, you’ll be greeted by classic Vietnamese lanterns adorning the entrance ceiling, giving the venue a touch of oriental chic with a splash of colour. Coupled with the warm wooden setting, the beautiful and cosy interior will make you feel as if you’re transported to the ubiquitous restaurants with homely vibes found lining the streets of Vietnam.
In the day starting from 4pm on weekdays and 12pm on weekends, enjoy a meal in the bright, airy space; when night falls, kick back and relax with a cocktail in hand as you nod along to the catchy tunes from the live band.
Order your fill at Little Saigon, from the traditional dishes to the ones with a twist, specially created by the in-house Vietnamese masterchef. For light bites, go for the Goi Du Du, a refreshing green papaya salad enjoyed by locals, or the Goi Cuon, Vietnamese spring rolls consisting of fresh vegetables, rice vermicelli and spicy fish sauce encased in feathery-thin sheets of rice paper.
For the ravenous, Pho, Banh Mi, as well as a variety of tantalising meat and seafood dishes unique to Vietnamese cuisine are available for order.
Wash your meal down with a Vietnamese beer or an exotic Asian cocktail, such as Miss Saigon or Hanoi Martini, and you would have just enjoyed a full Vietnamese dining experience.
Want to experience more Southeast Asian flavours? For the love of travel and food, check out this guide to Southeast Asian destinations for different types of travellers!