If you’re going to De Pho there is only one dish you should be thinking of ordering – number 33. Crispy skinned chicken with rice noodles in a beef broth for $11.
Ben & I went for some chicken-noodle-goodness during the week. It is a great place for a work lunch because your food comes out quickly & you usually don’t have to wait long to be seated.
We walked in to the tiny restaurant – and I mean it when I say tiny, they only have 6 communal tables – and were delighted to find ourselves at the front of the line. Because De Pho has communal tables you will usually be sat next to other families and couples all enjoying their meals. The atmosphere is social with people talking across tables & slurping noodles. We were directed to a two person table (very rare occurrence!) and said the magic words “Number 33 please”. Five minutes later our dishes arrived. I use chopsticks like a pro but I always ask for a fork to avoid having to use my fingers to peel the chicken flesh away from the bones.
Ben putting mint into his broth
The chicken skin is crispy and the flesh is soft and moist, falling away from the bones. The noodles are silky and the broth is deliciously beefy and salty. They give you a side dish of lemon, bean sprouts and mint to add to your taste preference but I prefer mine virgin. Ben puts all of it in his noodle soup. Whilst adding copious amounts of mint he says “Man, I hate mint” making me give him a very puzzled expression. He tells me it apparently it tastes great in the soup though! Personally, I prefer my mint to stay in my mojitos.
I like to alternate bites of chicken, noodles and broth but Ben likes to combine them all. By the time we are done Ben’s bowl is almost empty (he’s a man, and spends more time at the gym than I do!) and my bowl is probably only half empty. We are both full to bursting and consider the feasibility of having an afternoon nap. If you’re not starving you could quite easily consider sharing one & just asking for a second bowl. Once you’re done just head up to the counter to pay!
de_Pho
Shop 21 Lemon Grove Shopping Centre
427-441 Victoria Ave, Chatswood
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