Pho Song Huong - Riverwood, NSW

Pho, the magically delicious beef noodle soup is found in almost every regional area of Sydney and is considered a staple of this multicultural city much like kebabs, charcoal chicken and yum-cha. Although abundantly available, it can be rather difficult to find a bowl that's immensely good. I used to frequent this place in Hurstville called Dixon which to me, was the epitome of great pho...sure, it had it's critics but I still loved it regardless. During the later years after Dixon closed it's doors (sadface), I moved on to try other places such as Pho An, PHD, Great Aunty Three...and now my latest favorite has become Pho Song Huong, located just a 5 min drive from the parent's place.

As they have a relatively large menu, it's a little difficult to speak about everything they offer in one post, that's why I've since eaten there multiple times and compiled my photos and experiences into one post. There's a couple reasons I love this place so much (aside from the distance) and that's mostly to do with the value-for-money and the serving size relative to the price you pay. When they first opened, each bowl of Pho was about $9-$12...and this was within the last two to three years. If you've eaten some Pho before, you'll know that this is exceptionally good (my most recent visit to Pho An led to the slightly shocking discovery that their large bowl now costs $16.50). They since raised their prices but only by a dollar...yes, if you walk in there today, you can get a standard sized bowl of rare beef pho for $10....that's really good.

They only really have one size (which may be a detriment to people with smaller appetites who also maybe don't want to waste food) but for those of us with a large stomach capacity, you will not be disappointed with their almost too generous serving sizes. Legit, I am admittedly a big eater and most times, I find myself pushing the waistline...and this is without even touching the Mrs. portion. The soup is served piping hot and is sweet and fragrant like a good bowl of pho should be. The beef slices are tender and meaty but not too thinly sliced meaning a great texture. The noodles can be a little oily and slippery but that doesn't mean it's any less enjoyable.

Usually when I go, I stick to what I know but over the many times I've been, there have been times where I've eaten dishes other than pho. For example, the last time I went (tonight), I chose to have the black pepper beef with tomato rice....very saucy and complimented the rice really well. We also chose to have a DIY rice paper roll dish with lemongrass pork and spring rolls...probably the most fun you can have wrapping your own food. The selection of drinks they have available is also pretty impressive, anything from avocado or durian shakes to even Thai milk tea.

If you live in the area and you're looking for a great bowl of local beef noodles, or if you're a lover of all things Pho, I'd strongly recommend giving this place a try. It's amazing value-for-money, generous serving sizes and deliciously well made Pho is what draws all the locals to it. Be warned, they do get packed rather quickly though turn over is really quick so you should be able to get in after brief period on the plastic stools.