13 hours ago
'I ate Vietnamese food at a quiet Bromley restaurant and it's a true gem'
If you're in search of authentic and delicious Vietnamese food in Bromley, I think I've found just the place.
On a recent trip to the town centre and while in search of a spot for lunch, I stumbled across Bowl O' Pho in High Street.
I was sold after I saw the promise of authentic Vietnamese dishes from its extensive menu, and two bronze business awards proudly displayed in the window.
The restaurant is modest and unassuming along a quieter stretch of the High Street, but it was catching the eye of many shoppers.
Inside, it was just myself and another customer, and I was allowed to pick from any table of my choosing.
The restaurant has cutlery drawers and sauce stations at each table (Image: Newsquest) The quiet lunch setting is exactly what I wanted for my solo meal. The restaurant offers up tasty sounding noodle salads, summer rolls, bánh mì and more.
I placed an order for a guava bubble fruit tea and decided on the vegetarian pho. With a restaurant name like Bowl O' Pho, how could I not give it a try?!
The guava fruit tea was sweet and refreshing, with a colourful mix of popping boba pearls at the bottom and some surprise tapioca pearls thrown in there too.
I sat and sipped on my drink whilst people watching and before I knew it, a generously sized bowl of pho was carefully placed in front of me.
The fruit tea was sweet and subtle, the perfect drink to sip on (Image: Newsquest) The pho is also served with a side of fresh garnishes including mint leaves, coriander, chopped red chillies, a lemon wedge and bean sprouts.
The best thing about pho is you can truly make it your own. After trying the broth, I added siracha, hoisin, chilli oil and a dash of salt from the sauce station on the table. .
Personally, there can never be too much coriander and so I went ahead and added that in with the rest of the fresh sides.
It was delicious as it came, but the beauty of pho is being able to make it your own (Image: Newsquest) Despite it being 26 degrees Celsius outside, the bowl of hot broth and bouncy rice noodles provided the fresh and tasty relief I had been searching for.
READ MORE: Bowls club celebrates 125 years of being part of the community
I ate my meal contentedly whilst listening to radio hits from Tate McRae and Taylor Swift that were being played through the restaurant.
The service was quick and friendly, the meal peaceful and delicious and the price very reasonable at £18 in total.
I have already planned to go back with friends and believe that more people should know of this independent business that you could describe as a high street gem.
