A friend of mine posted a photo of this place and it sparked my interest. I love a good Pho and there are not many good places in Wellington that make a good one. I did some research on this place and found out they are a little outlet in Chew Lane of all places. This place advertises it self as having many vegetarian and gluten free options and food is made quickly and fresh.
Phở cuốn – Rice Noodle Roll with Beef
This dish cam out really fast, I sat down after ordering, remembered that I did not say I had a peanut allergy stood up, told them and sat down again and it had arrived. I was impressed with the presentation of dish. The skins were made of rice noodle and inside was stripes of beef, carrot, lettuce, coriander and cucumber. I have never tried this type of dish any where and it was really nice. Everything was fresh and the skins were moist and with the dipping sauce I was very impressed.
Phở bò – Beef Noodle Soup
This dish came soon after my rolls had arrived, with the bowl also came been sprouts and a wedge of lemon. The beef was rare and still cooking in the soup. The soup was loaded with onion, spring onions and coriander on top. I really liked the soup, it was not the most tasteful but it tasted very clean and did not have the lingering taste of MSG in my mouth. There was ample amount of rice noodles and beef and lots of soup. This dish was great especially on a coldish day.
Kaffir Lime Grilled Chicken with Rice
I decided to come back to this place and I decided to try this dish. Presentation; it was very nice and I was also impressed as I received a bowl of soup as well. The soup, however, was nothing really to talk about it, it was one of those typical instant asian soups you get that is loaded with MSG. Besides that, the dish was very nice. They pickled their own carrots, turnip and cucumber, which was very nice and refreshing. Also on the dish was sweet chilli sauce (which actually had a kick to it (unless I am getting weak)) and the typical sauce that comes with summer rolls. The grilled chicken was also very nice. When it arrived, I was slightly suspect as they had used the breast part of the chicken, but it was succulent and nicely cooked. The flavouring was also very nice and had a nice grilled taste to it.
Overall I was impressed with this place, that I went back. The place is small but the tables and seats are a bit weird and slightly tacky. However, the food was really nice and came out really fast. The noodles seem like they are made by hand by them and not bought dried and put in a pot of boiling water to cook. The only reason I think this is because they already make the skins for their rice rolls.
It is great to have a place of difference compared to other Vietnamese eateries. I will definitely go back and try their other dishes.
Facebook Page; Thanh Giong Pho
Address; 16 Chews Lane, Wellington
Trencherman's Travels 