Located inside the newly opened Ben’s Independent Grocer in IPC Shopping Centre is I Love Pho, a Melbourne-based eatery that specialises in, yes you guessed it, pho. The stall can be easily spotted by the brightly lit sign displaying its name; or just follow the aroma of simmering broth. Peek over the counter and you’ll see four large cooking pots steaming away with different kinds of soups. There are three varieties of broths available – beef, chicken and vegetarian; but it’s the beef soup that’s the crowd-favourite.
What you’ll get here is a simple bowl of kuey teow noodles with an aromatic broth, along with your choice of beef slices, brisket or beef balls, topped with scallions and parsley. Every bowl of pho also comes with a side of raw bean sprouts. The light-tasting soup allows the flavour of the beef to come through; but if you want more kick, throw in condiments such as garlic chilli oil, fish sauce or soy sauce. Beef up (literally) your meal with more toppings such as tendon, tripe, sliced beef, shredded chicken and more for a heartier meal, or get yourselves some sides – think rice paper rolls and deep-fried spring rolls.
To wash your meal down, get the Vietnamese drip coffee – available hot or cold, the drink is made using a Vietnamese coffee drip and thickened with sweet condensed milk. If you want something refreshing, go for the soda chanh – the Vietnamese version of limeade made with soda, lime, mint and Thai basil.