Pho Tam isn't the most modern restaurant in Footscray, with its wear and tear unashamedly on display in its restaurant. But that just means it is one of the most loved Vietnamese joints in the suburb.
Pho is the typical fast-food choice here, with beef and chicken broths built on a mix of sweet spices in its kitchen and adorned with your choice of sliced or poached meats, herbs and aromatics, but it is by no means the only dish that it produces well. Vietnamese-style congee is a popular order, as is the bo la lot (grilled beef in betel leaf) served with a perfectly balanced nouc mam cham, banh bot lot (banana leaf-wrapped tapioca dumplings filled with caramelised prawn and pork) and the anchovy-based noodle soup, bun mam.
It may seem crazy that Pho Tam is open from 8am, daily, but it is just a testament to its loyal, local following.