Pho Pasteur - Chinatown, Sydney

Apologies for the lack of posts lately.  Cheesecake Boy and I have been super busy, and then we both came down with a terrible bug late yesterday afternoon, so we really hit the bed hard.  We're definitely the couple that eats together, and gets sick together.  Today's post is special to Cheesecake Boy and I, so I wanted to do it justice.  You see, Pho Pasteur is where Cheesecake Boy and I started our food journey together.

Cheesecake Boy and I always think fondly of Pho Pasteur.  Besides being the place that serves Cheesecake Boy's and my favourite combination broken rice with fried egg to date.  More importantly, Pho Pasteur is where Cheesecake Boy and I had our very first friends/more than friends dinner together.  I think he bought me here, to impress me with his ability to order in Vietnamese.  I am still impressed, but probably more amused now.  There were a couple of other group dinners prior, that found us conveniently sitting next to each other every time.  However, six years ago, just the two of us met up here.  Now we're practically inseparable, truly we are. 

This place later became a regular lunch haunt for Sushi Girl, KFC Girl and I.  We would need to get our fix weekly, and eventually learnt that the abrupt waiter whom we would eventually refer to as Grump Grum, was actually a kind man who only wanted me to brush up on my terrible Cantonese.  Later he even knew our orders off by heart.  However, things change and the regular visits stopped, but I still come on occasion.  This time I had a serious combination broken rice with fried egg craving, and Pho Girl likes to get her pho fix here, so it was the perfect choice for lunch.

Pho Girl ordered the special beef rice noodle soup that came with the usual plate of fresh basil, beansprouts and lemon.

The special beef rice noodle soup is pho with the addition of tendon.  My only gripe with Pho Pasteur is that every time I order the pho, I never seem to get a good batch of stock.  However, when Cheesecake Boy orders it, he always manages to hit the jackpot and so did Pho Girl on this visit.  The broth had a lovely balance of spices and a great depth to it.

 

Special beef rice noodle soup, $11 (large)

After trying quite a few mediocre combination broken rice meals lately, my favourite combination broken rice with fried egg has been dearly missed.  The pork chop is not the deep fried version, but sweetly marinated and grilled.  However, it's the generous flavoursome meatloaf that steals my heart.  This meatloaf is definitely not the dry and tough version that is served at quite a few places.  All this meal needs is a good dose of nuoc cham and without fail Cheesecake Boy and I will be in pork chop rice heaven.

Combination broken rice with fried egg (no. 12), $11

The combination broken rice also came with a complimentary soup.  It was light and fragant with the taste of corriander, shallots and sweet carrots coming through.

Complimentary soup with my meal

I was meant to publish this post a few days ago, but Cheesecake Boy became nostalgic when he saw me typing away and decided that we should have lunch at Pho Pasteur for memories sake.  This is how we ended up at Pho Pasteur for lunch last Friday.

Cheesecake Boy went for the combination broken rice with fried egg, as we don't eat pho out much now, as I tend to make it once a fortnight, due to the cold and rainy weather.  We ordered the seafood spring rolls to start, they came with lettuce, beansprouts and mint to encase the spring rolls and nuoc cham for dipping.  This has to be my favourite way to eat spring rolls,  the salad makes the crispy and deep fried experience feel slightly healthier.  The crispy seafood spring rolls at Pho Pasteur has to be one of my favourites, but this batch seem to be slighly more peppery in taste than usual.

Seafood spring rolls, $10

When I want to go for the healthier option, I choose to have the grilled beef with vermicelli, it's number 19 on the menu.  The grilled beef is wrapped around piece of grilled onion and I am pretty sure jackfruit, which gives the beef a sweetness similar to pineapple, but not quite as sweet.  This was a wonderfully refreshing mix of rice noodles, picked carrots and radish, lettuce and a sprinkling of peanuts and nuoc cham to finish.

Grilled beef with vermicelli, $10

Besides having a special place in our hearts.  Cheesecake Boy and I love the cheap, cheerful and tasty options available at Pho Pasteur.  It's great for a quick, no fuss and consistently good bite, and if you're a pork chop rice fanatic like we are, then we highly recommend the combination broken rice with the fried egg.

Happy dining, Dumpling Girl.


Pho Pasteur
709 George St
Haymarket NSW 2000
Ph: (02) 9212 5622