Pho what it's worth

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but when I was growing up in South London, Streatham was the place everyone went to eat. It just was. (Well, I suppose it wasn't if you lived in Tottenham, or Edinburgh, or Madrid, or Peking, or Alpha Centuri, but for us in South London it most definitely was!)

Even in the 1980s the High Street had more restaurants than you could ever want. There was the Italian Il Carretto, the American Charcoal Pit that gave me my first taste of ‘proper’ burgers, situated strategically across the road from McDonalds. The Acropolis Taverna served up stuff dolmades and stifado that you'd only normally know if you'd been on a holiday to Greece.

In an age when people still made do with Berni Inn, Happy Eater and the occasional over-Anglicised Tandoori or Chinese, Streatham had a lot of very good restaurants offering genuine International cuisine. (It also boasted, and indeed still boasts, a Wimpy where one could order an 'International Grill' but if anything that undermines the point to which I'm meandering!)

 

In World War Two the average age of the combat soldier was 26

Special rice and Beef Pho

There was also - getting to the point at last, yay! - a Vietnamese place. I’m pretty sure it was on the corner of the road where my Father used to live, or thereabouts. It wasn't common to find a Vietnamese restaurant in them days when Vietnam was just a war.

Unusual, then, but absolutely fucking awful. Short-lived, too; replaced - though possibly not immediately - by the fairly decent Pukka tandoori, which lasted many, many years, and then, more recently the Real Jerk.

Why was it so bad? Well, we’re going back to a single family dinner from my childhood so the ol' memory is a bit hazy, but I remember that none of us liked it, and none of us wanted to go back. 

And I'm pretty sure the main reason none of us liked it and spent the next few years reminiscing about how much we didn’t like it was the dessert: a soy bean pudding that looked chocolatey (but wasn’t) and which tasted so terrible it could’ve been liquid Binturong faeces. It was undoubtedly sweet, but that kind of stomach-turning sweetness that one only normally finds in rubbish bins, and those who have soiled themselves. I still feel slightly queasy thinking about it 30-odd years later.

But that was then, thankfully. If you're looking for Vietnamese eats in Streatham Hill these days, you head to Viet Fusion, which is excellent.

Starters orders

The menu is essentially contemporary 'pan-Asian', but with all the Vietnamese classics, executed nicely, which is what a restaurant on Streatham High Road (OK, technically it's Streatham Hill at this point) should be doing.

Putting the 'star' into starters is probably the salt'n'pepper squid, which is ridiculously tender and crispy - somehow the chilli and onion (and, let's be honest, MSG) flavours don't detract from the squid itself. It's one of those classic dishes that isn't always done well, but they nail it here.

You can also choose from both Spring and Summer rolls. While Spring rolls are ubiquitous everywhere these days, the Summer version is less commonly encountered and takes some getting used to, if you're expecting deep-fried crunchy goodness. These are very light pancakes with cold, salady filling that make for an easy-going appetiser.

A heartier, meatier option would be the Satay - again, very classic but very well done with the peanut sauce balancing out the spicing on the chicken rather nicely.

Main street, Saigon

Charsiu Pork

Onto the main courses then. (Though I probably wouldn't recommend skipping starters here - partly because they're pretty good but also because the mains are relatively delicate, especially if you go for the classic.) 

Pho (pronounced sorta like 'fuh', as though one is spitting out the word in contempt!) is considered the National dish of Vietnam. Not disimilar to Malaysian Laksa, it's essentially a big bowl of broth, within which you might encounter all sorts of goodies - meat, seafood, veg, noodles, possibly egg, probably fresh herbs - depending on what combination you choose.

The chilli level can range from mild to fiery, but the Pho here is always fresh and zingy with notes of ginger, fennel and lemongrass. Every mouthful is different, and it's surprisingly filling.

If you're not such a fan of 'liquidy' dishes, there are more solid options. Various special fried rices will definitely fill you up, but I'd be tempted to go for the Charsiu Pork, honey roasted and served with rice, pak choi and an incredibly moreish nutty sauce that is not quite the same as that which comes with the Satay. 

Seafood Pho

One could make a criticism that the menu is maybe a bit safe - there's nothing really 'out there', which is in contrast to the tales I've heard about food in Vietnam itself. But then this is Streatham and all those exotic restaurants so beloved of us in the 1980s were probably 'safe' too, in truth.

What I really appreciate is how fresh everything tastes here - every ingredient sings its own song and nothing is for decoration. The noodles melt in the mouth; the spices explode. Encounter a bit of spring onion, it'll taste like a newly-picked spring onion. There's an exciting 'liveliness' to it all which is most enjoyable.

Oh, and the only dessert here is ice cream, so absolutely no danger of being served a bowl of sweet pooey beans!

A decent meal for two with a couple of beers and (Vietnamese spiced) coffee is in the £70-80 ballpark, which is reasonable for the area.

I've been a few times now and have always been impressed. Big, fresh flavours and nothing scary. Good stuff.

 

Where to find it...

Viet Fusion

70 Streatham Hill,

Streatham

SW2 4RD (MAP)

 

no website / TRIPADVISOR

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