Thanis Lim

All Rounder Chef and Food Journalist

Pho Real at Times Square

Back in the days when I was studying in Aus, Vietnamese food was available near where I lived and I would often eat at the Vietnamese restaurant just 5 minutes walk from UQ located at Hawken Drive – it was the more affordable meals a student could have – usually the range of $6-8 (considered pretty cheap other than McDonalds and KFC)

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I still remember this dish – the really delicious Chicken Chop Rice .. served with that Vietnamese style sauce that’s quite sweet but matches the chicken really well.

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I also remembered when I was in Adelaide – Lok Ing took me to the Vietnam Restaurant at Pennington – their grilled quails were to die for! What a good time I had!

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When I was in Melbourne I had a chance to eat one of the best beef noodles I’ve tasted. It’s different from the Taiwanese Beef Noodles but for I prefer this dish definitely! They put thinly sliced raw beef onto the hot soup when you order it and it will arrive at your table with a medium rare texture which I love. They also put a plate of basil and mint leaves on top of a plate of taugeh to eat with the dish but most of all – that simply gorgeous bowl of beef broth! SIMPLY DELICIOUS!!!! I dream of the time I will get to try this dish again!

For a long time – I yearned for good Vietnamese food in Brunei. There was a Vietnamese restaurant that opened at Batu Bersurat before, serving good Vietnamese food – but I guess the market did not catch on and it was closed down.

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Finally Pho Real opened up in Times Square and it’s a wish come true!! I quickly popped over to try their dishes! When I was there – they only had 3 different dishes – naturally I ordered all three – the natural tendencies of a food blogger who wants to try everything he can get his hands on! Note: pictures were taken using my HTC Desire phone, using mytubo and not a DSLR.

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Their pho (Vietnamese Beef Noodles) is pretty good – you have the taugeh on the side so you can decide how much taugeh you can put – personally I did not put too much as the taugeh taste can be overpowering. I can say they are quite close to the taste of the best Pho in Melbourne but not there yet – they also don’t serve their beef slices raw (which might be a health concern) and I wished they had mint and basil leaves too! But one should appreciate that we can finally have a good bowl of delicious Pho in Brunei! Hurray!!

pho2Their Vietnamese Stew is another rich gravy-ish dish that I can mop up with rice anytime any meal of the day! I loved their fork tender beef and the raw onions they serve with this. Delicious! Girls might share a bowl of this as my other female friends find this slightly oily for their taste – but not for me .. I can finish a whole bowl myself + a bowl of Pho… *burp*

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They also have Vietnamese Spring rolls using thin translucent looking rice papers. I tried their Chicken Spring rolls and it’s pretty fresh tasting and good. Girls on diet can have this healthy guilt free snack! They have vegetarian version of this spring roll too!

Pho Real is located at Times Square Food Court and currently does not have many choices but this might be a good thing as they're focused on a few items and it usually means better quality and consistency. Still - I am looking forward to their new additions to their menu!

Disclaimer: This is not a paid post and I paid for my food. This reflects my own dining experience at this establishment. The contents therein shall not be construed as any admission of liability on my part and without prejudice to my rights, defences and remedies under any applicable laws.
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