The bowls I've had.
This is where I'll write about the bowls I've had in roughly chronological order. This ordering means my thoughts will probably get more nuanced as the bowls go on. My
early thoughts should be seen as first impressions rather than detailed reviews. Some of the bowls may even end up requiring a re-visit.
Pho Hung Vuong Saigon - Footscray.
The first BBH I ever had!
date? photo?
We had intended to go to Hien Vuong, which is just around the corner. Not so used to Vietnamese words yet. Headed down on a sunny summer afternoon. The shop was really busy. A BBH ran $19, with a prok trotter added for an extra $2. Looking at older versions of the menu showed that the price has jumped considerably over the last couple of years from $13-$16. This seems to be super common post-covid. I thought the broth was a little bit thin, perhaps reseasoned Pho broth (23/5/25 - after getting to know both pho and BBH better I doubt thiswas the case. No star anise/aniseedy flavours). The blood tofu tasted ind of like a scab, and seemed to be cooked really nicely. No holes or graineyness. The soup was served with fresh chilli, which was definitely needed to bring the broth up to my desired level of heat.
23/05/25
Id'd love to revist this bowl now that I know BBH a bit better. I later found out that this place is better known for its Pho, a bowl of which is definitely on The List. Gaia had the pho, and I remember it being pretty great.
Co Do - Richmond.
date? photo? gaia had?
Co Do frequently makes the list of best BBHs in Melbourne, at least in the two or three Reddit threads that exist. There's a location in Richmond and another in Sunshine which apparently have different owners. We headed down for dinner. The broth was richer and sweeter. I found it quite citrussey (23/05/25 - the all-important lemongrass!). For $19 I scored an included trotter. A bit less blood tofu, his time with some holes. Apparently this comes form overcooking it? It was dfintely a little more chalky. My biggest issue was the lack of fresh chilli on the side! The broth was relatively mild coming out, and I definitely want some heat. Heaps of herbs on top. It turns out that this aromatic-ness is super important, not just to BBH, but to Vietnamese food in general. Both bowls so far have been somewhat lighter than expected.
Hien Vuong - Footscray
date? photo?
This time we were definitely going to make it to Hien Vuong! The restaurant is around the corner from Pho Hung Vuong Saigon, just off Hopkins street. $18 for a very large bowl. There was no trotter (excusable), and no blood tofu (inexcusable!). The broth itself was really nicely balanced, with both the lemongrass and shrimp paste flavours showing up nicely. I'm starting to realise that this balance is probably the most important. Beefyness is the backbone, the more the better, but less part of the balance. The chilli seems to be diner-adjustable. The bowl came with fresh chilli on the side (my favourite way to add heat), and really excellent Cha Lua sausage. Heaps of pepper in it. A bit light on the toppings and herbs, as well as the onions. Loved the pandan leaf tea. My favourite base so far. Afterwards we checked out some of the nearby shops and split a Banh Bao with egg and Lap Xuong. It was a fucking delight.
Pho Hien Saigon - Sunshine
date and photo
After our 33km chunk of the Birchell trail and getting frozen solid in a frost hollow, we needed something to warm us up, and fast! Sunshine wasn't far out of our way, so we headed to Pho Hien Saigon. Would also like to check out the sunshine Dong Ba and Co Do locations in the future. $19.5 scored me a bowl the size of my head. 1 x blood tofu (a little overcooked), a nicely cut trotter, great cha lua, and a really generous amount of gravy beef. I wanted some more herbs, and DEFINITELY was wishing for some fresh chilli to add. Other tables seemed to get given some. A case of profiling perhaps? The broth was nicely balanced between shrimp and lemongrass, but less lemongrass forward than Hien Vuong. Heaps of noodles to boot. Their pho seemed good too from the cheeky chunk I grabbed from an abndoned bowl on the way out. Afterwards we impulsively bought a log of Nem Chua from the grocer next door. One of my new favourite pork products! Sour, garlicky and spicy. Oh, and the nuoc cham was really good! Raw garlic in there gave it a nice pungency.
Thu 219 - Footscray
date? photo?
There's a bunch of small Vietnamese joints inside Footscray market. This makes them a little harder to catch (closed Sunday and Monday), but they look suitably dodgy and delicious. No street frontage makes cheaper rents I guess. We headed down early for a breakfast bowl. $16 for the "large" bowl made it the cheapest yet. This included blood and a trotter, and yielded the best bowl yet. The broth had a really deep and savoury flavour, and weirdly seemed to be chicken based rather than beef? As usual, a good chicken broth beats a bad beef broth. (Id like to go back to confirm if this is actually hte case. They also seemed to specialise in chicken soups). The bowl was served with extra chilli and lemongrass paste on the side. This was a great way to season the broth to my liking! I'd love more places to do this. Heaps of onions on top, which is always a bonus. Could have used a few more herbs on the side, and although the price was right, I'd love a little more of the gravy beef. The biggest negative was that the noodles seemed a bit mushy/overcooked. This wasn't really unpleasant though, they were kind of like canned spaghetti!
Bun Bo Hue Chu Le - Springvale
date? photo?
Our first dive into Melbournes Other Vietnamese centre for somethign beyond Banh Mi. Theres a bunch of promising looking places in Springvale, but we decided to start out here. Tet/New years celebrations were going on, leaving the whole area a bit of a nightmare to get around in, but we eventually found a spot to park (except for our left mirror...), and made our way over. The Dac Biet (the lot), option ran $16. The lemongrass to shrimp ratio was on point, and the broth had a bit more intiial heat than usual. Fresh chilli and greens were provided, but no herbs?? The broth looked thin, but had a lot of flavour. Still, as usual I'd love even more beefy depth. The blood tofu was absolutely silky, the best yet. The noodles were a good texture, but I would have liked more of them. Same with the gravy beef and pork. Heaps of cha lua made up for it though. The nuoc cham wasweirdly sweet.
Huu Thanh - Footscray
data and phto?
Another one of the hidden joints inside Footscray market. We headed down for another Breakfast Bowl, and scored the biggest bowl of all time for $17. I think the lady who took our order thought we were plannign to share.... I even took some home for lunch. Nicely balanced broth with lemongrass taking the lead. More heat than it initially looked like! Would love some extra Beef Body... Very generous on the toppings, heaps of trotter meat and gravy beef, as well as thick slices of cha lua. No blood, whihc was odd. A case of profiling? The noodles/bun themselves were a little over cooked. GAia had their Hieu Tieu which was excellent (I assume... this was our first one). The broth was richly porky, with an odd smokiness that I didnt figure out until later. I think it was burned garlic? Apparently this place does xi quach/free stock bones for gnawing, but I forgot to ask... Also, a mystery has emerged! There seems to be a "Huu Thanh", AND a "Huu Huu Thanh", at Footscray market but I have no idea if they're the same place. Further research is required.
Nam Gio - Springvale
date? photo?
Another Springvale trip post Claton boulderlab means another bowl! A suitaby grumpy worker was a good omen. $18 for a large, or $2 extra to add rare beef and beef balls (bo vien). It came out fully loaded with a whole hock rather than just sliced pork! Heaps of herbs and onions on top, but would have liked a bigger bowl of fresh chilli on the side. The noodles were nicely cooked with a good chew, although I would have liked a few more. The broth had a really silky mouthfeel, I bet it would have gelled well. Bright and citrus/lemongrass forward, with a slightly subdued shrimpyness. Adding some fish sauce really brought it up, and surprisingly brought out the beef!
Bun Bo Hue Song Huong - Springvale
date? photos?
Post climb and CO2 purchase visit. $15 for the one size on offer. Pandan tea. Heaps of lemongrass in the broth, which was otherwise quite subtle. Needed a heap of chilli. The noodles were a bit soft, but not too bad. The toppings however, really stood out! Nem chua, bo vien, a full hock, some tendon, blood tofu, marrow, heaps of gravy beef and some nice gelatinuous chunks! Pickled onions on the side were a great addition. Sweet candied chillis available on the side. Kind of a bit of a platonic ideal! One of my favourite bowls. Afterwards we grabbed a banh khuc. Sticky, peppery, porky. The pepper plus stickyness reminded us of egg! It was delicious.
It looks like the next bowl might be in Vietnam...