noodleoodle

Midmorning breakfast at the Sussex Centre food hall. The lunch rush hadn’t kicked in, but vendors were still busily handing out a steady flow of product. Due to the early hour, E and I decided to try the pho stall, Siagon Pho. We’ve sniffed out four Pho joints around Chinatown and three of them have Siagon in the title. Doesn’t look like well see any Pho Bac on this trip.

This particular Siagon Pho sells a range of rice dishes and offers noodle soup as combination or rare meat. I expect the combination would include a few bits of offal. Our rare beef was of a good standard, there was plenty of them being sold. I noticed a number of staff from other stalls eating here.

The proprietor seemed like a nice chap. I asked him what he thought difference between Southern and Northern Pho was. He noodled (nodded) enthusiastically as if this was a question he had often asked himself. He pulled out a strange electric tennis racket and swiped at a fly. It disintegrating in a zap of electronic flash. E and I ducked. “Sugar!” he said, and went on to tell me that Southerners like to add sugar to the stock in the cooking faze. He also said there was a particular spice that was integral but could not find the words in English, (maybe Star Anise). He told me to go to Cabramatta for pho Bac, I doubted we’d get there this trip. We finished our soup, he stalked more insect pray. Countless bowls of Pho were dished out.

The Sussex Centre food hall has a large variety of food stalls and a bar! There’s Korean BBQ, Malasian noodles, Chinese BBQ/noodles, Japanese Ramein joints and a whole lot of other stuff. I doubt there would be a dish over $10. Our Pho was $7.50.

Sussex Centre Food hall - 401 Sussex Street Sydney