Such tasty Food From The Vietnamese Restaurant in Nex and Singapore airport

Vietnamese Flag

Lovely Lemon Grass

I love lemon grass. The aroma. The flavour.

Unfortunately, I had bad experiences at Vietnamese restaurants in London, England, three times. Firstly, the food did not taste of lemongrass.

Lemongrass. Photo by Malcolm Morley in Wikicommons.

Scared of Spices

Secondly, the food was too spicy. The owners insisted that all Vietnamese food was spicy.

Ha Long Bay. Photo by Thierry B in Wikipedia.

Reversed Experience In Vietnam

However, when I visited Vietnam in early 2019 I loved the food in the capital, Hanoi. No trouble selecting from the huge menus something with chicken and lemongrass, my favourite. I soon learned to avoid any side dish with sauce in a teeny bowl with floating red bits which revealed chili. I also learned to use my husband as a food taster. As we passed a Vietnamese restaurant in Nex I thought fondly of our trip to Vietname, staying in Hanoi, taking an overnight trip Ha Long Bay.

Memories of Ha Long Bay

Our side trip to Halong Bay, cruising along the bay surrounded by peaks reflected in water, dining in a candelit ship, one of two of the world's great sights. (The other being Angkor Wat in Cambodia.)

I wish all Vietnamese restaurants would show pictures of Ha Long Bay. They should do a deal with a tourist board. But I suppose Vietnamese restaurants are more concerned with selling Vietnamese food than selling Vietnam and holidays in Vietnam. 

Nex Complex in Singapore

More recently, in Singapore in July 2019, after a meeting of my Braddell Heights Toastmasters Club at Braddell Heights Community Club, we went for dinner in the modern Nex complex beside Serangoon MRT.

Nex exterior photo by ProjectManhattan in Wikipedia.

On a Saturday night the multi-storey complex was busy and buzzing. Throngs of people packed the escalators and filled the winding corridors lined with bustling restaurants. My husband thought the low ceilings accentuated the noise of excited chatter.

Nex interior. Photo by ProjectManhattan from Wikipedia.

Vietnamese Restaurant In Singapore

We were looking for a curry place, Monster Curry. However, it was so popular that it was full. We were in a hurry to eat.

So we trekked a short circle around the upwards escalator and found the Vietnamese restaurant, So Pho, which means noodle soup. We liked the menu outside. The explanation of the restaurant name was on the wall.

So Pho Vietnamese Restaurant
Looking inside, it was full enough to appear popular. Yet it was larger than the front appeared, and we spied tables towards the back which were invitingly empty.

I preferred the tables along the sides and at the back because they had proper chairs on one side and banquettes along the wall. I hate sitting on a backless stool which I find bad for my posture. Banquettes have another advantage that you don't have to plant a handbag on the floor but can keep it handly within reach of your hand.

Guided by staff, we found a banquette at the back. Beyond was a neglected area underneath delightful backlit shelving with greenery.

The staff scurrying to and fro were wearing the colours of the Vietnamese flag. A yellow star on a plain red background. Very jolly.

Egg On Rice

We chose two chicken dishes. Both had a fried egg on white boiled rice. I am used to fried egg on toast. Fried egg with the yolk breaking over the rice was a novelty.

Chicken Dishes
We had walked past other restaurants showing chicken in batter. Battered chicken especailly deep fried is fattening and supposedly unhealthy. I had grilled chicken which was served with skin on, on the plate. The other chicken dish was served in a lidded casserole.
My chicken was great. You could taste both the chicken and the sauce.

Yes, both chicken dishes were tasty. And filling. On large plates.

Lemongrass drink at So Pho Restaurant in Nex shopping mall, Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Lemongrass Drink

Even better was my drink. A wide straw, and a strong taste of lemon grass and lime and other fruits. I could have drunk two. At the bottom were lumps of jelly. they got trapped in the wide straw, made the drink look longer than it was. However, if the food is great, you forgive and make allowances for one or two things not to your taste.

On arriving home, my first remark was, "I'm prepared to go back and eat there again!"

I later learned that you can also order food from So Pho for home delivery in Singapore. They also have other branches all over Singapore, such as Paragon, Clementi, Tampines - and at Changi Airport Terminal 3 and in Jewel, the mall along the linkway.

Vietnamese Language
Vietnamese language is not easy. The script is different with accents. But thanks to the restaurant I am not only reminded of the Vietname flag, I now know a couple of words of Vietnamese.

Braddell Heights Toastmasters Club
If you visit Singapore, be sure to visit Braddell Heights Toastmasters Club, the first Wednesday of the month, 7-9.30, and the third Saturday of the month at 2-5 pm (except national holidays). You get entertainment and instruction on public speaking and leadership. The club charges visitors S$10 and has potluck food in the break; free to people who are already members of a Toastmasters club. It costs 180 Sing dollars to join for a year, for the meetings, a mentor and online worksheets and the right to enter a speaking contest, plus about $30 to the HQ in the USA which lets you into their system connecting with clubs worldwide and sends you a monthly magazine.


Braddell Heights Toastmasters Club committee at a speech contest earlier this year. I am on the far right of the picture. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

After the Braddell Heights Toastmasters Club meeting pop along to Nex shopping mall and look at the So Pho restaurant.

Vietnamese - English
The name Ha Long (下龍 Xialong) means "descending dragon". (Wikipedia on Ha Long Bay.)
den - black
Ha - descending / lower
Long/Rong (accent over the o) - dragon
So
Pho (downard accent on the o) moodle soup
cong ty (accent over the o) means company

English - Vietnamese
Rong with an accent over the o is dragon.
black - den
descending - ha
dragon - rong / long
noodle -mì sợi
soup -Súp


Getting To Vietnam
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%E1%BA%A1_Long_Bay
Also see Tripadvisor and Wikivoyage and Wikitravel.
We travelled from Singapore to Vietnam on VietJetair
VietJetair.com


Getting To Singapore
Serangoon MRT (underground railway station on the Yellow Circle line and the purple North-East line). The bus station is also here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serangoon_MRT_station

Useful Websites
So Pho restaurant
Booking a restaurant
https://www.hungrygowhere.com/search-results/so+pho
Ordering food for your home or office
https://www.foodpanda.sg/chain/cf1qk/so-pho
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_cuisine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Vietnamese_dishes

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Club
https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club
https://www.toastmasters.org/Find-a-Club/00009689-braddell-heights-advanced-club

Braddell Heights Community Centre
50 Serangoon Avenue 2, Singapore 556129, tel: 6288 1258.

Singapore Airlines

singaporeair.com
Regional
Silkair.com
Budget
Scoot.com (will soon become part of Silkair)

Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have other posts on Singapore and the waterfall at Changi airport. Please share links to your favourite posts. You can see more about me and my books on Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.