While walking around the eclectic suburb of Fitzroy one afternoon, we came across a homely Vietnamese restaurant along Brunswick Street called the “Basil Leaf Pho”. The very eye catching lanterns hung outside the shop certainly caught our attention.

Name: Basil Leaf Pho

Location: 369 Brunswick St, Fitzroy VIC 3065

Website: https://www.basilleaf.com.au/

The moment we stepped in, we were warmly greeted by the owner. She seated us and handed out the menus very efficiently. The menu items were wide and varied.

We chose a plate of pork spring rolls (fried) with extra fresh vegetables, a large bowl of beef & beef balls pho (more about this later), grilled pork chop with broken rice and a Vietnamese hot coffee.

While waiting for the food to arrive, we exchanged pleasantries with the lady boss. She showed a genuine interest in her customers which we found refreshing.

First to arrive was a plate of pork spring rolls. The crispy rolls went well with the fresh veggies and a side of fish sauce. Yummy!

Next on the table was the grilled pork chop with broken rice.

The portion was huge! This would be a good example of something that was cheap & good. The tender marinated pork chop was heavenly and the flavours were one of authenticity.

The Vietnamese coffee was served next. The contraption dripped strong black coffee into the glass tumbler below filled with a layer of condensed milk. It reminded us of the “kopi tiam” kind of coffee popular in Singapore or Malaysia.

A surprise came next in the form of the beef pho. We ordered a large version thinking that a normal sized one might be too small. Boy, were we pleasantly shocked to see the serving size! It was more than enough for 2 persons. The savoury broth and smooth noodles sent up to food nirvana from the first mouthful.

In all, we were very glad we decided to have lunch at Basil Leaf Pho.

Apart from being made to feel very welcomed, the food quality and portions were fantastic. We would certainly go back again just to try the myriad of other items on the menu.