Ever since I started writing for SethLui.com, it’s constantly amazed me how much good food there is in the heartlands. Gone are the days when HDB block coffee shops would only sell the usual chicken rice, caifan and bak chor mee stalls. Case in point: 2612 Little Vietnam Cuisine, a new Vietnamese coffee shop stall in Toa Payoh that dishes out authentic and yummy bowls of pho.
Newly opened in Nov 2022, 2612 Little Vietnam Cuisine is run by a husband-and-wife duo. The humble coffee shop stall is a short 5-minute walk from Braddell MRT, and can be found at Block 125 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh.
Though the owners aren’t Vietnamese, they’re passionate about their cuisine and hoped to offer authentic versions of pho, banh mi and other traditional Vietnamese fare here in Singapore. Most of their sauces are imported directly from Vietnam!
What I tried at 2612 Little Vietnam Cuisine
As it was a rainy day, I decided to go with the Beef Pho (S$7.50). The broth was cloudy and came with plenty of aromatics, such as Thai basil and onions, and was topped with hoisin sauce.
Interestingly, when I went to collect my food, the owner had asked if I wanted my chilli sauce poured directly on top of the pho. I don’t recall any pho I’ve had coming with sriracha-looking chilli sauce (though I know most Thai folks love it and include it in everything), so I requested for it to be placed on the side.
The broth was beautifully savoury and full-bodied from having been boiled with beef shank and shin for at least 8 hours. I could taste fish sauce and a fragrance from the aromatics added, such as star anise and cloves. Yet, I loved that the broth wasn’t overly salty or rich— in fact, it retained a clean and light texture that made the soup incredibly drinkable.
This hit the spot on a rainy day. While I had wished it was richer on the get-go, the broth slowly grew on me the more I sipped on it. However, if you’re one for heavier tastes, I noticed a bottle of fish sauce placed at 2612 Little Vietnam Cuisine’s storefront, so you can go ahead and add that to your Beef Pho.
While I had high hopes for the beef slices, it fell short because of how uneven it had been sliced. Some pieces were thicker than others, resulting in overly tough beef slices that required plenty of jaw work.
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This is certainly not your wagyu nor shabu shabu beef, but for S$7.50, I must say that you’re getting what you paid for. For what it’s worth, there were plenty of beef slices, so you definitely aren’t shortchanged in terms of quantity.
One thing I loved about 2612 Little Vietnam Cuisine’s Beef Pho was how there was a good variety of ingredients added to jazz it up.
While the noodles were your typical flat rice noodles (similar to kway teow), there were plenty of aromatics added, such as Thai basil, half a stalk of spring onion, translucent strips of onions and beansprouts to add that well-needed crunch factor throughout the meal.
On its own, the sriracha was incredibly garlicky, and immediately reminded me of McDonald’s garlic chilli sauce— just much more punchy and spicier. Deciding to be adventurous, I added a good dollop of sriracha chilli to my soup and mixed it in.
Strangely, any hints of garlic dissipated and melted into the soup. Instead, all I could taste was stronger notes of savoury goodness, as if someone had doubled the amount of stock that had gone into the soup. The soup turned spicier too, but in a delightfully rich way.
Apart from pho, 2612 Little Vietnam Cuisine also sells other authentic Vietnamese offerings, such as Vietnam Fry Spring Roll (Chả giò) (S$6.50 for 3 pieces).
This was freshly deep fried upon order, and was served to my table piping hot. Thumbs up for effort!
This easily spoiled all spring rolls out there for me. 2612 Little Vietnam Cuisine’s Vietnam Fry Spring Roll was gloriously delicious and perfectly deep fried. The exterior was made of rice paper and it created an utterly ASMR-worthy crunch the minute I bit into it. Yet, because it was made of rice paper, the golden outer layer was delicately light without being too oily.
Stuffed on the inside were pork, prawns, yam, black fungus and carrots. It reminded me of yam rings from zi char stalls, but now in addictive bite-sized pieces that made for a really satisfying experience.
Be sure to pair the Vietnam Fry Spring Roll with 2612 Little Vietnam Cuisine’s housemade chilli sauce! Tangy and slightly sweet, I loved how the chilli sauce added that well-needed bright kick of acidity, which paired well with the crispness of the deep-fried spring rolls.
My only gripe would be its price. S$6.50 for 3 spring rolls might sound a little steep (it’s the same price as an entire Beef Banh Mi, for goodness sake!), but I reminded myself that I was paying for real hard work, as each spring roll is meticulously filled with marinated meat, wrapped and deep-fried.
Final thoughts
Even though 2612 Little Vietnam Cuisine is just one month old, I can say with certainty that it’ll be a huge hit with residents and office workers in the Toa Payoh and Braddell area.
Not only are all its offerings amazingly affordable (everything is under S$10), you’re getting real value for your money too, with authentic bowls of pho that’ll warm your soul no matter rain or shine. Though relatively expensive, the Vietnam Fry Spring Roll is definitely worth a try too.
This just made me wish that I was living in the Toa Payoh or Braddell area so I could drop by for a bowl of piping hot pho whenever I wanted to.
Expected damage: S$6 – S$8 per pax
Price: $
Our Rating: 4 / 5
2612 Little Vietnam Cuisine
125 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310125
2612 Little Vietnam Cuisine
125 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, Singapore 310125
