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Though I love pho, the prices of these soupy Vietnamese noodles sold in restaurants burn a bit of a hole in my wallet. Hence, I was excited to discover Pho Me Vietnamese Beef Noodles, an incredibly affordable spot for authentic pho in Singapore— all of their bowls cost under S$12!
You’ll find Pho Me Vietnamese Beef Noodles nestled within the rows of stalls at Old Airport Road Food Centre. This hawker stall makes the incredibly popular Vietnamese dish accessible and affordable, with 8 different types of pho to choose from.
On top of their pho bowls, the stall also has fresh Vietnamese spring rolls to zhng up your meal.
What I tried at Pho Me Vietnamese Beef Noodles
My go-to order at Vietnamese eateries is always the Chicken Pho (S$6), so that was the first dish I decided to try. The hefty bowl of steaming hot noodles contained rice noodles, shredded chicken and finely-sliced scallions.
The broth was aromatic with a refreshing, clear taste and a nice hint of sweetness within. I was surprised at how peppery it was, though— compared to other places, this broth had a significantly higher amount of pepper within, making it a little punchier.
The rice noodles were silky and soft, while the sliced scallions added a fresh, umami flavour to the dish. The shredded chicken was a tad dry, unfortunately, and I thought that the stall could have been more generous with the portions.
All in all, the Chicken Pho was hearty and satisfying. While it wasn’t the best pho I’ve ever had, its S$6 price point made it one of the more affordable ones.
Next, I tried the Beef Stew (S$8)— compared to the Chicken Pho, this dish boasted a significantly darker colour and contained chunks of beef.
The soup was a stand-out factor due to its texture— unlike most other phos, which are made with runny soup, this soup was significantly thicker and more viscous. It had a sweet, savoury aroma and a hint of beefy fragrance within. I was surprised at how delicious it was and couldn’t get enough!
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The beef chunks were pretty tender and slightly sweeter than regular beef. I thought that the meat portions were quite sufficient too. There were also sliced onions within that added to the overall flavour of the beef stew.
I found the beef stew to be one of the more unique dishes, mainly due to the interesting texture of the soup. Flavour-wise, it was pretty impressive, and for just S$7, it was well worth the price.
Finally, I enjoyed the Spring Roll, which was sold in sets of 3 for S$5. Psst, you can get these rolls at just S$4 if you order them with any bowl of pho, excluding the Mixed Pho and the Beef Stew!
Each spring roll contained rice noodles, peeled prawns and fresh veggies wrapped in rice paper and served with a side of sauce.
The main qualm I had with the spring roll was the fact that the rice paper was very hard— I suspected that either it had not been soaked in water for long enough before it was used to wrap the ingredients, or it had been left out for too long, causing it to dry out. The firm and chewy rice paper did hinder the gustatory experience quite a bit.
The ingredients within were thankfully very fresh, though bland on their own. Dipping the rolls into the sauce added a nice amount of sweet and savoury flavour to boost the flavours adequately.
Aside from the borderline raw rice paper, the spring roll was definitely worth the price, given the portions of the ingredients within.
Final thoughts
I was quite impressed by the dishes I tried at Pho Me Vietnamese Beef Noodles— the affordable price and large portions were incredibly satisfying, and the quality of the food was comparable to that of restaurants.
I would certainly return to Pho Me Vietnamese Beef Noodles in the future for their delectable pho, and I definitely recommend checking them out if you’re craving delicious pho for under S$12.
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