Review: I’m always on the lookout for good Vietnamese food. Just like us Malaysians, the Vietnamese are real foodies and their use of fresh herbs and vinegar based sauces really balance out the palate. Vietnamese restaurants have been slowly gaining a following in Malaysia due to its slight similarities to Chinese cooking and its use of fresh ingredients.
Pho King is one such place that has a pretty casual vibe. It’s located in a quiet stretch of shops in SS2 that’s away from the busy main square. In fact, it’s parallel to the LDP but tucked away so much so that you don’t hear any of the traffic.
The seating arrangements are pretty relaxed as well. The interior has a clean and simple setting with modern wooden chairs and a bench that covers one entire side of the wall. I was eating here at a pretty odd hour, around 3.30pm which explains why I was the only one dining. Apparently, if you come at dinner and on weekends, it will be a bit more packed.
There aren’t any commercial buildings around so finding parking is a relative breeze. The shop lot where it’s located is surrounded on all four sides by residential areas so it’s a lovely place for lunch. Additionally, I love the fact that they offer lunch sets complete with a lemongrass drink, fruits and salad. The menu actually said that lunch was from 12pm to 3pm but even when I came in late, they offered me lunch sets anyway. That was so kind of them.
Lunch sets are very affordable and start from about RM 8.90 to about RM 15. There’s omelette with rice, noodles with barbecued pork, lemongrass chicken and several more. There’s also their signature Pho served in beef soup. Apparently, the beef is truly very tender, but I didn’t get a chance to try it out that day. They source all their meat from Sanbanto, which is a pretty well known for supplying tender cuts of beef.
I ordered the omelette set, and while the egg was nothing out of the ordinary, I really enjoyed the side salad that came with it. It has shredded carrots and radish dressed in a vinegar-based dressing and sprinkled with peanuts and coriander. The coriander really made it a standout salad for me. Not too sour, not too sweet and not too tangy, just the right balance of everything.
Spring Rolls
One more thing I ordered was the Vietnamese spring rolls with prawns. The prawns were springy and fresh, but what I truly loved about it was the peanut sauce that came as a condiment. I really couldn’t get enough of that sauce! It was thick, not too sweet and you could just feel the nuttiness on your tongue. It was the perfect accompaniment to the spring roll which is otherwise quite plain.
If you live in or around SS2 and want to find a spot for comforting Vietnamese cuisine that’s not hectic and rather relaxed, then Pho King should be on your list.
Pho King
153, Jalan SS 2/6, SS 2, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia: Phone: +60 3-7865 3290
Opening Hours: Open every day except Thursdays from 12pm - 9pm
