#Throwback Thursday to this scrumptious fusion Vietnamese dinner at Phởmo in Barangaroo. Located at the one of the best hotspots in Sydney, the restaurant has revamped the menu with a newly appointedexecutive chef Peter Wu (@king-peter). Located at the main business hub in Sydney CBD, Phởmo was packed on weekdays so make sure you do make a reservation prior.
Dining by Darling Harbour, the eatery offers happy hour for hard earners to chill out after work and I quite like that they not only have wine but a few Vietnamese and Thai bottled beer in their selection. Are you a 333 or Saigon kind of person?
Their menu embraces a lot of seafood elements (at an affordable price). We tried a few entrées and main options but we know that we can’t leave a Vietnamese restaurant without a good old bowl of hot rare beef Phở.
Vietnamese Beef Tartare MBS5+ Wagyu, jicama, quail yolk, chives, hoisin nuoc cham $23
First entrée that was brought to our table and it was also our favourite entrée of the night. Each piece of diced beef was super tender and fresh. With all the exotic seasonings mixing in, this raw beef dish with a subtle fish sauce taste changes my perception from any Western, Japanese, or Korean beef tartare I have ever had in my life.
Vietnamese Ceviche Hiramasa kingfish, Hokkaido scallops, coriander roots, pickled eschallots, crispy rice cracker $26
Once again, the restaurant gives no disappointments on their fresh produce. These thick slices of kingfish and scallop brought us to the ocean (hopefully it’s Bondi Beach), while the oriental condiments kick it up a notch from any traditional ceviche.
Octopus Tentacle lemongrass butter, chilli, coriander stems, fried garlic, squid ink spicy sauce $19
Just when we were wondering how can Vietnamese meals without some spices? These tender tentacles break us a sweat because the heat is going to fire you up. I have a very high tolerance of spicy food and I personally enjoyed it very much and I liked how powerfully smoky this dish is.
Tuna Tostada sashimi grade tuna, avocado, mixed herbs, lychee, orange zest, crispy gowgee $16
Seeing this on the menu makes my eyes blinked. How intriguing it is to see tostada and tuna sashimi in a Vietnamese restaurant? Tostada is possible my favourite Mexican food and Phởmo has up the game by putting really high quality tuna on it. The tuna is so fresh that it’s almost sticky but not chewy at all. The orange zest is prominent and gives a very strong citric to it. Though it’s probably not the prettiest date food ever, but I would highly recommend it because it’s just too good for the price!
Hanoi Spring Rolls house pickles, lettuce wraps, nuoc mam sauce available in pork or vegetarian (V) $5 each
The last entrée we had was suggested by Phởmo and we had no regret accepting the offer. First of all, this is probably one of the most interesting Vietnamese crispy spring rolls so far. Second of all, the spring roll itself is extremely crispy on the outside and flavourful on the inside. With all the sauce and the works, the pastry stays firmed after it’s been fried until perfectly golden brown. It comes with crispy pork, kimchi, and it’s meant to be wrapped around with cabbage. It’s a big mouthful, there is a lot happening, I love the spring rolls on its own, but I also liked the idea of putting things together.
Truffled ‘Shaking Beef’ Steak MB+5 Wagyu Striploin, black pepper crust, truffle butter, trio of capsicum, caramelized onions. Cooked medium to medium rare $40
Our stomach has reached a stated stage at this point but when ducks make quacks, we say MEATTTTTTT. When we were served with this steak we were surprised with the portion because it comes with the whole T bone. To me, this piece of steak reminded me of childhood because it has the very unique peppery sauce that I used to have in my home town, in a good way though. Besides, the caramelized onion and capsicum at the bottom absorbed all the sauce was to die for!
Rare Beef Phở 12 hour Vietnamese beef broth, rare beef, cooked brisket, flat rice noodles, bean sprouts, fresh herbs, lemon (GF) $17
Last but not least, you get to have a bowl of Phở as a test for a Vietnamese restaurant. Their broth is clear with just the right sweet and savoury taste. The beef slices are lean and super tender. It’s up to standard and it’s just pure comfort food to me, especially after a big night out.
Verdict
Phởmo in Barangaroo has changed my concept of its brand. It’s now not just about authentic Vietnamese food, but an interesting seafood loaded fusion restaurant using all the familiar ingredients and seasonings that I grew up with. Their price range varies from $10-20 to $40~ so it caters for different groups / individual customers. I need to come back again to try more seafood dishes with a bigger group of friends because I know I will leave very (or overly) satisfied from here.
Wulugul Walk – Shop 9
33 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo NSW 2000
02 8097 3663
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