Hoa Phuong

We tried and failed to go to Hoa Phuong a few times before finally catching it open. The box-sized, cash-only Vietnamese spot in Elephant and Castle mixes mystique and wind-up merchantry when it comes to its opening times (though utter that at your peril). But after our first successful visit—where the smell of broth bubbling and the steady thud of vegetables being chopped soundtracked our scrolling thumbs and excited breathing—we confirmed it was worth the wait.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

This 70s-feeling takeaway space, all beige tiles and pixelated photos of dishes stuck to the wall, is very much the domain of Hoa Phuong’s sole owner and chef. Everything is made to order and with niceties, good manners, and some luck on your side she will allow you to eat in one of the four seats (despite a canny COVID-era sign in the door saying otherwise). She is a proprietor who has subservient customers—students, locals, broth fanatics—waiting, cash in hand and playing by her rules for very good reason.

The bún bò huế is particularly good—a lurid shrimp broth that looks positively volcanic and tastes that way too. There’s a whack of lemongrass attached to the sizzling pieces of grilled pieces of pork ready to be mixed with bún. Everything is carefully flavoured. So much so that when it comes to getting cash, you might want to consider getting a wad out. Hoa Phuong isn't somewhere to take for granted.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Bún Bò Huế

Hoa Phuong’s noodle soups are what have had us hanging around outside with the shutters closed, and the bún bò huế is a must. Flecks of lemongrass, garlic, ginger, and chilli are all there, on the eye and electrifying your tongue, while cuts of beef are chewy and fatty alongside perfect slices of chả bò. The inclusion of fried onions in the broth is unfamiliar, but welcome all the same.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Summer Rolls

Prawn, tofu, and grilled pork are on offer and while these aren’t the most herbaceous summer rolls we’ve ever eaten, they are chunkily made and the nước chấm is a delight. Grilled pork, zinging with ginger and lemongrass, is particularly good.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Grilled Pork Bún With Spring Rolls

Off-menu freestyles may seem foolhardy at Hoa Phuong, but throwing a couple of spring rolls on top of a bún box is always a good idea in our humble opinion. Spring rolls are misshapen and comforting like all the best homemade food. The grilled pork, mixed together with rice noodles (not vermicelli), pickled vegetables, ground peanuts, and nước chấm, makes for a fresh and invigorating noodle salad.

photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch

Bánh Mì

What these bánh mì lack in finesse, they try to make up for in size. Though lacking in zinging herbs or smears of pâté, there’s a commitment to piles of pickled vegetables and plenty of grilled meat.