Located right at the junction of circular road is @cochungvietnameserestaurant , which is quite the “hotspot” during lunch, both literally and physically given how it’s packed with office workers and contributing to the blistering heat and heartless humidity. They do have air conditioned seats but they’re limited and usually allocated to those who have made a reservation to which I was clearly not one of them.

Taking a look at the menu, you’d find that all the classics are there and priced affordably. Decided to go with Phở Bò (Pho Beef Soup) and though I haven’t had much good phos before, I thought this was everything it should be! My pho arrived in a huge bowl, where the slippery rice noodles laid at the bottom in a tangled mess and was topped with a handful of vegetation at the top, ie coriander, spring onions, beansprouts. The thinly sliced, raw, beef ribeye laid beautifully in the bowl, adding a nice shade of red to the overall aesthetics. Served in a metal pot on the side is the beef broth which is made with their family recipe and secret ingredients combine with slow-cooked beef bone for at least 10 hours. This steaming stock spots rich savoury depths in which you could really tastes the essence from the long simmering hours and will have you chasing the last few droplets around the bowl with a spoon. When pouring the broth into the bowl, the heat of it does help to slightly scald the ribeye, deeming it more cooked and safer for consumption.

It is a dish to which I would return time and again for comfort more than anything else but next time, I’ll make a reservation at the air conditioned areas sheesh 🥵