Stewed beef soup at Panda Panda in Deptford
Vietnamese food is a cuisine I love and struggle with all at the same time. The best Vietnamese meals I've had have been with friends who have ordered all of the dishes. I, stupidly, have never taken note of what we've eaten and am then flummoxed when I try and go solo.
Discovering, to my surprise, that Deptford has quite a few Vietnamese restaurants I decided to check one of them out by visiting Panda Panda for a quick Friday lunch. Panda Panda's menu has been entirely Anglicised with the banh mi simply called 'baguettes' and is the 'stewed beef soup' a pho?
Mango bubble tea
Becks started with a mango bubble tea (£2.50) that I drank quite a lot of. I tasted just like a mango lassi with bubbles. I ordered the triple pork special noodles (£6.50). A bowl of rice noodles topped with beansprouts, cucumber, coriander, mint, chopped peanut and chilli and three different types of pork. It was tasty, filling and I have no idea if it is an authentic Vietnamese dish.
Triple pork special
The stewed beef soup (£5.50) had a tasty broth filled with a lot of carrots and beef. It was a tasty soup but all those carrots made it different from the pho I've had before. (I have since been told it isn't a pho.)
My sweet tooth got the better of me so I decided to order the mango sago pudding (£2.50) for dessert. I was a bit surprised when it came in the form of a drink. It was nice enough, but I preferred the bubble tea / mango lassi.
Mango sago pudding
Panda Panda was a good way to ease into Deptford's Vietnamese scene. Now to try somewhere where the menu is written in Vietnamese....
Panda Panda
8 Deptford Broadway
London
SE8 4PA
Try Cafe East and Mama Pho in the Surrey Quays area. Food is great and menu has photos to aid ordering...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips Fraser. I've heard good things about Cafe East so must go.
Delete"Becks started with a mango bubble tea (£2.50) that I drank quite a lot of"
ReplyDelete:-D
"Cafe East and Mama Pho in the Surrey Quays area"
I'll join you for that expedition!
I know, I know, reputation deserved.
DeleteYour on for a trip to Surrey Quays!
Richard did you go to Red Lantern when you were in Sydney? (Still my favourite Vietnamese.)
ReplyDeleteSadly I never made it. It was one of the places on my to do list that I never had time to visit....
DeleteTell them not to put MSG in and see if they can still cook it. The majority of those Vietnamese restaurants are awful when it using the stuff - they just pour it in. I've not been too impressed with Vietnamese food in the UK. You'll have to come over to my dad's place for Pho noodles. Best outside of Hanoi! :D
ReplyDelete