{"id":1234,"date":"2014-03-11T12:49:48","date_gmt":"2014-03-11T12:49:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chiswickish.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1234"},"modified":"2014-03-11T13:14:29","modified_gmt":"2014-03-11T13:14:29","slug":"pho-chiswick-high-road","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.chiswickish.co.uk\/blog\/pho-chiswick-high-road\/","title":{"rendered":"Pho, Chiswick High Road"},"content":{"rendered":"

[starreviewmulti id=4 tpl=20]<\/p>\n

[matstat]<\/p>\n

All images in this blog are Copyright Mat Smith Photography<\/a> 2014<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Pho took a pretty brave decision opening towards the slightly more sleepy east-side of Chiswick High Road. Sure, it’s not the ever-doomed “far eastern” strip of boarded-up old newsagents, Frankie’s\/Bardolino’s\/Brick Oven, and failed nightclubs (remember Revolution, anyone?) near Goldhawk Road, but still – as they say – East is East.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"pho-chiswick-high-road\"<\/a>\u00a0\"restaurant-noodle-neon\"<\/a><\/p>\n

What can I say? As an East-ender myself*, it looks very much like the mainstream is moving my way, so I’m delighted by this news.<\/p>\n

*I mean, East-end of the High Road. I try not to venture beyond there. I went to Shoreditch a month ago. Awful. I digress.<\/em><\/p>\n

Actually it’s only a couple of doors down from Franco Manca, so if Pho get the service right – by which I mean consistent, enthusiastic, and friendly recognition – then the Chiswick crowd will keep coming back for more as they do to the excellent FM. I’ve no doubt I will.<\/p>\n

\"restaurant-interior\"<\/a><\/p>\n

(Images:\u00a0Mat Smith Photography<\/a>)<\/p>\n

I’m a bit of a chain-denier. The thought of giving my business to Tesco and Starbucks makes me cringe. There’s something about a chain when it gets too big for its boots, when the guy who started the concept is long gone and it’s run by suits, or worse – still alive but never even attends his own store openings any more – something about a chain I hate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Well Pho is a chain, but it’s small enough at the moment to have that sense of “love” behind each restaurant. Sure, there’s a business process, a formula, but you get the sense that Stephen Wall (co-founder) who opened his first Vietnamese restaurant in Clerkenwell 9 years ago still cares passionately about putting out great food to the masses. It became clear after only a few minutes of chatting with Stephen that his new Chiswick restaurant has certainly been a personal labour of love.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Pho<\/a><\/p>\n

Pictured above and below: Pho Tai Lan<\/strong> – flash fried steak with garlic, Hanoi style<\/span><\/p>\n

\"pho-tai-lan-steak\"<\/a> \"pho-neon-reflection-bowl-soup\"<\/a><\/p>\n

To start we had two of the four cocktails on the menu.<\/p>\n