Mama Pho, Vietnamese cafe on Evelyn Street, Deptford

24 Evelyn Street, Deptford, London, SE8

Sitting on the site of where Cafe East used to be, the same owners have moved one of South East London’s hidden

Mama Pho's own beef pho

jewels down the road to Surrey Quays to open up a new place called Mama Pho! Strange way of doing things but I guess Cafe East had such a loyal following that the new site will bring the old crowd with it as well as the new. I have yet to visit the new Cafe East in Surrey Quays but I look forward to seeing if they have done anything to improve an outstanding formula.

Back to Mama Pho. Same bloke, different hat, a cockney fella once mused and he’d have been spot on if he was describing this transformation. Apart from a new name, a lick of paint, some new glossy menus, nothing has changed from Cafe East.

Believe me this isn’t a bad thing as Cafe East really did have it nailed when you take into account it’s popularity. The seating arrangements, the background radio, and most importantly the food is comfortingly familiar. The menus are still brilliant, especially if you’re a newbie to Vietnamese food. With only about 15 items on the menu, each dish is carefully described and accompanied by a picture of exactly what you’ll be getting. Simple.

And this is why I think Cafe East (and now Mama Pho) is so popular. The owners have made Vietnamese food accessible: The restaurant is bright and clean, if a little small; The simple layout of the menu and the carefully chosen dishes on it means its easy to read and easy to choose from, without being overwhelming; It’s location means it’s easy to drive and park; The staff are fluent in English, helpful and friendly; The food is well presented and of course, tasty as well.

drinks an dessert menu

Now I don’t want to stir up a hornet’s nest but in my very humble opinion, there are places down the road on Deptford High Street that offers better tasting and dare I say it, more genuine food. The problem is those places don’t necessarily cater to people who are new to Vietnamese food: Overloaded menus that does a bad job of describing what goes on your plate; Groups of Vietnamese men playing cards and ahem, smoking can make it a bit intimidating as well, and of course the busy and narrow Deptford High Street is notoriously difficult to drive down, let alone park.

Stewed Pork and Rice

I’m not bringing the house down in any way as I love Mama Pho to bits for those precise reasons above, but you know, being a Vietnamese myself I do wish they served other traditional bits like Bun Cua (crab noodle soup), Bo La Luc (rare beef salad) or Nom sen (traditional Vietnamese salad with baby lotus shoots) – all dishes freely available on the high street.

So what to make of Mama Pho’s food? No complaints whatsoever. The beef pho is a

pho loaded with chilli and sprouts

standard from which to judge a good Vietnamese and it’s pretty good here. It was lacking a little cinnamon and the flat rice noodles where a bit overcooked. My partner had the traditional stewed pork and that was delicious. Big thumbs up. But my favourite thing in there and rarely mentioned in other reviews is the chicken curry. Cooked with giant blades of lemongrass and thickened with potato and sweet potato, the sauce is aromatic, creamy yet punchy whilst the chicken is delightfully tender.

One final mention goes to the drinks / dessert menu – not many Vietnamese places even bother. I haven’t had one yet but I look forward to reporting back in the future

Possibly Related Posts:

• Panda Panda, Deptford Broadway, Vietnamese Cafe
• Banzi, Vietnamese Restaurant, Surrey Quays, London
• Banh Mi 11 – Broadway Market, Hackney
• Cafe East, a great Vietnamese Restaurant in Surrey Quays
• Baguette and More-Vietnamese Food Stall in Greenwich that sells Banh Mi

Tagged as: Vietnamese; Deptford; Pho