Pho Huong Viet

976 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill 

Although Pho Huong Viet has been in the Box Hill restaurant scene for quite a few years now, it is still one of the newest of the Vietnamese restaurants in Box Hill. With fierce competition from many of Box Hill's long standing Vietnamese restaurants, Pho Huong Viet will definitely need to bring something special to the table.

Grilled lemongrass pork rice vermicelli with spring rolls / bún thịt nướng chả giò $13.00

Although the specialty dish at Pho Huong Viet is quite obviously pho, they also serve a range of other Vietnamese dishes. I chose to have the bún thịt nướng chả giò, which was a dish of rice vermicelli topped with grilled lemongrass pork and spring rolls. Even though the fragrance of the lemongrass was definitely present, the pork was missing the essential flavour usually added through the process of grilling the meat. They also used a salad mix over the traditional shredded lettuce which took away from some of the mouthfeel as well as adding a slight bitter flavour.

I wouldn't go as far as to say that they were disappointing, but it was definitely average at best. From now on I would recommend sticking with ordering the pho instead and perhaps visiting a different restaurant for your vermicelli needs.

Food Rating 6/10

Overall Rating 6/10

Ribs and Burgers

1/862 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn

As the name suggests, Ribs and Burgers is a nationwide restaurant specializing in Ribs and Burgers. They have four locations in Victoria alone and their website claims to be the best burger restaurant in Australia. 

 Old school cheese

Although I would not call myself a "purist" when it comes to burgers, I definitely enjoy something basic over one of those burgers that are so packed that eating them becomes a challenge. The old school cheese burger is a shining example of one of these more basic burgers, with an amazing char-grilled beef patty topped with cheese, onion, pickles and sauces.

Small rack of ribs

In contrast to the old school cheese burger, which had an lovely char-grilled flavour and aroma, the ribs were a slight letdown. Although the ribs were tender with a slight bite to them, the sauce they used, which they describe as their "signature bbq basting" was actually quite weak and not at all what I expected.

The food at Ribs and Burgers was definitely of a higher quality than I had expected. Even when I visit more established and well known burger restaurants I often find myself disappointed with the offerings, so I was happy with how the old school cheese burger at Ribs and Burgers turned out. If for nothing else, I would visit them again just for the burger.

Food Rating 8/10

Overall Rating 8/10

Mr Miyagi

99 Chapel Street, Windsor

For me, Mr Miyagi has long been one of those restaurants which has had mixed reviews. On one hand, they have many stellar online reviews which has put them on my list of restaurants to visit, while on the other hand, many of my friends and colleagues who have visited Mr Miyagi have been left with a sub-par experience. With such polarizing reviews I decided that I would need to visit and judge them for myself.

Edamame

Miyagi Fried Chicken

Although Mr Miyagi has a great range of Japanese inspired drinks and dishes, they are perhaps most well known for their Miyagi Fried Chicken. A long time ago I didn't really think too much of fried chicken, as although I love the dish, I felt that the creative liberty you can take with it is somewhat limited. However, as I discovered more and more establishments offering their own special variations I realised that it could be so much more. The fried chicken at Mr Miyagi was cooked so that it had a crispy coating with a juicy center, while the "MFC seasoning" added accentuation to the juicy chicken and the Kewpie mayo on the side tied it all together.

Now that I've visited Mr Miyagi for myself, I can honestly dismiss the doubts I had about them before. Their menu of both comfort food and beers, as well as their Japanese fusion dishes and cocktails is sure to have something for any occasion. Their staff were also lovely during the evening and one of the waitresses even chased us down the road as I had left my camera behind. Against the recommendation of my friends, I will definitely be visiting Mr Miyagi again!

Food Rating 8/10

Overall Rating 8.5/10

Pho 888

552 Station Street, Box Hill

Outside of the times that I'm visiting suburbs such as Richmond or Springvale, which are known for their Vietnamese communities, Pho 888 has become my go-to restaurant for a quick and cheap bowl of Pho.

 No Vietnamese basil

 Rare beef and beef balls

Special beef

Although I said Pho 888 is my go-to pho restaurant in Box Hill, I would not go as far as to say that they are particularly great. Although the broth is a little bit murky and there is sometimes a substantial layer of oil on top of it, I do appreciate that most of the flavours and elements of the soup were all present and that it was all cooked well.

The visit described in this post was a little while back and I have visited them a few times since then. On my last visit I decided to ask them for a take-away option, as I was busy. However, when I arrived home shortly after to prepare my meal, I discovered that the meat had a sour odor to it. I do understand that it is harder to guarantee the quality of everything, especially if it is going to be taken out, however this was well past the margin of anything that I could look past. Because of this, although my judgment of the restaurant in this post is specifically for the visit I described, I cannot recommend visiting Pho 888 anymore.

Food Rating  7.5/10

Overall Rating 7/10

Tien Dat

3 Carrington Road, Box Hill

Tien Dat is one of the older restaurants in Box Hill, as well as being the first Vietnamese restaurant in Box Hill, since opening in 1983. Unlike many of the other Vietnamese restaurants in Box Hill, Tien Dat offers a more diverse range of Vietnamese dishes instead of choosing to specialise in a specific style. 

Broken Rice

Vietnamese vermicelli

I decided to order some of the more well known Vietnamese dishes so I could get a better scope of their overall flavours. Unfortunately I found that the dishes were a little weaker in the flavour department than I would expect from Vietnamese cuisine, as I usually find Vietnamese food to be full of strong, yet balanced tastes from ingredients such as lemongrass, various herbs, as well as fish sauce.

Although I did find the food at Tien Dat to be slightly dumbed down in a sense, when compared to more traditional Vietnamese food,  it is definitely far from bad. For those of you who perhaps aren't as accustomed to the strength and pungency Vietnamese food, or even if you are just looking for some good comfort food, Tien Dat is a visit that you should consider.

Food Rating 7/10

Overall Rating 7/10