MELBOURNE | Springvale is a part of Melbourne that I don’t get to anywhere near enough. With around 21% of the suburb’s residents born in Vietnam, there are no shortage of quality places for a Vietnamese feed. I have a few places that I’ve added to my list over the years, so when the chance arose to check one of them out on the weekend, I was stoked.
Fellow Melbourne food lover, Thanh Do, put me onto Bun Bo Hue Song Huong a while back, praising their version of the classic Vietnamese soup that forms part of the restaurant’s name, Bún bò Huế. Originating in Huế, it’s a contains thick, udon-like rice vermicelli and various cuts of beef, inside a fragrant broth that balances spicy, sour, salty and sweet flavours.
The version at Bun Bo Hue Song Huong is fantastic. A perfectly balanced broth, springy noodles, and a generous amount of meat. Specifically, beef brisket, beef shank, coagulated pig’s blood, pork knuckle, and chả lụa (pork sausage).
Beyond BBH, there’s an extensive selection of Vietnamese dishes, including a page of simple $8 a serve specials. Things like com sườn (grilled pork chop on rice), com bò kho (braised beef brisket on rice), and cháo Huế (Huế-style congee). A quick glance at the tables around you provides a hint as to what else you need to order. It’s the other signature dish, Nem nướng Nha Trang.
Originating from Khánh Hòa Province, it’s a herbed grilled sausage, served in this case as a platter with thin rice vermicelli, carrots, cucumbers, crispy wonton skins, herbs, lettuce, rice paper rolls, and dipping sauces. It’s a must order, allowing you to make up lettuce cups and rice paper rolls in just the proportions you like.
As the food arrives, with its multiple components and condiments, owner Yen and the team are super helpful. They’ll let you know what goes with what, and guide you as to the typical way that the dishes are eaten in Vietnam if you’re not sure.
Bun Bo Hue Song Huong
4 Balmoral Avenue
Springvale
Victoria 3171
Australia
Telephone: (03) 8522 2268
E-mail: n/a
Website
Open
Mon – Sun: 10:00am to 9:30pm