Tan Thanh - Inala

On days that I am not feeling under the weather, other than congee, my second go to to would have to be Pho. Living in Brisbane, one would have to venture out to Inala or Darra to taste really authentic pho. Having sought out some recommendations, we were told that Tan Thanh was definitely the place to to satisfy our Vietnamese food cravings. 

Not having gone for a couple years now, we were pleased to see that whilst the restaurant had expanded, the service was just as efficient. We were given menus immediately upon arrival and within 5 minutes we placed our orders. 

Sauces and cutlery were already on the table.

Tea and water was available on a DIY basis. Our food came within 5 minutes of our order. 

My first companion had the Grilled Pork Chop Vermicelli Salad. It came with the usual dipping sauce, a very generous amount of pork chop and salad. My companion was really impressed with the texture of the noodles and their freshness. The salad was crisp and the pork was deliciously caramelised. The portion was also very generous for the price, being perhaps a third larger than what you can get in the CBD.

Another companion ordered the Crispy Skin Chicken with rice. Like the Vermicelli Salad, it was very generous in portion, and came with some clear broth. The broth had quite a strong msg taste to it, and my companion was very thirsty afterwards. The chicken, whilst it was very crispy on the outside, it was considerably overdone and a little overly toasted and dry on the inside, which was a little disappointing. 

I ordered the rare beef pho, and it was HUGE. The beef was thin sliced and very tender. The herbs were deliciously fresh and fragrant, and the noodles were smooth and tender.  The soup though, wasn't as strong as it used to be, but I still really enjoyed my bowl of noodles.

As a side we ordered three spring rolls. They came last and were freshly fried, and very very hot. It contained some cabbage and carrots and meat. The wrapping was very crunchy and we cooled it down with the sweet and sour sauce provided on the side. For less than $2 a piece, they were a bargain.

Price Range: $10 - $15pp

Taste: 8/10
Value: 9/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 4/10