Those that live out west in Croydon Park would be familiar with Yen Linh. Well, they’ve expanded and opened a new store on Field Street in the city. Specialising in Vietnamese cuisine, their offerings are a slightly cut down version from the parent store. The entrees have been renamed “small plates”, and there are new “wrap and roll” platters which come with sugar cane prawns, pork meatballs, beef, roast pork or a combination there of.

The fit out of this place is very modern and stylish. They have the black and white colour scheme going on with a dash of timber here and there. I love the polished concrete floors, the low hanging light fittings, the tiled walls and the full length photos on their main walls.

Taking advantage of their corner position, there is an abundance of natural light coming in on the ground level. If I compare this place with the House of Pearl next door, which has the same floor plan, I think the kitchen in place takes up too much space and as a result, there are less seats for customers.

For lunch, I ordered the Sliced Beef Pho. The dish was ready less than 10 minutes after ordering and was nicely presented. The bowl was a nice size, and the broth was piping hot, which is required to cook the raw beef slices.

From initial observations, I could see shiny fat globules floating on top of the broth. It’s acceptable for some, but not for a health conscious person like me. The broth itself tasted quite good as it was beefy and rich. It was still slightly salty with the addition of the noodles, and I could taste the flavours of cinnamon and star anise.

The beef was nice and lean, and provided in generous amounts. The broth was hot enough just to make the meat light and pink. Fresh noodles were used in the dish, and they had a slightly chewy texture. The ratio of beef to noodles was also good with almost equal amounts of beef and noodles.

The dish came with most of the trimmings with the exception of sliced white onion, coriander and mint. The Asian basil was fresh and the bean sprouts added a nice crunchy texture. The fresh chilli added a bit of kick, however, the sweetness from the white onion was missing.

The staff were friendly and the service was really good. The atmosphere was relaxed and the pricing is fairly reasonable. The cost of my meal was $11 which is a fair price consider the serving size. The small plates range from $4-$8, the wrap and roll platters start from $16, and most of the other dishes are around the $11-$13 mark.

Verdict: The pho broth represents the soul of the dish, and I felt it was too oily for my liking.

WHERE: 23 Field St, Adelaide