While I was in living in New York City, if I wasn’t out and about with friends, I’d stay home and order-in a bowl of steamy “pho” (pronounce "fuh", is a kind of Vietnamese noodle dish) and savor it until the last strand of rice noodle was gone. So when “A” and I found Phobidden Fruit, a Vietnamese restaurant while driving down 12th Main in Indiranagar, I was ecstatic! I didn’t wait too long to check out the food.
For restaurant atmosphere and level of tastiness, I’ll give them a thumbs-up but in terms of authenticity, the foods were lacking a few distinct ingredients, fish sauce is definitely one of them.
Papaya salad - tasty, but it's not your typical papaya salad. The fried shallots were overpowering and the papaya tartness was missing.
Vietnamese springrolls - also pretty tasty, however, instead of using thin rice noodles as a filling, they used rice. In New York, I'd cringe, but since I don't have much of a choice in Bangalore, I happily ate four pieces.
Springrolls with rice filling.
Siu Mai - huh? Is this even Vietnamese?
And last but not least, my bowl of pho. The ingredients and condiments were fresh but is it similar to the phos I had in New York and Hanoi? Not even close. The chicken pieces, instead of boiled are fried. The noodles, instead of silky smooth has a grainy texture. And lastly, the most important piece of the equation to a perfect bowl of noodle soup; the broth, is lacking the deep flavor you get from simmering protein and its bones for a very long, long time.
Table condiments - (left jar) pickled carrots and radishes. Pickled radishes tend to have a very pungent smell, so if you're not big on pungent, don't open this jars.
Restaurant Interiors
Restaurant Interiors
Overall Ratings:
Po's: 7/10
Would we return?
Probably during my next noodle-soup-crave.
Address:
12th Main (a few doors from Corner House)
Indiranagar, Bangalore
Phone: 080 4125 5175
