Pho 24 - Recommended, but Not for Vegans

If you want to dine on a budget and try local cuisine, but you aren't quite up to a street side stall, then Pho 24 could be the right choice. These guys franchise their home grown food - so this is like a Vietnamese McDonalds - but much cleaner and tastier.

Pho 24 - 82 Nguyễn Du, District 1

We landed in the eatery on Nguyen Du after quite a long walk to the Zoo coming from the touristy Pham Ngu Lao and loved their spotlessly clean, nicely decorated, air-conditioned setting. The food smelled great as well, and the waiters spoke some English. This is the right choice for a quick or a take-away meal, but also for a lunch with your family. Yet, I would not go there for dinner, I'd rather grab some bowls of pho and have them at home, with a glass of red one on the side .

The menu is not so varied, though - they have only pho, appetizers, desserts, refreshments, beer (Tiger and 333), coffee, and tea. We tried their lime juice with ice (17,000 VND - $0.80) and pineapple juice (25,000 VND - $1.19) - tasty and inexpensive. We didn't try any of their soups though, as we were on our fasting day - a major downside of this place is the fact they don't have any vegan or vegetarian dish. They should also have at least one or two seafood dishes.

This might not be the authentic Vietnamese pho experience, but I can confirm their soups are made entirely from fresh ingredients. We were quite close to the cooking spot and could see how heaps of fresh herbs and meats were disappearing in those enormous pots. We will definitely go back to Pho 24 for lunch or for a take-away.

For the full menu and prices, visit their website - www.pho24.com.vn.