Meal Ticket: Pho Viet, Dublin 1

A small Vietnamese restaurant on Parnell Street , this place specialises in pho – a popular street food consisting of a light broth, rice noodles, chicken or beef (though you can often get vegetarian and seafood options), with vegetables.

The pho offerings at Pho Viet share the same light stock, and you add beef (€8.50), chicken (€8.50) or prawns (€10.50).

The beef is a hearty option, with a choice of four cuts of meat (you choose three, or all four for an extra €1). They include slices of brisket, rare sirloin steak, flank steak or meat balls. The meat balls are small, dense and firm, nothing like their Italian namesake, while the brisket has been slow roasted and is melt-in-the- mouth. The flank can be tough, but the sirloin is a good option.

Each bowl comes with a plate of extras, such as mint leaves, lemon wedges, extra chillis, bean sprouts and coriander, and you mix until you’ve found the taste that suits you best.

Banh Cuon (€7.50) a Vietnamese pancake made with rice flour is filled with prawn, pork and mushrooms and then fried like a crepe. For a burst of fresh, crunchy goodness, try the Goi cuon (€4 for two) a healthier version of spring rolls, transparent rice paper roll served cold stuffed with chilled prawn, pork, vermicelli noodles, mint and veggies and served with a tangy dipping sauce.

The chicken wings (€7) are potent and very tasty – a liberal dose of tamarind in the sauce sets them apart from the better known American chicken wings.