Vietnamese restaurant Pho 179 opens in Sunderland, here's what we thought of it

Rewind to a decade ago and it was difficult to find anything other than Italian and Indian restaurants or a chippy tea. Nothing wrong with any of those, but it’s great to have a choice of dishes from across the world, a variety which can only help to drive more footfall in the city centre.

Recently, Wearside has had its appetite whetted by more far flung flavours from some great new arrivals such as Mexico 70 and North, and now it’s time to delve into the fresh and fragrant dishes of Vietnam.

Filling a gap in the market for food from this corner of South East Asia is Pho 179, named after the noodle soup which is a signature dish of the country.

Blandford Street isn’t an obvious home for this new kid on the culinary block – but it works. The owners have made the most of the former jewellery unit which already had some nice granite features and its corner spot, at the junction with Waterloo Place, means it’s in a prime location when the new train station entrance opens this autumn.

We visited on a wet Friday night and managed to get a table without booking – but it’s already proving popular, so it’s best to book ahead to secure a spot.

It’s a vibrant restaurant with bright yellow walls, an inviting bar featuring the restaurant’s mascot of a noodle guzzling figure in a Nón lá hat and artworks that transport you to the heat of Hanoi without leaving Wearside.

Tables are well spaced out and ideal for date nights or families dining en masse.

Then, of course, there’s the menu which is not like any other in the city. Pho 179 certainly doesn’t shy away from its roots or water down the choices for the British palate – it’s authentically Vietnamese with its choices of rolls, soups, salads, seafood, stir fry dishes, rice dishes, tapioca dumplings, steamed rice pancakes and pho.

We started with summer rolls (£7.75) – a much lighter, fresher version of a spring roll with way more flavour.

Soft rice paper so thin it’s translucent enfolds a medley of prawns and vegetables, so fresh they could have been newly picked.

Our other starter of papaya salad (£10.99 with a choice of prawns) was also beautifully executed, a huge mound of salad punctuated with fragrant herbs, a zing of lime, a kick of chilli, the crunch of peanuts and punctuated with plenty of prawns – a great blend of texture and flavour which was, again, not as heavy as food can often be from other Asian countries.

You can tailor dishes with a choice of meats but Vietnamese food lends itself well to vegan diners, who are well catered for here.

For mains, I had the wok fried pho, with beef (£13.99).

It was a great-sized portion for the price, a satisfying heap of oodles of flat noodles with Asian greens and slivers of tender beef.

My friend had the signature Pho, a steaming bowl of spicy beef noodle soup worth burying your face in which had my mouth watering from across the table.

Drinks-wise, wine choices are limited, it’s not a wine bar in fairness, but we enjoyed our bottle of Chianti (£24), its rich dryness working well with our beef choices.

There’s a broader choice of spirits and cocktails, as well a soju if you’re after the buzz of a rice wine. You can also wash your dishes down with a Vietnamese pint, including Saigon Export and Hanoi, priced £4.50.

Service was super friendly and staff are keen as mustard for feedback as they get used to bringing something new to the city. They’ll also be expanding the menu to include other Vietnamese favourites, such as Banh mi, the Saigon sandwich that’s a hit on the streets of Vietnam.

What a refreshing and much welcome addition to Waterloo Place. You could go as far as calling it pho-nomenal.

::Pho 179, 15 Waterloo Place, is open Monday till Saturday: 10am - 10pm and Sunday: 10am - 9pm