Phobidden Fruit, a new eatery comes close to authentic far as Vietnamese food is concerned and it doesn't burn a hole in your pockets either

Phobidden Fruit, a new eatery comes close to authentic far as Vietnamese food is concerned and it doesn't burn a hole in your pockets either

On a sunny Christmas afternoon, what started out as a search for a traditional yuletide feast ended in quite a different lunch experience. We came across the discreet board on 12th main in Indiranagar that said Phobidden Fruit, Vietnamese Kitchen. The only option in Vietnamese food in town till now was the frightfully expensive Blue Ginger, so it was with a dance in our step that we stepped into this new eatery.u00a0

Phobidden Fruit
Food: authentic
Service: quick
Ambience: quaint

Phobidden Fruit is located on the ground as well as the first floor which is a partially covered terrace. Forget ground floor, head straight to the first floor which is perfect for a lazy winter brunch. Loads of greenery, dark wood furniture line this longish space with patches of sunlight thrown in.

We started our meal with the trademark Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Rs 120) and hot coffee (Rs 85). The cold coffee arrived in a tall glass with lots of ice but was a departure from the traditional way of serving iced coffee in Vietnam.

Vietnamese coffee is strong, dark and often bitter and is best had with a spoonful of condensed milk and strained through a coffee press into a glass full of ice. The iced coffee was quite regular and so was the hot one. While we were sipping on our coffee, our starters arrived in the form of Fresh Spring Rolls stuffed with prawns (Rs 225) and Can Tho Clams (Rs 180). The Spring Rolls arrived completely put together for us.

In Vietnam, you are usually left to your own devices in putting together the spring roll yourself. Rice paper, stuffing, spring onions, sprouts, noodles, etc are served and you have to roll up the spring roll and eat it.

But the taste of the spring rolls made us forget about the do it yourself bit. Stuffed with steamed prawns and garnished with crisp caramelised onions and crushed roasted peanuts, these rolls were heaven when dipped into the tangy dipping sauce or nuoc mam made out of fish sauce, sugar, salt, freshly squeezed lime juice, garlic and Thai bird chillies. There was a burst of flavours in our mouth with the heat from the chilli being balanced out by the lime and the pungency of the fish sauce.

The steamed clams were tender and tasted of minerals and instantly transported our tongues into a chilli tanginess when dipped in the nuoc mam. We chose to go with Vietnam's most popular round the clock meal Pho Bo or Beef Pho (Rs 290) for our mains.

A huge bowl full of soupy goodness arrived on our table along with a plateful of condiments and garnishes as accompaniment. This flat noodle broth (made out of beef stock) came with slices of beef, lots of basil, coriander and red chillies and was flavoured with star anise, burnt ginger and cloves. The pho was the perfect broth to consume on a chilly day and opened our clogged noses in no time.

The dash of lime juice added its own flavours to the meal. We also gave it our seal of approval as it was quite authentic to the street pho this reviewer's had in Vietnam.

The highlight of au00a0 Vietnamese meal in general and the meal here is that you can consume all you want but you will not be left with a queasy tummy because its mostly steamed food with lots of fresh herbs and the goodness of star anise. We are definitely making a trip back soon.

At: Phobidden Fruit, Vietnamese Kitchen, 965, 12th main, HAL Stage II, Indiranagar
Call: 41255175
Meal for two: Rs 1,100
Phobidden Fruit didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals.u00a0