Into the City

Eight things to look forward to, including an exciting new Asian canteen with a difference.

The name is a play on the Vietnamese soup meal ‘pho’ and could also mean come and go (va po) in Tamil. Pop colours, anime on the walls, art on a tuk tuk, board games, Va Pho has everything to make it the city’s first ‘fun’ dining restaurant. There are small private dining rooms if you want a more intimate meal. An Asian canteen with a difference, the menu (a fold over mock newspaper) features a mix of classics from South East Asian countries and some experimental ones inspired by them.

The summer cocktail Bangkok Mojito, with muddled basil and ginger, is a must-try. The slow-cooked pho is bursting with flavours from the broth and topped with chunks of meat. Here, you pour the broth over a mix of toppings instead of the other way round and the portions are mug-sized so it doesn’t make up your whole meal. The Va Pho prawns cooked in sambal are delicate and fresh. Also worth a try is the BBQ Chicken Bao, which took several trials, admits chef Ram Kumar, before it came to be its perfectly fluffy self. Before you head out, tuck into the Tender Coconut Ice Cream Stick that is undoubtedly the best of the experiments here. AT Va Pho, 73, Cathedral Road, Gopalapuram

TEL 48566555 MEAL FOR TWO Rs 1,500