One of the things I miss the most about Brisbane is the food. At any moment you can decide on which nationality’s food you would like to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I think for both of us the quick mission to Inala from West End was something we use to enjoy often. Occasionally stopping at Darra to get bahn mi (Vietnamese pork rolls) for a snack for later.

Tan Thanh is our favourite place to go for pho, with the fact we think it is the best pho in Brisbane. A 20 minute drive to slurp down a bowl of pho in 15 minutes to return home in just over an hour. Satisfied with our full bellies, we return home to digest on the couch. This was definitely a Saturday morning routine we miss. Minus the hangovers.

Located on the outside of the Inala shopping centre, it has plenty of parking at night, though during the day you will have to park around near the Library. I have dragged many people to this place to experience the best pho. The fact it sits opposite a parole office and a bottle shop next door. What a great story, you can say you ate pho next to a parole office, right. I see the attraction, many don’t. If it was next to the toilet block – maybe then I would not find it charming. But then again I have sat in gutters to eat bowls of soup before that stink and who knows when the last time they were cleaned. Novelty wins.

Lunch was a bowl of pho for Roy. I see him struggle every time with ordering, due to so many other options to try. Then again, we keep coming back for the same bowl of pho every time. Beansprouts, basil, lemon and fresh chili come out with the steaming bowl. Additions of fish sauce, hoi sin, hot chili sauce and soy sauce are on the table ready for you to adjust the flavour to your own taste.

Today I opted for the crispy skin chicken noodle soup. Usually for me it is a toss-up between that or a bowl of BBQ pork and wonton soup. Ok, or maybe a bowl of pho, who am I fooling. The plate of chicken is always golden, and I swear covered in honey before cooking. The skin is something I just love, I can’t let it go in to the bowl of soup, as I like it crunchy. The meat goes in along with the bones. After the meat has absorbed some of the chicken broth, I break off a piece of meat and dunk it into a gingery dipping sauce.

BELOW: mmm little shrimpies in a bottle. Well personally I don’t think they look appetising, I do know that they are salty as the ocean. Roy wanted to buy some. Thank goodness we didn’t buy any.

ABOVE: Sweets at a hole-in-the-wall in the market square. We walked away with coloured snakes that tasted like coconut and most likely made out of rice flour. They were really good

BELOW: This truck was parked outside out the back of one of the shops. I love it, it looks like it has been burnt, with bags of flour in the back. Where else but Inala.

Not bad a lunch for under $25, with Roy ordering an iced Vietnamese coffee too. We will always go back again. Even if it is just for lunch, or even a quick shop in the market square for fruit, veggies, sauces, chinaware or sweets.

Tomorrow we are going to try our first bowl of pho on the Sunshine Coast. I look forward to sharing with you our new (fingers crossed) local Vietnamese Restaurant.

Do you have a food that is worth travelling for? How far do you go for it?

Tan Thanh Vietnamese

16/57 Corsair Avenue  Inala Queensland 4077
(07)3278 8883