Tim L.
Yelp
In my quest for the perfect pho, I've found myself in cay tre... Not for the first time. I'm looking for my perfect bowl and I'll be fair, cay tre does come pretty close. In my pho reviewing career, probably the closest.
The pho is always perfectly cooked, it is smooth, but not overcooked. The toppings - whichever one you go for are also on point. My litmus test is usually the beef balls - I like it with some tendon and elasticity, the beef balls are great here!! The soup is flavourful and abundant, I just have to drink all the soup after a satisfying meal. So far so good.
So why four stars? Firstly, my generic frustration with London is why we charge extortionate fees for bowls of soup noodles. I'm sure this resonates with most. I understand the margins and so forth, but let's admit it, the bull of your pm should come from drinks. Leave the food alone. Anyway, secondly, pho would probably tip the 5 star mark alone, a bit more herbs and bean sprouts on my herb plate is really all I ask. Lastly, the sides that I've had are a bit hit and miss. I personally prefer the summer rolls in city caphe over the summer rolls at cay tre. They skimped on the vermicelli and meat and overdid the herbs. I ain't no herbivore. Having said that, I've had this wonderful 'piggy aubergine' in old st cay tre which was deliciously meaty and vinegary. Yum.
I do like cay tre and in a world of expensive pho and overcompensating (to the point of rude, you know who I'm talking about, Song Que) Vietnamese restaurants. For now, find me in Cay Tre.