The restaurant is named after Tran Le Xuân, also known as Madame Nhu, south Vietnam's de facto "first lady" to President Ngô Đình Diem from 1955 to 1963. She was a firebrand figure during the Vietnam war...

"The pretty space in the Level 3 food court [Madame Nhu Westfield Hornsby] is a great place to sit down... Grab three summer rolls for under 10 bucks and enjoy a healthy lunch without breaking the bank." Jun 2019

UFC champ Alex Volkanovski visited Madame Nhu to talk about his "go to" dish - pho noodle soup - before every fight and his then up-and-coming bout with UFC legend José Aldo in Brazil. "It's my thing ... after every weigh-in, that's my go-to now, that's my reload, every fight," Alex told ESPN. "Everyone knows I love my pho."

"The shining star of the restaurant is undoubtedly the slow-cooked pho noodle soups, created and developed by Chef Nhu herself, which have become a legend to regular Madame Nhu customers and the Sydney-Vietnamese community...

"Madame Nhu simmers both chicken and beef bones, adds ginger, star anise and cinnamon along with vegetables like carrots and celery to make pho gà."

"The pretty space in the Level 3 food court [Madame Nhu Westfield Hornsby] is a great place to sit down... Grab three summer rolls for under 10 bucks and enjoy a healthy lunch without breaking the bank." Jun 2019

"The food and booze ... is cheaper and far more delicious than most of the modern Vietnamese tuckshop empires that have opened recently... The menu includes summer goi cuon summer rolls, baby banh mi, salads and then the most super duper pho I've had in ages." - Marissa Shirbin

"Restaurant-quality Vietnamese at food court prices: An eatery by the team behind top-notch Surry Hills restaurant Xage, the small, licensed seating area makes a sweet escape from the rest of the food court. A tenner can buy a range of tasty dishes..." - Sydney Morning Herald

"Definitely a contender for the crown of best inner-city lunchtime pho... Madame Nhu is a blessing for city workers and just the ticket for fresh summer snacking." - Time Out Sydney, 12/11

"I've yet to see a busier kitchen than Madame Nhu's where, on a wet Tuesday, seven chefs in a tiny space accommodated an onslaught of lunchtime diners... Verdict: Friendly staff dishing up cheap, tasty and authentic street food." - Daily Telegraph, 10/12/11

"Suave, sophisticated, seductive... Surry Hills' best-kept secret (for now anyway)" (Surry Hills) - 2014 edition

Sydney's Best 25 lunches for $25 & under - "Madame Nhu: Hot, quick and delicious — pho ticks all the boxes when it comes to lunch" Daily Telegraph 14/10/14

Madame Nhu listed among Kylie Kwong's guide to Asian food halls in Sydney - Sydney Morning Herald

"[Madame Nhu] serves some of the best pho in Sydney – no easy feat considering the vast number of contenders."

"Legendary pho, with toppings like tiger prawn, Maryland chicken, grass-fed brisket or roasted duck, will nourish your insides." Urban List, Nov 2014

"For a cheap, fast lunch that doesn't compromise on flavour or style... The signature dac biet pho features three styles of beef and mountains of deliciously slipperly rice noodles in a flavoursome beef broth." (Nov 2013)

"We’re having a love affair with Madame Nhu’s indoor/outdoor design, which transports you to 1950s and 1960s Saigon. ... These guys are known for their Pho Noodle Soup and, of course, their Summer Rolls (rice paper rolls). Both are offered at lunchtime, and we’re just a little obsessed."

"Opening across from Bar H on a corner in Surry Hills, Madame Nhu has a permanent pop-up bar look, the Viet version of El Loco. Sit in and drink up seems to be the message."