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Restaurant Reviews

Our food and concept are amazing! But don't just take our word for it. Below's a selected list of food critic reviews and news features about Madame Nhu

Sydney Morning Herald

Huy Fong sriracha is almost impossible to find (2024)

The Sydney Morning Herald talks to Madame Nhu about the latest Huy Fong Siracha sauce crisis.

Gourmet Traveller

What's in a name? (2021)

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 Urban List

Soothe Your Isolated Soul With Sydney’s Best Pho (2020)

"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

ESPN

The "go to" dish for UFC champ Alex Volkanovski before every fight (ESPN, 2020)

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."

Cultural Pulse

Madame Nhu: Innovative Vietnamese comfort food steeped in family and tradition (2020)

"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...

SBS Food

The origin of pho chicken soup (2020)

"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 Daily Telegraph

Healthy Lunch Without Breaking the Bank (2019)

"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

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Two Thousand

The Most Super-duper Pho I've Had in Ages

"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

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Sydney Morning Herald

Top 10 Lunches for $10 or Less

"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

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TimeOut Magazine

Contender for the Best Inner-city Lunchtime Pho

"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

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The Daily Telegraph

Friendly Staff Dishing up Cheap, Tasty and Authentic Food

"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

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Good Food Guide Under 30

Good Food Guide, Under 30

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

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The Daily Telegraph

Sydney's Best 25 Lunches

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

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Sydney Morning Herald

Kylie Kwong's Guide to Asian Food Halls

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

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Broadsheet

Some of the Best Pho in Sydney

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

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Urbanlist

20 of Sydney's Best Healthy Dinners

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

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Concrete Playground

The 10 Best CBD Lunches

"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)

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Urban Society

"We're Just a Little Obsessed"

"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."

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Concrete Playground

Sit in and Drink Up

"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."

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