NỘI is the vision of husband and wife team Tân Nguyễn and Rachel Khoo. Photo: Supplied.
There are not too many things that bring me back to my hometown of Goulburn these days, but the promise of a deep, soulful bowl of Vietnamese pho (noodle soup) is the exception.
On a recent visit I found myself at the bottom of a bowl of wagyu beef pho at NỘI.
Having opened its doors in 2021, NỘI has been building a formidable reputation which has been recognised with two back-to-back Readers’ Choice Awards from the Australian Good Food Guide. The reason why their diners would vote for NỘI to win such an award is absolutely found at the bottom of that bowl of pho.
The secret to that pho, well, that’s held by head chef and owner Tân Nguyễn and his business partner and wife, Rachel Khoo (no, not the TV-famous Rachel Khoo). Their vision for the menu is to focus on bringing together high-quality ingredients into a fusion of modern takes on classic Vietnamese flavours and boy, have they nailed it.
The wagyu beef pho is on the higher end of the price bracket but worth it. Photo: Tenele Conway.
The menu is recognisable for fans of Vietnamese cuisine, yet the flavours and execution really take the cuisine up to 10.
Take the crackling pork bún, for example. This warm noodle salad could be a pleasant lunch bite, but in the hands of Tân, each detail has been thought through to create a perfectly balanced meal.
The noodles and salad are dialled right down to be a subtle entourage to the main star of the dish, the pork. The roasted pork itself is juicy, tender and so packed full of flavour that frankly, this could have been served with a side of cardboard and I wouldn’t have cared.
Looping back to the pho, the same delicate touch is employed here and the sweetly smoky broth is a delicate and harmonious meeting of flavours that never compete or overpower each other.
Showstopping roast pork in the crackling pork bún. Photo: Tenele Conway.
The artfully curated and carefully assembled dining room adds to the overall warmth of the offering and you can sense Tân and Rachel’s personality here – it’s like being invited into their living room, because of course they are this chic at home.
Golden origami paper cranes float around a matt black birdcage, custom art by local artist Robert Topic dons the walls, the subtle branding of the water glasses and the coffee accoutrements is sleek and effective without being too showy and the deep Chesterfield lounge surrounded by tropical foliage makes you want to nestle in with a Vietnamese coffee.
The space wouldn’t be out of place amongst the “aesthetic cafes” in central Saigon and whilst I ponder how and why the usage of the word “aesthetic” has morphed with Gen Z to simply mean “pretty”, I’m left with an unusual feeling of not being in Kansas anymore. This is not the Goulburn I left 20 years ago and I’m a little jealous.
The charming and eclectic decor sets NỘI apart. Photo: Supplied.
I would be remiss to move on without mentioning the prices; at $29 for what is a small bowl of pho, you would be hard-pressed to find a more expensive bowl of soup even in Canberra.
I have previously found myself balking at a $24 ramen at Dairy Road’s famous ramen joint, Canteen. But just like at Canteen, the price is justified and once you’ve had the soup, you’ll forget the price and be left with a lingering sense of fulfilment, like the soup gods shone on you this day and handed you redemption in the form of bovine liquid gold.
You also have the choice to not go for the premium pho and a classic pho is $22 for a bowl, which is more fitting with pho pricing across the board. The rest of the menu is at a similar price point to the classic pho and I will soon be making a beeline for their beef in betel leaf ($21) that was out of stock on the day of my visit and their whole marinated quail is a steal at $17.50.
NỘI is at 213-215 Auburn Street Goulburn and is open for lunch and dinner from Wednesday until Monday.
