I came here to try the phở (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) and left on a high note after tasting the bánh canh cua chạo tôm (Vietnamese thick crab noodle soup with grilled prawn paste).
The phở đặc biệt (Vietnamese special beef noodle soup, $9) here is a sizable bowl of fragrant broth laden with beef balls, tendons, tripe and rare beef slices. It’s not the best we’ve ever had but stacks up above average.

Pho dac biet - Vietnamese special beef noodle soup at Hoang Gia in Flemington

Pho tai (Vietnamese rare beef noodle soup) at Hoang Gia, Flemington

Meanwhile as the boys get their phở fix, my sister and I get the bánh canh cua chạo tôm (Vietnamese thick crab noodle soup with grilled prawn paste, $10). Thick starchy noodles made from rice and tapioca flour are interlaced with flakes of crab meat in a tasty rich soup. The noodles are slightly chewy with a lovely bite and the addition of the grilled prawn paste is divine. The chạo tôm (grilled prawn paste) has of course been wrapped around sugar cane and grilled, so it complements the noodle soup with a gorgeous natural sweetness and highlights the magnificent aromas of shellfish.
The garnish of fried and fresh shallots and coriander offers cut through and it is even tastier with a spoonful of fresh cut chillis.

Hoang Gia, Flemington - banh canh cua chao tom - Vietnamese thick rice/tapioca noodles with crab meat and prawn paste

Noodle soups FTW!

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Hoang Gia
2/98 The Crescent, Flemington NSW
Phone: (02) 9746 0166
Hoang Gia on Urbanspoon

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Jennifer Lam
http://jenniferlam.com
Jennifer is the founding blogger of I Ate My Way Through (originally, Jenius.com.au). Growing up in the multicultural melting pot of Sydney’s Inner West as a second generation Australian (of Vietnamese refugee parents of Teochew Chinese ancestry), Jen has always had a deep curiosity about global cuisines, culinary heritage and the cultural assimilation of immigrants. For Jen and her family, food is always at the centre of all celebrations, life events and milestones. A lover of the finer things in life, as well as cheap eats, her blogging ethos is all about empowering and inspiring people to expand their culinary repertoire. When not running her two companies (she is also the Managing Director of The Bamboo Garden online marketing agency), Jen can be found exploring old-world charms at vintage markets and delving into local eats around the world. She has a weakness for fried chicken.

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  • Wow the colour of that soup is amazing! Will def have to remember to order that one day.

  • Jen

    Mmm… so many more other noodle soup variations to recommend to you! Have you ever tried the bún riêu? It’s a tomato & crab based broth which is eaten with vermicelli and shrimp paste. Haven’t tried that dish here but it’s my ‘other’ favourite noodle soup to order, apart from this bánh canh and pho!

  • Oooh crab soup! That looks thick and delightful!