Pho Kim
“I’m really running out of Pho-related puns.”
By now it feels like I have seen every Vietnamese restaurant in Gothenburg, but I am corrected every so often. Pho Kim was completely under the radar for me, but it’s a little café-ish type restaurant right at Drottningsgatan, blending into the street. The menu is small, but many options are clearly shown as vegan. That’s interesting, to say the least. How does it hold up?
Hidden in the small patch of Drottningsgatan where currently (November 2023) there is a lot of construction going on, you can find Pho Kim. A tiny place, but quite charming with it’s very Asian ambience. And I mean this in the most positive way possible.
The menu is your typical Vietnamese selection, but a bit smaller. You have Summer Rolls, Pho, Banh Mi and some Bun Chay (Rice Noodle sallad basically). All at a fair price point. The surprise: Many options are vegan and they even have three different vegan proteins, seitan, fried tofu and shredded tofu. A place that knows it’s vegan proteins!
We had Summer Rolls, pho and Banh Mi (at another occasion). The food comes rather quickly, but during a lunch rush it can take a little bit longer as the kitchen is small and some of the processes seem to be not super optimised.
The Summer Rolls are a bit on a smaller scale and are served with a vegan type fish sauce based on soy. Quite a nice touch to the authentic type of sauce. Taste-wise, they are alright. Nothing to blow you away, but considering I have eaten a lot worse by now, I am gladly coming back. Personal favourite: the seitan.
Pho was on an alright scale as well. Not your mind-blowing experience, but competent, tasteful and warming. It’s one of the better versions I have seen in Gothenburg, and that at a price point of 129 SEK. Kudos!
Finally, the Banh Mi. Well, it’s a baguette with more or less the same fillings as your typical Vietnamese plate. It’s good, but the baguette definitely had too much time in the oven.
So, overall, Pho Kim is a pleasant surprise. Cheap prices, nice and clean ambience, food is good (though not mind-blowing). Perfect for a quick lunch in the city, especially with -10% discount on the price during those hours. I’d come again!
Price:
Banh Mi: 99 SEK
Summer Rolls (2x): 85 SEK
Pho: 129 SEK
Bun Chay: 129 SEK
Lunch discount: -10% between 11:00 - 14:00
The Verdict
It seems I keep on finding more Vietnamese places in Gothenburg. Pho Kim, a bit hidden away in a side next to a lot of shopping, offers surprisingly many vegan options with three proteins (seitan, marinated fried tofu and marinated shredded tofu) at a fair price. The menu is rather small, but efficient. You will get your Summer Rolls, Pho and Banh Mi at least. During Lunch between 11:00 - 14:00 even at a -10% discount.
Quality-wise it’s good. Not mind-blowing, but the definitely among the better Vietnamese options. The Banh Mi can be a bit too crispy though, and the Pho portion can be sometimes a bit small. But in the end, Pho Kim is a good option for a quick lunch in the city and one of the better Vietnamese options. Especially considering they are so vegan friendly!
4/5 Leaves
Pro
Charming Asian ambience (brings me right back to my time living in South-East Asia)
A lot of vegan options
Nice personnel
Cheap prices, especially during lunch
Con
Not that many options in general (Banh Mi, Summer Rolls, Pho)
Portion sizes/quality during lunch can be a bit hit or miss
Location
Drottninggatan 61
Opening Hours
Mo-Sa: 11:00 - 21:00
Su: 11:00 - 19:00
