3Q Quây Quần Quán distinguishes itself from the numerous other Vietnamese restaurants in Cabramatta serving phở, by serving theirs in a stone bowl, allowing you to cook your meat and noodles to your taste.
Located on Cabramatta Rd West, away from the main strip of restaurants on John St, the restaurant features a modern and stylish interior.
Bún Đặc Biệt – Phở Đá Bò Thưởng ($19.00), ‘beef noodle soup with stone bowl’.
The highlight of this dish was the soup. It had a deep, flavourful beef base with bright spiced notes and a balanced sweetness. We rarely drink all the broth in a bowl of phở, but we found ourselves unintentionally finishing this one, leaving the bowl almost empty. It was easily one of the best soups we’ve tasted and did not leave us feeling parched. The stone bowl was so hot that the soup was still boiling when it arrived at the table. The small strips of tripe and beef tendon balls made it easier to eat with the noodles.
The separate dish of noodles was topped with onions, coriander, and shallots. Beneath this garnish, was the beef, which was tender but the portion was small. We appreciated being able to cook the noodles and beef to our preferred doneness, as we often end up with overcooked rather than rare beef at other restaurants. The noodles could be added all at once to soften them, while the beef was dipped as we ate. The stone bowl kept the soup hot for the entire meal.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the phở at 3Q Quây Quần Quán. The somewhat postmodern presentation was not only visually appealing but also served a functional purpose. Each component was perfectly fresh and flavourful. We plan to return to try their regular phở to see if the stone bowl justifies the additional $2.00.
3Q Quây Quần Quán is located at 3/225 Cabramatta Rd W, Cabramatta NSW 2166.