This is Phú Quốc, a Vietnamese casual dining venue focused on traditional Vietnamese comfort food. The menu centres on vermicelli salads, phở and other noodle dishes, with a broader selection of Vietnamese and Chinese-style dishes.
2024
Parts of the internet claimed that Phú Quốc in Cabramatta had the best spring rolls in Sydney. Despite often walking past Phú Quốc on weekends and feeling sceptical due to its predominantly Anglo-Saxon customer base, unlike many other local restaurants frequented by Vietnamese patrons, we were keen to test the claim, having not yet found spring rolls better than those made by D’s mother.
Bún Đặc Biệt ($19.50) — combination vermicelli salad
Generously drizzled with the accompanying nước chấm, the dish provided a broad selection of the menu’s components, including chạo tôm (sugar cane shrimp), chả giò (spring rolls), thịt nướng (lemongrass pork), thịt bò lá lốt (betel leaf beef) and nem nướng (grilled pork sausage).
The spring roll was tightly wrapped in crisp rice paper and densely packed with a generous mixture of pork, carrots and glass noodles. It was among the better spring rolls we had tried in Sydney, although D’s mother’s version remained preferable for its juicier pork mixture and added crunch from water chestnuts. The lemongrass pork, betel leaf beef and grilled pork sausage were tender and well seasoned, while the salad provided a generous range of fresh textures.
The unexpected highlight was the sugar cane shrimp, which was light, freshly fried and springy in texture. Before this, the appeal of sugar cane prawn had not been fully appreciated, but this dish changed that, making it the component worth returning for.
Bún Chạo Tôm ($18.00) — sugar cane shrimp vermicelli salad
The sugar cane shrimp retained the same satisfying texture and flavour when ordered on its own. However, there was not enough salad or meat to balance the large quantity of vermicelli for our preference. The depth of the bowl meant that many of the final bites consisted primarily of vermicelli with minimal salad.
Phở Đặc Biệt ($18.00)
The phở had a more flavourful broth than the version at Phở Tàu Bay, with a sweeter and richer beef profile that better suited our tastes. It remained slightly weak on the spices compared with our favourite at 3Q Quây Quần Quán. The noodles were silky smooth, although slightly softer than preferred. The selection of beef was tender but lacked the wider range of cuts available at Phở Tàu Bay, reflected in the smaller portion and correspondingly lower price.
Pandan Tea (complimentary)
We enjoy the complimentary pandan green tea often served at Vietnamese restaurants in Cabramatta.
2026
Bún Chạo Tôm ($21.00) — sugar cane shrimp vermicelli salad
The sugar cane shrimp remained delicious, with the same satisfying texture and flavour when ordered again on its own. The overall ratio seemed more harmonious this time, although the dish did not appear particularly different. The sugar cane shrimp remained reason enough to order the dish again, while the fresh, light structure suited a warm day.
Hủ Tiếu Xào Đồ Biển ($24.00) — stir-fried seafood, chicken and wide rice noodles
The dish resembled a Vietnamese interpretation of wonton hor or har gow fun, with wide rice noodles stir-fried alongside chicken thigh, shrimp, fish, cuttlefish and bok choy. Some sections of the noodles were slightly charred, although this contributed to a good wok hei character through the dish.
There was surprisingly more protein than noodles, with the chicken, seafood and bok choy providing enough substance for most bites rather than leaving the dish dominated by noodles. The gravy was savoury and well integrated with the wok hei, giving the dish a strong combination of sauce, char and protein. Good and worth ordering again.
Overall, Phú Quốc was defined by fresh Vietnamese flavours, generous protein in its mixed dishes and particularly strong execution of its sugar cane shrimp. While the spring rolls were among the better versions tried in Sydney, they did not displace D’s mother’s version, whereas the chạo tôm provided a more distinctive reason to return. The extensive menu warrants further exploration beyond the dishes already tried.
Phú Quốc is located at 11/117 John St, Cabramatta NSW 2166.