Marrickville is nothing short of a pho-lover’s theme park,but on a stretch of Illawarra Road where you can’t throw a crusty roll without hitting an excellent banh mi shop,VN Street Food stands out for its cracking northern Vietnamese cooking and obscenely well-priced meal sets.

Your compact lunch is in delicious hands with the bento box,a customised five-in-one medley of stir-fried vegetables,salad,rice,soup and choice of fish or meat (for the latter,unctuous and caramel-sweet braised pork belly doesn’t miss).

Decor strikes a charming blend of kitsch and old Vietnam,with Hanoi-style French shutters and faux exposed brick. Outside,find patrons on tiny stools hunching over steaming bowls of northern-style pho and slices of smoky bun cha pork doused in sweet,tangy broth.

It’s homely dining that feels far from home.