Cafe East

Don’t let Café East’s location on a soulless retail park put you off, or you’ll miss some great Vietnamese food. Inside the large brick building is a brightly lit room of minimal design (white walls, reproduction designer furniture). Get your taste buds tingling with a starter of goi cuon: rice paper-wrapped ‘summer rolls’ packed with poached prawns, pork, vermicelli noodles, peanut sauce & fresh herbs. The most popular main dish, pho tai, features slices of rare beef & flat rice noodles gently steamed in deeply savoury broth, pepped up with herbs (mint, coriander, basil), lime wedges & fresh chilli. You’ll find chicken & prawn versions too, plus decent curries, rice & fried noodle dishes. There’s no alcohol licence, but the pho is so cleansing, you’ll want to stick to water.