Looking for quality, quantity and value in Central London? Then look no further than this authentic Vietnamese joint, says Helena Lang.

Where is it?

This is the newest branch of the hugely popular Café East Pho and is situated on Bloomsbury Way, a busy thoroughfare that runs between Tottenham Court Road and Holborn. Convenient for shopping trips, post-work meals and theatre trips.

What's the place like?

This isn't a fancy-schmancy restaurant. It's causal, informal and efficient – somewhere for a bit of fun, some fabulous food and you can be as quick or slow as you like.

What did you eat and drink?

We quickly ordered some goi cuon, more familiar to Westerners as the ubiquitous Vietnamese starter summer rolls. These appeared in seconds and were beautifully presented and plump, full of crisp iceberg lettuce, shedded veg and sliced pink prawns. A great yellow bean sauce for dipping scattered with crisp peanuts provided the requisite stickiness and crunch.

Next came a bamboo platter piled high with crispy shell-on prawns – our lovely server Michelle insisted we could eat these whole, and she was right. The flavours of chilli and shredded lemongrass came through perfectly and they were the ideal finger food.

A favourite dish was the beef salad. Slivers of tender meat tossed with fresh coriander, more sliced red chilli and a glossy, dark sauce. Incredibly moreish and almost a meal in itself with a bowl of plain boiled rice.

Pho dac biet came next, which was a bowl laden with rice noodles, prawns, chicken and well-done marbled beef with a cup of beefy broth on the side to pour over. This was superb and hugely satisfying, generous and filling. A side order of ginger-laden broccoli was the perfect accompaniment.

We were far too stuffed for pudding, but Michelle persuaded us that we HAD to try the toffee banana. Chubby little cubes of fruit in a sticky, crunchy shell. And of course, irresistible. 

All of this was washed down with lashings of Tsing Tao beer. 

The verdict?

With theatre, cinema and gig prices climbing through the roof in Central London, it's wonderful to find somewhere to eat before – or after – that doesn't just serve reasonably priced food but does so with care and authenticity. This place deserves to be popular.