Jacob's Vietnamese Place — Restaurant in Sydney

This is a new bahn mi and pho spot that’s just opened up in the beleaguered corner location at Hercules and Liverpool right across from Ashfield Mall. (I say this because a few previous businesses have opened and quickly closed within the past year or so.) I am hoping Jacob’s is here to stay. The interior itself received a fresh coat of paint and some new decor. It’s a prime location here in Ashfield and seems to be well received by the neighbourhood.

We came on a weekday afternoon around 1pm and there was a line out the door of other folks getting takeaway bahn mi for lunch. We got a grilled pork bahn mi and a salad roll for the vegetarian in my group. We paid $16 for our 2 sandwiches. Order at the counter and seat yourself.

Now let’s get into the food and ratings:

Overall rating: 3.5/5, however I will round it to 4/5 as they are new and I see room for improvement. I want this place to succeed!

🥖 Bread: 2/5, definitely room for improvement here. I noticed earlier this week there was a different batch of bread, today’s was different. It was somewhat crunchy but still had that chewy, day-old kind of bite to it. I think they are still working out some kinks with the bread production here. Give it time.

🐷 Meat: 4/5, I got grilled pork and it was very flavourful and juicy. This saved the sandwich for me.

🥗 Salad & Toppings: 2/5, Unfortunately the toppings on the sandwich itself left something to be desired. It was just carrots and coriander on my sandwich, and the salad roll we ordered had carrot + iceberg + coriander. I felt the sandwich was missing cucumber and green onion, as is present on many other bahn mi. Not sure if there was a lot of pate on my sandwich but it seemed fairly minimal overall.

👨‍🍳 Ambiance and Service: 3.5/5. I could tell they were super busy today and the kitchen was struggling a bit to keep up, but it was also super busy during lunch hour, and they are still finding their groove. They had carafes of HOT tea out on each table, with the tiny cups, and this was very welcome to see. I just wish there was a trash bin so we could toss our own rubbish, as I noticed there was a bunch of rubbish left behind from other customers.

Anyway, this place has some room for improvement but I want them to succeed! So I have rounded my score from 3 stars to 4 stars. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of meat + hot tea on the table. The bread and salad quality just needs to match what we can find elsewhere and this place would be five stars. I will come back in a few weeks and see how it’s...

Review for Pho Real – A Vietnamese Culinary Adventure

If you’re looking for a place to experience the true meaning of "Pho-get about it," then Pho Real is the spot for you. This unassuming little Vietnamese joint has turned my life—and my taste buds—upside down in the best possible way.

First off, the pho here? It’s like a warm hug from your grandma, if your grandma was a five-star chef with a secret family recipe. The broth is so rich and flavorful, I’m convinced they’ve been simmering it since the dawn of time. It’s like liquid gold, but better because it's in a bowl and you can eat it with noodles and meat instead of a spoon (though, let's be real, I did try to drink it straight from the bowl, no shame).

The spring rolls? Chef's kiss. The crispy ones practically leap off the plate and into your mouth. They’re so good, I considered hiding them from my tablemates like a child with a cookie, but then I remembered I’m an adult… and adults share. Sometimes.

The Banh Mi is a taste explosion. The bread is so perfectly crunchy, it might just be a life-changing experience. There’s some sort of magical ratio between meat, veggies, and that divine sauce that makes each bite feel like a blessing from the Vietnamese food gods. I think I may have actually whispered "thank you" to the sandwich before devouring it.

The service? Quick, friendly, and willing to put up with my multiple “Are you sure I can't order one of everything?” questions. They were patient with me, and I’m pretty sure the waiter was silently judging me for the amount of sriracha I put on my pho. But I respect his silence. He’s a true professional.

So, if you’re in the mood for Vietnamese food that will make you reconsider all other cuisines in your life, head to Pho Real. Your taste buds will thank you. Your waistband might complain, but they’ll...

I’m just wondering of this is still Jacob’s or owned by Cafe corner now coz the receipt says cafe corner. I will start by saying the Jacob’s where I used to buy Crispy Pork Banh Mi was great! It was full of vegetables and the crispy pork was always newly cooked but this time it was not the same as before. The staff needs to be trained especially the young lady in the counter, she just got my money for the banh mi and did not ask what I want in there even if i want chili or not. Anyways I waited for a while as I was asked to sit down (more than 10 mins) only to be given the wrong order. I checked what they gave me and the banh mi looks terrible ( no vegetables) for the normal pork roll. I said I ordered Crispy Pork Rolll and already paid $20 for 2 crispy pork roll) and when they gave me my order I was soooo disappointed as I was expecting the high quality from the old Jacob’s . I will post the picture here and tell me if this is worth $10. Also to the young lady in the counter who got my order, a simple sorry would be okay but you did not even want to look at me and tried to ignore as if you did not know anything. The new staff needs training and just a suggestion to be organised like the old people and workers at Jacob’s....