Sông Quê - Phở Bar

While the original Sông Quê on Kingsland Road is a sprawling canteen, this Commercial Street location shifts the focus to a specific family ambition: a dedicated phở bar with a serious cocktail program. The family opened this second site as a tribute to their late father, creating a space that splits over two floors. Street level carries a lively energy, while the downstairs dining room offers a quieter, more enclosed setting. The pace here is slower than the usual quick-turnover noodle shop, encouraging diners to settle in rather than eat and run. The kitchen operates on instinct and taste rather than rigid recipes, a method honed over twenty years of business. The menu relies on the broth, simmered for hours and served in deep bowls of Phở Tài where rare beef finishes cooking in the heat of the liquid. Alongside the soup, tables fill with plates of summer rolls and grilled lamb chops. What distinguishes this outpost is the drink selection. The bar integrates Vietnamese ingredients into heavy-hitting classics, turning out Pandan Chocolate Negronis and Vietnamese Coffee Old Fashioneds. It is a shift that changes how the space is used, making it viable for a late-night drink just as much as a full meal. Lunch specials bring in a midday crowd, but the dim lighting and cocktail list generally push the rhythm toward evening dates and social dinners.