Ido Kitchen

Theo Do cooks the beef stock for his pho for up to 44 hours. That tells you a lot of what you need to know about his restaurant, which dishes up some of the city's brightest modern Vietnamese. A refugee's son, Do was working in the tax office in Canberra when the urge to cook struck. He learnt some of his cheffy moves from former business partner, iconic chef Greg Brown. Silk hanging lanterns, linen napkins, bentwoods and a banquette make a handsome setting for his food, vibrant with fresh herbs. Though upbeat, service can vary. Familiar favourites like sugarcane prawns and chicken salad crisp with cabbage and herbs are done well. But detours reward menu explorers with turmeric-marinated fish, slow-cooked pork with caramelised onion sauce, or soft chunks of beef braised with lemongrass and chilli. Stick around for elegant desserts - perhaps molten chocolate pudding, or a sphere of black-sesame icecream in coconut jelly, inspired by the street vendor's drinks of the chef's former homeland.