Pho Tau Bay

There are quite a few diners clamouring for the mantle of Sydney's Best Pho but this humble eatery may be ahead by a star anise. It is that rich, sweet aniseed flavour that lingers after each slurp of the classic beef pho as you add fresh slices of bird's-eye chilli, Thai basil and fresh beansprouts to taste. Alternatively, try the chicken pho, so wonderfully homely it will ward off colds you haven't even caught yet. And they're not just soup experts: hearty fried rice served with a fried egg and crisp pork cutlet is fantastic, feeding a family with change from $30. Don't enter the 'best pho' debate without stopping here first.