[caption id="attachment_2777" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="That marvellous egg pho cuon"]

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A few years ago, I happened to be in an episode of Bobby Chinn's World Cafe Asia when he was filming in Chengdu: you can watch our antics here (small fee required to watch the video). Anyway, turns out he's opened a restaurant in London, and it was a lovely surprise to receive a phonecall out of the blue and an invitation to try some of the dishes at the House of Ho, opening this week in Soho, London...

The highlight was undoubtedly the Pho Cuon, a dreamy, ethereal parcel of rice pasta enclosing an egg cooked

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long and slow, in a very delicate broth, but we also loved the smokey aubergine with warm scallion vinaigrette, the shaking beef, the lemon grass monk fish in a caramel sauce, and the stir-fried egg choyote, which was very simple and utterly gorgeous.

House of Ho, 55-59 Old Compton Street, 0207 287 0770

[caption id="attachment_2782" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Apple-smoked pork belly, braised cabbage, egg"]

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