Cháo

Amazing lunch time option. The chargrilled chicken phở with chilly sauce is a wonderful combination of flavors and huge portion

Good lunchtime option, and they do tofu/​vegan choice for all their categories. Phở/​rice/​salad
Banh Mi (Vietnamese baguette) is freshly made when you order the tofu one, so a wait of 5 minutes.
The queue is fast moving, and is mainly a take out place, though there is space for 10 or so people to sit.

Go for lunch here at least twice a week — the chicken bun Cha is exceptional. So healthy and fresh.
Try and get here as early as possible as the queue goes out the door
Although beware they are clamping down on card payments minimum is £6 and the bun Cha is £5.50

Chao is one of my go-​to places in Whitecross Market. I can always rely on them for a comforting bowl of flavoursome congee on a chilly London day, or a decent bowl of phở. There is always a line out the door for good reason, because you can always rely on them. I’m a fan!

I miss this place! I love going for lunch there either for the bam mi or for their delicious phở or bbq pork rice. Very filling and great value for money. The staff is also very friendly. I also like the way they offer won ton/​dim sum toppings for their noodles. Very tasty. Perfect for lunches. If only they also open for the evening!

Hunting down food proved difficult during the Whitecross Market’s closing hour. Fortunately, Chao was still open and offering Banh Mi sandwiches at 4.30. I ordered the classic pork with fresh chillies. Those chillies and the cucumber I particularly enjoyed. Some of the pork I enjoyed, but some parts were dry. While I liked the sandwich, I found it lacking. I longed for the pickled vegetables I’m accustomed too. Between the bread and drier pork, I was overwhelmed with dryness.

There is this market on Whitecross Street near Moorgate/​Old Street which sells many a cuisine. Lineups are a regular occurrence, and are often met with… disappointment. The Indian stall has lineups down the street, but the food? Mediocre. Same goes with the Thai, the Jamaican, etc., etc. (there are exceptions, btw, ie., Italian can be good, roast meat sandwiches, turkish type wraps).
Walk slightly past the market and you come to Chao Kitchen. It can be really busy as well, but at least you’re waiting indoors, alongside those IN THE KNOW.
I’m a pretty well respected voice in the London-​has-​no-​good-​vietnamese-​food contingent, however, Chao Kitchen does a little bit to silence my otherwise bellowing cries.
Their BBQ lemongrass chicken bowl is pretty good, though best when they fresh grill the meat. They serve some rice, some chicken, and cover it with mint, coriander, and pickled vietnamese veggies (the kind that come in a bahn mi). Its really a nice fresh meal for about 5.50, and it’s usually pretty fast.

So I agree with the previous poster. The phở here is not very good — but I’ve yet to get decent phở anywhere in London, so I’m not surprised. But everything else is excellent. Especially their bbq pork vermicelli noodle salad and sandwich.

The servers here are really nice and helpful and it’s a nice clean place, they the food wasn’t very impressive and not worth the price. While leaving me full, my palate was not entertained. I got the Bun Bo Hue (beef) which had a nice spice (after I added sriacha) and the lime I added helped too, but I just wasn’t wow’d. And for £5.20 I know you can get better Vietnamese food in the area. Other things might be worth trying, but I’m not going back for soup.