Life’s busy for Mick and Huong Nguyen, raising their little boy Sebastian and running their authentic Vietnamese food truck. Photo: Glenbernie Orchard.
Who are you?
I’m Michael (Mick) Nguyen, and I run Pho King Delicious with my wife, Huong. We started the business about two years ago.
I used to be a jeweller and had a business in Warilla Grove, but closed that eight years ago and went travelling. About a month before I was meant to fly out from Vietnam, I met Huong. COVID had just hit, and my flight was cancelled five times before I got stuck for two years. That meant we got to know each other more, and eventually we moved in together.
We knew we’d move to Australia once the pandemic allowed, and started thinking about how we could make a living there. Huong was a tailor by trade and made clothes for high-end labels, but we both had such a passion for food, we decided we would start a food-based business. We started experimenting with recipes and so, before we had even moved, we had come up with our menu.
We moved to Australia in 2021, and in 2023, we launched Pho King Delicious.
Pho used to be the signature dish at Pho King Delicious, but has been recently bumped for the banh xeo. Photo: Pho King Delicious.
What is Pho King Delicious, and how did it begin?
Pho King Delicious is a food truck serving Vietnamese street food with a focus on authenticity. We’re all about bringing the authentic flavours of our heritage to Wollongong.
How should food be enjoyed at Pho King Delicious?
Traditionally, Vietnamese food is often enjoyed with a beer, which is perfect for my model. I normally set up at breweries and private events, so our food can be enjoyed in a convivial atmosphere with friends and family. We sell individual dishes but also share plates.
Who is your biggest culinary influence?
My mum. She’s been in the food industry for nearly 50 years — so basically all her life. She used to have a Vietnamese restaurant and then went into the fish and chip business.
What’s the signature dish on your menu?
It used to be our pho, but last year we introduced banh xeo, a Vietnamese savoury pancake. That’s been our number one seller since. We stuff it with lemongrass pork and prawns, and serve it with a side salad, with pickled carrots, Vietnamese herbs and a sweet fish sauce dressing.
What’s your personal favourite item on the menu?
It’s probably the ban xeo, but I would encourage customers to try our bao buns, too. Our bao buns are made in-house, which is pretty rare. For the uninitiated, it’s like a soft taco. You can tell we make ours in-house because of how pillowy-soft, light and fluffy they are. Store-bought bao buns tend to be more dense and sweet.
You can have five different filling options for your bao buns: barbecue pork, satay chicken, fried tofu — which we also make in-house — or vegetarian and pork spring rolls.
What are your top tips for at-home cooks — the tricks you use at home to make things yummy?
Experiment, and don’t be afraid to fail. I’ve failed many times in the kitchen; it’s a learning curve, and you keep going. I’m still learning. I don’t think it’ll matter how long I’m in this industry, I’ll keep learning every day.
Are there any Illawarra hospitality venues that have inspired you, are a go-to for weeknights or even special occasions?
There’s a new brewery called First Light Brewing Co. I think they can seat about 250 people, so the atmosphere can be pumping. The owners and staff are so friendly, it’s a beautiful brewery and “the place to be”.
The Pho King Delicious food truck pops up Wednesdays to Sundays for dinner and Saturdays and Sundays for lunch at various Illawarra venues — follow it on Facebook for updates.
