Situated at the quieter end of Old Compton Street, The House of Hố is a restrained, Vietnamese-style restaurant that offers a culinary retreat from Soho’s usual fare. Once you step through its doors, a calm atmosphere descends like a soft towel. Maybe that’s a soppy way of putting it but you know what is meant: it’s not a noisy joint.
The décor and the food at The House of Hố gives a nod to Vietnamese culture – Bobby Chinn, the owner, earned his cheffing credentials when he opened a famously successful restaurant in Haigon -- but Kingsland Road this is not. A starter could be spicy salmon tartare with pistachio and shiso (£7) or smokey aubergine with crispy shallots and a warm scallion vinaigrette.($6). There are half a dozen what you might call main dishes but portions are not large and two people could easily work though three of four of them. My pal enjoyed apple-smoked pork belly with braised cabbage (£11) and described the rind as thin, with lots of fat, expertly cooked and with the meat moving apart effortlessly, though perhaps a little salty if you’re not accustomed to sodium chloride on your food. The monkfish cooked with lemongrass – the two go together harmoniously -- served with a fish caramel sauce (£12), comes shaped into little balls and this makes it ideal for sharing. Side dishes include the unfortunately phrased ‘Wok Tossed Morning Glory’ (£4) and stir-fried choyote (£4).
Desserts are labelled ‘Happy Endings’ on the menu but this is more an aspiration than actual achievement. After all, crème brûlée (£5.50) or an ice-cream trio (£4.50) are readily available at M&S, as is chocolate cake (£5.50), so something a tad more oriental would be nice at a restaurant ethnically-inclined towards south-east Asia.
The House of Hố is a new restaurant and some evolution in the desserts section will surely take place in due course. In the meantime, console yourself with one of the many after-dinner drinks that are available or a glass of a different type of wine. There are nearly half a dozen served by the glass, starting at £5.50 and moving up to an amazingly robust pinot noir from Australia (£8) christened ‘Cruel Mistress’. Wine starts at £21 (white) and £27 (red); cocktails average £8.
It is not difficult to select an enjoyable and tasty meal from the House of Hố’s menu but, given the small size of the dishes, a solo diner would spend too much exploring what is available. A couple will get by, but a group of three of four sharing everything would do proper justice to the eclectic range of food on offer.
Top tip: try to reserve the table under a mural that was discovered by the builders when renovating the building. Its significance is revealed by the plaque on the exterior wall, commemorating the site of a once-famous coffee bar and music venue..
