Chain restaurants once conjured up images of fast food behemoths or kitsch identikit diners. These days, not so much. Vietnamese chain Pho's restaurants all have their own head chef and personality, and its latest venture on Battersea Rise is a great weeknight dining spot. Start with a couple of the deep-fried starters – we opted for excellent tender fried baby squid (£6.50) and homemade pork and lemongrass meatballs (£6.25) before rich noodle platters and a giant, warming bowl of the spicy phở that lends the company its name (£7.95-£9.25). The chain may be growing, but there's no weak link in sight.
50-52 Battersea Rise, SW11 1EG; phocafe.co.uk
