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There isn’t too much to say about southern Vietnamese pho in Sydney that hasn’t already been documented, analysed and argued. Few dishes are more comforting than a deep bowl of this shimmering, all-weather noodle soup with its clamour of star anise, cloves and cardamom.

Add bean sprouts, Thai basil and lime to taste; swish floppy swatches of beef through hoisin and hot sauce. Whether the best pho is at Bankstown’s An Restaurant, Got Pho in Carlingford or Pho Lam in Canley Heights (or dozens of other contenders) is a contentious topic I dare not wade into here.

I’d guess that 95 per cent of Sydney pho shops specialise in this spice-heavy, Saigon-style pho with its sprightly garnishes, largely due to post-war migration from Vietnam’s south. So when a new eatery championing northern Vietnamese cooking opens in the CBD, it’s a good reason to hop on a train and alight at Wynyard.

Owner David Truong opened An An (which means “eat eat”) in October. It’s an uncluttered, bricks-and-timber space with outdoor seating for larger groups and a menu pitching itself as “the most authentic northern Vietnamese cuisine in Sydney”. This means bun cha (meatballs with vermicelli), cha nem (deeply bronzed pork and prawn spring rolls) and pho cuon (lettuce and stir-fried beef rolled in thick noodle sheets).

A quick lunch can become a minor event if you order the brisket pho set.

It also means no basil, sprouts or Sriracha with your soup, which I overhear staff explain to several customers inquiring about the lack of fixings (“Excuse me, I think you forgot the mung beans”). Truong might consider printing signs similar to the ones tacked to the walls at Marrickville’s Pho Viet Xua 1919. “Dear customers, our pho is different to southern-style pho. We enjoy it with toppings like pickled garlic or fish sauce. Thank you for your kind understanding.”

Northern pho is more austere and savoury than its sweet and heady southern cousin, the beef and bone flavours more defined. It’s spring onion-loaded at An An, as tradition dictates, and available with beef options, including wok-fried, rare and intimidating short rib. A quick lunch can become a minor event if you order the brisket pho set, served with a wobbly poached egg and golden-fried quay (a type of crunchy bread stick similar to China’s youtiao). Thin-sliced garlic steeped in white vinegar sits on every table, waiting to slingshot the soup’s flavour into orbit.

But as invigorating as An An’s pho is, I like its bun cha even more. Fat pork patties (gently grilled, tremendously juicy) come with a sweet-sour, fish-saucy broth, rice noodles and some of the perkiest leaves I’ve ever seen. Order the bun cha set to get two shatteringly crisp spring rolls on the side. Bulking up the menu is a super-crisp, prawn- and sprout-filled banh xeo. The turmeric-yellow pancake is arguably of central Vietnamese origins, but it’s also inarguably delicious.

Sticky lemongrass and brown sugar-marinated pork skewers are exactly what you want to eat on a warm autumn evening, as is the grilled chicken vermicelli salad. Vietnamese coffee tiramisu sounds great, but it’s been sold out both times I’ve asked. Staff are invariably friendly and happy to guide new customers through the no-basil-sprigs policy (although it can require persistence to flag someone down if you want another kumquat iced tea).

Truong says he’s still waiting for his licence to be approved to sell booze. Liquor & Gaming NSW, please make haste. The only thing that could make An An’s Hanoi-style cooking even better is a tall glass of Bia Hanoi lager.