Vermicelli Combo @ Pho Tien Thanh

October 3rd, 2009 by kateD

Review Series: Best Vermicelli On The West Side

Ossington has exploded in the last year: posh new restaurants and bars open weekly, and half the places you wander into are so fresh that your cocktail comes with a side of drywall dust. Gentrification is in the air, but so far Pho Tien Thanh still looks like the restaurant that time forgot. The lighting is fluorescent, an A/C unit takes pride of place above the door, the bathroom layouts are… unconventional. Luckily, you are here for the food, not the décor. And, as the busy lunchtime crowd attests, the food more than makes up for the lack of ambience. Local business people and office workers drop in for take out, families enjoy lunch together, hipsters take a welcome break from cruising the trendy shops and galleries.

Street view of Tien Thanh on Ossington

Vermicelli Combo @ Pho Phuong

September 25th, 2009 by kateD

Review Series: Best Vermicelli On The West Side

In the coming weeks, we’ll explore the Vietnamese restaurants of Toronto’s Downtown West End, seeking out the best Vermicelli combinations. Often overshadowed by the ragingly popular Pho, Vermicelli really should be a contender for the greatest noodle dish. In a typical vermicelli combo, various grilled meats, fresh herbs and vegetables, are arranged on top of thin vermicelli noodles. The diner then mixes the toppings into the noodles, dressing them with Nuoc cham (dipping sauce composed of fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and chili) to taste, making this a deliciously creative dish to eat.