Review Series: Best Vermicelli On The West Side
The strip of Bloor west between Ossington and Lansdowne is undeniably gritty; it is also a surprising and refreshing foodie destination. In a few short blocks you will find a huge variety of cheap and delicious foods from a United Nations of small, unpretentious (read slightly dingy) storefront restaurants: South Indian, Ethiopian, Greek, Persian, Mexican, Caribbean, Portuguese, and Vietnamese. But Pho My Duyen is no shabby storefront. Given the neighborhood, the décor is almost shockingly posh. What HGTV would refer to as ‘high-end finishes’ abound. Yet any concern that style reigns over substance here is dispelled with the first jasmine scented sip of premium tea. Throughout the meal, care and consideration reveals itself in myriad little ways: a paper umbrella in a drink, a spoon with a hooked end so it won’t fall into your soup when you rest it against the side of the bowl.
Surprisingly swanky interior at Pho My Duyen
The menu is exceptionally deep, offering exotic protein options seldom seen in other Toronto Vietnamese restaurants, like eel, frog legs, snail, and goat. Some items are pricey (the mango salad with snails rings in at a stiff $10.25), but the basics, like pho ($6.25 for a purportedly small bowl, actually the size of a generous medium elsewhere) are about average. But for me, as usual, it is the Vermicelli combos that beckon and I opt for B19 Char-grilled Shrimps on Vermicelli, $7.95.
Grilled Shrimp with Vermicelli
The bowl of noodles arrives looking gorgeous, topped with two bamboo skewers laden with shrimp and slices of bell pepper and onion. Shredded mint, beans sprouts, lettuce, cucumber, as well as crinkle cut pickled carrot and daikon are strewn on top like colourful confetti. Peanuts provide a salty, crunchy garnish. As promised, the shrimp have been char-grilled, perhaps a bit too aggressively. While fatty meats like pork and beef are excellent when charred, the same is not true of more delicate seafood. While the shrimp are not at all overdone or rubbery, some of grill marks taste slightly burnt. But the singeing is minor and doesn’t prevent the enjoyment of a dish that is otherwise bang-on. The skewers have been lightly dressed with a delicate sweet and sour sauce that lends a warm orange tone to the entire dish when it is tossed with the excellent nuoc cham. Pho My Duyen’s nuoc cham lacks the usual chili heat, but makes up for it with a salty-limey punch accented with lots of micro-shredded carrot. The vermicelli itself is perfectly prepared, each strand distinct and without a hint of mushiness. The only tiny quibble is that the shape of the steep sided bowl, while elegant, makes it hard to scoop out the last dregs of sauce and noodles, and believe me you’ll want to get every last morsel!
On a side note, while the location is a bit out of the way, Pho My Duyen could make a fun party venue, as they have private rooms available and offer a variety of Vietnamese fondues perfect for sharing.
Pho My Duyen
1208 Bloor st w
416-850-4993
Monday-Thursday 11am-10 pm
Friday-Sunday 11 am-11 pm
*Wheel chair accessible
Would love to be added to the list too!
The shrimps look delicious!
beautiful place. not too far from where i am too
i envy torontonians for their many options for viet restos. In Brantford we only have 3-4 places and i’m sure they don’t compare