Special Beef Noodle Soup @ Pho 88

October 27th, 2009 by Bill Killorn

Review Series: Chinatown Challenge

When I started investigating the various Pho restaurants in Chinatown for this review series I was worried about how I was going to be able to keep every post unique and interesting, it seemed challenging to me to write about the same dish without repeating myself. However, now that we are at the halfway point of this series I have learned that every restaurant, no matter how similar they may appear, offers something that is uniquely their own. Whether it be the size of the noodles, the decor of the dining room or the quality of service, each restaurant shines in its own way. This week I visited Pho 88 located at 270 Spadina and had a dining experience unlike any other I have had in this series.

The windows of Pho 88 are always filled with happy customers

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Tags: Chinatown Challenge, pho, pho 88, special beef noodle soup

Category: Chinatown Challenge, Restaurant Reviews in Toronto

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Hanoi Vermicelli @ Canh Buom

October 23rd, 2009 by kateD

Review Series: Best Vermicelli On The West Side

After 4 weeks of tasting bun in Toronto’s west-end Vietnamese restaurants, I thought I had hit my stride. Though quality, freshness and style varied to some degree in each place I visited, the formula was basically the same. I knew what to expect. Then I wandered into Canh Buom and got thrown a curve ball.

Outside Canh Buom on College.

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Tags: bun, Bun Cha Hanoi, vermicelli, vermicelli combo

Category: Best Vermicelli On the W. Side, Restaurant Reviews in Toronto

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Decadent and decent: Rolled Rice Crepes

October 18th, 2009 by Christina

Satisfied with Banh Cuon

You really can’t go wrong with this meal. It’s cheap, satisfying and it’s called Banh Cuon: the perfect midday nosh. Savory and delicate – pan fried minced pork and wood ear mushrooms scattered through translucent layers rice crepes are doused in nuoc mam (fish sauce). Mouthwatering just describing it… Read more.

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Tags: banh cuon, rice crepe, sausage, wood ear mushroom

Category: Can't Go Wrong With, Undiscovered Dishes

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Grilled Beef Spring Roll Vermicelli @ Kimbo

October 15th, 2009 by kateD

Review Series: Best Vermicelli On The West Side

If an award for strangest restaurant décor existed, Kimbo would be firmly in the running. This location clearly didn’t begin its commercial life as a Vietnamese restaurant. The massive dining room is decked out in a faux-Tudor style, with heavy wooden beams framing textured plaster walls, red carpeting, and huge wrought iron chandeliers that look like something Errol Flynn might have swung from while executing a swashbuckling escape. Overall the effect is of a mock-baronial castle, where cabbage rolls would look more at home on the table than salad rolls. Nonetheless, the menu is distinctly Vietnamese, specializing in bo 7 mon, or beef in 7 courses.

Crazy decor at Kimbo

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Tags: bun bo nuong, cha gio, grilled beef, Kimbo, spring roll, vermicelli, vermicelli combo

Category: Best Vermicelli On the W. Side, Restaurant Reviews in Toronto

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Ordering Vermicelli and Rice Combos – Part 2

October 14th, 2009 by Casey

Part 2: Rice Combos

Rice combinations work the same way as vermicelli and pho. You’ll get a basic plate of steamed white rice, which comes with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, pickled daikon, pickled carrots, and a bowl of fish sauce. You also get up to 7 different types of meats from which to build your combo.

		English	Vietnamese	Description	Texture	Taste
Rice Combos	Meats	B.B.Q. Pork/Beef/Chicken	Thit Nuong, Bo Nuong, Ga Nuong	marinated steak is barbequed, then cut into smaller pieces ready for consumption	toughness vary between the three, but still very tender	very savoury. hints of sweet and salt
		Shredded Pork	Bi	strings' of pork meat and pork skin mixed in rice powder	the meat is soft whereas the skin is a bit chewy	meat is unmarinated, but often the scent of rice powder dominates the taste buds
		Steamed Egg w Minced Pork	Cha Trung	comes in block form and could look like cheese	loosely packed ground meat	hints of sweetness and salt
		Jumbo Shrimp	Tom Cang Kho	jumbo shrimp sauteed in savoury sauce	softer than normal shrimps due to prolonged cooking	savoury, salty
		Fried Egg	Trung Op-la	sunny side up or easy over egg
	Veggies	Lettuce	Cai Xanh
		Tomatoes	Ca Chua
		Cucumber	Dua Leo
		Pickled Daikon	Dua Cai Trang	thin strips of "white radish"	less crunchier than regular daikon	hints of sourness
		Pickled Carrots	Dua Cai Do	thin strips of carrots	less crunchier than regular carrots	hints of sourness
		Oiled Scallions	Mo Hanh	chopped scallions cooked in oil	a bit slimy, crunchy
	Sauce	Fish Sauce	Nuoc Cham	accompanies the vermicelli to be poured over noodles as desired		hints of salt, lime and sugar
Fried Rice		Chicken Fried Rice	Com Chien Ga	fried rice with bits of vegetables and small chunks of chicken	rice is a bit dryer than regular steamed rice	various flavours from different ingredients
		Shrimp Fried Rice	Com Chien Tom	fried rice with bits of vegetables and shrimps	rice is a bit dryer than regular steamed rice	various flavours from different ingredients
		Beef Fried Rice	Com Chien Bo	fried rice with bits of vegetables and small chunks of beef	rice is a bit dryer than regular steamed rice	various flavours from different ingredients
		Seafood Fried Rice	Com Chien Do Bien	fried rice with bits of vegetables and seafood, which usually includes squid, crab meat, and shrimp	rice is a bit dryer than regular steamed rice, squid is chewy and crab meat is very soft	various flavours from different ingredients
Curry Rice		Curry Chicken	Com Ca Ri Ga	yellow curry sauce is either served over steamed rice, or in separate bowl. curry comes with medium size pieces of chicken	Vietnamese curry is a mild sauce, unlike its Thai and Indian counterparts. Its texture is more runny than thick	not as sweet as Thai, not as spicy as Indian, with hints of coconut
		Curry Lamb	Com Ca Ri De	yellow curry sauce is either served over steamed rice, or in separate bowl. curry comes with medium size pieces of lamb	Vietnamese curry is a mild sauce, unlike its Thai and Indian counterparts. Its texture is more runny than thick	not as sweet as Thai, not as spicy as Indian, with hints of coconut
		Curry Beef	Com Ca Ri Bo	yellow curry sauce is either served over steamed rice, or in separate bowl. curry comes with medium size pieces of beef	Vietnamese curry is a mild sauce, unlike its Thai and Indian counterparts. Its texture is more runny than thick	not as sweet as Thai, not as spicy as Indian, with hints of coconut
		Curry Shrimp	Com Ca Ri Tom	yellow curry sauce is either served over steamed rice, or in separate bowl. curry comes with whole shrimps	Vietnamese curry is a mild sauce, unlike its Thai and Indian counterparts. Its texture is more runny than thick	not as sweet as Thai, not as spicy as Indian, with hints of coconut

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Tags: com, com tam, curry rice, fried rice, ordering rice, rice combos

Category: Staff's Notes

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Special Beef Noodle Soup @ Pho Ai My

October 13th, 2009 by Bill Killorn

Review Series: Chinatown Challenge

When looking for a place to eat in Toronto’s Chinatown it is easy to become overwhelmed by the options. There are a lot of factors at play when you are deciding on a restaurant. Sure you want delicious food at an affordable price but, you also want a nice environment to sit and enjoy that food in. Restaurant decor and ambiance are essential parts of enjoying your dining experience. Therefore, in the Chinatown Challenge Review Series attention is not only given to the quality of the pho but the atmosphere of the restaurant as well. Decor played a large part in my dining experience this week as I tried the Pho Dac Biet at Pho Ai My.