February 2nd, 2010 by kateD
For someone who didn’t grow up with Vietnamese food, discovering a cuisine so flavorful and fresh, so exotic yet so accessible, (not to mention so cheap!) is a gift. When you first stumble upon pho, you can be seduced by it’s savory broth, delicious noodles and tasty garnishes, such you are rarely tempted to branch out and order something different, other than maybe a salad roll on the side. Who could blame you? Pho is delicious and as the title of this blog states, ‘broth don’t lie’—a well-made broth is probably the most reliable indicator of the overall quality of a Vietnamese restaurant. But there are 100+ items on every Vietnamese menu in Toronto for a reason—Vietnamese cuisine has much more to offer than just pho.
Bun combo
Read more.
Tags: bun, pho, rolls, vermicelli, vermicelli combo
December 15th, 2009 by Jen Martin
It’s a Friday night in Ottawa and I’m excited for my first official Pho experience. My dining partner and I drive casually down Somerset St looking for a restaurant that peaks our interest. Gazing through the window of Pho Bo Ga La, we see that virtually all seats are taken- surely a good sign as the quality of the cuisine- and so find a car park and make our entrance. Perfect timing, a table is just being cleared so we settle ourselves and begin pouring over our respective menus.
Pho Bo Ga La
This post was submitted by Jen Martin.
Tags: bun, Ottawa, sugar cane shrimp, vermicelli
November 11th, 2009 by kateD
Review Series: Best Vermicelli On The West Side
For anyone following this series, I’m sure the obvious question has been, but what does she think of The Golden Turtle? No other Vietnamese restaurant I know of inspires more vehement debate; it is the most hyped and written about Viet resto in Toronto. People Love it or Hate it, but for better or worse Rua Vang (aka the Golden Turtle) is the standard against which all other Vietnamese restos are judged. Knowing this, I’ve held out against writing about it until now, simply because the stakes are so high.
A quiet moment on busy Ossington.
Read more.
Tags: bun, golden turtle, noodle, rua vang, vermicelli
October 29th, 2009 by kateD
Review Series: Best Vermicelli On The West Side
The corner of College and Dufferin is an unlikely location for a miniature Viet-town, yet a number of Vietnamese businesses and shops cluster together here in an otherwise distinctly Portuguese neighbourhood. No fewer than 3 Vietnamese restaurants co-exist on a single block. Faced with such an array of options, how is one to decide? On road-trips my dad always picked a roadside diner based on the number of transport trucks parked out front (truckers being the experts on roadside cuisine), so following the same theory, I decide to try the resto with the largest number of Vietnamese customers inside. And the winner is: Pho Linh.
Simple but modern exterior of Pho Linh on College.
Read more.
Tags: bun, chicken, lemongrass, vermicelli, vermicelli combo
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.
Read more.
Tags: bun, Bun Cha Hanoi, vermicelli, vermicelli combo
October 8th, 2009 by Casey
Quietly sitting in the shadow of pho are vermicelli and rice. Like pho, vermicelli bowls and rice dishes can be customized into numerous different combinations. But unlike pho, they don’t garner the glory they deserve. In this article, I’m referring to the dry vermicelli combinations, and not the vermicelli soups, and rice as the steamed white rice served on plates.
Part One: Vermicelli Combos
A basic bowl of vermicelli comes with the noodle, lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, pickled daikon and carrots, and a bowl of light fish sauce, nuoc cham. Combination choices include different types of meats, and spring rolls. Read more.
Tags: bun, ordering vermicelli, vermicelli combo
Casey: Thanks! Some of my fave places are in Chinatown. I’m in the area so I really get to know the restaurants...
Tomato Snob: I love Pho too. You pictures are fab! Where is you favorite place in the city? I’m addicted to the...
S Lloyd: Folks, Submitted also: http://www.xanga.com/aromes The more tools/ressources/infos we have, the better that...
Lucy: This is my favourite Vietnamese restaurant in Toronto! The have the best PHO in town.