Bun combo

Bun (vermicelli) combos are the perfect next step for someone learning about Vietnamese cuisine. The combos offer a chance to try a wide variety of different meats, rolls, and learn the joys of nuoc cham, all while still being anchored by friendly and familiar rice noodles. Having spent the last 7 blog entries exploring the bun on offer in Toronto’s west end restos, I’ve expanded my own horizons and hopefully encouraged others to do the same. Here are my picks for Best in the West:

1. Pho My Duyen [1208 Bloor st w]

More stylish than your average noodle house, yet an equal amount of care is lavished on exquisitely fresh ingredients. Many of the more unusual menu items illustrate the French colonial influence on Vietnamese cuisine. For the bun, try B19 Char-grilled Shrimps on Vermicelli.

2. Pho Phong [1603 Dundas w]

This out of the way spot still manages to lure in a diverse crowd with swanky décor, comfortable booths and consistently high quality food. I suggest #70 Dry Vermicelli with Spring roll, grilled pork and shrimp wrapped sugar cane.

3. Tie: Rua Vang [125 Ossington] and Pho tien Thanh [57 Ossington]

You won’t go wrong at either of these spots on Ossington. The cook at Pho tien Thanh used to work at Rua Vang, so it is hardly a surprise that they offer similar fare. Rua Vang (aka the Golden Turtle) is more well-known, which can mean waiting for a table during busy times, but the smaller, less crowded resto down the street is just a good, if not sometimes better.  At the Turtle, go for #93, Vermicelli with Grilled Chicken and Pineapple. Down at Pho tien Thanh, sample #58 Vermicelli with Meatball and Spring roll.

In today’s article I present to you our list of 10 Vietnamese dishes you must try. These are based on our personal favourites and our opinion on their popularity. We decided to leave out appetizers and beverages since we figure you get them regularly. Keep in mind that only few restaurants actually serve all these 10 items, so you might have to do some investigating!

our top 10 must try vietnamese dishes

Top 3 Dishes

The top 3 Vietnamese dishes that everyone has to have, and probably have had, are pho, rice combo, and vermicelli combo. These are not only the staples of most restaurants, they are also the representatives of Vietnamese cuisine outside of Vietnam. As discussed in previous articles (pho, rice, vermicelli), these 3 dishes can be customized based on your taste.

mouth watering pho

rice with pork chops

spring roll and grilled meat vermicelli

The 7 Musts

Here are the next 7, in no particular order.

Banh Xeo. Sizzling Crepes – “Bun say-oh” is a fun dish to try. Besides being prettily yellow, it is also fun to eat, as it is a crepe stuffed with different goodies.

sizzling crepes

Hu Tieu My Tho. My Tho Seafood Noodles is a glass noodle soup dish with lots of vegetables and seafood. Egg noodle can also be added.

My Tho seafood noodle

Bun Bo Hue. Spicy Hue Noodle – “Bun bo Hue is the most famous dish to come out of the centrally located, imperial city of Hue. Thicker, round rice noodles in a spicy beef broth flavoured principally with lemongrass and chili, bun bo Hue is extremely rich in flavour and aroma. Large pieces of pig knuckle and (fatty) slices of beef add body to the soup, while thinly sliced red onions, chopped scallion and a squirt of lime give bun bo Hue an element of freshness.”

spicy Hue noodle

Banh Cuon. Rice-flour Crepes with Minced Pork – “Banh cuon is a popular dish hailing from Northern Vietnam and is typically eaten in the day time. It is a thin rice flour crepe stuffed primarily with ground pork and minced wood-ear mushroom. Banh cuon is laid out flat on a dish, topped with fresh sprigs of coriander, accompanied by slices of pickled carrot and daikon, and doused with sweet nuoc mam. Cooked bean sprouts and Vietnamese pork sausage (cha lua) are optional, although commonly added to the dish as well.”

banh cuon

Canh Chua Ca Kho To. As traditional as it gets, this dish of Sweet and Sour Fish Soup with Braised Fish in Clay Pot is something the whole family can share and enjoy.

canh chua ca kho to

Bo Luc Lac. ” The famous dancing beef dish of Vietnam. This is Vietnamese stir-fry at its finest. Made from marinated beef cut into cubes and fried with shallots, served over watercress, and, or lettuce, it’s a simple but delicious dish for beef lovers. Just as its appearance suggests, its flavours are bold and mouth watering.”

shaking beef

Bun Rieu. “Crab meat noodle soup is an extremely rich noodle soup originating from northern Vietnam. Made with a tomato-based broth flavoured with fresh crab paste and shrimp paste, bun rieu is a fine meld of sweet, savoury and sour. Vermicelli noodles, crab cake, fried tofu, and vegetarian sausage are added to the soup base, then garnished with fresh cilantro, bean sprouts and fresh water spinach.”

bun rieu

That wraps up our top 10. Aside from the Top 3, what are your 7 must have dishes?

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

I have walked by Pho 88 dozens of times since I moved to Toronto, it stuck out in my mind because the windows are always filled with tables of people enjoying Vietnamese soups. For one reason or another I have never ventured in, so I was excited this week to go in and give it a try.  As I entered Pho 88 a hostess greeted me, escorted me to my seat and gave me  a menu. After locating the pho on the menu I searched around the table for a pen and paper to mark off my selection, but, to my surprise I could not find one. Instead a waitress came over and took down my order. While this may seem like a rather unspectacular event I have never been to a Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown that operated this way. The waitress in a very friendly manner came over, struck up a conversation and offered suggestions before taking my order. The service continued to impress me when my pho was brought out by another employee of the restaurant who again struck up conversation and returned every so often to check how I was doing. The quality of service at Pho 88 far surpassed any I have ever received at any restaurant in Chinatown, I was beyond impressed.

Equally as impressive as the service was the decor of the restaurant. Deep dark browns, and solid grays and blacks set the tone for a modern and sophisticated dining room. The brown leather chairs and dark granite tables bring an elegance that is highlighted by large circular sculptures on the walls that are reminiscent of the number 88.  Standing out in this environment is a brightly colored Buddha statue that welcomes you as you enter the seemingly small but surprisingly large dining room. The back of the restaurant is decorated by a large, gold, sandy mural that illuminates the dinning room. The service coupled with this environment made me love this restaurant before I even sampled the food. Not even the hip hop remix of Avril Levine’s ‘Skater Boy’ that was playing in the background could ruin my dining experience. 

Pho Dac Biet at Pho 88

The pho kept up with the pace the rest of the restaurant was setting. Dark, sweet beef broth sprinkled with pepper was the first taste that hit my lips. As I started eating I was surprised to see no cilantro or onions in the pho, although it was packed with scallions. The long rice noodles were thicker than they are at most places which is great for those of us who love the slurping. While the pho dac biet did not have beef balls the quality of beef in the soup was impressive. The tendons still packed quite a bit of meat on them and there was not very many fatty pieces lurking under the broth either. The rare beef was cut a little thick so it did not melt in your mouth as it does in some places but, it was delicious none the less. The most abundant meat in the pho was the well done beef which is great when you want to be filled up. Overall this was an incredibly pleasant experience and I would recommend this place strongly to anyone who loves pho.

Pho 88
270 Spadina Avenue
416-746-8646

Finding pho in Chinatown is not hard, there are many places that serve the delicious combination of beef, broth and noodles. What is difficult though is finding the pho that best suits your tastes, as every restaurant adds their own little spin on the traditional Vietnamese dish to make it their own. Our Chinatown Challenge series is here to help you make sense of your pho options. This week we visit Pho Hung.

The Pho Hung logo has become synonymous with Vietnamese food in Toronto

Pho Hung is easily one of the most popular Vietnamese restaurants in Toronto’s Chinatown. The easily recognizable bright yellow sign depicting a red laughing bull has become synonymous with Vietnamese food in the city. Pho Hung’s location at 350 Spadina Avenue helps it attract a wide variety of customers as it straddles the border between Chinatown and Kensington Market. By capitalizing on the large amount of foot traffic that both of these areas get, Pho Hung has established a large customer base, one that has allowed it to expand to Bloor street and Mississauga locations. 

Anytime you go to Pho Hung you should expect a crowd. During the peak times of lunch a dinner it is not unusual to see a line forming out the door of the restaurant. The great thing about this restaurant though is that the staff does an excellent job of turning tables, so the wait is never more than a few minutes. Although it is always busy, the lay out of the restaurant allows for its clients to feel comfortable once they have been seated. Pho Hung is divided into two long rooms that run parallel to each other. The decor of the rooms is rather plain with a few Vietnamese pieces of art placed on the walls. The windows are decorated with small paintings of animals, reminding the patrons what is in their soup. Both rooms are filled with small wooden tables that are adorned with a collection of sauces and hot peppers. 

Pho Hung offers a well balanced bowl of Pho Dac Biet

But it is not the decor of Pho Hung that makes it one of the most popular Vietnamese restaurants in Toronto, it is the food, or more specifically the pho. The Pho Dac Biet at here is unique because in addition to the different cuts of beef it is packed with a great deal of cilantro, scallions and onions. The presence of vegetables plays off the other ingredients well and allows for a well balanced bowl of pho.

There are also beef and noodles in the pho of course. Pho Hung’s Pho Dac Biet has beef flank, rare beef and even beef balls but they pay close attention to the beef tendon. My small bowl of pho was brimming with the tough white tendons. The cook does not focus as much on the noodles as he does the other ingredients. While the thin rice noodles that the pho does possess are delicious I would have loved to see a little bit more in mine. Perhaps next time I will just have to order a larger bowl. 

Pho Hung does not disappoint when it comes to a traditional well balanced bowl of Pho Dac Biet. So the next time you find yourself walking by the laughing red bull you should definitely pop in and grab some pho, you will be glad you did.

Pho Hung
350 Spadina Ave.
416-593-4274

In today’s post, I will attempt to clarify and simplify the ordering process to help those of you who are new to pho – or even those veterans who still find themselves confused by the clutter of never ending choices – create a perfect bowl for yourself!

Pho, essentially, is made up of two very basic ingredients: the broth, and the pho noodle (pho is the name of the noodle as well as the dish). Restaurants often garnish the broth with chopped scallions, onions, and coriander. This is what you get when you order plain pho (pho khong). Every bowl of pho is accompanied by a plate of veggies, which often includes lime or lemon, basils bean sprouts, green chili, and culantro.

different vegs and herbs that accompany pho, as shown on the menus of Pho Hoa restaurants

A full-blown pho menu will give you up to 15-20 different combinations of pho. These combinations differ based on the cuts of beef you prefer. There are 8 different cuts, as described in the table below.

	English Name	Vietnamese	Description	Texture	Taste
Beef	Beef Balls	Bo Vien	round, firm meat balls	soft and chewy	savoury
	Brisket	Chin Nac	well-done thin slices of beef	chewy, roast beef-like	natural, unseasoned
	Flank	Nam	melt-in-your-mouth thin slices that literally disintegrate upon being touched with chopsticks	soft, juicy	natural, unseasoned
	Crunchy Flank	Ve Don	a firmer part of the flank	soft, chewy, crunchy	natural, unseasoned
	Fatty Flank	Gau	flank with extra fat	very soft and tender	natural, unseasoned
	Steak	Tai	(red) rare slices of beef	tender and juicy	natural, unseasoned
	Tendon	Gan	chunks of beige to brownish tendons	can be tough, gelatin-like	natural, unseasoned
	Tripe	Sach	tangled strips of white, rubbery looking thing..	chewy, rubbery, like calamari	neutral
Veggies
	Bean Sprouts	Gia	long, round and white sprouts of mung bean	crispy, crunchy	mild, "plain"
	Chili	Ot	thin slices of green chilies, or whole of smaller green or red chillies	crunchy	spicy
	Coriander/ Cilantro	Ngo	chopped up green leaves in the broth	soft leafy texture	tangy, citrusy
	Culantro/ Long Coriander	Ngo Gai	big, long green leaves that come with the side plate	firmer leafy texture	similar to coriander
	Lemon/Lime	Chanh	yellow or green wedges that come with the side plate		sour, tangy
	Onions	Cu Hanh	white strips of onions that sometimes come with the broth	crunchy, but soft	hints of sweetness and spiciness
	Scallions	Hanh	chopped up chucks of green stems of scallions	a little bit slimy	almost like onions, but much lighter
	Basils	Que	full stem with many green leaves that come with the side plate	leafy	a bit minty
Condiments
	Hoisin Sauce	Tuong An Pho	a brown sauce one could add to their bowl	texture is not detected once stirred in broth	a bit more sweet than salty
	Hot Sauce	Tuong Ot	a red sauce one could add to their bowl	texture is not detected once stirred in broth	a spicy sauce

eight types of beef parts, as shown on the menus of Pho Hoa restaurants

A typical combination includes rare beef slices (steak) and beef balls, while the ultimate bowl of pho includes all of the ingredients, known as pho dac biet, or “Special Pho”.

Although these 8 cuts of beef can combine to create more than 40,000 different combinations!, most menus only list up to 20, to save you the headaches. If your ideal combination of pho isn’t on the menu, you could ask (depending on the restaurant) the server to customize your bowl for you.

I hope this addresses some of your concerns and confusions. Feel free to post questions if you are still unsure.

Similarly, I will post an article explaining the different choices of vermicelli and rice combinations in the upcoming weeks.

When walking through Toronto’s Chinatown you have to keep your wits about you. As you weave in and out of sidewalk stalls it is easy for your senses to get overwhelmed by the smells, sounds and sights. One thing you will notice is a dozen or so signs advertising pho. We all know what pho is, but what is the difference between pho at one restaurant in Chinatown and another? This series entitled the Chinatown Challenge is aimed to help you get a sense of the different styles of pho and help you find the pho that is perfect for you. Over the next few weeks I will visit 10 Vietnamese restaurants in Chinatown and sample their Pho Dac Biet (Special Beef Noodle Pho). I will then share with you my findings.

The first restaurant I visited for the Chinatown Challenge was Pho Xe Lua located at 254 Spadina Ave. Situated on the second floor of its busy Chinatown location and walled almost completely by windows on its East and North sides, Pho Xe Lua offers an interesting view of the crowded markets that lay below. The recently renovated and well kept interior provides a modern and comfortable atmosphere for the restaurant’s guests. The open format of the restaurant allows the helpful staff to accommodate larger parties as well as intimate tables for two. One of the most impressive aspects of Pho Xe Lua is the speed of the service. Within seconds of being seated you are provided tea, and within minutes of ordering, a steaming hot bowl of pho will be placed in front of you. 

Pho Dac Biet at Pho Xe Lua - Packed with Beef

Pho Dac Biet is the type of meal that can vary between restaurants depending on the ingredients the chef chooses to focus on. The staples of course are beef and noodles but there are variations within these two ingredients. Most Pho Dac Biet will include a variety of beef options but Pho Xe Lua has concentrated on serving it with beef flank, beef brisket and tendon and perhaps more importantly they concentrate on packing a lot of beef into the pho. This was the first thing I noticed when the bowl was slapped down in front of me. My bowl was overflowing with the different cuts of mouth watering beef.

The beef sat on a bed of thick rice noodles that absorbed the flavor of the broth. The pho did not contain as much scallions, onions or cilantro as other restaurants making it clear that the beef is what is important to this restaurant. Like all Vietnamese restaurants this one serves pho with a plate of sprouts, basil and lime for those who want to balance the beef with some vegetables. 

The beef itself was so tender that it almost melted in your mouth as the meal went on. The noodles and broth were incredibly flavorful as well and sucked in the flavor of the hoisin sauce I had poured on it. Overall the Pho Dac Biet was very satisfying and I would recommend it to anyone especially beef lovers.

Pho Dac Biet Prices – S – $4.95, L – $6.00, XL – $8.00

Pho Xe Lua
254 Spadina Ave.
Toronto, ON M5T-2C2
(416) 703-8330

Choosing, and Setting Up Your Pho

When you open your menu, it might look a little overwhelming with all the variations of Pho to choose from. The variety is simply personal preference. When in doubt, go for simple ‘Rare Beef Noodle Soup’! Don’t worry the beef is sliced so thinly that it cooks almost immediately after being immersed in the hot soup. After you make your order a plate of bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime and chillies will arrive at your table. These are options to sprinkle and squeeze over your main bowl till it suits your taste.

been sprouts, basil leaves, lime

Here is a list of some common combinations found on most menus:

Phở Đặc Biệt
Special Pho Noodle

Phở Tái
Rare Beef

Phở Tái Sách
Rare Beef and Tripe

Phở Tái Gân
Rare Beef and Tendon

Phở Tái Nạm
Rare Beef and Flank Brisket

Phở Tái Bò Viên
Rare Beef and Beef Balls

Phở Gà
Chicken Pho Noodle

Finally, an aromatic and steaming bowl of noodle soup is placed before you and if you are wondering where to begin then let your senses be your guide. What I always do is to try the soup first. Depending on how flavourful it already is, I add condiments accordingly. I usually immerse most of my bean sprouts and make sure they make their way under the noodles so they cook slightly. Tearing some basil leaves off the stem and sprinkling them over the noodles along with a squeeze of lime will probably give your tastebuds a lift from the deep flavour of the beef bone soup. Then you can experiment with the balance of the caramelized sweetness of hoisin sauce and the amount of heat from Sriracha hot sauce and/or chillies you like.

Spooning It Correctly

Now you are ready to eat but there is a highly efficient method that closely resembles the spoon and fork action when consuming spaghetti, except with chopsticks. Eating noodles in soup can be a slippery affair which could result in a less than satisfying mouthful that ends up back in the bowl. The solution is a two handed technique. Chopsticks have the agility and sensitivity to lift and select individual bitefuls while the Asian soup spoon is broad with a beveled edge which allows for more than just soup. To get all the flavor and texture of your precisely customized and balanced bowl of noodle soup into each mouthful is by always assembling the perfect pile of noodle to beef to soup ratio onto your spoon. This is done by using your chopsticks to nimbly arrange noodles, a slice of beef and depending what you feel like for that particular bite: basil, chilli or sprouts to top, onto your spoon. Then lower your spoon into the soup and proceed to bring it to an open mouth. Enjoy!

Apologies for the quality. It was difficult to concentrate on the task at hand!

another angle

When you feel more adventurous, do try the other combinations mentioned above. If you don’t eat beef there is sometimes a chicken option and if you don’t eat meat then there are vegetarian versions that come with fried tofu and vegetables. All can be eaten in the same manner. Have fun!

For a lot of people, a hangover is the price of a good time.  But it’s worth it, and most of us do not hesitate to admit that! But wouldn’t a good time be better if we didn’t have to wish we were dead the next day? I think so!

As you all know, alcohol consumption causes your body to dehydrate, among other effects. Dehydration in turn causes headaches and bodily malfuctions. That’s why it’s important to rehydrate your body after a night of drinking, to allow it to return to its normal state as quickly as possible. Although glass after glass of water is the traditional way to prevent a hangover, here at Pho411, we would like to recommend to you the most effective and best tasting way to avoid paying the price for the good time you’ll have this weekend.

pho with rare beef

Ever had a bowl of Special Number One Pho at 3 in the morning? Ever thought of pho as a way to prevent your descent into hell the next day? A bowl of pho not only rehydrates your body with liquid, it also provides vital nutrients like sodium, which your body loses large amounts of through frequent urination. The noodles and meat also help slow down the process of alcohol absorption in your blood stream. These benefits far outweigh that of water consumption. Research shows that rehydrating your body with just water by itself can be a bad thing, for it actually dilutes and lowers the salt concerntration in your body! Next time you drink 6 glasses of water, be sure to swallow a spoon of salt

If you’re in downtown Toronto, there are two places that open late: Pho Xe Lua on Spadina, and Pho Pasteur on Dundas – both within minutes from each other. In Mississauga, Pho Do Thi on Dundas, just east of Hurontario opens 24 hrs, and serves this purpose very well. If interested, you can read more about the effects of alcohol here.

Photo Credit: Patrick

Pho

For me, a bowl of Pho (sounds like ‘fuh’) noodle soup is the ultimate comfort food. The Pho with which you are likely associated with (and the one I grew up eating) likely includes lightly chewy, thin rice noodles covered in a rich but clear meat broth and topped with assorted meats of your choice (thinly sliced rare or cooked beef, brisket, tendon, tripe, meatballs, chicken), scallions, onions and is accompanied by fresh bean sprouts, cilantro, Thai sweet basil, chili peppers, mint, and lime.

However, this variation is actually the result of the interesting evolution of Pho over the past century during its migration from Vietnam to North America.

The most important part of Pho is the broth: a good broth should take several hours to prepare by simmering beef (sometimes pork or chicken) bones, oxtails, and spices such as cinnamon, star anise and cloves. Also, the defining ingredient of Pho is the use of charred onions and ginger, which gives the broth its distinct color and fragrance. An interesting note as to this technique is that the French often char bones and vegetables before preparing soups and sauces, and that the word Pho is similar to the French word feu for ‘fire’ and the dish pot au feu, therefore perhaps indicating a French influence on the birth of Pho.

Pho garnish plate

Traditional Pho, which is thought to be from Northern Vietnam, consists only of noodles, beef and broth. It wasn’t until after Vietnam was split in two and citizens migrated to Southern Vietnam that the garnish plate was introduced. Locals also started adding hoisin, fish, soybean and srirachi sauces directly to their broths to add flavour and spice. Following the Vietnam war, Pho followed soldiers back to America where the first noodle shops opened up in California. Portions doubled and various choices of meats were offered to meet the demands of Westerners yielding the beloved Pho we order today.

Photo Credit: C. P., Tony Ngo

Vietnamese flavours

Luckily for us, Vietnamese food is generally considered to be healthy since Vietnam’s geographical location yields lots of fresh tropical fruits and vegetables which have been incorporated into the diet. Also contributing is the fact that food is typically prepared and served either raw (rice paper salad/summer rolls Goi cuốn, papaya salads Goi du du, baguette sandwiches Bahn mi), grilled (marinated meats over rice/vermicelli Com tam/Bun) or in soup form (Pho), which require far less use of oils and fats. The exception is the deep fried spring roll Cha gio, which is a relatively modern interpretation of the more traditional summer rolls.

However, if one is new to Vietnamese cuisine and not familiar with some of the ingredients, it is more difficult to grasp the nutritional value of these meals in comparison, especially with nutrition and food regulations being different for imported foods. Therefore, upon looking over the menus for popular Vietnamese restaurant chains such as Ginger and Pho88, here are, in my opinion, the healthiest selections:

salad/summer roll

- salad/summer rolls Goi cuon – fresh shrimp, crab, chicken, herbs and vermicelli wrapped in rice paper rolls; be sure to try the low-fat fish extract sauce Nuoc cham in place of the fattening peanut sauce
- Pho noodle soup – a big bowl of thin rice noodles covered in a rich, clear meat broth and topped with various meats, scallion, bean sprouts, onion, coriander and sweet basil. I have had people argue that noodles are high in carbohydrates and therefore are not healthy, however a healthy diet should be approximately 50% carbohydrates (grains, noodles, sugars, sauces), 20% protein (meats, tofu, nuts) and 30% fat.
- vermicelli bowls, Bun – bowl of rice vermicelli topped with grilled marinated meat, fresh greens, beansprouts, mint, coriander, chopped peanuts, and pickled carrot, cucumber and daikon radish
- papaya/mango salad Goi du du – thinly sliced fresh papaya or mango with pickled carrot, cucumber, daikon radish, mint, onion and occasionally meat
- fresh fruit juices/smoothies – made with exotic fruits including mango, avocado, pineapple, dragonfruit, durian, and jackfruit; opt for juices as smoothies often have condensed milk or other fattening dairy added

papaya salad

Keep in mind, these are just recommendations, and that my motto for healthy eating is ‘everything in moderation’ : if you go for the deep fried spring rolls, then choose a healthier entrée.

Photo Credit: Tony Ngo,Thanh Tran, C. P.