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Vietnamese Restaurant by Renfrew Station: Pho Kitchen

February 19, 2020 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Pho Kitchen is a casual eatery near Renfrew Station serving Vietnamese fare in a modern dining environment.

Vietnamese Restaurant by Renfrew Station: Pho Kitchen

Spacious and Bright Dining Space

The brightly lit and spacious dining area at Pho Kitchen makes it a warm and inviting environment.

#PhoTuesday Deal – $6.04 Pho

On Tuesdays (aka #PhoTuesday), they have a deal where from 5 pm to close their regular size pho is $6.04 with the purchase of a drink.

Pho Kitchen Menu

Pho Kitchen’s menu is fully available online here. Their pho options include steak; seafood; steak, flank & brisket; steak & flank; spicy & sour seafood; and build-your-own options.

Aside from pho, they also offer starters (like specialty rolls), salads (like papaya salad or lotus stems salad), rice & vermicelli dishes (like chicken with rice and more), Bánh Mì sandwiches, specialty dishes (like beef stew and spicy noodles), bubble teas, desserts (like Vietnamese affogato and banana cheesecake fritter) and more.

What I Tried

I was invited for a media tasting and here’s a look at what I tried.

# 56 – Prawn & Taro Rolls

First up, I went with a more elevated starter option: Prawn & Taro Rolls.

I thought these were a unique offering so I wanted to try them. Crispy on the outside but soft on the inside with a prawn, taro and white scallion filling. Served with sweet chili sauce, these rolls were good.

#62 – Chicken & Porkchop with Rice

This popular dish at Pho Kitchen features 4-oz of tender chicken thigh and 4-oz of savoury pork chop slow grilled in sweet lemongrass sauce. A hearty dish with good portions and flavour.

#24 – Beef Stew

This French influenced dish was right up my alley being saucy and meaty. It had tender cubes of beef shank with carrots, infused with red wine, lemongrass and spices. You have a choice of baguettes, rice or egg noodles or rice. I went with the baguette and happily dipped it into the broth.

Pho Kitchen offers good Vietnamese casual fare in a comfortable environment. Worth checking out if you are in the area.

Pho Kitchen
2915 Hebb Ave, Vancouver, BC
phokitchen.ca

NaMì Food Cart Celebrates One Year Anniversary

February 4, 2020 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

NaMì Food Cart which specializes in grab-and-go Vietnamese fare recently celebrated their one year anniversary.

NaMì Food Cart Celebrates One Year Anniversary

NaMì is owned and operated by Kevin Thach, who grew up learning the ins and outs of the restaurant industry at his parents’ award-winning Phở Thai Hoa Vietnamese restaurant on Kingsway.

The NaMì bánh mì menu features a variety of fresh baguette sandwiches ($7 – $9.50). These include Chasu Pork Belly, Susu Fried Chicken, Lemongrass Chicken, Satay Beef, NaMì-ste (lemongrass turmeric tofu), and Traditional (Vietnamese cold cuts). The sandwiches come with pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber, mayo and pate.

NaMì’s vermicelli bowls ($11 – $12) selection includes the NaMì Bowl (lemongrass chicken or satay beef), NaMì-ste (lemongrass turmeric tofu), Banana Blossom Bowl (lemongrass chicken or satay beef + banana blossom), Garlic Geef Bowl, and Chasu Pork Belly Bowl.

NaMì also offers a variety of sides ($5 – $6) such as Deep-Fried Spring Rolls (pork or vegetable); Salad Rolls (shrimp or tofu); and Purple Sweet Potato Chips.

My favourite items on the menu that I have tried are the Chasu Pork Belly, Susu Fried Chicken and the Banana Blossom Bowl.

You can find NaMì parked at 700 Granville Street (corner of West Georgia and Granville) in Downtown Vancouver from Monday – Friday from 11 am – 2 pm.

For more information, go to namivietnamese.com, become a fan of /namivietnamese on Facebook and follow @namivietnamese on Instagram and Twitter.

Disclosure: I was invited for a media tasting where all items in this post were complimentary.

New Kensington Vietnamese Restaurant: Viet Mama Cafe

January 30, 2020 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

A new Vietnamese restaurant has opened up in the Kensington area. Viet Mama Cafe, specializing in Northern Vietnamese cuisine, emerged onto the dining scene about two weeks ago.

New Kensington Vietnamese Restaurant: Viet Mama Cafe Vancouver

I was invited for a media tasting. Here’s a look at my experience.

Viet Mama Cafe Menu

At Viet Mama Cafe, the homestyle Northern Vietnamese menu aims to offer an authentic taste that you would find in any Northern Vietnamese household.

All the items are made from family recipes and do not use MSG.

For pho, they have three different types: pho dac biet (special beef noodle with beef brisket, rare beef, and beef balls); pho tai (rare beef noodle); and pho ga (free range chicken noodle). Pho entrees are between $12 – $13.

Click here to see a higher-resolution image of the menuDownload

Some specialty entrees that they have include the bun rieu cua cha ca (crab meet noodle with fish cakes) as well as rice roll entrees (like the plain or meat rice rolls) served with fish sauce. Speciality entrees are around $13 – $15.

Rounding out the menu are appetizers which include salad rolls; spring rolls; papaya or mango salad; and clear dumpings. Entrees are around $7 – $12.

For drinks, they have coconut water, Vietnamese Ice Coffee, Vietnamese Hot Coffee, and fresh orange juice.

Viet Mama Interior

The interior of Viet Mama is modern and clean with a range of dining tables and banquette seating.

What I Tried

To start, I had their Vietnamese Ice Coffee which was refreshing and made to be not overly sweet.

New Kensington Vietnamese Restaurant: Viet Mama Cafe Vancouver Vietnamese Ice Coffee

Next up was the banh bot loc which were warm, translucent dumplings filled shrimp and pork and wrapped in a banana leaf. Made by the owner’s grand-ma in-house, these dumplings had a smooth elastic texture which was not too sticky. Super delicious and definitely worth ordering.

New Kensington Vietnamese Restaurant: Viet Mama Cafe Vancouver banh bot loc

I tried the pho dac biet featuring beef brisket, rare beef and beef balls. The meat was tender and the MSG-free broth was light.

New Kensington Vietnamese Restaurant: Viet Mama Cafe Vancouver pho dac biet

The bun rieu cua cha ca (crab meat noodle) is a unique offering and I really enjoyed all the components: real crab meat, fish cake, tofu and vegetables. Even heartier than the pho, this was definitely more up my alley with the fish cakes, tofu and water celery and bonus points for the crab meat. Great crab flavour.

The smooth banh cuon nhan or meat rice rolls were well-presented and organized onto stacks. They were filled with pork, shrimp, fried ham, pork meatballs, fried shallots, and vegetables served with fish sauce. I thought the filling to rice roll ratio was very reasonable and the fried shallots gave the dish a fun, textural contrast.

Overall Impression

While pho is an obvious and popular choice, the non-pho options I tried (crab meat noodle and meat rice rolls) were more worthy of ordering in my opinion. Not to be missed are the clear dumplings which made for a great start to the meal.

Viet Mama Cafe
5118 Victoria Dr, Vancouver, BC
instagram.com/vietmamacafe

New Vancouver Food Cart: NaMì [April 2019]

April 22, 2019 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

There’s a new food cart in town! NaMì, offering a variety of grab-and-go Vietnamese fare, will be parked at 700 Granville Street (corner of West Georgia and Granville) in Downtown Vancouver beginning Tuesday, April 23. NaMì will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

NaMì Vietnamese Food Cart Vancouver — Credit: NaMì

NaMì is the brainchild of foodie, entrepreneur and recent UBC graduate Kevin Thach — who grew up learning the ins and outs of the restaurant industry at his parents’ award-winning Phở Thai Hoa 1Vietnamese restaurant at 1625 Kingsway.

NaMì Menu

The NaMì bánh mì menu features a variety of fresh baguette sandwiches (in half- and full-size). These include Breakfast (scrambled eggs, crisp cured pork belly, paté, lemongrass and chili aioli, soy sauce, cucumber, pickled daikon and carrot, chopped chives), ‘Xiu Mai’ meatball (Vietnamese style meatballs, tomato and chili sauce, chopped cilantro), and Grilled Lemongrass Chicken (sous vide and grilled lemongrass chicken, lemongrass and chili aioli, soy sauce, cucumber, pickled daikon and carrot, spring onions), with add-ons such as fried egg, extra meat, paté, and carrots, daikon or cucumber also available.

NaMì also offers a variety of sides such as deep-fried spring rolls (pork, shrimp, carrots, taro, mung bean vermicelli, mushroom) and salad rolls (shrimp/lemongrass tofu, lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, vermicelli, cucumbers, peanut dip), as well as iced Vietnamese coffee made with condensed milk or sweetened condensed coconut milk.

Monthly rotating features and vegan-friendly fare such as a lemongrass tofu bánh mì and papaya salad will also be available.

Grand Opening Deals

To celebrate its launch, the first 50 customers on April 23 will receive a free bánh mì. The cart will also be serving up a special $5 bánh mì throughout the first week of service, April 23 to 28.

For more information, go to namivietnamese.com, become a fan of /namivietnamese on Facebook and follow @namivietnamese on Instagram and Twitter.

Cafe Phin Takeout Via foodora

July 18, 2017 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Cafe Phin is a small, Vietnamese restaurant on Denman serving casual Vietnamese eats like banh mi and pho. In the West End, I have frequented Pho Central, Pho Goodness and Viet Sub so I wanted to try something new. I decided to order foodora delivery from Cafe Phin to see how their food compared to the other popular Vietnamese eateries in the West End.

My foodora order consisted of a Five Spice Pork Belly Banh Mi ($6.49), Prawn Salad Roll ($6.49) and Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi ($6.49). Even after accounting for delivery time, I thought the baguette for the sandwiches weren’t particularly crispy on the outside. Both banh mi weren’t all that flavourful with the Lemongrass chicken one being rather bland. The amount of meat in the sandwiches was less than expected and had mostly veggies.

The Prawn Salad Roll was perhaps the best of the order. It was filled with lettuce, cucumber, cilantro, noodles and pickled veggies. I thought the proportion of prawns to everything things was reasonable. The rice paper wrapper was nicely delicate and chewy.

Overall Impression of Cafe Phin

Unfortunately, the food from Cafe Phin failed to impress me and did not entice me to order from them again. I’m sticking to my regulars in the West End like Pho Goodness and Pho Central on Davie. Rating: 2.5/5

GET $10 OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER

With my referral link, you can receive $10 off your first foodora order with a minimum order of $20. Using your mobile device, click here to receive the deal: https://bnc.lt/YR5e/QxdZHcjmXL. New customers only.

Cafe Phin
Address: 976 Denman Street, Vancouver, BC
Foodora Site: www.foodora.ca/restaurant/s9ih/cafe-phin-and-pho

Baoguette Vietnamese Bistro on Denman

March 9, 2017 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Baoguette Vietnamese Bistro on Denman is one of my favourite place for Vietnamese food in the West End. Its location is in English Bay at the corner of Davie and Denman. Their menu features Vietnamese classics like banh mi, pho, vermicelli bowls and rice dishes. Being in a prime area, their prices appear to be slightly (maybe 10%-15%) above other Vietnamese places in the West End. However, Baoguette’s items are generally under $12 whereas similar Vietnamese places in the West End like Pho Central and Viet Sub are mostly $10 and under.

Waterfront Views

The inside of the restaurant is divided into two levels. The street level is the main dining area while the bottom level is mainly counter seating. If you sit by the window, you have views of the water.

What I Tried

I have tried the following at Baoguette over a few visits:

#20 – Pho tai nam ($9.50)
#3 – Grilled lemongrass pork banh mi ($5.95)
Meatball banh mi ($5.95)
Pork steamed bun ($5.25)
Curry beef steamed bun ($5.25)

The pho tai nam had a very light, flavourful beef broth with tender slices of rare beef and brisket.

The banh mi I tried were pretty good though the baguette could be a little crispier on the outside. The grilled lemongrass pork banh mi was solid: the filling was moist, flavourful and slightly tangy.

The meatball banh mi had some bouncy meatballs. Pretty good but I’d stick to the classic grilled lemongrass flavour.

One of the more unique menu items at Baoguette are steamed buns. I had the pork belly, which was melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and the curry beef which had a nice curry flavour. The buns were very light and fluffy and similar to those from Bao Down and Heritage Asian Eatery.

Overall Impression of Baoguette

I continue to be a fan of Baoguette’s tasty, affordable, reasonably portioned food. And plus you’ve got a nice view which enhances to the dine-in experience. Rating: 4.5/5

Davie Village Vietnamese Restaurant: Pho Central

March 8, 2017 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Next to ramen houses, Vietnamese pho eateries are plentiful in the West End. One of the popular ones is Pho Central which has been in business for over 8 years now. They are a casual eatery with a modern interior serving pho, vermicelli bowls and banh mi for eat-in or takeout. Prices are budget-friendly with items under $10.

Modern, Lounge-Like Interior

Pho Central is a departure from a typical hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese joint. The interior is modern, clean and chic with booth seating and leather banquettes. It feels more like a lounge than a Vietnamese eatery. In the middle is a bar with ambient lighting.

What I Tried

On two occasions, I went for one of my go-to Vietnamese dishes other than pho: the curry chicken with baguette on plate ($7.25). The baguette given was dense, crunchy but still light and fluffy on the inside. The chicken in the curry was wonderfully, tender and melt-in-your-mouth in decent portions too. The first time I tried their curry, I was impressed by how aromatic, flavourful with the right amount of spiciness.

Because I enjoyed their curry so much, I returned for it on another visit. However, this time around it tasted more bland. I was puzzled and a bit disappointed. I guess consistency can be an issue.

Overall Impression of Pho Central

Though consistency might be issue, I quite liked Pho Central’s affordable, tasty food in a modern like setting. I’d be interested in returning in the future. Rating: 4/5

Vancouver Cheap Eats: Viet Sub in the West End

November 13, 2016 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Earlier this year, Viet Sub opened their second location at 1682 Robson Street in the West End. Occupying the space formerly by Pizza Fabrika, Viet Sub is blockmates with popular eateries Santouka, Guu Garlic and the BBT Shop. The original Viet Sub location is across the main Vancouver Public Library and is known for cheap eats including Banh Mi for under $5. While I hadn’t been to the that particular location, I was eager to try out their new one right in my neighbourhood.

Viet Sub Menu

At Viet Sub, you’ll find the usual pho, banh mi sandwiches, special noodle soups, rice and vermicelli dishes. A popular drink choice is the Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk available hot or cold. Their menu is quite affordable with items generally around $10. It’s the kind of place where you can order by item number. There is no signage indicating that their food is MSG-free. Credit card is accepted.

What I Tried

Over two visits, I have tried the following at Viet Sub:

A1 – Shrimp salad roll ($3.00)
A2 – Grilled lemon grass chicken salad roll ($4.00)
C1 – Rare beef pho ($9.00)
C7 – Rare beef and well-done beef pho ($9.50)
D6 – Special Dry Noodle Soup ($9.50)

Both the shrimp and grilled lemon grass chicken salad rolls had a good crunch to them. They also had vermicelli, lettuce and a side of peanut sauce. The rice paper wrapper held the ingredients tightly together. The shrimp used were decently sized and the grilled lemon grass chicken was nicely warm.

The two pho that I have tried (rare beef and rare + well-done beef) at Viet Sub were on point. The bowls arrived steaming hot which is perfect on a cold, rainy day. The meat to noodle ratio was very reasonable and the broth was light and flavourful. Meat was tender and thinly sliced while the noodles were slightly chewy.

Rare beef pho

Rare + well-done beef

The special dry noodle soup came with shrimp, pork, squid and quail egg in house sauce. Good amount of ingredients for under $10.

The soup on the side could either be poured into the dry noodle bowl or you can dip the noodles to the soup. I found the soup to be too salty for my liking.

Overall Impression of Viet Sub

I quite enjoyed the no-frills, budget-friendly dining at Viet Sub. The food was good though probably not MSG free. Good value and tasty eats in a prime Downtown area. Rating: 4.5/5

Vancouver Cheap Pho: Pho Xe Lua 24

October 29, 2016 by foodgressing 1 Comment

This past week, I attended a tea tasting at TMix Tea and Dessert Bar with noted food bloggers Maggi (vieamaggi.com) and Diana (foodology.ca). After the event, we decided to get some real food. And since it was rainy that evening, cheap, comforting Asian food was just what we needed. Pulling up our Zomato app, we found nearby Pho Xe Lua 24 with a decent 3.6/5 rating. We headed on down to this cash-only restaurant which was just about a block down from TMix.

Small & Simple

Pho Xe Lua 24 is a small restaurant with just a few dining tables.

I did find our table to be a bit sticky. It didn’t seem surprising to me for this kind of place.

What We Tried

I didn’t see anywhere noted that their food is MSG free. We ordered the following for dinner:

B – Shrimp salad rolls x 2 ($6.50)
J – Deep-fried butter chicken wings ($8.00)
1 – Extra-large house special noodle soup ($10.75)
38 – Lemongrass chicken with vermicelli ($10.50)

The shrimp salad rolls were a light, refreshing start to the meal. When I bit into the roll, it had a very nice crunch to it. The rice paper wrapper held the salad nicely together. Dipped in their peanut sauce, these salad rolls were delicious.

Our next appetizer, deep-fried butter chicken wings, didn’t disappoint either. They were piping hot, crispy on the outside, not overly greasy and the meat fell off the bone nicely. The plum sauce added a tangy, spicy and sweet flavour to the wings but it wasn’t necessary; the wings were tasty on their own.

At Pho Xe Lua 24, the phở comes in small ($8.75), large ($9.75) and extra large ($10.75). The three of us shared the extra large House Special with rice noodles. The bowl arrived at our table steaming hot. The meat to noodle ratio was very reasonable and the broth was light and flavourful. Meat was tender and thinly sliced while the noodles were slightly chewy. Pho-bulous, my friends, pho-bulous.

The lemongrass chicken with spring roll and vermicelli was decently sized for $10.50. Flavour-wise, it wasn’t bad at all. The chicken was tasty and the spring roll had a gentle spicy kick. I liked how they didn’t give you “standard” spring roll. Really good portions of chicken too.

Overall Impression of Pho Xe Lua 24

I thought that our dining experience at Pho Xe Lua 24 was quite reasonable. Large portions, good flavour and excellent value – our meal for 3 came out to be $40 including tax and tip. Doesn’t seem to be MSG-free, but enjoyable overall and I would recommend them. Rating: 4/5

Newly Opened: House Special in Yaletown

July 15, 2016 by foodgressing Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I was invited to a media event where all food and beverages were complimentary. All opinions are my own.

Newly opened House Special brings elevated and modern Vietnamese cuisine to Yaletown. At House Special, you’ll find creative craft beer, wine and cocktail pairings with dishes that have a contemporary take on traditional Vietnamese cuisine. It’s a trendy eatery offering an upscale Vietnamese food experience. Their location (1269 Hamilton) is in a very quiet part of Yaletown but this may soon change with more traffic from foodies coming to the restaurant.

Family Ties

Family is at the heart of House Special as the team behind it includes brother and sister duo, Patrick and Victoria Do, along with their mother and Head Chef, Yen, working alongside Executive Chef Phong Vo (formerly Heirloom, Electric Owl, and Ramen Sanpachi). The Do family have been in the local restaurant industry for the past 30 years, operating Green Lemongrass on Kingsway and in Richmond, as well as Broken Rice in Burnaby Heights. This is the first restaurant venture by Patrick and Victoria.

Specials + Spirits Tasting Menu

This week, I previewed House Special’s upcoming Specials + Spirits Tasting Menu. This special 4-course tasting menu with cocktail pairing runs July 22 – 24 and is priced at $65/person. The menu includes:

Apocalypse Cow
Beef carpaccio with broccoli and Vietnamese herb puree, served with crispy rice and roasted broccoli

Nick Carey’s “Apocalypse Now” New York Sour
Rye, Ginger Syrup, Citrus, Pinot Noir, Peppered Lime

Temple’s Fried Quail
Chicken fried buttermilk quail and sriracha gelee, served with a cilantro and jalapeño buttermilk biscuit

Bryan Statham’s “Hoi An Fruit Stand”
Watermelon, Gin, Ginger Syrup and Berliner Weisse

XO Cobia & Stuffed Squid
Boudin noir stuffed squid with seared cobia, served with lemon pilaf with mushroom xo sauce

Chef Phong Vo’s Sake Iced Tea

Fresh Soursop Sorbet

Nathan Jone’s Lemongrass Drop
Limoncello, Vodka, Lemongress Syrup Fresh Squeezed Kalamansi
Limes, Lemongrass infused Sugar Rim

We started off the evening with a unique and refreshing appetizer: compressed watermelon, octopus and cucumber on a skewer.

Next was the first course featuring beef carpaccio with broccoli and Vietnamese herb puree, served with crispy rice and roasted broccoli.

The carpaccio were nicely thin and had a slightly tangy taste. I enjoyed the crispy rice for textural contrast.

The New York Sour was a strong cocktail that was sweet and sour.

For the second course, we had chicken fried buttermilk quail and sriracha gelée, served with a cilantro and jalapeño buttermilk biscuit. The sriracha gelée should just be lightly applied to the quail for a gentle kick and some sweetness. I enjoyed how crispy the quail was.

The cocktail for the second course was “Hoi An Fruit Stand” – a refreshing concoction of watermelon, gin, ginger syrup and Berliner Weisse.

The third course seemed French-inspired: boudin noir stuffed squid with seared cobia. This dish showcases the culintary team’s creativity being filling the black sausage into the white pockets of the squid. It’s an interesting use of boudin noir, which was creamy and flavourful. The seared cobia was moist and tender.

The Sake Iced Tea was wonderfully aromatic and refreshing. It’s such a deceiving cocktail in being able to hide the alcohol taste so well. My favourite drink of the evening.

To finish off a fantastic meal was the fresh soursop sorbet. I must admit that I wasn’t familiar with what a soursop was. Fortunately, Patrick and Victoria’s mother/Head Chef, Yen, brought out the green tropical fruit to show us.

The final cocktail of the evening was the Lemongrass Drop: citrusy and vodka-infused.

Overall Impression

All in all, I was impressed by House Special’s innovative take on Vietnamese cuisine. It was a first for me to experience a cocktail pairing with Vietnamese dishes.

For more information on House Special and the Specials + Spirits Tasting menu, visit http://housespecial.ca/

Spacious and Bright Dining Space

#PhoTuesday Deal – $6.04 Pho

Pho Kitchen Menu

What I Tried

# 56 – Prawn & Taro Rolls

#62 – Chicken & Porkchop with Rice

#24 – Beef Stew

Viet Mama Cafe Menu

Viet Mama Interior

What I Tried

Overall Impression

NaMì Menu

Grand Opening Deals

Overall Impression of Cafe Phin

GET $10 OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER

Waterfront Views

What I Tried

Overall Impression of Baoguette

Modern, Lounge-Like Interior

What I Tried

Overall Impression of Pho Central

Viet Sub Menu

What I Tried

Overall Impression of Viet Sub

Small & Simple

What We Tried

Overall Impression of Pho Xe Lua 24

Family Ties

Specials + Spirits Tasting Menu

Overall Impression

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