Le Saigonnais…Upscale Vietnamese in New Westminster
New Westminster isn’t exactly a mecca for Vietnamese food in Greater Vancouver. Until now, we’ve had only three fairly average joints to speak of. When I heard of a new one advertising “Authentic” Vietnamese cuisine, I dragged Darciberger down to Columbia St. to see if Le Saigonnais was the real deal.
Unfortunately, the previous occupants, Royal City Thai, closed their doors. They put out some decent Thai food but I guess not enough New Westers gave them a go. It’s always sad to see it happen but in this case, it made way for some pretty damn good Vietnamese.
Le Saigonnais‘ menu is chock-full of authentic Vietnamese fare…not your average joint by any means. The fact that they used Vietnamese titles in a very non-Asian area gave me great hope. Of the four Vietnamese restos here, they’re the first. Bringing authentic Asian fare to this area is always a challenge. Here’s to hoping that it’s the beginning of a trend.
Their version of Bún bò Huế was pretty solid…stacked with flavor and loaded with meat. The broth was spicy enough but it lacked the lemongrass kick. The addition of beef balls in lieu of the pork knuckle was unique. It dropped the authenticity level down a notch but didn’t detract from the bowl a whole lot. The ultra-tender beef slices, great broth and chewy round noodles made up for things quite well.
Hanoi Phở
Normally, Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside isn’t my first choice for grabbing some grub. That’s pretty obvious. Then, one day, I heard about Hanoi Phở and their excellent curried soup. Always on the lookout for this variant on Vietnamese soup, I made a point to scope it out on the way downtown. My first reaction was, “Wow. That’s one crappy location”. Two blocks from Main & Hastings, next to a methadone clinic. Yikes. Upon further investigation here, here, here and here, it became pretty clear that this is one of Vancouver’s better Vietnamese restaurants.
Despite it’s location and underwhelming signage, Hanoi Phở has one of the cleanest interiors I’ve come across in a Vietnamese venue. If your looking for immaculate restrooms, this place is for you! Just ask for the key at the front counter.
This is one impressive little joint. A burbling waterfall off to one side. All sorts of knick-knacks here and there. Soothing Andean panpipes on the stereo. Highspeed wi-fi is on offer as well as a fax/printer if you require it. A very colorful, warm and comforting space.
Phở 24 Express…Burnaby’s Newest Vietnamese
Phở 24 Express is Burnaby’s newest Vietnamese restaurant. It took a long while. Last June, this spot was Numero Uno Pizza. The new façade went up quite quickly when Numero Uno vacated. For a couple of months I waited and waited with baited breath for more phở in Burnaby. They teased me by wallpapering the windows with their menu. How cruel is that??! I’d drop by occasionally to check on the progress only to be teased yet again. Finally, around New Year’s, they opened their doors.
Phở 24 Express is a reincarnation of Gold Train Express II out on West 10th in Point Grey. Years ago it was my go-to spot before work at Provence. They made a killer bò kho as well as some great phở. It’ll be interesting to see if they’re still as a good as I remember.
On my first of three visits, this past Thursday, I went with the Bún Cà Ri Gà (Curry Chicken Vermicelli Soup).
I gotta say, this was a fantastic bowl. A solid curried broth jacked with lots of black pepper. Several big hunks of dark-meat chicken…nary a bit of gristle or bone. Plenty of roasted peanuts and chips of roasted garlic…great textures and an abundance of flavor. My only quibble was with the vermicelli. A bit too thin…verging on angel-hair…next time I’ll ask for the egg noodles. Can’t say enough about the broth, though. Great stuff…bowl drained.
Got Phở? Thiên Kim Vietnamese Restaurant
Back in November of 2009, Ben from Chowtimes wrote about a phở joint in East Van. Not your normal phở joint, mind you. This is one that serves up a variety of Vietnamese fare not often found in these parts.
Since Ben’s post, Thiên Kim Vietnamese Restaurant spiffed things up with a new awning, some paint and a new handle. This is how it looked just over a year ago.
It’s now known as Got Phở? Thiên Kim Vietnamese Restaurant.
Thiên Kim’s menu, for a Vietnamese restaurant in Vancouver is quite diverse. From their specialty soups to a wide-ranging appetizer menu, there’s a whole bunch of discovery to be made. The one thing that grabbed my attention was Bánh Cóng.
Phở Tân
Once upon a time, there was a cool, house-shaped restaurant in Burnaby called Phở Saigon. As I mentioned in that post, it was my very first bowl of phở. They, through a variety of owners, put out a very good product. For a while there, I was visiting two, three and sometimes four times a week. A few months back they shut down and re-opened as Phở Tân.
I’m just going to go ahead and assume this is an off-shoot of Phở Tân at Main & 30th that a small section of the local blogosphere has written about. Based on those posts, I figured I was in for some great grub.
They’d really spiffed things up. New furniture, a lick o’ paint, a few new plants. Really an all round, clean and comfortable space.
The service is friendly and attentive. A lady is busy shining up the glass on the entrance door. She notices my camera and suddenly the owner drops by for a chat. He asks what kind of camera I have, chats a bit about a camera he used to have then wanders off. If you’re in this situation, you may figure they’d take notice and bring out the good stuff…don’t bet on it.
Green Bamboo, Re-visited
Way back in September 2009, I wrote a post on Green Bamboo Vietnamese Cuisine. Since then the owner/chef has been continually tweaking his menu with new and delicious items. As Green Bamboo has become my favorite local, I thought it deserved an updated post.
Green Bamboo is located on Willingdon Avenue, just south of Kingsway in Burnaby. They are street-level next to the ever popular Han Ju Tofu Hot Pot. The room is quite small, usually steamy and plastered with droolworthy photos of their dishes. Last summer while I was outside checking out the pics, the owner came out and promptly recommended the Grilled Pork Vermicelli Rice Bowl. Turned out to be a fantastic dish. For the last year or so I’ve slowly been making my way through the quite large and varied menu. I have my standbys, but there’s so much more…
Making My Way To Huế
After three days amidst the mayhem that is Sài Gòn, it was time to head up to Huế. Huế is a short, one hour flight north of Sài Gòn. With a couple of lengthy flights in economy under my belt, I opted for business class this time around. It was pretty much a no-brainer. Economy was fifty bucks…first-class, a hundred.
The extra fifty doesn’t get you a whole lot…just a bit more room to stretch out and a couple of pretty decent sandwiches.
Scarfing Street Snacks in Sài Gòn
Before heading off to Vietnam my goal was to experience as much of the local cuisine as possible. On my first day, after a somewhat hearty breakfast and a lengthy walkabout, it became painfully obvious that big eating was out of the question. The extreme humidity literally sucks away a great chunk of your appetite. That’s probably what accounts for the locals eating small, light meals throughout the day. With that in mind I headed off to Ben Thanh Market for a nice, light snack.
Chợ Bến Thành (Bến Thành Market) is Sài Gòn’s main marketplace. Normally a vibrating hive of phrenetic energy, at 8 in the morning, not so much. Kind of perfect for someone who just wants to scope the place out without the onslaught of arm-tugging vendors.
After spying out a stall with some favorite items, I settled in for some refreshment.
One thing I’ve always been meaning to try is Young Coconut Juice. Actually, it’s green coconut water. The liquid is nature’s sports drink. Slightly sweet, mild-tasting and an excellent source of potassium. A great revitalizer in this climate.
Le Petit Saigon
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Bảo Châu, a Vietnamese restaurant and self-described “Spring Roll Specialty House” on East Hastings. It quickly became my “go-to” place on Saturday afternoons before going to work. Recently, in the interest of a head-to-head comparison, I made a couple of visits to a neighboring restaurant, Le Petit Saigon.
After perusing their quite extensive menu, I decided to see how their Bún bò Huế stacked up to Bảo Châu’s.
Triple Coconut Tree Restaurant
A couple of years ago, there was a restaurant in North Burnaby called China Express. When the food fair at Brentwood Mall was being renovated, they relocated their stall to an actual restaurant on Hastings. Along with table service, they had three large steam tables brimming with almost mediocre Chinese food. You could get a huge, three item take-out serving for about five bucks. The only problem was, you got what you paid for…about two pounds of Chinese mall food. Then one day, when I was about to get a panino from Cioffi’s, I noticed a bright yellow awning just down the street. China Express had turned into the brand new and uniquely named Triple Coconut Tree Vietnamese Restaurant! Oh, joy!!
Not having much time left on my lunch break, I grabbed a Grilled Lemongrass Beef Bánh Mì to go. It was OK…a bit lacking in beef but full of flavour. I also grabbed a take-out menu and saw there was a whole lot of other great Vietnamese fare to check out. Here’s the dine-in menu:
Between that first visit and the ones for this post, I must of had thirty or forty meals here. Most of them varieties of Phở as well as some darn good Bò Kho. For my last few visits I’ve tried to check out the other parts of the menu. One item that stood out was Bún Nem Nướng, Chạo Tôm, Chả Giò (Grilled Minced Pork on vermicelli, Prawn Supreme and a spring roll).
Thai Hang Vietnamese Restaurant
When I started this blog, about six months ago, I decided to make my first post about Bò 7 Món (Seven Course Beef) at Sông Hương. Since that lunch I’ve been on the hunt for another restaurant that offered this bounteous feast. My friend Wendles, after reading my post, told me Thai Hang on East Hastings also has it.
As I had been there for phở and had seen no mention of it on the menu, I told her she was nuts. Of course, she was right and I was a stubborn fool. Thanks for the tip, Wendles!! Sorry I doubted you!
The thing is, it’s not on the regular menu. They have a separate “Specials” menu available only after 3 pm.
Originally, I had contacted Sherman from Sherman’s Food Adventures about a possible blogger meet-up at Sông Hương for Seven Course Beef. Upon hearing Thai Hang also had it, we switched venues and Sherman was good enough to round up a few other hungry foodies. So, on this night, Sherman and I were joined by Kim from I’m Only Here For The Food, Jessica (and Mark) from Yum-O-Rama and Anita from La Petite Foodie.
On to the feast!
Le Do Vietnamese Restaurant
Another rainy Saturday afternoon, another chance to check out a different Phở restaurant. This week’s pick is Le Do Vietnamese on East Hastings. What makes Le Do a bit different is their unique Le Do Spicy Roll. Plus the fact that they serve both Bún bò Huế and Bún Chả Cá, a rarity amongst most phở joints.
Aside from being really clean, the condiment selection is much better than normal. Along with hoisin and Sriracha, there’s chile oil, pickled jalapeñoes and sambal. Everything neat and tidy…a good signal.
Another sign that you are about to have great phở is the freshness of the basil and sprouts. Right away I knew I was going to be a happy customer.
Phở Century
Well, I guess it’s bound to happen. The more restaurants one visits, the better the odds for a bad experience. My recent visit to Phở Century isn’t what I’ve come to expect from a decent Vietnamese restaurant. Some of it I can put down to lack of staffing but the poor quality of beef is unforgivable.
When I arrived, shortly after they opened, there was one other table occupied. Soon the room filled up, leaving the solo server rushing from table to table. I placed my order, Bò Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew) and spring rolls. After a few minutes the condiment plate arrived.
The bean sprouts and lemon were both very fresh. Usually though, with Bò Kho, basil is served alongside. One time, at Green Bamboo, it was omitted. Therefore, not a problem…it can be optional. I requested and got a sprig of basil slightly past its prime. Why not simply remove the wilted leaves?
This is when the sinking feeling began to set in. It became obvious that an attention to quality and/or detail might not be part of the plan.
Su Su Coffee
Probably the best part of food-blogging is discovering a rare dish. For me, personally, it’s discovering a rare soup. On my visit to Café Xứ Huế I noticed Su Su Coffee two doors down. A quick look told me this was also an authentic Vietnamese restaurant and just like their neighbour, a small menu with a variety of uncommon yet extremely enticing items.
I’m here for the Bún Chả Cá (Fried Fish Noodle Soup).
Mỹ Châu
As you may have noticed, I’m on a permanent hunt for all varieties of Asian soup. One version I had yet to try is Phở Gà (Vietnamese chicken noodle soup). Most versions of Phở gà incorporate pieces of cooked chicken right into the soup. At Mỹ Châu they serve a chopped, crispy chicken leg alongside your soup.
Purple Lotus
Due to the lack of Vietnamese restaurants in New Westminster, it is always intriguing when a new one opens up. Recently, Purple Lotus Viet-Asian Cuisine took over the spot once held by Young’s Cafe on 12th Street. By all accounts, Young’s was a popular Chinese/Canadian greasy spoon. Purple Lotus still offers up burgers and breakfast but with a variety of Vietnamese and Thai dishes on the menu.
So, on one of those chilly, wet Sunday afternoons, I got a major hankering for soup. Not wanting to go on a major excursion, I stayed local and decided to check out their phở.
Café Xứ Huế
I am forever fascinated by the vastness of variety in the world of Asian soups. From the simple, basic goodness of congee to the complex, myriad flavors of mulligatawny, there is nothing more satisfying, in my humble opinion. Among my favorites are, of course, Phở as well as Bò Kho. Another famous Vietnamese soup is Bún bò Huế. Recently I ventured to Café Xứ Huế on Kingsway to try their version.
Red Lotus Vietnamese Restaurant
A little while back, I trekked out to Kelowna to catch up with an old friend I hadn’t seen in twenty years or so. The weather reports promised brilliant sunshine the entire weekend…perfect conditions for a short road-trip. When I hit the first snowfall up on Highway 97, I started to think “Maybe I ought to have brought a jacket.” When I finally pulled into town I was greeted with a cold, stiff wind and pelting rain. Of course, in a situation like that, there’s only one thing on my mind. Soup!
Luckily for me, the street my hotel is on is lined with numerous restaurants and a good variety of Asian places. The hunt begins. The first place I come across is a run-down, seedy Chinese-Vietnamese joint…dirty windows, filthy tables, tattered awning. You know. Like in Whalley. Surely I didn’t just drive 400 kilometres through sleet and snow for this. As I turn around, directly across the street, I see this.
I literally blinked several times. Could it be? Upper-end Vietnamese in Kelowna? It used to be, not long ago, special meals in the Okanagan meant Mr. Mike’s or, if you were lucky, White Spot. I wasn’t exactly prepared for this.
Café Trường Thành
I’m always amazed at the variety of cuisines we have in Vancouver. What amazes me more is the variety of regional Asian cuisine. I was lucky enough to come across Trường Thành…a northern Vietnamese restaurant specializing in Bún Riêu Cua (crab-paste noodle soup) and Bánh Cuốn (Vietnamese rice rolls). As a major Phở and Bò Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew) aficionado, I was obviously intrigued.
First, I had to try the Bánh Cuốn (Vietnamese rice rolls).
Tender rice rolls are filled with minced pork, tree ear mushrooms, garlic, pepper and fish sauce. Thick slivers of pork cake are fried along with shallots. The pork floss (Rousong) I won’t even try to figure out. It tastes and feels just like it looks.
Green Bamboo Vietnamese Cuisine
In my eternal quest for a great bowl of Bò Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew) I’ve come across some darn good ones, some fairly average ones and a couple of downright monstrosities. A lot of places take shortcuts leading to a big bowl of tough cubes of beef in a mild broth seasoned at the last minute with a spoon of chile paste.
Bò Kho should be full of tender, unctuous chunks of slow-cooked beef brisket swimming in a rich, spicy broth spiked with annatto seed, lemongrass, star anise, garlic and maybe curry powder or cinnamon. One could have it served on rice, with a loaf of fresh-baked French Bread for dipping or my favorite, a big, hot, steaming bowl with rice noodles.
I may have found the perfect bowl at Green Bamboo. OK. I can’t say “perfect”. That would end the quest. I’m willing to go with “exceptional”.
Sông Hương
Over the last few years I’ve been searching throughout Vancouver for excellent Phở, the best Vietnamese Beef Stew and a killer spring roll. When you embark on that kind of mission, invariably, you will discover all the other amazing delicacies. So far the most intriguing has been Bo 7 Mon. Bo 7 Mon is Beef 7 Ways. Not many places offer it. The only one I know of is Sông Hương. If I’m wrong, let me know. Please!
Sông Hương is an authentic Vietnamese restaurant in East Van. Their cuisine is from the city of Huế in Central Vietnam. I went there initially to try their Bún bò Huế, a spicier version of Phở loaded with a pig’s knuckle and congealed pork blood . But that’s another post…
I had a pretty good idea of what we’d be feasting on but it was pretty cool to see it all laid out before us.
The Friday Lunch 
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