The Best Pho In Toronto
Soup. Soothing, warm, and hearty soup. You'd be hard up to find a culture that doesn't have its own unique and tasty version of this seamingly simple bowl of goodness. Japan has Miso and Udon. Russia, Poland and Ukraine have Borscht. New England and Manhattan have their own takes on Clam Chowder. And of course, Vietnam has Pho. Here's a fun fact for ya: there is a long standing belief that Pho actually originated from the French beef soup dish known as pot-au-feu during the French occupation of Vietnam. As a result of this, many believe the word is derived from the French word feu (meaning fire). In fact, the word "Pho" is pronounced much the same way (more like "fuh", not "fo").
Though the jury might still be out on the history of the dish, one thing that I think is quite clear among most Torontonians (myself included) is that this city is chalk full of Pho. Not only that, but we have a ton of truly authentic and high-quality Pho sources, and our list of your voted favorites definitely highlights some great ones.
I've always found it quite amazing how many different restaurants we have in this city that do, not only Pho, but Vietnamese food in general, so damn well. After coming home to Toronto from a trip to Vietnam just over two years ago, I found it actually quite easy to continue to my love affair with the inexplicably beautiful country through Toronto's large Vietnamese population and all the fantastic restaurants that have spawned as a result.
Though my personal favorite will forever remain the humble Saigon Palace (#9 on the list), I think it's pretty safe to say that all the selections in this "Best Of" list bring something interesting and tasty to the Pho debate. So here's the short list, as voted by you:
Golden Turtle
Standing out from the ample amount of Vietnamese competition along Ossington, the Golden Turtle is a well deserved Pho favorite in the neighbourhood. More...
Pho Hung
Known for their iconic branding and consistently tasty Pho and spring rolls, Pho Hung is among the larger and flashier Toronto Pho favorites. More...
Pho 88
A true Chinatown Pho destination along Spadina just south of Dundas. These guys do rice noodles and beef broth really damn well. More...
Pho Phuong
Tucked away just west of Dufferin along Dundas, this slightly more upscale take on Vietnamese still serves up all your favorites, including Pho. More...
Pho Linh
One of the more humble Pho establishments in the city, sitting just west of Dufferin on College, serving up unpretentious and affordable Pho. More...
Pho Asia 21
Pho Asia 21 is a casual and low key Vietnamese eatery popular with the Liberty Village lunch crowd. More...
Pho 6
Formerly known as Pho 66, the newly renamed Pho 6 is worth the commute for the tender and tasty beef in their more standard Pho choices. More...
Pho Rang Dong
Just west of Dufferin on St. Clair, Pho Rang Dong offers all the standard Pho types at decent prices. They've also been known to show Asian soap operas apparently. More...
Saigon Palace
Communal style tables and a large window view into the bustling kitchen make Saigon Palace a casual and fun spot to grab a hot bowl of Pho and some crispy spring rolls. More...
Comments (27)
I don't think many of the Vietnamese restaurants in Toronto do a good job of creating what they make back in Viet Nam. I think the main reason is because the ingredients (and all food in general) in Viet Nam is local and fresh.
Having been to Viet Nam a few times, I long to find a restaurant that can make authentic spring rolls. If anyone knows of a place in Toronto that makes them like they do in Ha Noi, let me know!
Spring Roll's Pho Ga may not be authentic, but it's my favourite.
Then again the only other pho I've had is at Xe Lua at 3:00 am and although good it doesn't compare to Spring Roll.
Don't forget Pho Train at Spadina just north of Dundas on Spadina, it's on the second floor, look for the train picture. Their Pho is great, they use really good soup base, and they have a lot of interesting ingredient combinations. They also have plated meals like pork chops. Their drink menu is great - Avocado milkshake! Yummy!!!!!! It goes great with the spicy curry chicken pho.
there's tons of pho places in toronto and i think you're forgettin many of the pho places up north like jane and wilson or jane and finch, forget bout markham and scarborough tho :S... + i would not go to spring rolls for pho =S
i think one of the main difference between pho here and VN
is one or two of the ingredients
there are these brown stars that the tend to add in it, my mom does it all the time so there is a difference between pho at the pho stores and "authentic" pho but i think its preference, none the less
regardin towards pho ga? do they serve it with an egg?
The "brown stars" that TL is referring to is a spice known as star anise and, as far as I'm concerned, any pho broth made without it just isn't real pho. It's what adds the subtle licorice-like flavor and tons of depth to a really good pho broth.
My favorite pho place used to be Hello Saigon (nee Miss Saigon) on Spadina, just north of Baldwin Street. It had the best pho: a nice taste of star anise, little bits of fried garlic and shallot in the bottom of the bowl and the beef they used was never gristley. About a year or so ago it was sold to someone else and it took a nosedive after that. After several visits with horrible service and bad food I've never gone back. The chef and owner opened a new place called Hua Sang (the upstairs one on Baldwin) a couple months ago but a few weeks ago they mysteriously stopped opening and I have no idea where they've gone. Anyone know what's become of them?
I've had a hankering for good pho and Pho Hung's is bland and watery in comparison.
I ate at Hello Saigon for the first time this past weekend and it was wonderful; possibly the best pho I've ever had. Maybe Marcus visited on an off day?
I've been to all those you mentioned and then some (downtown, up north and beyond)... and by far the best pho in town is a new place called: Pho My Dguyen on Bloor just west of Dufferin (northside). Hands down best broth, best brisket. clean spot.
I think the other Adam just visited on an on day, Hello Saigon has been disappointing to say the least the last couple of times I've been there (and the last was the last).
Hello Saigon has hit rock bottom in my book. The last meal I had there was so pukeable I felt like gargling with gin afterward. Nevermore.
Pho Hung is My fav.
In the North (finch and weston) and west (dundas and 10) is Pho Dau Bo.
Hello saigon is rteally bad..I have never been to a pho spot where i said "gah!!! never again'!!!!
How is it a Pho list gets compiled without 'Pho Pasteur'? Savages. Dundas at Spadina. The Rare Beef Satay cannot be touched - it is the perfect Pho.
Golden Turtle @ Queen/Ossington is by far, the best, me being Viet and knowing my own food since I was born, that this place is #1 and deserves to be #1, period.
Hands down, this place can't be touched.
Though I haven't had Banh Xeo in the longest time, not sure if white folk or non-asians know what I'm talking about, but, it's the shit. I am craving for some right now...
Me and my work buddies used to hit up Pho Pasteur all the time, but then they got hit by the Ministry of Health with a warning and we haven't been back since.
Pho Train (Xe Lua) is hands down the best restaurant I've been to so far. Although they've gone cheap on their ingredients since they've made renovations to their restaurant. My family have gone there regularly since I was a child. I'm actually surprised its not in the top 10.
#1 Rule for eating at an ethnic restaurant: If you enter the restaurant and you see it's crowded with white people....WALK OUT! I generally don't trust zagat ratings on ethnic restaurants. Just peek inside and see who their customers are - and you'll know if it's more authentic or if they're going to make their food more bland.
This list is totally bogus! This is basically a list of the 10 most popular pho places downtown. Or should I say ten most likely places you'll see hipsters eating noodles. Did the author even bother leaving Toronto proper? If you haven't noticed most asians live around the periphery of Toronto. In quirky places like Markham, Mississauga, North York, yes even scary Scarborough. How can any top ten list for Asian food not have anything restaurants East of Carlaw, or North of College, or West of Dufferin?
On the list only 3 (Pho Phuong, Pho Linh, and Que Ling) are even close to legit. The broth of Golden Turtle is bland and lacks flavour. They make up for it by adding tons of msg. I know, I used to live on Ossington. A much more flavourful and authentic version can be found just down the street at Pho Tien. Besides everybody knows that the true measure of a pho restaurant is actually in their other soup items (the ones most non-asians are afraid to eat) like bun rieu (bun noodles in a tomato-ey crab broth) and the king of them all BUN BO HUE (bun noodles in a very complex beef and pork broth that must contain real shrimp paste, and MUST have real pig's feet and pig's blood, along with braised beef brisket). Most places are lazy and will just mix in a spoonful of storebought, preservative laden instant Bun Bo Hue flavour broth out of a jar. This includes half of the above restaurants. The other half don't even put it on their menu. If a place can get bun bo hue right it is for damn sure they can do pho bo (beef pho) in some respectable manor. Of all these places only Pho Phuong even comes close to a good Bun Bo Hue.
Don't get me wrong. I go to many of these places frequently, just like a person might go to their local sandwich shop. You can have good meal at any of them, and by no means should you not frequent any of these places. A few actually deserve to be on the list. What I said was the list is bogus not the restaurants. Let me put it this way. You know that little coffee shop you go to in the mornings run by friendly asians? The one where every morning you buy an egg sandwich with your coffee. Well it's like putting that place on a list for Toronto's best breakfast. For a good pho experience better than amost that on this list, try Green Bamboo in Scarborough; clean, good service, good broth.
The point is this, go outside your comfort zone. Go places you wouldn't normally go. Far places. Places you won't bump into friends. Or even anyone who speaks the same language except the waiter. And try new stuff. Stuff that may not sound that appetizing at first. But trust me, if people eat it it's definitely good.
Peace
Iggi,
Did you bother reading the title or intro of this post?
Best Pho in "Toronto".
This list covers the exact area that I am interested in. I'm not going to go out to Scarborough just because it may be better.
Lastly, you will notice the last sentence in the intro "So here's the short list, as voted by you".
So when you ask "Did the author even bother leaving Toronto proper?" you're actually describing the majority of the readership who voted on this.
Lastly, what classifies "Best" does not mean the same to all people. Best does not necessarily mean authentic.
Granted it's mostly downtown hipsters that read this blog and vote on the "best of" --most grossly evident in the Toronto Neighbourhoods postings and map (blogto.com/neighbourhoods).
Cut off at Coxwell to the East, St. Clair to the North and Keele to the West, it basically reads like a guide to downtown gentrification.
I find it irritating that the rest of the city outside the central core is excluded. Please note that since amalgamation in 1998, Scarborough, Etobicoke, York, East York and North York have all been part of "Toronto", it would be nice to see them get some play.
Golden Turtle's pho is really really bland!!!!
The best pho is found from Keele to Jane from Wilson up to Finch.
I don't eat pho in neighbourhoods without any Vietnamese people living there.
Are you serious?
Saigon Palace is the worst Pho place I've ever eaten at. I'm actually Viet myself, and I think that that place has no authentic taste. Like, It's pretty bland. Personally, if you wanna find a good Viet restuarant, look in the store and see if there's actually a lot of Viet people, because they know what authentic Viet food tastes like.
Be warned: if you're going to check Pho Asia 21, you better see their track record on Dine Safe:
http://app.toronto.ca/food2/DineSafeMain?userRequest=view_history&ESTABLISHMENT_ID=10239236
I agree that Blog TO is pretty downtown-centric and there's plenty of good pho outside of the downtown core. We checked out Hanoi 3 Seasons in Leslieville and were quite impressed. Check out the link for pics etc: http://butgooddifferent.blogspot.com/2009/03/best-looking-pho-in-town.html I'm a downtowner but I work in Scarborough so I'll have to get out to Green Bamboo sometime...
I agree Xe Lua is excellent. I have tried other in the area and they were average at best. Xe Lua always busy, half the people that eat there are asian and the prices are excellent. Try the spring roll platter you make y our self. Sorry I do not know the name.
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