(I apologize in advance for the lack of images, I’m usually very good at taking pictures of my food but they got erased!)
As the temperature continues to drop there is no better meal than a hot bowl of soup. Until recently I was a pho virgin and didn’t have any idea on how it would taste, I figured it was like any other soup, boy was I wrong. For those of you who are new to pho it is a popular Vietnamese dish that consists of broth, noodles, herbs and meat. On a chilly weekday Ashley took me to one of her favourite pho places, Golden Turtle. We pulled up to the restaurant and from the outside it looked like a small dive on the street corner. Inside wasn’t much better looking, but it was clean and smelt delicious, and that’s all that matters. We sat down and were greeted by a lovely woman who didn’t speak much English. I wasn’t sure what to order, but I was told that everyone orders number 1 – rare beef pho, so that’s what I did.
To start, we ordered the spring rolls. They were crispy and delicious, but both Ashley and I felt they were a bit greasy.
Shorty after, I was presented with a large* steaming bowl of pho. I don’t have much to compare it to as it was my first time but I was expecting something resembling flavours of Mr. Noodles (my go-to after school snack), this tasting nothing like that. Served with rice noodles, raw beef (don’t worry, it cooks in the broth) and bean sprouts, it’s amazing that there is so much flavour in such a simple dish. There are lots of condiments to perfect it for your palate – thai basil, lime, sriracha, sambal (chili sauce), hoisin and more.
We got lucky and were seated right away, but word on the street is this place can fill up fast, so be prepared to wait, it’s worth it. They have a huge menu of other Vietnamese specialties too. We haven’t made it to those yet.
Do you have a favourite place to go for pho?
*A note about sizing: small is large, anything bigger is massive. It’s a big meal between the meat, noodles and tons of broth.
125 Ossington Ave (between Queen and Dundas)
not foodies. 