Pho Vietnam

Finding a pho restaurant especially in the city of Toronto shouldn't be too hard as there are plenty of restaurants out there. Having said that, finding one that is tucked way back in a shopping plaza could be a little bit more challenging especially if one is just driving by and not looking for anything in particular.  Pho Vietnam is a restaurant that has been opened for about 2 years now, however finding it could be a problem as it is tucked all the way back to the third building in the corner of Midland Avenue and just north of Finch Avenue in Scarborough.  We decided to give it a go as we were looking for a quick meal and pho noodles were front and center in our minds.  We only knew about the place as my wife likes to shop at a place just across from the restaurant, otherwise we would have no idea there was a restaurant hidden there.

We got there on a late Sunday afternoon where the restaurant had only a half full of customers.  The lunch rush had dissipated and we were directed to a booth.  The table had not been cleared yet as there were some dirty bowls and tissues still lying around the table.  The waiter came by and grabbed all the dirty bowls however there was still a dirty kleenex located just in front of the chopsticks holder. Thinking that it would be picked up, it actually would remain there for the duration of our meal.  We were then given menus and I proceeded to order the small pho with everything on it including tripe, tendon, brisket, and flank in it ($6.95)

Regular Pho with Tripe, Tendon, Brisket and Flank

Despite ordering a pho that was suppose to be all well done as I would be sharing the bowl with my daughter, the meats as you can see in the picture were still a little bit on the rare side.  The beef noodle soup was fine however the noodles were a little soft and mushy in some areas.  The bowl also contained plenty of green onions and condiments were on the side.  

I think what bothered us the most was the dirty crumpled kleenex that literally sat through our entire meal and was never picked up even when our drinks or bowls of noodles were delivered.  It sat from beginning to end and was in clear sight of anyone who would be walking by.  It is possible that the waiter(s) may have thought that it was one of ours however the first person who was clearing and wiping our tables never bothered to pick it up so hence it sat.  During the meal as well, we actually had to return a couple of smaller bowls as they were still a little dirty and replacements were required.

As for the food, it was average at best. Some will argue that their prices are a little bit more than some of their competitors.  I only ordered a small and it was still close to $7.00 for the bowl.  The restaurant certainly lost some marks for cleanliness as neither some of their bowls and the dirty tissue were ever picked up.  I guess it's a good place to go if you are just running in and out and are looking for a quick bite, however if you are going to charge your customers an extra dollar or two on all your dishes, then that quality has to be somehow reflected back either in the food or the overall cleanliness of the place.  Difficult to give high marks at this place so I will go with the average and give it a 3 out of 5.

Pho VIetnam
3262 Midland Avenue
Toronto Ontario

647-351-0909