Vietnamese Beef Stew

[Strider]

I don't normally write these reviews, but I thought I'd share a bad experience to save others' the trouble.

I was desperate for some pho in the NW, and this place is close to my house, so I tried it out with the gf.

Vietnamese Beef Stew
52nd Ave NW, across from Churchill

Ambiance: 2/5
The place is tiny and noisy, with no separation between the kitchen and the eating area. The door was propped open and with the breeze from outside, it was cold.
The utensils are stored at each table like a typical viet restaurant, and the chopsticks are starting to show their age, stained and cracking on the end that you eat with.

Service: 2/5
Our orders were taken promptly, and our food came out reasonably quickly (it's pho... it should be quick). No other service besides that, not even a refill of my teapot.

Food: 2/5
The soup was bland/watered down, and the noodles were hard/undercooked. The saving grace is that the veggies were fairly fresh and clean.

Value: 2/5
Rip off. $8.00 for a small, shallow bowl of pho with a lump of undercooked noodles that's literally the size of a tennis ball. We both left hungry; and they charge for tea. Gwai lo rip off prices without the service or cleanliness of a "western" pho restaurant; and they have smaller portions.

Overall: 1/5
After feeling thoroughly ripped off, I figured I'd save some money for McDonalds afterwards, and only left a 7% tip (on a $16 tab). The dumbass behind the counter had the fucking nerve to make a sarcastic remark about me being a big tipper... so of course i turned around and told everyone in his 6 table restaurant that the place is a rip off.

If you want Pho in the NW, skip this place. Drive down crowchild to Saigon Y2K by MacMahon... at least it's clean and the portions are bigger. Recommended: #25 with sate soup - 3x the food for the same price. If you don't want to go that far, Essence of Saigon Garden (in the other parking lot on 52nd, across from churchill) is a lot better than this place.

[dj_rice]

Shitty deal...


For Pho, its only along 17th Ave SE that are worth it

[cdnsir]

Are there 2 Pho places in that strip mall? The one I went to over there had these cheesy min. food charge signs on all the tables, is that the same one that you went to?

If we're talking about the same place here. From my exp, I had ordered vermicelli and my friend ordered Pho. The portion was all on the smaller side, but my bowl wasn't that bad at all. They put these little leaf-covered meatballs in there that was actually pretty good.

Also, the hostress/server there was young and had a very delicious rack. Oh wait... that's probably why it's skewing my perspective.

[Strider]

Originally posted by cdnsir
Are there 2 Pho places in that strip mall? The one I went to over there had these cheesy min. food charge signs on all the tables, is that the same one that you went to?

If we're talking about the same place here. From my exp, I had ordered vermicelli and my friend ordered Pho. The portion was all on the smaller side, but my bowl wasn't that bad at all. They put these little leaf-covered meatballs in there that was actually pretty good.

Also, the hostress/server there was young and had a very delicious rack. Oh wait... that's probably why it's skewing my perspective.

There's two places sort of in the same strip mall... I think they both have cheesy minimum charge signs cuz of the high school kiddies. This one is down beside yamato and mac's... (and I definitely didn't see any hot young waitresses). The other one is in the higher strip mall, by the registry & korean place.

[cdnsir]

^^

Got it, we went into different ones then. I went into the one from the bigger complex with the registry like you mentioned.

[SilverGS]

Originally posted by dj_rice
Shitty deal...


For Pho, its only along 17th Ave SE that are worth it

+1

I will drive out of my way to go to the ones on 17th ave

[Euro838]

Originally posted by SilverGS


+1

I will drive out of my way to go to the ones on 17th ave

Good thing the CHR steers clear of this street! It's the only way the food tastes so good!

I'm sure they don't store their nuc beo at the right temperature! LOL!

[dj_rice]

Originally posted by Euro838


Good thing the CHR steers clear of this street! It's the only way the food tastes so good!

I'm sure they don't store their nuc beo at the right temperature! LOL!


Just FYI, if anyone wants to know what nuoc beo is made of, its when you boil soup stock bones and etc...the shit that floats to the top and all the oil/fat from the bones that have been rendered from boiling the soup...its that layer of fat/oil and etc that floats up to the top of the broth...so flavourful but very bad for your health

[GQBalla]

Originally posted by Strider
I don't normally write these reviews, but I thought I'd share a bad experience to save others' the trouble.

I was desperate for some pho in the NW, and this place is close to my house, so I tried it out with the gf.

Vietnamese Beef Stew
52nd Ave NW, across from Churchill

Ambiance: 2/5
The place is tiny and noisy, with no separation between the kitchen and the eating area. The door was propped open and with the breeze from outside, it was cold.
The utensils are stored at each table like a typical viet restaurant, and the chopsticks are starting to show their age, stained and cracking on the end that you eat with.

Service: 2/5
Our orders were taken promptly, and our food came out reasonably quickly (it's pho... it should be quick). No other service besides that, not even a refill of my teapot.

Food: 2/5
The soup was bland/watered down, and the noodles were hard/undercooked. The saving grace is that the veggies were fairly fresh and clean.

Value: 2/5
Rip off. $8.00 for a small, shallow bowl of pho with a lump of undercooked noodles that's literally the size of a tennis ball. We both left hungry; and they charge for tea. Gwai lo rip off prices without the service or cleanliness of a "western" pho restaurant; and they have smaller portions.

Overall: 1/5
After feeling thoroughly ripped off, I figured I'd save some money for McDonalds afterwards, and only left a 7% tip (on a $16 tab). The dumbass behind the counter had the fucking nerve to make a sarcastic remark about me being a big tipper... so of course i turned around and told everyone in his 6 table restaurant that the place is a rip off.

If you want Pho in the NW, skip this place. Drive down crowchild to Saigon Y2K by MacMahon... at least it's clean and the portions are bigger. Recommended: #25 with sate soup - 3x the food for the same price. If you don't want to go that far, Essence of Saigon Garden (in the other parking lot on 52nd, across from churchill) is a lot better than this place.


i dunno bout you but the nuk beow at this place is pretty good.

this place isn't as bad as you made it sound.

definately better than saigon y2k unless you love msg filled water.

[cityhunter2501]

Originally posted by dj_rice



Just FYI, if anyone wants to know what nuoc beo is made of, its when you boil soup stock bones and etc...the shit that floats to the top and all the oil/fat from the bones that have been rendered from boiling the soup...its that layer of fat/oil and etc that floats up to the top of the broth...so flavourful but very bad for your health

didn't know that, thanks for the tip

always thought it was hot oil with green onions, but after reading that, im dying to try an authentic nuoc beo :drool:

[GQBalla]

nuoc beo is only like that at pho kim earl.

go to dau bo its goin to make you die soon

[cityhunter2501]

Originally posted by GQBalla
nuoc beo is only like that at pho kim earl.

go to dau bo its goin to make you die soon

ahhaha, my sister got a new job...so to celebrate it I told my family we should go to dau bo tonight :rofl: :rofl: