Ottawa Foodies

I recently went here also before Christmas and my experience was somewhat different.

We had to ask for tea and they also charge for it. Many vietnamese restos offer the tea for free and it is already flavored upon arrival, which I personally like. We also had to keep asking for tea and had to request water.

The food was quite good, but apart from a restaurant in Vancouver, I have not found any vietnamese food that is "amazing" in Ottawa. I've had bad, but most have been good and I can pretty much go to any vietnamese place and be happy with the food :)

I just found the service a little lacking at this particular visit. Perhaps it was the particular server that night because I did not encounter this on a previous visit, but we were only two that time as opposed to eight.

They have opened an other restaurant in Quebec called Palais Du Vietnam (exact translation to Vietnam palace).

335, boulevard Alexandre-Taché Gatineau, QC J9A1L8

I have been there quite a few times already. It's without a doubt as good as the one in ottawa.

We have been coming to Vietnam Palace for years and have never been disappointed. A recent family birthday celebration was no exception. We like the large round tables available and the pleasant décor. There is a large space available upstairs for groups and parties. In the summer you can sit outside if you don’t mind the traffic. There is free parking behind the restaurant. They do not use MSG-this is clearly stated on the menu. They have always been very accommodating for our severe allergies (shellfish, peanuts and MSG).

We were immediately served water and green tea, other beverages arrived soon after. We started with a few appetizers-a couple of old favourites and a couple of new items. Spring rolls were fresh and hot, the crispy quail are incredibly delicious. These come with a salty, flavourful lime sauce that is quite addictive. We tried the chicken wings and were surprised at how yummy they were. The fried pork wontons were very crispy, the sauce and fillings nicely seasoned. Also tried the grilled goat on skewers, they were savoury and tender.

Now the mains-we ordered way too much food and it was declared excellent by all! 1) Grilled pork on vermicelli without peanuts! (bun)Vegetables were very fresh and lots of mint was provided. 2) Beef sautéed with lemongrass and chilli-this flavour combination was complementary and delicious. 3)Pho-since he was a toddler my son has always ordered the beefball and as usual it did not disappoint. 4)2 people shared a chicken fresh roll order-there was more than enough for 2 after all the appies.
5) Something new-calamari stuffed with shrimp and chicken in a red wine sauce-son #2 declared it a new favourite, though he said it was richer than most Vietnamese dishes he has tried. 6) One small hot & sour soup-all I could manage by then!

Everyone was absolutely stuffed by then but we had to have dessert since it was a birthday! We indulged in 3 orders of the decadent deep fried bananas with ice cream-these are lightly breaded and come drizzled with honey and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. Unbelievably delish!

Another enjoyable, reasonably priced, tasty dinner was enjoyed by all. Service was friendly, prompt and they put up with us sharing! 3 studying students had enough leftovers for the next day.

Although not normally my first choice for Vietnamese, I chose Vietnam Palace this evening mostly because of the softer, more formal (if I can say that) ambiance. A group of us wanted to take my friend Teresa out for her birthday and the setting was perfect for 5 chatty women.

I wanted so badly to order something different than my usual when staring at a Vietnamese menu. But alas, I defaulted to my favourite dishes, rice paper shrimp rolls with peanut sauce and vermicelli with shrimp and spring rolls.

Fresh as the ingredients were, I was slightly disappointed with the rice paper holding everything together. I don't think they soaked it long enough and the result was a tougher than usual roll. The yummy peanut sauce made up for it though. As did the pickled carrot shavings on the side of the plate.

I'm not sure why I can't get bored of vermicelli. I think part of it is an addiction to the act of eating noodles with chopsticks. And this tangle of noodles did not disappoint. Grilled shrimp, crispy spring rolls and strings of raw pickled carrot and julienne cucumber doused in a spicy fish sauce is like a little bit of heaven for me. The last bite as exciting and delicious as the first. Even though the dish was missing the crushed peanuts!

This wasn't my first visit. And most certainly won't be my last. The service was great and we had a wonderful evening. The two minor glitches above aren't a regular occurrence in my experience.

Even before seeing all your comments I sent Ken V a message asking him to stop posting these links to the food inspection site. I'm glad not to be the only one who thinks they aren't the best use of this space. :-)

P.S. I'll likely delete all these "off-topic" comments from the Vietnam Palace vendor page in the future.

Not to flog a (hopefully) dead horse, but I also wanted to point out that the food-related "critical" issues noted on this place's inspection report are indicated as having been "Corrected During Inspection" and were not noted to have re-occured on the next visit.

It probably is tasty. Your negativity is draining.

Inkling - I am of the same mindset as yourself, "except" if if it means that either a Restaurant has been closed (because of gross violations) or if they are in non-compliance due to Food Safety (Critical) issues. Then having the link reference or the issue mentioned, I think is a valuable resource (as long as the info is current).

I for one hope that the BUZZ Section doesn't become a spot where reference is made for Non-Critical issues (maintenance), although important, having a spotlight shon on the Vendor here in BUZZ for having dustbunnies under the stove seems to me to be "sensationalism". As already stated, I am however, quite concerned about the Critical issues which include how a Vendor handles storage, raw food, or re-heating practices.

The Food Inspections are on-going, and ever evolving. I think generally it is something that can be followed easily enough on-line and over in the OF FORUM.

Agreed completely Inkling.

Best I've had in my life! You must try them with the lettuce and the mint!

The best I've had - I can eat a dozen of them!

Some of the nicest spring rolls ever. Not greasy at all (this is very rare) and with good flavour.

The pho at Vietnam Palace is much like what you get at Ottawa's better pho joints, but with a slightly richer tasting broth. Be warned -- a large here ($7.50) is about the size of a medium elsewhere. Good thing they offer extra large. ;-)

The pork wrap and roll is amazing. The produce is always fresh and crisp, and the pork is grilled to perfection.

The crispy quail are incredibly delicious. These come with a salty, flavourful, lime sauce with hint of pepper. Addictive and delicious contrast of flavours.

The Superior Seafood Soup is a must-have if you enjoy seafood soups like the almost gelatinous Crab Meat and Sea Foam soup you find in Chinese restaurants. This soup is full of chopped shrimp, scallops, and surimi. Delicious!

Fresh and tasty, the way it should be!