Foods from Pho Van Van
Comments
2011 Sep 7
My office is about a block away from Pho Van Van, and their super quick for take-out orders. It's easy enough to order as I'm walking out, have it ready and walk back to the office to eat. Less easy is eating at my desk with some semblance of grace.
I ordered the small 103 today, fairly standard fare. It was tasty. What I really enjoyed though was the #6, deep fried squid. They were crispier than the squid that you get at most other places and held their shape on the walk back to the office (which fried food usually does not).
I ordered the small 103 today, fairly standard fare. It was tasty. What I really enjoyed though was the #6, deep fried squid. They were crispier than the squid that you get at most other places and held their shape on the walk back to the office (which fried food usually does not).
2010 Sep 13
We happened upon this place by accident a few months ago when wandering around the neighbourhood, and thus decided to give it a try. It's quite unassuming from the outside, but once inside we were surprised at how large the place is. We were greeted by a very friendly host, and the service remained pleasant and consistent throughout our meal. Our pho was great (I can't remember specifically what I had)... as good as I've had elsewhere, and the prices were extremely reasonable. An inexpensive, delicious meal - can't beat that. I think I'll definitely be going back soon now that the cooler weather is kicking in (Boooo).
2010 Jul 23
This restaurant has a darker, more decorative interior than most Vietnamese restaurants. The food seems to be of very good quality -- better than other places, but a little more pricey too. TV screens are good for entertaining those who are dining alone. (I was here for supper on my wedding anniversary, alone because my wife is still vacationing in Portugal. After my meal, I went to watch Avatar in 3D at the Museum of Civilization IMAX theatre. I had fun. :-)
2010 Jul 16
Not a bad place to go for a staff lunch just off the Pasture.
I ordered the Bun (rice vermicilli without the soup)with spring roll, grilled beef, and sugar cane shrimp. The spring roll was fresh and crispy, which I promptly devoured on its own. The vermicilli could have been chilled more, but what was really missing amidst the shredded lettuce and cucumber is fresh Thai basil...not a leaf to be found! The grilled beef was the clear winner, tender and nicely grilled with just the right amount of sugary char. The sugar cane shrimp, however, was oddly crumbly, the grilled shrimp paste lacking the requisite elastic texture that it should. I chewed a small piece of the sugar cane and savoured the cane juice, but not knowing what to do with the sugar cane fibres in my mouth, discretely spat into my napkin and left the rest untouched...this is one of those items best ordered when in the company of friends and family...
The portion was just right for lunch, and at $9.95, the price is slightly higher than what you'd find in similar establishments in Chinatown, but still reasonable.
I ordered the Bun (rice vermicilli without the soup)with spring roll, grilled beef, and sugar cane shrimp. The spring roll was fresh and crispy, which I promptly devoured on its own. The vermicilli could have been chilled more, but what was really missing amidst the shredded lettuce and cucumber is fresh Thai basil...not a leaf to be found! The grilled beef was the clear winner, tender and nicely grilled with just the right amount of sugary char. The sugar cane shrimp, however, was oddly crumbly, the grilled shrimp paste lacking the requisite elastic texture that it should. I chewed a small piece of the sugar cane and savoured the cane juice, but not knowing what to do with the sugar cane fibres in my mouth, discretely spat into my napkin and left the rest untouched...this is one of those items best ordered when in the company of friends and family...
The portion was just right for lunch, and at $9.95, the price is slightly higher than what you'd find in similar establishments in Chinatown, but still reasonable.
2010 Jul 1
My spouse is a big fan of Pho and after trying a few others places, we allways come back to Pho Van Van.
The food is just delicious and you can't beat the prices.
The owners are always there and very friendly.
I also found out that one of the cooks that used to work for the New Mee Fung's previous owners is one of the chef's there and boy do it show :-)
I love this place and it's worth the drive i make from Buckinham just to savour their food.
The food is just delicious and you can't beat the prices.
The owners are always there and very friendly.
I also found out that one of the cooks that used to work for the New Mee Fung's previous owners is one of the chef's there and boy do it show :-)
I love this place and it's worth the drive i make from Buckinham just to savour their food.
2011 Sep 26
I can similarly vouch for the Chicken & Shrimp Satay...yes, it's only available in a medium, but that's the perfect size for a filling lunch. The takeout version is equally full of ingredients, with a full 6 shrimp making an appearance (though, less chicken than usual.)
I find the broth is also much more flavourful than the standard one.
I find the broth is also much more flavourful than the standard one.
2010 Jul 23
Spicy (Satay) Chicken and Shrimp Pho Ga with rice noodle
Extremely tasty, with a richer flavour than one might usually find. I agree with Pej that the one-size-fits-all medium appears a little skimpy at first glance. However, I found that after eating it all I was quite satisfied (I also had a couple spring rolls). Presumably this Satay version of Pho is a little more filling due to its higher oil content.
Ingredients were generous (5 good sized shrimp) and of excellent quality. The slices of chicken were tender with no gristly bits. Thumbs up!
Extremely tasty, with a richer flavour than one might usually find. I agree with Pej that the one-size-fits-all medium appears a little skimpy at first glance. However, I found that after eating it all I was quite satisfied (I also had a couple spring rolls). Presumably this Satay version of Pho is a little more filling due to its higher oil content.
Ingredients were generous (5 good sized shrimp) and of excellent quality. The slices of chicken were tender with no gristly bits. Thumbs up!
2009 Oct 4
spicy seafood pho @ pho van van on holland ave. one of the cleaner pho places in ottawa. i have this regularly and they only have this in medium; however i keep bugging them that i'd pay for an upgrade to large and they happily did. perfect for the upcoming ottawa winters. recommended nutrition and perhaps cures hypothermia, colds, flu, h1n1, or your crave for livin' la vida mondo pho loca in an asian invasion kinda way.
2007 Dec 9
karey, the narrow green leaf is a type of coriander: en.wikipedia.org
The flavour is like coriander, only milder.
Thanks for mentioning the delivery option -- I'll add the tag!
[EDIT: As of September 2010, I've been informed that they do not offer delivery. Tag removed.]
The flavour is like coriander, only milder.
Thanks for mentioning the delivery option -- I'll add the tag!
[EDIT: As of September 2010, I've been informed that they do not offer delivery. Tag removed.]
2007 Dec 9
Very nice pho, fabulous beef and broth, very fresh side garnishes...small is $5.50, medium is $6.50. large is $7.50 no matter which type you order. Medium is enough for two; I'd love to see how big the large is, but I haven't had the guts to order it. Medium is almost 2 litres of soup. I love the rare beef (101 on the menu, I believe). Bun is also very good at this place, especially anything with BBQ beef (well balanced yummy fish sauce mix served on the side). Salad rolls are definitely not the best I've had...quite bland, too much mint, seemed like the rice paper was very tough and hard to chew...maybe they had been refrigerated? But a very nice peanut sauce.
Service is very good even when it's packed at lunch with office workers from nearby Tunney's. Slight language barrier, but they had no problem understanding that my BF has a shrimp allergy and were quite ready to make any necessary subs..
Apparently they do delivery, I will be trying it on the next ridiculously cold, snowy night.
A question for those with more Pho experience than I; the garnish plate that accompanies the soup has Thai basil, mung bean sprouts, a lime wedge, and one unidentifiable narrow, pointed green leaf. What is this green leaf, what does it taste like, and what do I do with it (seems too tough to throw into the soup and eat like the basil)?
Service is very good even when it's packed at lunch with office workers from nearby Tunney's. Slight language barrier, but they had no problem understanding that my BF has a shrimp allergy and were quite ready to make any necessary subs..
Apparently they do delivery, I will be trying it on the next ridiculously cold, snowy night.
A question for those with more Pho experience than I; the garnish plate that accompanies the soup has Thai basil, mung bean sprouts, a lime wedge, and one unidentifiable narrow, pointed green leaf. What is this green leaf, what does it taste like, and what do I do with it (seems too tough to throw into the soup and eat like the basil)?
2012 Apr 13
Pho Van Van makes a nice satay soup, which is quite spicy. The satay soup comes with chicken and shrimp. Notable is that up until this last visit, the shrimp still had their tails on them. I coped with this, but I was super pleased to find the tails removed when I ate my lunch today.
This is really the perfect dish if you have a cold.
This is really the perfect dish if you have a cold.
Rizak