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A Taste of Vietnam
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
1016 Broadway WVancouver, BC V6H 1E6
Neighbourhood: Fairview Slopes
(604) 730-8383
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 10 am - 10 pm
Sat-Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
27 reviews for A Taste of Vietnam
Review Highlights
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"Pho was delicious and good portion size." In 14 reviews -
"...what you order, make sure to add a shrimp salad roll ($2.75." In 3 reviews -
"Points for the broth and the chicken skewers which were top..." In 6 reviews
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27 reviews in English
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Review from Stephanie W.
Vancouver, BC
11/12/2011 6 Check-ins Here
The soup here is the best I recall having. I live in South East Van and I will drive all the way over here for pho. I always get the meatball pho so I can't speak for the other variations, but my boyfriend is also a pho-fanatic and is happy with their various meats that come with the pho. The soup is non-greasy, doesn't taste particularly MSG-ish and everything is always fresh! I also like that their spring rolls have real spring roll filling (..pork? the requisite meat) and not just cabbage like some other places. I also love that they serve fruit as a dessert - it feels great after a steamy pho meal!
(I know some people say the portions are small and pricey considering it's pho and compared to the portions/prices of pho generally around town, and I won't disagree... I just think it's worth it!)
Qualifications: I've been having pho since I was 5 and pho is my go-to comfort food. -
Review from Del T.
Coquitlam, BC
4/4/2012
I learned a valuable lesson the hard way yesterday:
A "People love us on Yelp" decal on a restaurant's door - while usually a good sign - is not always indicative of quality.
It certainly isn't in this case, much to my chagrin and that of my dining partner.
I'm not a vindictive person and it genuinely pains me to be reviewing a business negatively, but really, people need to be forewarned. I've now lived in Vancouver for well over a decade and this was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in this city.
So, without further ado...
-Service: 1/5. The server was actually passably friendly, on the very few occasions we actually saw her. We were virtually the only customers (that should have been our first clue), and almost literally had to beg for everything from having refills of our tea to actually being served our entrees (!). We went nearly 30 minutes without even seeing her, and that was after we had visibly finished our meals! When we asked the first staff member we saw where our server had gone, the poor, harried guy could only offer a feeble, "She's taking out the garbage." For half an hour?! And when problems arose (see below), it was like pulling teeth trying to even extract a faint apology from anyone.
-Atmosphere: 2/5. If you can get over the smell of what i can only liken to raw, steaming crap (sorry to be gross but that's exactly what it smelled like), the atmosphere was somewhat tolerable, the least worst thing in this place. While not fancy by any means, save for the smell the atmosphere wouldn't have been a deterrent for us had everything else been acceptable.
-Food: 1/5. Seriously, people? Where have you been eating if you think this is good Vietnamese food? Over 11 years living in Vancouver, months spent eating at all manner of food establishments throughout Vietnam, and I can't think of a time when I've had worse Vietnamese. The sole redeeming factor was the semi-tolerable salad rolls, although even then the pork and chicken inside were too charred to be truly enjoyable. Then it was on to the entrees... *shudder*
The main dish I ordered was supposed to be some sort of spicy basil chicken. For starters, it was nothing close to spicy. Not a deal-breaker, but not a good start. Then, I bit into the chicken. I'm still astonished I haven't contracted salmonella yet. It barely looked - or tasted - cooked at all, like it was one step from raw. The final straw for me was seeing a produce sticker still stuck on a slice of red pepper in my dish. Are you kidding me? How difficult is it to see a bright white sticker, and remove it, when you're slicing a red pepper? This should say all that needs to be said about the level of care that goes into food preparation here.
Then there was my dining partner's main, a ginger chicken dish. Actually, it's hard to even evaluate this, because - and I'm not exaggerating - this was the saltiest thing I've ever consumed (or attempted to), and I usually don't mind salt. My partner, who enjoys salt less than I, could only eat a few bites before she found it completely intolerable. Now, don't get me wrong, I know some Vietnamese dishes, especially those that use fish sauce, can be quite salty - which is why quality places will usually temper their use of said sauce, utilizing it relatively sparingly to enhance flavours and add a little salty tang. But this is well beyond anything I've experienced at other Vietnamese places, or in Vietnam itself. Literally all we could taste was the salt. I wish there were some way I could emphasize how bad it was, but all I can say is - AVOID AT ALL COSTS. A 'sauce' this salty would be great as some sort of preservative - or for replenishing the Dead Sea if it dries up - but you take your life in your hands if you consume it internally!
Soooo... when our server finally returned from her Grand Garbage Adventure, we made her aware of our dissatisfaction with the food, and... *crickets*. Barely an acknowledgment at all that we had even said anything. No offers to re-make the food better/more carefully, no offers to provide a little relief on the bill, and basically completely making us feel like it was our problem to deal with.
I can think of literally hundreds of other establishments just in this city that would be scrambling over themselves to ensure we didn't leave unhappy. Not here. We came in in high spirits looking forward to a yummy meal. Don't make the same mistake we did and think you'll get that here. -
Review from Meana k.
1/29/2012 2 photos
* 2.5 stars *
This is not a Pho restaurant. Yes, they serve Pho, but they have much more (and much better) to choose from on their menu. Their spring rolls are wonderful. Their stuffed drumsticks are scrumptious. Their lemongrass chicken is nice. Their pho, eh. I always order Pho Tai Bo Vien -- rare beef and meatballs. Well, their "meatballs" were perfectly formed little disks that make me wonder if they're purchased frozen. The rare beef didn't come out rare at all, in fact, it was well cooked upon serving. They offer small or large for about a dollar's difference. Only real complaint I have is about the broth, however. It was bland and greasy. Noodles were great. Fresh basil was actually fresh and plentiful. Sprouts were perfect. Lime was great. Just the broth.... That was a big miss for me. Super sweet Vietnamese iced coffee, too. I always like to order this to counter the pho coma that sets in.
Would I eat here again? Sure, but I won't bother with the pho. The service wasn't terrible but the guy did bring out an incorrect appetizer then charged us for it before being asked to update the check. He never refilled our teas or gave us water. In fact, he never really checked on us at all -- we had to flag him down to ask for stuff.
Oh, the bathroom could use a really good scrubbing, too. -
Review from Sally S.
Vancouver, BC
4/30/2012
I feel like I should write two reviews for this restaurant. One for their lunch and one for dinner.
Lunch: 4/5 stars. Fast and friendly service (this is when the older ladies in the restaurant works) and the food is good. My fav is the veggie sub. Note: M-F, either go BEFORE lunch or AFTER lunch, otherwise you will compete with the hospital staff lunch rush.
Dinner: 1/5 stars. Bad service (this is when, I assume, their useless daughters work), and the food takes FOREVER to arrive. Last time I ordered the special sweet and sour soup (one of my fav), it arrived cold with old dry vermicelli noodles.
I would recommend going for lunch, but not dinner. -
Review from Reggie C.
Vancouver, BC
4/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Pho is decent but missing the star anise in the broth.
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Review from Ryan C.
Vancouver, BC
3/3/2012
2 stars for being open during the hours of 3-5pm. Strangely enough seems like few other restaurants along this strip were even open. Otherwise 1.5 stars. I have definitely had better vietnamese food (in calgary!). We ordered the vegetarian combo to share. The soup that came out first was quite good. It was followed up by salad rolls and spring rolls. The salad rolls came with deep fried tofu inside, which I found very strange and unsettling. Spring rolls on the other hand were really delicious. The main course was ok. Fried rice was bland, we figured it would be so we asked for noodles instead, but they didn't manage to get that right. Vegetable skewers were good. There are probably a few good menu items that you might enjoy. Service was slow and they didn't really refill our tea at all.
Overall it had potential, but a lack of service and the food being a little too deep fried for our liking made it a one time stop. -
Review from Dee D.
Burnaby, BC
11/14/2011
I ordered a small P1 which is Pho Tai (rare beef)- $6.95.
My soup was decently sized - thank goodness considering I barely can finish my Pho in some places! The noodles were al dente and the soup was actually tasty here - it was sweet and a little on the heavier side. One reason I didn't use to like Pho was because I found the broth was tasteless - perhaps it was because I was going to the wrong places.
The only gripe I had was the beef. It wasn't rare (which is partly understandable because they are sliced so thinly and then poured into the soup) - but if it says rare beef on the menu, you should have some pieces that are still a bit pink when it arrives. I can over look that but I could not over look the fact that my beef (despite the massive amount given to me) was all clumped together and dried up. Most Pho places have these 'meat clumps' but they have more than one - this was one giant lump. I spent most of my meal peeling the meat off of each other.
[continued on gastrofork.ca] -
Review from Veronica D.
Vancouver, BC
8/24/2011
Went here for a vegan meet up. There was about 40 of us for the whole restaurant. They only gave us 1 server and we had to beg for water because we were not given any. The poor guy was running around like crazy. They didn't call in extra staff until after we were there 1.5 hours and just leaving. Poor management.
All the dishes we got were exactly the same deep fried tofu by itself, deep fried tofu with peppers in this sauce, deep fried tofu with peppers in another sauce, fried rice with tofu etc. etc. WAY too much of the same deep fried tofu. Almost no vegetables. The portions were WAY too small. We were starving.
Myself and 3 friends left and went back to my place for dessert because there was barely enough for our table. We got 2 tbsp of each dish each and are supposed to be full on that?
We noticed everyone else who went there got the Pho or noodle soup. We probably should have just had that, because this place does not make tasty curries. Nothing like flavourful Thai curries, and only onions and peppers for vegetables.
I know they tried hard, but they were really unprepared and it was very disappointing going there. -
Review from Mandy R.
2/23/2011
I just ate here about 20 minutes ago. I had created some memory in the back of my head that their sweet and sour veggie soup was delicious, and boy was I ever wrong. I have no idea where such fanciful dreaming came from. The tofu in it is crunchy, the tomato slices are way too huge to eat, and the broth is decent, but nothing special. I'd say it kind of tasted like ballsack... can I say ballsack on Yelp? Just did. Deal with it.
Anyway, their veggie sub is deeeeelicious, and their salad rolls are great. The service is fairly friendly and very fast - you can be in and out in 30 minutes if you need. I would still come back and just try a different soup, or stick with the delicious salad rolls. It's right across the street from my workplace so I will continue coming here. -
Review from Shawna L.
Burnaby, BC
11/19/2011
Good food and prices. Quick lunch takeout, can call ahead and they will have it ready for you in about 10 minutes. Lots of vegetarian options. I go regularly.
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Review from T P.
Vancouver, BC
11/10/2010
We went there for the first time..
This place is clean and the staff is nice!
We ordered shrimp salad roll, Pho, and lemongrass chicken.
That's what we usually order at the Pho's place.
Everything was good.. Shrimp salad roll could be better.
Also the portion is good, but for some customers might be too small.
(**this isn't related to their food**)
The glass table top is quite slippery because of the fabric under the glass.
I went there with my kid and I need to hold the table top most of the time. :)
We will be back again :)
Parking: street parking at the front..
Cheers! -
Review from Sheila W.
BC
11/10/2008
It's a brightly-painted neighbourhood restaurant that I have definitely developed a taste for. French music welcomes you when you sit down or wait for your to-go meal. The pho has quite a tasty broth and the prices are fair ($6.95 to $8.95 for a large noodle soup).
No matter what you order, make sure to add a shrimp salad roll ($2.75). The noodles were still warm and there weren't too many of them, the lettuce was cool and crisp and the shrimp was firm. The sauce is so good you'll catch yourself double-dipping.
It was pretty busy with regular and quick turnover around 8pm on a weeknight. The friendly hostess did a walk-through to chat up her regulars. It's fully licensed and they will deliver for free if your order is $25 or more. And you get free fruit with your bill. -
Review from Natalie F.
BC
2/25/2009
A few of us have dinner here every month or so. It's a cute little place inside. The food is pretty good. I usually have either the Seafood with Rice Noodle Soup and a Shrimp Salad Roll or the Special Vermicelli Combo with Chicken.
The staff is nice and attentive as well. So if you want decent Vietnamese food, check it out. -
Review from Melissa F.
Toronto, ON
2/23/2010
This place is just okay. There isn't a lot of variety for Pho in this area.
Points for the broth and the chicken skewers which were top notch.
The portions are smallish considering it's Pho and the prices are also high, again, considering it's just Pho.
So yes, in a pinch. But there are much better places elsewhere in the city. -
Review from Dario M.
5/2/2009
This is by far my favorite place for Pho in the city and i have made a point to try out quite a few other restaurants. The atmosphere is nice, not hole-in-the-wall style [not that there is anything wrong with that], service is prompt and, most importantly, the food is fantastic. I dont usually stray past the various types of Pho but any time i have it has been great.
Another thing of note is the stock they use is directly related to the type of pho you are getting. In many kitchens you will get one type of stock across the board which makes it nearly impossible for Vegetarians to enjoy it due to the fact that it is usually a meat based stock.
As far as great, inexpensive, casual dining experiences go, this is among my favorite spots in the city. I highly recommend it! -
Review from Uli L.
Vancouver, BC
4/15/2011
Super friendly neighborhood gem. Pho was delicious and good portion size. Price was great. We will be back
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Review from John C.
6/19/2010
As I tend to have a bit much time on my hands, I spend precious life energy contemplating such things as names of places. For instance, A Taste of Vietnam promises authenticity with their food, but since I have never been there, how the heck can I compare? My experience with Vietnam is through movies such as Apocalypse Now and Good Morning, Vietnam. Since Smell-o-Vision hasn't been invented, I can't vouch for the true taste of Vietnam.
But that's neither here nor there.
The reason I picked out this place to eat today is that my good friend recommended it (in real life, not on Yelp, which undoubtedly lowers my cool factor on this site) and they have a vegetarian pho option. Now, I like beef pho, but I gotta admit that often I prefer the vegetarian style, which is tough to come by in Vancouver. Based on this, you can probably guess what I ordered.
As it turns out, it was pretty tasty, although I might have altered the chemistry of the broth when the hot sauce came out much faster than I expected. It had good things such as broccoli, carrots, green onion and other tasty things mixed in with some tofu. Overall quite enjoyable, though a tad shy of the Best Ever Veggie Pho, which I used to get in Seattle all the time.
My only gripe is that although I was served promptly, my water glass eventually went dry and the waitress never noticed it.
Despite having no way to compare to actual food in Vietnam, I have to say I enjoy this visit and might just return again. -
Review from Dennis T.
North Vancouver, BC
Updated - 1/5/2011
I think they changed some staff here. The usual cheery waitress seems to be gone and replaced with a new girl that simply takes your order and offers nothing else. The food seems to have slipped too. My broth wasn't very hot yesterday and the lemon grass chicken was fatty and served on rice that seemed to be made with a bit too much water. It used to be that I loved the rice there because it was always made a bit on the drier side and never mushy. Even the pieces of melon that i so look forward too seemed tired and dry like it had been cut for a couple of days already. It almost seemed like my whole meal was cooked earlier and reheated. Sigh... not worth the trip across town anymore.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/2/2011
I love this place! The chicken broth pho is amazing. Light but flavorful broth and lots of chicken.… Read more »
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Review from Lee N.
Vancouver, BC
If the owner doesn't see me once a week she asks if I've been ill. Good straight forward Pho house in an easy place to get to without driving way east. The quality has been the same for many years and I hope they have many more years in the neighbourhood.
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Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
11/7/2008
Average quality Vietnamese for Vancouver - but probably one of the better ones West of Main. If you have the time go east to the nice variety of Vietnamese restaurants on Kingsway. But in a pinch this will do if you can't travel.
Listed in: Vanoodle, Vancouver Vietnamese/Cambodian…
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Review from Matthew T.
Vancouver, BC
4/8/2010
Yum!!! Great soup, awesome crispy spring rolls. Quiet, simple French motif. So good!
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Review from Christine K.
Vancouver, BC
10/5/2008
I go here for lunch once in awhile. This is decent vietnamese food. They have banh mi too though I've never tried one. I really like the prawn imperial and always order a side of it. The lunch combos are good value for $6.50. The place gets full at lunch & there is only one waitress so the service is not great! The fruit bowl is nice that they give you with your bill.
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Review from Kris W.
Vancouver, BC
1/10/2010 2 Check-ins Here
My favourite out of all the Pho places around up and down Broadway.
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Review from Elizabeth T.
Vancouver, BC
1/23/2011
Twice I've been here with my boyfriend. We ordered our usual Pho beef noodle. Both times were served rotting bean sprouts and basil leaves. And no limes?!?! Who eats Pho with lemons?!?!? What kind of authentic Vietnamese eatery would think it's okay to serve lemon with pho?? Anyway, the soup was nice however the rotten veggies were very off-putting. Will never eat there again on account of that. If they can't buy fresh veggies (and that's pretty easy to tell) I wonder where else they use spoiling food that they can get away with. Gross....
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Review from Mike W.
Vancouver, BC
12/12/2008
I order the Banh Mi's (Vietnamese Subs) here all the time. They are really good; essentially the only place to get them around Broadway & Oak. The quality & taste are better than most places on the east side. Bale, at Kingsway & Fraser is cheaper and has more selection, but their pate spread is not quite as good. They are quite comparable to the one's at Au Petit Cafe, on Main & 33rd.
At lunch the restaurant is always packed, with both Asians and Caucasians; An indication that the taste appeals to everyone. With no other Vietnamese restaurant in the area, it's a good choice. -
Review from Tara K.
12/30/2010
Good food well priced. We liked the variety with the ability to order the signature sandwich subs for dinner appetizer, curry fish, basil tofu and beef tendon pho soup.
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Review from Jon T.
Vancouver, BC
1/16/2010
I'm a huge fan of the mango salad roll and vegetarian sub. The only time I didn't enjoy my meal is when I ordered it too spicy.
