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Pho Tien Thanh
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
57 Ossington AveToronto, ON M6J 2Y9
Neighbourhoods: Ossington Strip, Trinity Bellwoods, Beaconsfield Village
(416) 588-6997
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
50 reviews for Pho Tien Thanh
Review Highlights
"...is interesting and I must say, better than golden turtle."
(in 4 reviews)
"Also, the spring rolls were super crispy without being..."
(in 10 reviews)
"I got the rare beef pho and some spring rolls and both were..."
(in 9 reviews)
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50 reviews in English
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Review from David T.
Scarborough, ON
2/12/2012
I frequent this place whenever I'm in the downtown area. It's probably one of the top two places for pho in all of Toronto. My relatives who grew up in Vietnam debate whether Pho Tien Thanh or Pho Dau Bo on Finch Ave West serves the best bowl of pho in Toronto. One sign of authenticity that you will notice is that a lot of Vietnamese people eat here because of how good and authentic the food is.
Normally I order the Pho Dac Biet (special) or Pho Ga (Chicken).
The pho is near perfection. The broth is excellent, the noodles are always cooked to perfection (not undercooked or overcooked), the quality of meat is really good, thinly sliced and not filled with fat like other places that are trying to cut cost. The tendon is of a nice quality. The accompanying vegetable plate always has fresh bean sprouts, mints, lime and sawtooth herb which many places skimp on.
Service: The people are really nice but sometimes the delivery of the food while dining in can be quite slow which is a little puzzling for pho.
Decor: Minimal decor, washrooms are borderline clean but ppl come here for the great food and not the ambience.
Pricing: A little bit more expensive than other pho restaurants but not by much and the portions are a little bit smaller.
Interesting note: I was talking to the owner and he told me he use to own a Vietnamese restaurant called Viet Huong on the S/W corner of Sheppard/Brimley in Scarborough over 10 years ago. If anybody remembers the place, it use to be one of the go to places for pho in Scarborough way back in the day. -
Review from Joe H.
Ok, so I came here again cause I was in the area and decided to give this place another shot. The last time I was here it wasn't exactly mind boggling. I was about to be proven wrong.
This time I came pretty much when they opened at around 11. They actually let us sit down before they opened which is pretty nice. I ordered the usual special with spring rolls (crunchy and fresh).
The soup base is legit. It's not loaded with MSG and stock of whatever so it tastes homemade (ever have one that tastes like chicken stock? that sucks). The cool thing is also that they load some pretty good ingredients into the special as well. The beef was pretty tender (surprisingly cause it came out medium).
I think the most impressive thing about this place is the spring rolls they have here. Their crunchy spring rolls are amazing. They're a little bit smaller than other people's but they taste so much better. Order 2 or 3 orders of them if you can, you won't be sorry.
Other than that, the fresh rolls are pretty average, the only thing I have to say is that don't really cut them for you, so... either get your rip on or just have it all to yourself =). I vote for the latter. -
Review from Vanessa M.
Toronto, ON
2/2/2012
One of my favorite Vietnamese restaurant of all times. Their broth is one of the best, i love their grilled chicken as well for the wrapped rice rolls.
One star deducted for cleanliness & washroom though -
Review from Shannon F.
Toronto, ON
1/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
Good Pho can be tough for a vegetarian to find. I have avoided it lately after a few bad experiences with essentially tasteless slimy vegetables on rice or noodles. But my bf loves Pho so I asked Yelp to help me out and found so many good reviews on Pho Tien Thanh that we decided to give it a try.
The over-lit, lame decor aside, the food was pretty good. I had summer rolls and vegetable and tofu stirfry with vermicelli noodles. The vegetables were cooked perfectly, not too soft, and the sauce had decent flavour. I happily put Hoisin sauce on anything and this was no exception, I added some chilis and had a decent meal. The summer rolls were good too - the rice paper was a little sticky - having made my own a number of times I feel qualified to comment on such a small thing :-) The sauce was delicious - more Hoisin, with fresh peanuts and shaved carrots.
My bf and had pork spring rolls on vermicelli which he says was alright but the rice noodles were a bit soggy - something I would agree the same about my stirfry noodles - then he had the meat special Pho - beef ball, tripe, beef bone, raw beef - lots of beef - he only had the small bowl and it was pretty huge. A decent amount of meat and he ate the broth but the noodles remained uneaten again.
The servers were nice - including the boundless energy of the man mentioned in other reviews and of course you can't beat the price when you eat Pho. It was what my bf was craving this New Year's Day and it didn't disappoint. I'd eat here again when the craving strikes him next.
In case you missed it in other reviews - CASH ONLY. Thankfully we saw that before we went! Thanks fellow Yelpers! -
Review from Joe C.
2/7/2012 2 Check-ins Here
another gem on the ossington. this place is long and narrow so the waiters are all the way at the other end of the restaurant i suggest just helping yourself to an open table. my usual spot is golden turtle up the street but due to renos we came here instead. this place has always been rammed packed every time even at different times of the day. the pho broth is much more rich than golden turtle but not to the point where you need a bucket of water on the table. the service is friendly and food comes out in short time. food seemed very fresh one thing to note is the noodle portions are smaller than most places. A grown man may need to order the X large.
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Review from Brian T.
12/22/2011
This unpretentious Vietnamese place serves what may be the best Pho in Toronto.
I found the broth wonderfully flavorful: murky and deep, with an undercurrent of seasonings like star anise.
The rare beef tasted great, and the vegetable garnishes provided included sawtooth herb (my favorite) and a chile pepper, both nice touches. -
Review from Ksenja T.
11/18/2011
Believe it or not, I used to be a regular at pho hung back in the day, so when the opportunity came up to try vermicelli again, I was not going to say no.
My bf told me about this spot on Ossington and warned me that "it wasn't going to be fancy at all." He was right, it has a cafeteria look and it's anything but fancy, but my stir fry chicken vermicelli (bun) was so great. I also had some of the pho and the broth was delicious. It was pretty busy for a Wednesday night, but service was quick. The waiter was in a really good mood, he was even singing. You can't beat a $25 dollar dinner for two.
Note: Cash only. -
Review from Lynn H.
Calgary, AB
10/22/2011 4 Check-ins Here
This place may seem like a hole in the wall, but usually those kinds of places have yummy food!! We were recommended to try their bun bo hue. It's pretty good. But I really like their pho ga!! Very tasty and the soup is sweet!! YUM!! They keep the place very clean and the service is great. There is a young man that works there and is super cheerful everytime, even when it's packed (and it's always been packed everytime we go.) We try to go whenever we are in the area...maybe every 2 weeks or so.
For my Calgary friends who visit Toronto, try this place. You won't be disappointed!!! :D -
Review from Martin W.
9/12/2011 2 Check-ins Here
The bun and pho here are both really really top notch. The pho broth is very tasty, so tasty that I am inclined to just chug it down. The portions are big and well priced. The restaurant is very much set up like most other Vietnamese restaurants with zero flash - tables, chairs, and chopsticks. Cleanliness optional.
The service here is pretty good. They are always smiling and friendly. I also like the fact that this is the closest Vietnamese restaurant to me. -
Review from Steph L.
9/28/2011
I'm so sorry Susur, please forgive me.
I heard that this is one of your favourite spots for pho, but it really didn't impress me.
This just isn't the best pho in the city.
Maybe a few beers at Dakota would change my mind.
Perhaps a tequila flight or two from Reposado would make me more star generous...
But even drunk and starving, I don't think I would change my mind.
It's a perfectly average bowl of pho.
We wandered in here on a rainy day for a steamy hot bowl of broth.
The place was busy for a mid-week gloomy evening.
Pho places on the Ossington strip look a lot like grimy run-down pho places in Chinatown. The floor was seriously filthy, they had the standard plastic utensils, and decor was basic and lacked any kind of effort.
Looked promising.
We started with the spring rolls.
Super small.
Not much to them, really.
Tasty... now bring me 3 more of them.
The pho wasn't bad at all, don't get me wrong.
The broth was a bit light and thin...but tasted good with a hint of cinnamon and sweetness.
Definitely not enough meat.
I just wasn't satisfied.
I'll give this place another shot. But, I may make a trip to Golden Turtle first. -
Review from Mochi M.
9/5/2011
O.M.G.
THE BEST pho in town. I said this before about Pho Linh, but THIS ONE is the best one in town, I promise.
It isn't as fatty and the broth is so flavourful, I could eat it as a soup every day.
There's not much else I can say except: COME AND EAT HERE it is simply unbelievable. -
Review from Ziyi C.
Toronto, ON
8/19/2011
Reasons why I return to Pho Tien Thanh:
My favourite place for pho in the city
Friendly service
Pho is one of my favourite comfort foods. When I have Pho Tien Thanh's bowl of noodles in front of me, everything is temporarily all good. The meat/noodle/soup ratio is perfect. Piping hot broth. Meat quality is decent. Sawtooth coriander/herb and bird's eye chili served each time. Other condiments stocked and provided on the table. Those are the essentials I look for and they got it.
Random notes:
The noodles in pho are dried style (my preference), for fresh noodles I recommend Pho Linh (College and Dufferin). Other recommendations: Pho Dau Bo (Finch and Weston location)
MSG usage is very minimal in comparison to most places in the city. Kim (Spadina and St. Andrew) is the only place I've seen who advertises no use of MSG by request, but regardless, Pho Tien Thanh's bowl overall is worth it.
Cash onlyListed in: Toronto Eats on Loop
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Review from Alex K.
6/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Definitely one of my fav pho places, with great service, great shakes, and for the most part great food.
I love their young coconut shake, I've tried it at at least one other place, and this one was way better. Their soups are excellent, as are most of the other meals. Lately I've been getting an insanely amazing steak with fried egg on it which also comes with a small soup and the taste has been unbelievable.
The only thing I didn't like there is their pad thai, which they recently added to their menu.
All-in-all, considering I go to this place just about once a week lately, I think it's proof enough that it's one of my favourites. I highly recommend it. -
Review from Ryan F.
4/4/2011
I haven't really tried pho but if I ever wanted to, this is apparently one of THE places to do it. However I have to give my critique on the non-pho dishes...
Without fail, every time I have been there (3 now) I always end up finding hair in my dish...its probably why I have refrained from eating there in a while. The food isn't too bad...until the hair. I swear its like they see me, and put one in intentionally :(
However the service is ultra fast and the mango shake is amazing (and always without hair). Volleyball season is coming up so I know I'll end up there again...maybe I'll try the PHO but i'm too worried I'll be super paranoid about getting a hair in my meal :(
The crowd usually comprises students and it is a cash only location (there is a cash machine across the street at the quasi-bakery). -
Review from Linh N.
Calgary, AB
This Pho restaurant was located on a street that doesn't quite look too appealing. The restaurant/house gave me a very homeland feel. The vibe and decor looks and feels just like Vietnam. The Pho broth was very tasty but unfortunately the beef was chewy. We're spoiled with the beef here in Alberta. I tried a piece of my friends pork chop rice and it was amazing. It had a little fat along with it which makes it just melt in your mouth. I ordered the jumbo shrimp rice. It had a kick to it so was different than the way I always have it. It was just mediocre for me.
We came back a second time and ordered the Sour soup and claypot fish. The soup was very flavorful and the fish tasted fresh; not like those frozen fish that most restaurants serve.
It's not easy finding a good restaurant in TO because there's just too many, so we couldn't give up the opportunity to come back.
The service though was extremely slow and prices are quite high for a vietnamese restaurant. The plating was also disappointing because the plate they used was so small that the meat covered the entire plate; that made it difficult to eat. But overall, two thumbs up and definately could be a regular restaurant for me. -
Review from John B.
3/20/2011
3.5
This place has it all when it comes to casting. The obligatory hard-working teenage son of the owners. An old man in the kitchen (visible) whose only purpose seems to be to languidly stir the contents of a large pot once in a while. And a totally fabulous waiter who looks like he got unhappily lost on his life's quest to visit every dance music night club from Kowloon to Rangoon.
The food was quite fine, but not extraordinary, I suspect, for Toronto. The catfish in the canh chua was cooked really well. Flaky fish and fatty fat. The okra, on the other hand, appeared to have been slowly cooked since 1961, This is hard to avoid when it comes to okra. But this deficiency is avoidable, and therefore results in a lower rating -
Review from Michelle T.
Toronto, ON
5/27/2011
I've only ever ordered pho here. The vegetarian option is pretty good. The service is great, I'm always greeted by somebody when I enter.
The decor isn't much to look at, but I'm not there to eat the walls. I recommend this place for a great bowl of pho. -
Review from Devan R.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 12/2/2010 ROTD 3/14/2011
YES YES YES! I FEEL ALIVE!!!
In a previous review I gave PTT a solid 5* whammy and also proclaimed it the best pho spot in the city. I have no idea why it took me SO long to return to the promised land but my god, tonight I was blown away like Tommy Lee & Jeff Bridges, quite like the first time I ever graced a PTT bowl.
I have been recently arm wrestling with a minor cold and decided earlier I could really use a solid bowl of fuh. After slayin the Lg #23 at PTT (Beef Lover's Delight) I felt like a million+ bucks, and strong enough to flip a TTC bus. One of the best bowls I have ever had in my life.
Bowl Breakdown:
Before adding any herbs, sauces, limes or sprouts to my bowl, I always try the broth solo, this is a crucial step in determining the value/worth of a pho establishment. Taking my first sip tonight I was completely mesmerized by the amount of flavour packed into a single spoonful (1 tbsp) of this broth, this Clear broth might I add. It may as well of been pho absinthe the way it was making me high.
Apart from the broth (made with Unicorn saliva), the beef was bountiful and the onions, herbs and noodles made for quite the party in my mouth, the flavour profile was definitely at capacity.
Service was nothing shy of great as usual. Our waiter was welcoming, efficient and polite, as he should be. I failed to catch his name, but he is always there and bless his soul.
Surely my favourite spot for pho. I can not stand GT down the road and I could blast them for days but that is not the purpose of this review. The purpose here is to shine a light on the already blinding Pho Tienh Thanh. My home away from heaven.
In closing, I would like to mention that the art of making Pho is a tedious, precise, and time consuming art which can take anywhere from 8 hours to a day to perfect, it's by no means a simple task. This means that the end product can mildly differ at different times based on the water, bones, veg and spices used that day. I have read some of the other posts by fellow Yelpers proclaiming the broth is nothing to write home about. If that's the case, then some fairy must be lacing my taste buds with pho fun dip each and every time I eat here.
See for yourself, if you haven't already.
Pho Tien Thank You1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/7/2009
In an ongoing effort to unearth the best Pho in the city I ended up @ Pho Tien Thanh, located on the… Read more »
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Review from Jon A.
Toronto, ON
6/28/2011
So after golden turtle at around 8-9pm they didn't serve soup which is the reason why I went there to eat we headed to pho tien and I may say their rice plater with all meats and chicken without the egg was pretty good, only thing I was disappointed in was the rice but then again im sure I cod have had worse. Next trip here I got the rare beef soup with deep fried spring rolls and the soup was a lot better than golden turtle but wasn't expecting such a small portion of the spring rolls. But not totally knocking their spring rolls as they were extremely better than GT.
Overall, hands down my favorite pho spots in down town Toronto! -
Review from Renata R.
2/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Although their spring and fresh rolls are absolutely awesome, their service is terrible. The main dish was not even that big, I'm used to ask for one and share it with my husband, this one was mostly rice.
Terrible. Not coming back. -
Review from WaYnE c.
Maple, ON
12/22/2010
Put standard phrase here.... "You get what you pay for"
Special Beef Noodle Soup($7.50/Large) - Comes with full Garnishes of Culantro, Basil, Sprouts and Red Chili is a welcome sight. The Large Bowl is quite big that reminds me of eating at Home. The portion of ingredients however did seem held back especially the Tendon and Tripe was most notible.
The Broth and Pho itself seems average while the Broth slowly becomes cloudy when the Raw Beef soaks in and infuses the Broth. Slices of Onions and chopped Scallions float on top while Dry version Pho sit at the bottom.
The setup of the place is less designed than Pho restaurants in the Suburbs but at least they are smart enough to have an LCD in one corner but instead of Vietnamese or Cantonese show or even CP24, it shows NFL Football. I was still trying to figure out WHO was watching that from the full-house restaurant... Except for me.Listed in: Va Va Viet, Pull My Noodles - Southeast…
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Review from Stephen W.
Markham, ON
2/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
I got to admit that I have become a fan of this place.
It may not be the cleanest place but they sure know how to cook a mean bowl of Pho! Definitely one of the best places ive gone to for pho.
Upon request, they serve cold tea / boil your bean sprouts / they have chillie peppers that will leave your tounge numb if you soak up the seads!
Beer could be a little cooler and it sometimes gets a little foggy inside because of the poor ventaliation.
Service is friendly. -
Review from Yumm Y.
Mississauga, ON
4/8/2011
It's okay. I don't know why everyone seems to rave of this place. The pho broth isn't deep in flavour at all. Nothing special about it. And the spring rolls, although delicious & super crispy, are thin, with only 4 small rolls to an order.
I'd rather go Pho Linh, which is only another 5-10 min. away.
Also, I seen the owner the other day, who coincidently were family friends with the people I ate with. He was kind and talked to all patrons, even the non-Asian ones.
I wouldn't go back. -
Review from Jennifer M.
Toronto, ON
12/28/2010 1 Check-in Here
So everybody (presumably) knows the tale of the Two Phos. Once business parters, the Owners of Tien Thanh and Rua Vang Turtle up the street have since become bitter rivals. Everyone has their favorite and each is unique in their own right.
This morning, we went pho hunting but Golden Turtle had decided to close for the holidays. Not wanting to leave 'hood having just paid for parking, we ventured south towards Tien Thanh.
The first time I came to Tien Thanh there was no vegetarian menu and I had them serve me a Bun without meat on top. Since then (I assume the reputation GT has received for the popular vegan pho has had something to do with it) , TT has adopted a vegetarian menu with half a dozen or so options.
Reading the other reviews, I think that either Tien Thanh has changed the recipe or I chose to try the Vegetarian pho on an extra good day. Cause it was good. Flavourful and clean and lemongrassy. Lots of tofu, lots of noodles, crisp broccoli. Yes, the boring slivers of carrot but at least a tonne of noodles. The large was perfect sized, and priced at $7.50.
Zero ambiance, mediocre service but handmade springrolls, cheap enough price and it comes quickly enough.
Just to add fuel to my domestic pho-loving fire, the SO prefers Golden Turtle by a large margin. Gah. -
Review from Erin B.
2/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've been fulfilling all my Ossington pho needs at The Other Pho place for a while now, because I know what to expect there.
No more! One visit and I'm a Pho Tien Thanh convert. The service was great - a lovely young fellow greeted me at the door and helped me to a comfortable table away from the door. For the rest of my visit he was attentive, friendly AND understood the steps of service (which are not limited, as many pho places think, to 'take order' and 'drop off food').
And the pho was excellent. My little plate of pho accessories came with all the usuals plus a hot red chili and a delicious leaf I wasn't familiar with. The broth was flavourful and full bodied and the 'rare' beef was actually red when it was served. Amazing.
Decor was meh, but I expect that from pho joints. At least there was no television drone or crappy radio station playing.
And, as all that love isn't enough, my small pho was actually cheaper than The Other Pho place. Pho heaven.Listed in: Pho!
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Review from Louise T.
9/17/2011
Excellent broth for their pho, as well as generous portions without "generous" meaning more noodles - there is plenty of meat to go with your pho regardless of size.
Also the coconut milkeshake is the best thing ever. Just be careful alternating between that sweet/cold icey drink and your hot pho. Gave my partner a headache.
Also the spring rolls are less greasy than other Vietnamese restaurants and smaller - they just look like they've been made with more care with less of an intention to give you a coronary.
The only reason I give this place 4 stars instead of 5 is because of their fluorescent basement lighting type feel. Just a tiny little effort into giving the restaurant a face lift would probably attract more customers. Though I have to say some of the BEST cheap food in Toronto is in small hole in the wall establishments that are family owned. Go for the soul food with good company. Not for the ambiance. -
Review from Susu H.
Toronto, ON
4/10/2011
Honestly, I'm a bit stuck between 3 - 4/5 stars.
I've tried a few different things on the menu, but I find the only worthwhile things to order are the rare beef pho, the fresh rolls, and the coconut milkshake.
the service is great, very friendly and accommodating....but keep in mind that when it gets busy, they're not going to hold your hand while you eat your pho.
It's best to go here during "off" hours, the food tastes fresher, you'll get the food quicker, and the milkshakes are double the size.
Cash only is a little inconvenient, but not that big of a deal.
The real reason why I'm not entirely satisfied is the pho. I LOVE pho, I understand as well how much work goes into making it. With Pho Tien Thanh, the pho just tastes like it's missing something. No, not msg...not lime (lime actually kills some of the flavor)...I honestly don't know what, but it KILLS me.
Overall however, I have yet to find anything better than Pho Tien Thanh. I plan to keep looking, but in the meantime, it's not a bad fallback option. -
Review from ritchie c.
Toronto, ON
9/10/2010
Maybe my pho expectations are too high these days but this place is just okay. I've been twice and it's not bad at all, just not the mmmmm delicious I want from pho.
The noodles are okay, the meat is cut too thick and sometimes chewy, but I love their broth so I'll keep going back.
It gets pretty busy at dinner so expect a 5-10 min wait. -
Review from Kat F.
I made the mistake of not ordering pho. Don't not order the pho here.
Slimy, bland vegetables covered in a mushroom cloud of snotty ectoplasm (http://nodders.net/wp-...). The deep fried tofu (all three cubes) was chewy like old leather (72a, for reference - $6.50). Sour Sop Milkshake ($3) was all sour and no sop - bordering on inedible. It remained untouched for the evening, but the overwhelmed staff didn't take notice.
Cash only. -
Review from Anna B.
Toronto, ON
5/19/2011
I have traveled throughout Vietnam and this place is the only place that takes me back there. The best Pho in town for the prices. Yummy Yummy Yummy.
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Review from Melissa J.
Toronto, ON
This is the "other" pho place on Ossington. Its owner used to work at Golden Turtle with its current owner, now the two no longer speak, or something along those lines.
Who cares, really. All that matters is that this place is WAY better than Golden Turtle. Why?
1) Their food tastes better. Duh. The pho broth is divine, full of all the right kinds of spices and flavour, the meat is tender and fresh, the spring rolls are a weird shape but actually taste really good. In the pho topping plate, they include the typical basil, bean sprouts, chilis and limes, but they give you way more of everything (I can never have enough lime juice), and they bring you long strands of real coriander. Mmmm...
2) The staff rules. Your table will likely be served by Vietnamese teenagers/twentysomethings who wear Ecko t-shirts and Rocawear jeans and are probably the nicest kids I've ever met. Super attentive, and, might sound awful, but they are all obviously Canadian-born, so no language barriers! (Not the case at Golden Turtle)
3) Less busy than the over-hyped Golden Turtle! It can still be pretty busy in here, but for the most part, the restaurant is comfortably occupied.
4) CHEAPER THAN GOLDEN TURTLE. Every dish here is about $1 cheaper than at the northern competitor. Enough said.Listed in: I could eat here every day...
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Review from lole d.
Toronto, ON
12/12/2010
Decor - meh
Service - Excellent
Food - Good Pho, most authentic tasting pho. N not to oily! -
Review from Matthew S.
Toronto, ON
Unfortunately I couldn't make the official Pho-bruary kick-off UYE at Pho Tien Thanh. I wanted to try Pho Tien Thanh so I decided to recruit a couple of my siblings for a UYE of our own. This was my first experience with pho and I must say it was fan-pho-cking-tastic.
We started with the vegetarian spring rolls, beef jerk and papaya, and shrimp roll on sugar cane. The spring rolls were awesome, not overly greasy and much better than most Chinese style spring rolls I've had. The beef jerky dish was also tasty, the jerky had a great texture and the sauce was great. The "papaya" looked suspiciously like carrot to me but it tasted great so whatever. I'd pass on the shrimp roll next time, it was a little bland for my taste.
I ordered a medium special beef pho, which came with tripe, tendon, brisket, and rare beef. The rare beef comes raw and you cook it when the bowl arrives by submerging it in the broth. The medium was huge and there was a ton of delicious, tender meat in my soup. The soup is served with fresh bean sprouts, basil, and limes on the side and the broth benefited from the addition of these. For what it's worth, after finishing the meat in my pho I didn't finish the broth; I was really full by this point and the broth alone didn't blow me away.
For 3 soups and 3 apps our bill came in at under $40. For the amount and quality of food it was super cheap.
While the food at Pho Tien Thanh was a 4, the service was easily a 5. Everyone we interacted with had a huge smile on their face and our waiter was quick, friendly, and unbelievably helpful. I think he could tell right away we were new to the pho scene by the puzzled look on our faces when the bean sprouts and basil arrived. He walked us through a Pho101 class, showing us what to do with the sprouts and basil and how to mix the various sauces on the table just right. Every so often he'd check in on us whiteys to see if we needed any help.Listed in: South-East Asian Eats
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Review from susan c.
3/2/2010
Warning: This place is not good for groups.
The service seems to crumble like 3-day-old cow patties when you foist 14 rowdy diners on them all at once.
The pho broth was A-OK for me but heavy on the MSG as evidenced by my massive dehydration the next morning. I really should come back here and have a moment alone with the bowl for a better assessment.
Thus concludes Phobruary.
Total: 5
(That's five reviews of pho places where I ate pho in the month of February.)
I think that means I came in 2nd place. Yippee!Listed in: My Time in 'Nam, My Pho-bruary
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Review from Deanna W.
8/9/2009
My own personal phology continues with a recent addition to the list....
Pho Tien Thanh is located on the tail end of Ossington and is another cheap and cheerful Pho joint. As with Melissa J., I also think that Tien Thanh serves a better bowl of Pho than it's counterpart up the street-the Golden Turtle.
Broth is robust and served piping hot, wafts of anise and beef, a rich beefy broth. Noodles aren't fresh, a shame but at least there's plenty of raw beef to cook in the tasty broth. The pho has generous sprigs of cilantro and onion dumped in the soup beforehand so if you're a hater of both you may want to have them removed when you order. The herb plate comes with all the standard fixins and it's worth noting as I always do that they have saw-leaf included on their plate-not every Pho joint provides this unique herb.
The cold jasmine tea they provided was perfect too. Service is quick and efficient and as with most pho places this is cash only.
It's a slurp-worthy bowl of pho overall and I'll be back for more helpings.Listed in: Fie Fi Pho Fum!
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Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
6/14/2010 12 photos
Dropped by Pho Tien Thanh on a late Sunday afternoon. The place was half empty so I have great, friendly and attentive services.
I settled for a Medium rare beef with tripes Pho ($6.50) and an iced coffee($3.00).
Here compare to Golden Turtle the medium is a medium.. I don't need to order a large :)
The pho broth was ok, a little heavy on the MSG... I was so that evening already. The noodle was the dried type and though the beef was nice and tender but definitely no enough!
I really enjoyed the free iced cold Jasmine tea they serve!! I never have it in the other Pho places I have been! So nice and refreshing and it was iced cold!
The interior of the restaurant though dated, is roomy and you have tons of personal spaces!
2 star for the Pho
3 star for the iced Jasmine tea
3 star for the serviceListed in: A Day in Ossington!
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Review from Neil T.
Toronto, ON
2/1/2010
To officially kick off Pho-bruary, we visited the much talked about Pho Tien Thanh on Ossington. Yelp Elites Dale M. and Bijan V. were joined by Yelp newbie Jan A., whose dedication to the craft of pho is noteworthy (she just visited this place a few days ago).
+++The Good+++
1) Broth, though a bit cloudier than I like, was nice --not fantastic, but well above average. Not too sweet or salty, but flavorful
2) Raw beef comes out blood red, not yet fully submerged/cooked in broth
3) Melt in your mouth tendon -- FINALLY!
4) The fried spring rolls are authentic (small with a different casing and a peppery filling)
5) Cheap! $11 a pop with tip for a bowl of pho and shared apps
6) Free parking on side streets. Wicked!
---THE BAD---
1) The pork skin rolls were neither here nor there (note: this does add a little something something when accidentally dropped in your tea)
2) They use dry noodles, not fresh
Overall, a lot better than Golden Turtle up the street and perhaps one of the nicer bowls of pho south west of Vic Park and Eglinton. The rest of Pho-bruary will dictate its overall ranking. -
Review from Chris S.
Toronto, ON
5/31/2011
I'm embarrassed to say that my first time at Pho Tien Thanh was only 6 short months ago. I guess I've never really had a craving for this Vietnamese staple, and it's probably the result of a string of mediocre experiences. But, now that I've been to Pho Tien Thanh, I can't stop myself from wanting (and dreaming about) that delicious first sip of broth. It's probably the most comforting thing I have ever tasted in my life!
The different combinations of noodle soups seem endless after glancing through their menu, but I'd recommend you go with the rare beef noodle soup (#23 ), and make sure you get the large.
And if you're feeling under the weather, this is the perfect dish to get some life back into you. -
Review from Jonathan W.
Calgary, AB
12/28/2009
Finally got around to settling the much debated Ossington pho challenge for myself.
Golden Turtle vs Pho Tien Thanh
Verdict - Different styles, no clear winner (what a cop out huh?)
Settling in Pho Tien Thanh on a cold winter day for lunch. I went with the standard - deep fried spring rolls and the rice noodle special, large. (i.e. a bit of everything, beef, tripe, tendon).
The spring rolls were crisp, thinner than expected and tasty. Sweet too, which is interesting and I must say, better than golden turtle.
Pho - ingredients much more sparse, less dressings as far as greenery, less beef and almost non-existent tripe. Disappointing. The broth is very clear, less oil but also less flavour and richness than golden turtle. I can see how some people would love this though. Noodles were fresh and just the right consistency. It is more a preference, but the portions and broth was better at Golden Turtle.
Overall, I think both places have quality pho in comparison to their brethren downtown. They each do something well and it is a matter of personal tastes when it comes down to which you prefer. I'm headed back to the turtle first but if it's full up, you'll see me jet over to Pho Tien Thanh in less than a minute. -
Review from Kent P.
7/2/2010
Food was great. Everyone had something along the lines of vermicelli + spring roll + bbq meat. No pho' at this table. Throw some Sriracha sauce on that bitch and we were rip roarin' ready to go. Beer was $3.25 and sort of warm. The restaurant was really hot even with the AC on. The urinals had ice in them, and I played that game where you try to melt as many cubes as you can. It was a lot of fun.
FOUR PATS.
pat pat pat pat
ttyn,
-PAT.
