- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Rua Vang Golden Turtle
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
125 Ossington AveToronto, ON M6J 2Z2
Neighbourhoods: Ossington Strip, Trinity Bellwoods, Beaconsfield Village
(416) 531-1601
- Hours:
Mon, Wed-Sun 11 am - 7 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
69 reviews for Rua Vang Golden Turtle
Review Highlights
"It's the best no frills pho po me."
(in 57 reviews)
"The broth is incredibly savoury and addictive."
(in 27 reviews)
"Second best vegetarian spring rolls I've had in my life."
(in 12 reviews)
Loading...
69 reviews in English
-
Review from Edwin A.
Can't speak of the Pho because I didn't order it.
But the bun vermicelli with bbq grilled chicken and spring roll, was divine.
I really questioned my friends choice of going here. C'mon Vietnamese on Ossington? Ok guys, I won't be difficult and go along.
But as I approached after parking the car I saw people racing in here like you wouldn't believe. As you step inside. All you see are tables and people eating. There's no space anywhere! It's a very popular neighbourhood spot.
Service though is all business and a bit cold. After we were done eating, they cleared the table and dropped the bill on table even before we asked. (the signal to get the f*ck out sort of deal) we need your spot for another paying customer.
But you know what, the food was splendid.
My dish was fresh and prepared well, the bean sprouts, herbs, vermicelli, bbq chicken was marinated and grilled well sprinkled with chopped peanuts, the spring rolls tasted perfect. I can't fault it. It was probably the best bun vermicelli I remember having for a long time!
Also noticed they offer some different choices, like herbed beef vermicelli, thinly sliced beef rolled in some herb leaf (looks like a cigar) and some pineapple dishes.
So strangely I'd be back to hit up this spot if I'm in Ossington again.
note: they only accept cash -
Review from Josephine C.
Markham, ON
2/1/2012
I'm a huge pho lover, and any good vietnamese place should have decent pho in my opinion. Not sure if the quality has declined, but unfortunately the pho I ordered wasn't too great. It took a long time to arrive (my friends' non-pho dishes came out first), and when it did the soup was bland, the noodles were hard, and meat wasn't too good.
One of the reviews below said the pho is MSG free ... so that could explain the reason. But if I wanted a MSG bland soup noodle I wouldn't go for pho. -
Review from Brian T.
12/22/2011
This Toronto classic serves what many regard as the city's best Pho, and while I think I prefer their competitor down Ossington Ave., I think this is a wonderful Pho too.
Here, the broth is clean, bright, and tasting purely of beef. (I found the broth at Pho Tien Thanh to be murkier, with stronger undertones of star anise, etc.) The Pho here may also be served with more onion and scallion, and more meat, as well.
They did not include sawtooth herb or chile pepper with the garnishes, however, and I particularly like sawtooth herb in my Pho. But, the cleanliness of the restaurant makes up for this.
It is difficult to choose a favorite between these two excellent makers of Pho -- each will have their fans -- but both are deserving of praise for a quality bowl of the ultimate comfort food. -
Review from c t.
Toronto, ON
1/26/2012
This is by far the best Pho restaurant in Toronto that serves vegan/vegetarian dishes. I have tried the vegan Pho at just about every Vietnames restaurant that serves said dish, and this is the most delicious.
My husband is not a vegetarian, and enjoys this restaurants as much as I do. There are so many dishes to choose from, which are all made quickly.
My husband and I recommend this cheap, fast, and filling restarant to everyone new or visiting the city, even if they don't ask! -
Review from Mama t.
Toronto, ON
12/3/2011
Golden Turtle I have to thank the owners each time that they have a vegan option for their soups-on the menu it states: VEGAN broth!! YAY!!
I have been going to the owners' restaurant since it was in a big (odd-looking) restaurant on the other side of Ossington. Their veggie menu is okay, but the flavours are great. Always great to be able to eat a full meal as a vegan in a non-vegetarian restaurant. Great pho, great vermicelli, spring rolls and cold rolls. -
Review from Reynold P.
Toronto, ON
11/16/2011
To talk the pho, you gotta pay exquisite attention to the broth. It's all about the soup! Then we can mention the garnishes, noodles and meat. But pho is really about the broth.
RV Golden Turtle brings out a good pho, but from personal preference it doesn't suit my bill. Let's start off with the broth. It almost seems like pho places, no matter where, have a standard Pho broth. I'm able to identify the subtle differences, if any, when they are present. My benchmark is Pho 88 or Pho Hung, both on Spadina. They have both been doing the Pho game for a very long time. Anyways, the broth at RVGT is a bit watery. The concentration in flavours aren't quite there. I think it may be due to the type of rice noodles they decided to use. It's a flatter, wider and fresh rice noodle. I think this murks up the broth with its starch and makes it taste a bit diluted.
What I look for in good Pho are noodles with a bite and that are easy to clench with a pair of plastic chopsticks. Wider fresh noodles make it harder to eat and have less chew.
The meat is pretty generic. That's something all Pho places have in common. Sometimes thicker in cut and harder to cook or chew but it's all fine with me.
Overall, RVGT is a smaller Viet Restaurant. I know they don't specialize in Pho in particular, and probably have other great dishes which I haven't tried before, but my bowl of Pho was mediocre at best.
That's Pho Real. -
Review from Vivian W.
10/4/2011
One word - "quick". This is a great place if you only have half an hour but you want something cheap, sit down, and it's not a sandwich.
I have to say, this is not the best place to hang out with friends, it's more like order, eat and leave asap when you are done. It is not too clean although I haven't had any problem yet. I'm sure the food is fresh given their insane amount of turnover everyday.
my favourites:
1. Their rice dish with pork chop, sunny side-up friend egg
2. Their rice noodle (bun) with pork chop
3. also, their smoothies are good tooListed in: 30 days challenge
-
Review from Charlotte W.
North York, ON
8/17/2011
Every time my friends want to come here, I cringe. I really hate coming to this place, but I do to hang out.
Intro. The place looks dirty. It reminds me of certain old establishments in Hong Kong, you know, where wait staff dress in flip flops and stained white t-shirts, where furniture are mismatched, and where noodles are cut with that one longer-than-usual fingernail (the thumbnail). OKAY! I am being a tad bit dramatic, but you get the idea?
Food. The menu is extensive, and they have all the regular fanfare of Vietnamese food (Pho, Vermicelli wraps, rice + vegetables/meat, congee and noodles). I tried the Beef Ball pho one time and it was average, nothing special except to say it will satisfy a quick Pho Fix. The last time I came here, I didn't feel like having any main dish, so I ordered the "fresh" spring roll wraps (non-fried) in vegetable and shrimp. The vegetable wraps were fine but the shrimp wraps were absolutely disgusting. I had one bite and it took all my being to stop my gag reflex - the shrimp was not fresh and it tasted grainy (eeww). Now, it was late Friday night and the kitchen was closing, so not smart on my part to order Shrimp, but I thought it would be harmless. WRONG!
FYI - Do not order anything exotic at this place. If you must, just stick to plain Pho noodles in soup. Do not take the chance.
Service. None. Funnily enough, the best server here is the older guy who thanks you for coming to eat... every time I come here he is always outside smoking at the patio.
Price. CHEAP. Sorry but that doesn't cut it. A small bowl of pho is around $5, but I have been to other Vietnamese restaurants where the prices are equivalent if not slightly higher. Which means, at the end of the day, you are not saving much. -
Review from Yvonne T.
Rua Vang aka Golden Turtle is located on the Ossington Strip, with its infamous story of how chef Susur Lee has frequented their establishment.
There is an outdoor patio which is nice, but the decor is quite simple and un-fancy. It is setup like your cookie-cutter pho restaurant. My mother was born in Vietnam, though she is of Chinese descent, so I am harder to please since I get the real stuff at home.
I ordered a plate of Nem Nuong, which is cured pork that comes with romaine lettuce, vermicelli, basil, and bean sprouts. It also comes with rice paper. The fun part is the assembly! Unfortunately my mother never taught me not to play with my food :p Vietnamese cuisine is a very hands-on type of food also. I thought it was a little price, ringing in at $12 for basically a plate of veggies and scant servings of pork. This we shared as a group (there were 4 of us). You then dip your roll in Nuoc Mam (fish sauce)
For my main I ordere Banh Xeo, which is a Vietnamese "crepe" that is filled with bean sprouts, mung beans, and shrimp. This also came with the same accompaniments as the appetizer (save for the rice paper). You then douse the "crepe" with fish sauce (yes, fish sauce is to Vietnamese as soy sauce is to Chinese).
My other 3 dining companions ended up ordering their preferred versions of pho. A good bowl of pho rests solely on the flavour and depth in the broth based soup. I am disappointed to say point blank that the pho broth at the Golden Turtle is nothing spectacular, let alone, deep in flavour. The chicken strips were tough. They use the thin variety of rice noodles here.
Verdict:
At the end of the day, the damage was $47 after tax and tip. It is a good place to stop by for something inexpensive and that isn't part of a fast food chain. However, I did noticed a peculiarity in that the pho noodles took the longest to arrive. Usually, they appear at your table almost instantly upon placing your order. However, the reverse seemed true at Rua Vang. At around 10PM, the place was still pretty busy, but by no means packed. My favourite place for my pho fix is still Pho 88 in Scarborough's Bamburgh Circle.Listed in: All that talk about nothing...
-
Review from angie c.
6/21/2011
Was taken here last night for a first date, and although not the most romantic venue in the world, our dinner was delicious! I had the rare beef and it was delicious, spicy and delicious, noodles were well cooked. Pho portions always blow my mind and somewhat small tummy away. I finished maybe a third there, just ate some for lunch, and I'll prob finish it off for dinner. At about 8.50 pp, that's a pretty stellar deal.
NB, Cash only. -
Review from Laura t.
Toronto, ON
7/17/2011
OMG, OMG, OMG. I just got take out vermicelli from this place. I scarfed down half of it before noticing what looked like a large chili pepper smothered in hoisin sauce. Ew, I thought...that would have hurt. Oh how I wish it was, in fact, a huge chili pepper. NOPE. IT WAS A GIANT COCKROACH!!!!! Once I regained control of my gag reflex, I went around the corner to the restaurant to show them my little friend. Their response....'Ah, we make you another one!" 'NO THANKS, I would just like a refund please'. They begrudgingly refunded my money and stormed away from the desk. No apology, nothing.
I've been going to this place for a couple years now for the pho. It's good, but not amazing, and I always suspected the kitchen was dirty. (we got pad thai once and it smelled like kitty litter) Now there is no doubt in my mind that the kitchen is sketchy. As far as i'm concerned, this place only has one thing going for it...it's cheap. But hey, so is licking the sidewalk. Unless you like insects in your dinner, I would suggest you avoid this place. Cockroach vermicelli, no thanks. -
Review from hangover n.
Toronto, ON
12/5/2011
i had some take out pho from here recently and really enjoyed it. also had the (non fried) appetizer rolls which weren't the best I've ever had, but tasty nonetheless. A good quick meal on the Ossington strip, for a good price.
-
Review from Tanya N.
6/16/2011 1 photo
Fast, efficient and good. This place hits the spot when you're craving pho.
I got the pho with beef & tripe - broth was rich, beef & tripe were tender and noodles were well cooked.
I also had the iced coffee which I found to be more ice than coffee.
I was disappointed that they didn't have banh cuon which are rice rolls wrapped around ground meat served with fish sauce on the side that other pho restaurants in the area have.Listed in: A Quarter of Me Craves Pho
-
Review from Erin B.
6/2/2011 11 Check-ins Here
I almost refuse to believe that I haven't written a review for Rua Vang yet. I eat here at least a couple times a month. Not because it's the Best Pho Ever of All Time. But because it's yummy, it's near home, and it's across the street from yoga.
Not having been to Vietnam, I can't properly comment on authenticity but I can comment on yumminess and the pho here is yummy. I always get exactly the same thing (rare beef pho) - if I have a hankering for anything else it doesn't even occur to me to come here. Flavourful broth, thin slices of pink beef that cook as they float, and a smattering of sprouts and basil? Heaven.
This is the only pho place I've tried that has a patio (and on a side street, no less!), which earns extra points (and I submit that there is nothing weird about craving a steaming hot bowl of pho when it's 32 degrees outside).Listed in: Dating myself!, Pho!
-
Review from Anabel L.
Toronto, ON
8/31/2011
People love this no nonsense meal, any day of the week, any time of the day, but especially in the wee hours of the dark. If that's the case, then any restaurant on Spadina will do.
Then there are days when you want better. A little more flavour, a little less grime.
Enter Golden Turtle - long heralded as the home of Toronto's most famous, and many argue the best, Vietnamese beef noodle soup. It's the best no frills pho po me. -
Review from Emily K.
Toronto, ON
7/13/2011
I just had my first experience at Rua Vang Golden Turtle this past Sunday and I could not be happier! It was a nice day so we sat out on the patio, which has room to seat many.
Whenever I go out for Pho I always end up ordering the same thing, which is the bbq'd pork and shrimp vermicelli with a spring roll. I can't get away from it, but I think it's because its a nice light meal that seems pretty healthy! This was probably the best vermicelli bowl I've had. They made it with the freshest ingredients and the portion size was great. Sometimes I find the bowls are a bit too much to eat, and I have a pretty big appetite, but this one was the perfect size.
I think the thing that shocked me beyond the freshness at this place was the speedy service we received. Our food was served in a very timely manner. Definitely ideal if you're looking to go somewhere for a quick lunch.
While this place is not close to home, I will most definitely be going back, but need to remember for next time that they are a cash only place!Listed in: Cheap Eats, Toronto has great food
-
Review from Joe C.
8/18/2011 2 Check-ins Here
highly regarded as one of the top pho places in toronto, i would have to concur. It's really all about the pho broth. A perfect balance: not bland but not concentrated. Most pho places over use msg and other ingredients and keep the broth way too rich. Rua Vang perfected the broth. everything else in the soup taste better because well you can actually taste what's in the soup and not a mouth full of sodium.
BTW, the Mississauga location of the same name is not related to this review -
Review from Bryan G.
Toronto, ON
3/23/2011
GENERAL NOTES
This place is busy! And small. And the seating is awkward. In other words, it has all the elements of a great pho place. I went here on the recommendation of a non-Yelp friend (what do they know) and was glad I did. The menu is what you'd expect and the price is right. Now let's have some pho.
MENU RECOMMENDATIONS
Rare beef pho - just do it. The large is an enormous bowl of green onions, sprouts, mint (right?) and wonderfully thin beef. I found the broth to be far less salty than most pho places, almost to the point of wanting it to be more salty. Luckily, there was lots of salty things on the table that could be added.
The fresh rolls were good as was the vermicelli dish I had. I'm going to go out on a limb and say you can't go wrong here but unless you're definitely feeling like something other than pho, get the pho.
LOCATION NOTES
East side of Ossington between Queen and Dundas.
SERVICE NOTES
This was the annoying part. They moved us after serving us tea but didn't move our tea cups for us. Meh, we got over it.
HUMOUROUS STORY
Picture an Asian lady with a thick accent singing Oh Darling by the Beatles. It didn't happen or anything, just picture it.
Oh Dalring
Prease bereive me...
Anyway...funny to me. -
Review from Isabella L.
Toronto, ON
1/29/2011 2 photos
I remember coming here on a Tuesday/Wednesday night with my dad. We were downtown and I said I wanted to try this new pho place. Y'see my dad is more open to trying new restaurants whereas my mom is 'if I like this place, it's the best until they serve a cockroach on my plate' Y'know THAT kind of parent.
So, since we were both downtown. We headed to Ossington. I read about this place on Yelp and decided to try it out.
K first off, I was really impressed that this place was a full house on a weekday night. We waited about 5 minutes or less and I ordered a rare beef and beef ball pho and my dad ordered the same. I also wanted to try the cold rolls so I got one of those too.
The food took longer than we expected, because we usually go to Pho Hung and the service there is always consistently fast. The rolls came first and they were good, but I was dissapointed since the rice paper was ripped! Well, I don't realy see how it could be AMAZING unless they seriously jazz it up a lot. It was a regular cold roll. Yummy, but not over-the-top-orgasmic. Soon shortly, our pho arrived.
Damn. 'That's a lot of green' I thought to myself. 'cause it was COVERED in green onion. Anyway, I tasted the soup base and suprisingly it wasn't as overwhelming as I initially thought it'd be (from the green onion). It was pretty darn good. The soup base was very hm...how do I say this in English... like a light soup base with natural flavours. It didn't taste really concentrated, but the flavours of the green onion really gave it a settle yet flavourful soup. However, as you keep eating, those green onions start to get a bit more pungent. I think the portion was a bit smaller than Hung's. Nonetheless this was -THE- perfect place to go because it was COLD AS HELL on the day we went. After our pho meal, we hopped over to Venezia's and grabbed ourselves 2 natas (portugese eggtarts). Delicious night!
Overall: Little less green, please! -
Review from Alex K.
Toronto, ON
6/4/2011
If this is what you want, you will love Golden Turtle. Which is to say, if you want a classy establishment where you can propose to your girlfriend, keep looking. But if you're after a delicious, quick, cheap and generally enjoyable meal - this is where it's at. Any pho will do, although I particularly enjoy the chicken. And the springrolls are so good that I've been there with people who skip the main and just chow down on a platter of them for dinner (shortly before suffering massive coronaries).
Also great for take out, just beware the line ups on the weekend - especially Sunday night before trivia down at The Ossington -
Review from Christian P.
Toronto, ON
10/19/2011
Borth is tasteless. Meat is sticky. Shrimp on sugar cane are just OK. the bottle of Hoisin sauce is the good one, but what is inside is NOT the original one. Better pho anywhere else.
-
Review from Talal A.
Toronto, ON
12/13/2011
honestly.. enough with this hype..
the broth's key feature is it is MSG Free.. however it is absolutely bland ... i can't believe this place still has clients that enjoy that big bowl of hot water essentially..
the sizes are not the greatest, and inconsistent and the meat.. LOL.. lets not even talk about it
Honestly I only ate here because MSG gives me headaches but im done with this place.. -
Review from Kavi G.
Toronto, ON
4/18/2011
When it comes to new dishes, I'm really hesitant and picky about my first time experience. I feel that if everything isn't right, and the experience is ruined, I'll be turned off from a certain type of dish forever.
I was taken to Golden Turtle for my first Pho experience--something that I've been planning for a long time, but never got to experience because I didn't have someone that was confident enough to introduce it to me.
Golden Turtle's Pho is amazing. Tasty, large portions at a great value and what I would probably consider the closest thing to a real Vietnamese Pho experience without having to actually visit Vietnam.
Tight seating but great atmosphere with the smell of Pho and other dishes emanating out of the kitchen. Enjoyed a great meal with beer and loads of slurping. Golden Turtle is known for not adding MSG into their dishes.
Highly recommend the place. -
Review from Renata R.
12/5/2010
I had a Shrimp Soup there, not a pho. Something I usually have at all vietnamese restaurants I go and I usually like because it's full of vegetables, the broth is dense, tasty, and spicy.
The "vegetables" were basically green onion, half tomato and bamboo sprouts. The broth had a weird smell and absolutely no taste. I was hungry after waiting for about 20 minutes, and the only good thing I can say about the soup, it was made with 10 jumbo shrimps - I counted!
To eat the soup, I put so much hot sauce that I think my server understood I didn't like it.
Tea was served in a glass and wasn't very good either. I'm only giving 2 stars because of the jumbo shrimp orgy. -
Review from Tina D.
10/31/2010
I was disappointed with Pho Hung so my friend took me to Blog TO's number 1 rated pho restaurant.
The moment I stepped into the restaurant, it felt like home. The restaurant had a very familiar Vietnamese smell and I knew that my bowl was pho was going to be yummy.
I can't always differentiate between 2 good bowls of pho. But, I do not when it's not good. So, I'm happy to say that I found good pho here. -
Review from M P.
Toronto, ON
2/21/2011
Perhaps the best Vietnamese (and most authentic) place in Toronto!!!
Coming from Montreal where excellent Vietnamese restos are easily found, my tongue recognizes good phos and buns!!!
What's nice was I tried something new this time.... Had a Vietnamese omelette with pork and shrimp wrapped in lettuce as appetizer (yumza). Then tasted the pho (decent), curry friend vermicelli with beef (not bad), and grilled pork bun (delight!!). Oh and a refreshing mango smoothie, hmmmm!!!!
Small resto and not a fancy place but totally enjoyable experience for small groups of four or less....
Two thumbs up, baby!!! -
Review from Patty S.
4/21/2011
Some times the best places are off the beaten path. It may not look like much from the outside and their decor might not be top notch, but it's not about that whatsoever. If you don't get stuck on the decor, you'll notice the delicious aroma of broth coming out of the kitchen and the patrons all slurping their noodles around you.
Yes, it's crowded, cramped, and small, but you're just happy that you can sit and be that much closer to drinking that delicious Pho broth. They've got an interesting ordering system. They drop off menus enough for everyone at the table, a pencil, and a piece of green order pad paper. The concept is you write your own order down and they come by and pick it up a few mins later. I guess it makes it efficient that they don't have to stand over you and wait for you to debate over what to get.
They have one of the most delicious Pho broth I've ever had. I'm jealous that the city of Toronto has this restaurant. -
Review from Elaine K.
1/21/2011 4 photos
Not a bad place to eat, but not worth the hype.
Came here on a chilly winter's evening and waited 10-15 mins for a table. It was PACKED. I might note that my party may have been the only Asian people who weren't working there, but that's neither here nor there these days.
We started with the shrimp fresh rolls, which were really very good. The shrimp was very flavourful, a nice change from the usual waterlogged shrimp you get at other places.
The rest of the dinner went downhill. My friends ordered the vegetarian and chicken satay noodles soups and I had the duck and bamboo shoot noodle soup. Although the meals weren't bad, the satays were apparently lacking in the peanut department, and the duck soup was ordinary tasting, and the bamboo shoots were chewy, almost to the point where I wasn't sure if I was supposed to eat them.
In all, the quality is on par with about 80% of the Vietnamese places out there. Not worth the wait or the crowds. -
Review from Jennifer M.
Toronto, ON
9/1/2010
This is a "Vegetarian pho" biased review.
Golden Turtle gets 4 stars because my SO (pho eater) and I (not pho eater) can both agree on the quality. We like it. It also gets bonus points for having real vegetarian pho. Often (especially in winter) I am left watching him slurp down a warm and yummy bowl of hot noodle soup while I crunch on some lettuce and cold vermicelli. I need soup options too.
And unlike the lemongrass/sweet and sour vegetarian pho found at Ginger (Good!) http://www.yelp.ca/biz... and Hanoi 3 Seasons (Not as Good) http://www.yelp.ca/biz... it has a different style of broth.
Often Veggie Pho comes with less noodles. Do they think we are lighter eaters? Shouldn't we get more noodles for compensation? Regardless, Golden Turtle Gives enough veggies that they don't feel like an afterthought.
Bun is decent here, but the shrimp paste is no Mi Mis. http://www.yelp.ca/biz.... There is a patio if you want to eat pho outside. Busy place, plan ahead and don't come during peak hours. -
Review from Andrew C.
Toronto, ON
8/13/2011
Kickass Pho! Awesome broth. Fast usual pho service with quality pho. Kickass pancake dish. I forget the name
-
Review from Kent P.
8/25/2010
Big menu from 1-180 listed items as you'd see at most viet pho places...
Patio is a big selling point- lovely to have some pho out in the sun.
Spring rolls were really quite tasty- so get a plate that comes with one of those if you can...
My friend had the pad-thai. He hated it. So I'll take off one pat for that. Who orders pad thai these days? am I right, ladies?? frig. 1400 calories.
AND another one for not accepting visa.
three outtta five fuckin pats
patpatpat -
Review from Jenn G.
Scarborough, ON
11/21/2010
My hair dresser recommended this place for me. She told it's one of the only places that serves veggie pho. So...here we go:
-Pretty big menu...i wanted to order so many things...everything sounded SOOO good..next time I come here I'll try something other then their veggie pho
-Veg pho - 2/5: My cousin and I were excited that they actually served veg pho, but when we got the bowl...it was pretty small and BARELY any noodles. the soup tasted pretty good though...we wish the portions were a lot bigger.
-Veggie spring rolls - 4.5/5: very crispy (which i LOVVVVEEE)! the sauce it came with complimented the spring rolls very well.
-Avocado smoothie - 0/5: WORSE avocado smoothie ever..it wasn't even smooth! it was pure thick mush and it tasted like they used rotten avocados!
OVERALL - 2.5/5: I'd stick to my Pho 88 @ Warden & Steeles (however, they do not serve vegan pho). Golden turtle is way too small, with barely no room...everyone is squished together. i will however, give this 2.5 stars for their spring rolls, a pretty big menu and for having veg pho. -
Review from Joanne W.
2/21/2011
Okay - so my friend and I were walking around Ossington the other day just for vintage shopping. It just so happened that we passed by Golden Turtle and I recalled on BlogTO that it was voted one of the best places for pho. It was 3 in the afternoon, but somehow, we got sucked into eating some pho.
And I'm glad we went.
Firstly, we were quickly seated, but this may be because it was 3 PM in the afternoon. We ordered the special (including chicken) pho, and some fresh rolls with shrimp. The rolls weren't the best - slightly bland, but the sauce was great.
The pho. OMG. I was searching for some good pho in Toronto - a lot of places aren't that great and you just want to drink an abundance of water/tea after eating it due to the MSG. However, I did not have to put any sauce or anything in the pho. It was just perfectly made.
Service wasn't the greatest though. Hence why one less star. -
Review from Devan R.
Toronto, ON
3/29/2010
I am growing extremely tired of hearing "Golden Turtle" and "best pho in the city" together in the same sentence. The pho @ GT is good, but not excellent, nor is it near the best in the city.
After coming across an article this morning whereby Seamus O'Regan claimed GT was the best in the city and that he had eaten pho in Vietnam, I decided to give GT another chance after a couple subpar experiences. Overall my bowl with rare beef and well done flank was OK and nothing more. I like how it arrived approximately 120 seconds after I had placed the order, but there was nothing else to remember.
For me the #1 trait a bowl should be judged on is the broth above evrerything else, unfortunately GT's is seriously lacking that kick, punch and jab that a solid bowl should have. The portions are good and the service is prompt, but it is not the best pho in the city.
Pho Tien Thanh down the road has my vote as the best in the city and once you try the broth there you won't eat pho anywhere else. I've eaten pho all over Toronto, Richmond Hill, Markham, Mississauga and Waterloo and PTT's broth is boss. It's clear, succulent, spiced just right and gives me weekly withdrawl. In fact, I know where I'm going for dinner. -
Review from william - Billy m.
Brampton, ON
9/13/2010
My co - worker took me to this place , he always orders the chicken pho
Or soup as he calls it in his heavy scotch accent. I my self am partial to the beef pho and the spring rolls go hand n hand. I've yet to try the veg. Pho but the lady in the next table had and said it was quite good. I be also had the Viet. Sausage meal and found alright; I've had better but in a pinch it will do.
Parking can sometimes be a bitch to say the least, don't get me wrong I like the place but I've had better pho it just doesn't rock my world -
Review from Tamarah S.
Scarborough, ON
8/4/2011
Everything I've had here has been amazing! Get anything with shrimp :)
-
Review from Kat F.
3/11/2009 4 photos
I have to preface my review by saying I've never actually had regular (meat) pho, so my first pho experience was a vegetarian one, so I don't have anything to compare it to - I'm sure some purists may argue that this doesn't even approach a 'true pho experience'!!
The vegetarian (actually, it's vegan) pho comes in one size (large) and it's only $6 - astounding. It's an obscene amount of soup to conquer. The bowl is filled with green onions, broccoli, rice noodles and deep fried tofu. The broth is incredibly savoury and addictive. I ate until my stomach couldn't handle it anymore and I had only plowed through about 50% of my soup (I took the rest home with me).
I also ordered a Soursop Shake. Soursop is a bizarre tropical fruit with a taste that's often compared to strawberry, pineapple, citrus and coconut. Truly unique and recommended!
Also: Don't make the mistake of showing up hungry on a Tuesday night, cause you'll be turned away! They're closed! -
Review from Lauren M.
5/30/2010 1 photo
SAME SAME?
I'm not sure what the huge hype is over this place. We went today and it was good, but really seems completely average to me compared to the average Vietnamese place in Toronto.
The place was packed - it's certainly popular, but maybe simply because there aren't a lot of cheap alternatives in the immediate area.
We had one pho bo and one vermicelli bowl with chicken, shrimp and a spring roll. Both were tasty but I couldn't really say the pho broth was any better than most places in China town and the "bun" (vermicelli) dish was pretty same-same as anywhere else.
I did notice the spring roll was better than average.
Decor and service were pretty same-same too -
Review from Neil T.
Toronto, ON
1/3/2010
At last! I've finally found pho that tastes like something you would find on the means streets of Saigon. Unfortunately for the Golden Turtle, I never really was a fan of the 'authentic' pho that they serve in Vietnam.
+++PROS+++
1. Portion sizes are just right
2. Vietnamese owned
3. Cool hip area without the inflated prices
---CONS---
1. Broth isn't as complex as other pho places, I think it lacks that sweetness you get from star anise
2. Broth was cloudy
3. They use dry noodles for their pho, not fresh (like 90% of pho places in TO)
4. In the bun (vermicelli), the noodles were dry
5. Claim to fame is Susur Lee goes here to eat. I personally don't give a flying fuck who goes where to eat. This pho just isn't what it's cracked up to be.
6. Green onion overload!!!
Overall, this place is just average. I haven't been down the road to Pho Tien Thanh, but I would be very surprised if PTT is worse than the Golden Turtle. If you aren't living in the area, this place is not worth the drive to. Stick to Pho Pasteur on Dundas or Vietnam Noodle Star in Scarborough.Listed in: My Vietnamese Food Rankings
-
Review from Joanna L.
Toronto, ON
6/1/2010
Contrary to what Susur Lee may think, I don't find Rua Vang Golden Turtle to be the "best" pho place in town. It's ok.
The hype has people queuing out the door even on a rainy day when I stopped in for a late lunch with a girlfriend.
I found the service to be slightly ruder than acceptable and I felt rushed to order. It just wasn't the best vibe.
I also found the tables and plastic chopsticks had a sticky residue on them. It was a bit of a turnoff.
