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Saigon Star
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
33 reviews for Saigon Star
Review Highlights
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"And don't forget to order their curry crab." In 16 reviews -
"The honey grilled pork neck meat had that luscious..." In 2 reviews -
"Oh, can forget to order the fresh bread to mop up the curry..." In 4 reviews
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33 reviews in English
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Review from Darren S.
Markham, ON
3/27/2012
This place serves probably the second-best curry that I've ever tasted in Toronto after Linda at Shops at Don Mills. We came on a Tuesday evening (a few hours ago, in fact), and ordered the Vietnamese curry beef brisket and a green Thai curry chicken. Both were, without a doubt, absolutely stunningly good. I would recommend the Vietnamese curry for those looking for a bolder taste, and the green curry for those looking for a smoother taste. Both were extremely flavourful though, in the complex-yet-tasty way that Southeast Asian dishes are meant to taste.
Next thing that I have to comment on is the portion. Ho-Lee-Cow are they huge. Each curry portion would've been sufficient to feed two people easily, and this massive size made the seemingly more expensive price (compared to other similar establishments) completely worth it. What WASN'T worth it, though, was the $1.75 price levied for a bowl of white rice. They clearly knew that you would need to have rice to eat the lovely curries, and priced them accordingly.
The place itself is decorated quite nicely, with sleek simple lines and modern chandelier-like lighting giving it a very upscale ambience. I was a little puzzled by the collage-like painting at the back though. It felt very European and completely out of place. Perhaps this was from a previous restaurant? Service was very so-so but the food came out relatively quick, and everything was very pleasant.
Now, keep in mind that we didn't order anything other than the curries, but I see little reason to switch after experiencing how great they were.
The only other disappointing thing (other than the scam-like price of rice) is the bathroom. You could tell it is designed to be modern and sleek like the rest of the restaurant, but clearly nobody took care to polish the tiles or keep it looking shiny. Everything was grubby and full of dust. Not dirty per se, but a wasted effort.
But what the heck, you don't come here for the washrooms, you come here for the food. So GO NOW and get yourself some LOVELY JUBBLY CURRIES. -
Review from Kyle G.
Markham, ON
4/15/2012
Came to this restaurant as a party of 8, you have to make reservation. Had to wait a 15 min., not a big deal but I usually expect a table to ready when reservation is made. The restaurant is a decent size but there's way too many traffic, no waiting area, and all the tables and seats are cramped way too close for comfort. For some reason, the A/C was off and the place feels like an oven.
Anyways, on the to food. We tried their famous curry crab, fried black pepper crab, pineapple shrimp fried rice, curry beef brisket, fried tofu, and their appetizer which had spring rolls, bbq curry chicken and vermicelli. Nothing wowed me but nothing tasted bad either except for the fried tofu (it was SOFT and CHEWY).
Their service was good. Food came quick and leftovers were cleaned up throughout the meal. I would recommend this place for groups of 2-4 so that you can get a booth to sit comfortably but then you wouldn't be able to order a variety of shared dishes. =\
If seafood is your thing, there's better places. If Vietnamese food is your thing, there's WAY better places without the steep prices and wait. I don't think I'll ever come back again to be honest.
Cheers. -
Review from Josephine C.
Markham, ON
2/1/2012
I used to live in the area, and unfortunately the pho here isn't too great. The soup was mediocre at best, the noodles were the flat thick kind, and meat was so so.
Sorry, would not recommend this place for pho. -
Review from Erika L.
Maple, ON
4/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
Delicious food, amazing service. Thank you!
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Review from Jay T.
Toronto, ON
5/14/2012
Been to Saigon star a dozen times, mostly for dinner and twice for lunch. This place get busy quick at night and the wait time can be long. Remember to make reservation if you planning to come here during the weekend. The Curry crab is the best I had, remember to order some bread with it. The Pad thai is okay as well. Only thing I do not recommend is the pho from this place as it is not the best. Other than that everything else I tried so far as been stunning.
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Review from Gary S.
2/1/2012
Come here for the curry and the crab of course.
Had curry brisket was very good with the right amount of spice. I got a side of French bread and it was toasted to perfection crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. Also got salted tofu which was great dunking in the curry.
Didn't have the crab this time around as it was $40 a pop, all best on market price so ask in advance. -
Review from Erwin M.
1/27/2012
totally agree with a lot of the comments here... its a good restaurant with very interesting and tasty dishes. Service is really fast considering it was packed when I was there.The pho...iv'e had better.. perhaps trying to have chinese, thai, vietnamese, malaysian in the menu is just too diverse. Other purely "pho" places are definitely better...
the curry crab seems to be the go to dish here... most of the diners had that at the center of the table and it looked really really good... slurp slurp -
Review from Masaki L.
Richmond, BC
1/6/2012
Heard about this used to be a very famous restaurant with high reputation. However, I had a very poor experience and felt very disappointed.
Knowing that crab with curry is one of their famous dishes, we asked for the price of it (which usually live crab is in current price). A lady server replied that it was like $41 for a dish (instead of calculating per pound, but that's ok), and then corrected that it should be like $45 or $46 but should be under $47... . We were like... what the heck?! We then just didn't bother to confirm the exact price but decided not to order it.
We finally ordered a few other dishes, which were all very popular and common ones. Very disappointingly (and surprisingly in a negative way), the pig neck meat was extremely overcooked (not burnt into charcoal type but very dry and chewy), as it was overly cooked by microwave oven! (I think almost everyone would have such an experience for how the food tastes by that mistake.) The roti (Indian style pancake) was as hard and dry as a dog's frisbee! The pad thai (or phat thai, a very famous and popular fried noodles in Thai style) only tasted tomato sauce but not spicy at all, and the noodles were in overly orange color which not supposed to be.
We told the server that how we thought about the dishes (which was not in serious complaining tone already), she defended that of course the pig neck meat was not cooked by microwave oven; and we should have consumed the roti as soon as possible right after being put on the table, for it will get dried out very easily. I really wanted to tell her that we actually did eat the roti right away (cuz my wife and I love roti very much that we couldn't wait for another second to eat it!) but it's hard and dry that we didn't feel like finishing the last piece so the server thought we have left the last piece cold and dried. We didn't bother to argue any further. But of course, we'll never go back again! -
Review from Pauline W.
Thornhill, ON
2/22/2012
If anyone likes eating curry crab or grilled lamb, I would strongly suggest Saigon Star. The price of the curry crab is very expensive, I must say. Always different every time I go there with friends or family, they call it "seasonal price". Every time I visit Saigon Star, I would always be curry crab with bread and grill lamb, the other food on the menu, I would not even recommend at all. The Vietnamese cold platter was terrible. The spring rolls was not fresh, the thick noodles (aka banh cuon) was as hard as rock, satay chicken have not satay taste at all.
Overall, I would give this restaurant an "OK" since there famous curry crab and grill lamb was so tasty, but all other dishes at this restaurant I would not even try it even if it's FREE !!! -
Review from Jonathan S.
York, ON
10/11/2011
I often mention how Toronto is home to waves of immigrants. I admit, I'm fascinated by the changing character of our neighbourhoods; how communities get a foothold downtown and migrate up our main arteries into the suburbs. The trek from Spadina and Bathurst to Bayview and Highway 7 is an example. Jews, followed by Chinese and now Vietnamese owners have made their way North. Saigon Star was one of the first outposts of this migration; an attempt at upscale Vietnamese dining. It's new, and delicious.
If nothing else, Saigon Star merits a visit for it's superb Imperial rolls. Steroidal cousin to the common spring rolls, these monsters lie within a slightly sweet, chewy-crunchy blistered yellow wrapper and contain a mix of ground pork, veggies and taro. Wrapped in leaf lettuce and dunked in thin sweet-sour-fishy sauce, they're uniquely good.
Shrimp on sugarcane is similarly excellent; light shrimp mousse wrapped around sticks of sugar cane, they inherit sweetness and texture from their time in the fryer.
Starter soups are fine, but miss the boat. If it's lunch time you're a fool if you don't go for pho. A chicken and lemongrass version features fragrant broth, perfectly chewy noodles and expertly poached white meat. Sprouts, herbs and lime provide additional layers of flavour, mixed in just before you inhale the lot.
Beware "special" beef pho; ordered one day, you get a gloriously spicey and rich red broth, loaded with shaved raw beef that languidly cooks in the bowl as you eat. Another time, you get the 'real' version; tendon, tripe and all. The latter's broth is also good, goosed as it is with cinnamon and star anise; but I admit that I'm not quite hardcore enough for the extra textures. If I'm going for straight-ahead beef noodle soup, I tap out at rare beef and dense, sausage-like meatballs. Portions are big enough to share.
Similar noodles reappear in Bun platters; lukewarm noodles served with fresh and pickled veg, and your choice of fixin's. Grilled chicken or pork are safe bets. Well-marinated and addictively smokey, they're a great contrast to the starch. Hint: you can get one of these meals with the above-referenced spring rolls and shrimp mousse. Do it. Do it now.
Mains are good, if a bit sweet. Cho Lon noodles reflect Chinese influence. Barbecue pork, fat shrimp, scrambled egg and a sauce that echoes pad thai, but with greater depth of flavour.
A variety of curries deliver subtle heat. If you're a spice addict, try to flag down an English-speaking server (although they're pretty rare). Don't try this with the manager. He's an angry, angry man.
Remember expense account dinners? Yeah. Me too. If you're lucky enough that you can drag a business associate to Saigon Star, do some serious bonding over the drunken crab; a giant whole crustacean slightly cracked and bathed in an addictive mix of butter, garlic, beer and spices. Served alongside rice/roti/baguette, it's so good that the perfectly cooked crab is almost an afterthought. Almost. Order extra napkins, and a bib, and maybe just wear clothing you don't mind throwing out post-dinner. It's an unholy mess, but like most things unholy, too good to resist.
Dessert is available, but Vietnamese iced coffee is crack-tastic. I've never tried any illicit substances, but this is what i imagine they must be like.
Mmmmm. Vietnamese Iced Coffee. i need one. Now.Listed in: Love me!!!!
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Review from Derrick C.
2/19/2012
We came here with family we visited in Toronto. Apparently this is one of their favorite places and I can see why. This place calls itself fusion of Vietnamese and Thai but I feel like you could throw in Chinese in there too because some of the dishes definitely had elements of all 3 regions. We started with some good smoothies (mango-strawberry) which had a nice consistency (not too thick/thin). The Vietnamese platter (spring roll, rice crepe, Satay Chicken, Pate) was good. The house specialty curry crab was good too and if I had more room in my stomach, it would've been nice to sop up the sauce w/ the bread they give you. The rack of lamb was also well cooked and I enjoyed the light sauce that came with it. There was a seafood hot/sour soup that was unlike anything I've had before (in a good way). Check this place out!
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Review from Cisi Z.
Toronto, ON
8/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Bustling on a Thursday night, Saigon Star was the champ of the plaza. Lovely decor - classy and yet casual. My family and I headed here as it seems to be the only place to offer curry crab (or crabs in general, actually).
It was my dad's and little sis' birthday dinner and boy, did we go all out. Curry crab (I used this curry on their delicious bread + everything else imaginable),
fresh shrimp mango salad (absolutely adored this!),
veggie spring rolls (LOVE),
veggie platter (a beauty),
sambal wok clams (saucy!),
coriander honey chicken (so utterly tender),
malaysian wok bean stalk (mmm, flavourful),
pad thai noodles (staggering portion),
charbroiled shrimp on sugar-cane (interesting appetizer) and finally,
beef noodles a la saigon star (this was only okay - I've had better :P).
I swear the food came within ten minutes - one after the other, it was an unceasing onslaught of sheer gloriousness. The Mun Bean + Red Bean + Coconut crushed ice drink came almost immediately. Really tasty stuff.
Saigon Star was a winner. Not only is its service prompt and friendly... more importantly, the food was colourful, light and //most definitely// flavourful! We also received a complimentary dessert on the house. Some sort of sweet taro bowl w/ clear tapioca! YUM!! :D -
Review from Thuy T.
Woodbridge, ON
10/28/2011 11 photos
SS's known for their curry crab :)
The sauce taste really good with bread!!!!
Restaurant Rating:
0(Too Sad), 1(Horrible), 2(Poor), 3(Ok Lah), 4(Good), 5(Excellent)
Food: 4
Clean: 4
Service: 3.5
Atmosphere: Casual
Will I Return? Yes
Keep in mind all food postings is according to personal preferences and taste buds. Therefore, it's best to try the places out for yourself and see if it suites your taste. -
Review from Yvonne C.
8/8/2011
Service is horrible at this restaurant, but the food is good enough that it makes me come back every time I visit Toronto for the abuse. I always feel like they're trying to rush you out (i.e. giving you the bill once everything is served). Once they even started to clear the table as some of my party was still eating. It was kind of awkward, so I wouldn't suggest taking people you want to impress to this place.
With that said, my favorite is the bbq pork neck, satay, and curry brisket. The curry brisket has the same curry base as the curry crab, but their crab is a total rip off. We always get it with the naan or the french bread. Yum! -
Review from Belinda I.
North York, ON
I come here at least once a week. It's one of the cleanest viet restaurant on the hwy 7 area. However, the service is usually pretty poor, so don't be surprise ;)
And don't forget to order their curry crab!!!!!! -
Review from Precilla C.
Scarborough, ON
4/1/2011 7 photos
Two words: Curry Crab!
I go to Saigon Star every once in awhile, but this was my first time having their House Specialty Curry Crab, and it was absolutely amazing! I could not stop slathering that delectable curry on everything else I was eating... whether it was spring rolls or fried rice. The baguette is heavenly and soaks up all that golden delicious goodness.
Everything else was also very good. The honey grilled pork neck meat had that luscious fattiness that really satisfies. The Vietnamese spring rolls here are also very good, and I always get them to share.
The Vietnamese coffee is also very good, but it takes forever to drip! So make sure you order it early in the meal (and not at the end, like we did, which meant we were sitting there gazing at every drop).
All in all, a great place to dine with a large group! I'll be back for the curry crab. -
Review from Janice L.
Thornhill, ON
10/11/2011
I went to Saigon Star for a birthday dinner and was surprised at how good the food was. It's pretty clean and the service isn't too bad.
The clams and curry crabs are sooooooooooooo YUM here! -
Review from rob d.
Toronto, ON
1/16/2011
A very average Vietnamese restaurant. We've been back for abuse several times...simply because there aren't other vietnamese restaurants in the area. The miserable, poker-faced proprietor/owner looks like an Asian reincarnation of "Mo" from TheThree Stooges. Never an acknowledgement when we arrive or leave. The service is perfunctuory, but quite prompt. The food is average...but if you love Vietnamese as we do...it'll do with no alternatives. The crab referred to by others...is great...but not only messy...but disgustingly unhealthy in terms of lipid content.
As for cleanliness...this place is filthy. Despite a bizarre and random Reno about 5 years ago ... The biggest problem is the filth. The floors leading to the washrooms and all surfaces in the washrooms are a microbiologist's utopia. Much safer to invest in a Package of Depends four your party! -
Review from Frank L.
Toronto, ON
3/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
I have not visited this restaurant for quite a while. I went with my family for dinner. I ordered a platter, lamb rack, curry chicken, pineapple fried rice and cod. The curry is extremely good. This restaurant is very famous for its curry, especially the curry crab that I did not order this time. I recall people will piggy pack just the curry sauce after the dinner. The lamb rack is better than a lot of the Italian/French restaurants. It is tender, juicy, well seasoned and as we ordered medium rare. The cod is average.
This restaurant has maintained its quality over the years. As it is a long weekend and I expect much less people, I found it is fully packed. The restaurant is a bit crowded with the spaces in between tables but if you are looking for food, it is a good pick. -
Review from Baby P.
Toronto, ON
4/17/2011 2 photos
Came here late evening on a Saturday night and the place was still packed which is a testament to how popular this place is. We got to look around and seemed like all the dishes are well presented and delicious.
Live crab swimming in the tanks gave us confidence that their seafood is fresh, and reaffirmed that we should try the house specialty: curry crab.
The curry crab does live up to the hype. Flavourful and meaty, finger licking good. There were two of us, and with one order of crab and one order of bread, we were fully satisfied. The crab was huge and the meat was easy to remove. The bread is a must as it is warm and soaks up the sauce nicely.
Suggestion: if you do order the crab and want to also order other dishes, get the other dishes either before or after the crab, as it will take a while for the crab to be finished and the other dishes may get cold by then.
Service was pretty good for an Asian restaurant as well. They've got servers and bus boys so requests were met quickly. Our glasses of water were always full.
Excellent experience overall. Warning though, the crab can get pretty messy so don't order that on a first date!
5 stars and looking forward to trying the other dishes (but I know I probably won't be able to resist and will order the crab again). -
Review from Peter F.
Mississauga, ON
10/17/2010
Their curry crab is to die for :)
Grab some bread for dipping and do not forget to order the Emperor Rolls, deep fried and crispy.
All of my friends who I have brought here keep asking when we are going back. Next trip is planned for next month. -
Review from Karyn B.
Vaughan, ON
10/11/2011
So delicious! And quite reasonabley priced for authentic food!
They have both vietnamese and thai food and give quite nice portions
I've had the pad thai which is quite large and very tasty
the green curry chicken is also SO tasty... a perfect amonut of spice in my opinion (not too spicy to burn your mouth off!)
i've also had the tom yom soup (could've had more shrimp) and the lemongrass beef noodle soup (i actually put a bit of the tom yom soup in my bowl with this soup to give it some more kick) but the soup is really large and full of noodles and other yummy things
also tried the beef satay which comes covered in sauce ( something i love!)
i think they put crack in their food because I can't stop thinking about it
...in the past week, i've been there twice!
next time: MUST try the curry crab.. a bit on the pricey side ($40 when i was there) but def seems worth it!
DELICIOUS!
and quite nice inside (many times these authentic restaurants are more dingy or not done up as nicely but this place has nice chandeliers and a trendy decor) -
Review from Tammy L.
Toronto, ON
8/12/2010 2 Check-ins Here
The raving about the curry crab is for real. Try them, you won't be disappointed. The four of us at dinner almost licked the plate clean. Oh, and do not forget to order the bread to go with the curry - light and fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside, warm from the oven. Better than a real bakery.
Beyond the crab, the rest of the food that we ordered was above average good, but not the best I've had. Sour and spicy shrimp soup (we ordered the fish soup, but they gave us the shrimp on, oh well) was well done but not sour enough. BBQ pork neck also flavourful but not crunchy enough. The Vietnamese flour roll was decent, but have had better downtown at Que Ling (where it remains in my opinion, the best flour roll in the city). Veggies were well done but very salty.
On the whole, however, I would recommend Saigon Star as an excellent place for non-Pho Vietnamese food. Certainly, I will be back to try their other items. -
Review from Thu N.
11/14/2009
Went here last night - wow the quality of the food blew my mind! The curry crab was so good - we got a whole crab for the 3 of us which was more than enough. The roti prata was really good and came fresh.
Also loved the chicken satay (loved the peanut sauce) and pineapple fried rice (shrimp was so good)! I'm definitely going to put this place on my favourites and come back everytime I visit Toronto. -
Review from Wendy C.
2/20/2010
Curry crabs are totally yummy and worth the trip all by itself. But the other dishes are great too - the sour/spicy fish soup, BBQ-ed oysters, lamb chops, and stir fried morning glory when in season. Oh, can forget to order the fresh bread to mop up the curry sauce, or the Vietnamese style coffee.
Services are not bad, but sometimes you get a waiter/waitress who tries a little too hard to up-sell. Just smile and ignore and stick to what you want to order.
No, definitely not a place to order Pho, that should be left to one of the many Pho restaurants in Toronto. -
Review from Elaine Y.
11/27/2009
You must get these dishes while you're here:
Curry crab
Bread and pita
Pork "neck meat"
Lamb chops
Yes, the curry crab is messy. Most people that grew up in Western culture might not even know how to approach the crabs. All my table manners were thrown out of the window the night I had curry crab there. But it's okay, because it's totally worth it. Use the bread and pita to dip into the sauce - it's the best.
If you come here with one other person, just order one (or two) curry crabs with bread, that's it. Let me repeat, you MUST get the curry crab here. -
Review from Lei H.
Toronto, ON
8/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Curry crab is No.1, but the accompanying roti is even better. This is a place I go once in a while (just for the curry crab). The garlic oysters are also good.
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Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
Updated - 2/17/2010 6 photos
I visit Saigon Star again because of the Pho-bruary. This review is regarding their Pho.
I can tell Saigon Star did not put in much effort in preparing their Pho at all. There is no depth in their broth at all. Just some soup based laced with MSG. There is only 1 size $6.50 for the lunch order. I would said that it is a medium size when compare to other restaurants. The noodle is fresh noodle. I have a piece of lemon instead of a lime....
I have to say this Pho is a Cantonese version of vietnamese food.
My advice is NOT to order Pho if you go Saigon Star!Listed in: Lunch Specials in Richmond…, Vietnamese Food in the GTA!, Pho-Bruary My Version!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/11/2010
This review is for the lunch that Saigon Star served. Lunch Specials! YAY!!! So no fancy dishes… Read more »
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Review from T T.
4/17/2011
Had curry crab for my birthday here. It was delicious! Remember to get some bread to sop up the curry. Everything else looks good, but the two of us could only finish the crab. I'm glad we didn't order another dish. It would have been cold since we spent all of our time cracking crab.
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Review from Laurie G.
North York, ON
11/14/2011
I randomly walked into this restaurant for lunch one day, and I'm glad I did. They have an awesome lunch special that comes with springrolls, and a soup. I've only been here for lunch and always order the same dish so I'm not sure how everything else is.
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Review from Lisa H.
Stouffville, ON
4/24/2009
Really yummy curry crab, it's messy but so good! I could eat just the sauce, so the crab is a bonus. Make sure you ask them for fresh warm bread so you can dip it into the curry. The garlic oysters are really really garlicy. The fried rice was good as well. Everything is served family style so get ready to share!
Watch out for the waiter upselling you on the specials, we had the large BBQ prawn, they were like little lobsters, in size, but they were each $10! Something on the bill that we weren't expecting. What is also neat is that they expect you to have really dirty plates after you've slopped up all of the curry crab sauce so every once and a while the waiters come around and offer new fresh plates with more paper napkins! Fantastic!
Some of the live eels and crabs in the tanks looked a little sad however, but maybe it doesn't matter so long as they taste good once they are served up to you!
It can get crowded and loud and you may have to wait for a table especially if you are a walk-in on a Friday night. But the food is served relatively fast so once you are at a table, you don't have to wait long. There is parking available which I always appreciate. -
Review from Francisca W.
8/24/2009
my distant memory of it from couple years ago was only an "ok".
went there during my visit even though there are plenty of vietnamese food in boston bc i got attracted by their gigantic poster-sized pictures of food, one of which featured the REAL vietnamese spring rolls with the "rice paper" wrapper.
ordered one, and to my disappointment, it didn't look like those on the poster pictures. they use the normal, crunchy, cantonese wonton wrapper instead. *sigh*
can't remember the food being super good or super bad; they were about what vietnamese food/pho should be. however, did remember leaving with a bad taste in the mouth bc of their service. either bc the staff was unresponsive, got wrong order, or downright unpleasant. so, yeah, with that many choices in toronto, don't see why i need to go back.
btw i thought this restaurant is in Times Square? maybe they've moved in the last couple of years? they might have coz the decor Adrian K. described sounds nothing like the one i know (the one i went to looked very old-school). i hope they food and service had improved since then, and maybe there will be a second chance. lol. -
Review from Adrian K.
5/26/2009
I concur. The curry crabs, mango salad and spring rolls were really good. I unintentionally left a nice mess for the waitress - curry crab sauce everywhere. haha. She wasn't impressed but my stomach sure was satisfied.
Oh btw - I've got to mention that the atmosphere was modern and clean. I'd be scared with those suede seats they've got decked out. I'm surprised they're weren't any curry crab stains. Or, maybe, I'm just super messy. hahaha
