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Star Anise Vietnamese Noodles Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
1571 Barrington StHalifax, NS B3J 1Z7
(902) 422-2602
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 9:30 pm
Sat 12 pm - 9:30 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
15 reviews for Star Anise Vietnamese Noodles Restaurant
15 reviews in English
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Review from Tara M.
Halifax, NS
4/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
Pho...
Oh how I love thee.
If you've been paying attention you know that I'm not originally from Halifax. Where I hail from (Seattle/Tacoma WA) there is an abundance of Vietnamese restaurants to get your fill of Pho.
And trust me I did.
Coming to Halifax means I am on the hunt for delicious replacements for some of my favorite foods.
I have found one at Star Anise.
Located on the hussle and bussle of downtown Barrington this little restaurant is on my top places to go when I am in need of some goodness that is the Pho. I am not one to try a variety of soups. I'm a big fan of tofu and veggies so I can't tell you if the other items on the menu are as good but if my soup is any indication then I would venture to say that the rest of the menu is pretty tasty.
I've been twice thus far and both times I thought the service was pretty good. The second time we went our waiter was super nice and I pretty much wanted him to sit with us and chat for a bit.
My only "harrumph" about Star Anise is I wish they would serve the Pho with the standard plate of Basil, sprouts and lime. Also the soup base is a meat broth so if you are vegetarian Pho will not be an option even if you order it with tofu/veggies (the waiter gets double plus bonus points for making sure I knew that the broth was not vegetable based)...Listed in: I'd knock over my Gramma to…
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Review from Jeff P.
Eastern Passage, NS
2/18/2012
The pho is decent, but don't be too anxious to eat.
A few other reviews here mention how service is okay at best. I agree 100% that the service is not 100%. Actually, it's hardly 50% there. :-)
But really, once you get served, you'll enjoy it. Not the best Vietnamese food available in town (my vote: Pho Hoang Minh, just across the bridge in Dartmouth), but it's enjoyable.
Like at Pho Hoang Minh, my children enjoy sharing my soup. My 4-year old son especially likes to eat noodles and broth. My young daughter also enjoys the chicken strips and rice with broccoli (on their kids menu). What my daughter didn't enjoy on our last visit was the 45 minute wait.
Our server did apologize and mentioned he would "rush" our order, but he doesn't have to assure a hungry child for 45 minutes that lunch has escalated to a "rush" job. :-)
Well, again, Star Anise has fair fare, but be patient. Not advised for people with only a lunch "hour." But certainly advised if you would otherwise have to walk to Pho Hoang Minh. -
Review from Maureen J.
Halifax, NS
11/17/2011
Yum Yum Yum! I am a fan of Vietnamese food and, in my opinion, Star Anise definitely delivers.
I must admit, I haven't tried a lot on the menu because I just can't stray away from my old favs. My first choice is always the beef Pho soup. Sitting down at a table with a big bowl of Pho soup, some chop sticks, hoisin sauce and hot sauce makes me a happy girl.
I also really enjoy their Lime Leaf Coconut Thai Food dinner. It comes with a fresh salad that's lightly coated with a sharp dressing, a spring roll, and rice... delicious.
Combine the good food with fair prices and good service and you can't go wrong! -
Review from Abbie B.
Halifax, NS
11/14/2011
I've lunched it here a few times and it meets all of my 'perfect lunch spot criteria':
1) Fast
2) Good service
3) Delicious
4) Cheapish
My recommendation: The lime leaf coconut lunch combo is $9.99 and is so delicious I crave it for weeks at a time! It comes with rice, a salad and a spring roll and is completely satisfying. -
Review from Rhia P.
3/7/2011 1 photo
Quick, fresh, friendly. What more do you need for a business lunch-hour?
The pho is very good, but the vermicelli bowls are even better. And the lunch specials can't be beat. I have not had a single bad meal here.
The service is sometimes pretty sparse, but it's not the sort of place you need to be fawned over anyway. -
Review from Erin P.
3/21/2011
Good food. Tastey, fresh, quick.
Service is adequate. They're not falling over eachother to serve you. They get the job done without being intrusive. Like someone else mentioned: this isn't the place you go if you're wanting to be fawned over.
The restaurant itself is cozy, well laid out - you have room to move without feeling like you're in another guest's way as you try to get by.
Reasonably priced and tastey food. No complaints here. -
Review from Greg H.
Belleville, ON
11/19/2008
Service was over the top friendly and fast (my server literally jogged to the kitchen to place my order). Table had all the 'stuff' I love about eating Vietnamese (extra sauces, chop sticks, cutlery) and the restaurant was clean and efficient.
The salad rolls were of a good size and loaded with shrimp and veggies. Lacking was dipping sauce but sauce on the table (not peanut) was good enough and added that extra kick.
The vermicelli arrived and I was pleased to see a good sized portion with lots of fresh veggies. I would have liked a bit more cilantro but I expect this is a personal obsession with cilantro more than anything. The dish also arrived with extra fish sauce which scored points with me as I always have to ask for more. Anticipating customer needs... bonus points.
All in all enormously better than the 'other' Vietnamese down the road and in the top 10 of my ongoing North American Vietnamese tour... -
Review from Laura P.
6/2/2010
Not exactly a big noodle gal, I didn't expect to get my tastebuds rocked at Star Anise. But in the name of Yelp, and a friend's request, I agreed to give it ago.
This resto is completely open and straightforward in layout. The space appeared quaint while exuding a certain cosy warmth-- lovely. As we were prompted by a friendly staffer, the atmosphere set in and we popped into a large booth to scour the menu.
What a pleasant surprise. I was expecting a lot of heavy meals that may upset my sensitive tum. But with an intriguing selection of veggie type dishes, I was impressed. Shrimp Salad with Mango Dressing and veggie salad rolls were my final order, but I know I'll be back to try some of the other dishes. The tofu and assorted appetizer dish looked especially wonderful. And if you're feeling a little more grease, the deep fried spring rolls, battered shrimp and chicken are options as well.
I ordered a few appetizers as a meal, but Star Anise provides a thorough offering of main noodle dishes. There is lots of beef and chicken, but also shrimp and tofu for those with a dietary preference.
The place was fairly quiet, and it seemed like an ideal spot for a meal and convo of the low-key nature. Prices were ideal, as appetizers ranged from $3-8, and mains averaging around $9.
My food was delish, and I was very pleased with the friendly service and quality atmosphere. Star Anise is a Barrington Street delight, and I'll be back. -
Review from Ruth D.
Halifax, NS
12/25/2009
Lots of reasons to pay a visit....great Pho, inexpensive, tasty lunch specials, and wonderful service come to mind.
Just one example of going above and beyond -my daughter and I took my grandson (2 years old) to the Discovery Centre and decided to meet my husband for lunch here. After the initial challenge of getting the stroller inside, everything went smoothly. They even made a special mild vegetable soup for the little one and when I inadvertently (paying too much attention to my grandson) added too much spice for him, they took it back and brought another bowl, no extra charge and without us even asking. Being the martyr grandmother I was prepared to eat it myself. -
Review from Lindsay K.
Halifax, NS
1/30/2010
My boyfriend and I have a tradition of eating pho when we're hung over on the weekend. Normally we would just get it from Ginger Grass since it is closer to our house than Star Anise. One unfortunate morning it was closed, so we went to the next nearest Vietnamese place we knew of: Star Anise.
We just ordered for take-out and we surprised when, after only 7 minutes of waiting, our food was brought out nicely packaged for us to take with us. They even put the sauces into little containers for us. It was fast and it was awesome!
Not only was the food quick, but the service was nice too. As soon as I walked in it was like the waitress knew it was for take-out. She charmingly took my order and rang me though. After a couple minutes of waiting she came and told me it would only be a few more minutes. I appreciated her attention to me, even though I wasn't a dine-in customer.
The pho we had was delicious, and not to mention reasonably priced. We were able to get out soups and salad rolls for under $20. The soup was separated into two containers: soup and noodles. I was surprised that there were only a couple pieces of beef in the soup, which is actually fine with me since I don't really like the meat anyways.
Next time I'm hung over and need my cure, I might just walk the extra few minutes to Star Anise instead. -
Review from Shawna D.
Chester, NS
5/15/2010
I have read so many positive reviews on this place, I said I had to go.
Of course I tried Pho. I had no idea what this was , but it sounded so good and I love noodles. I have to say, this was delicious.
This is a great little spot to go for lunch. The service is quick and polite and seems to know exactly when you are in need of something.
Overall , a great experience. -
Review from Anton G.
1/7/2009
Quite a nice little place. You've got your vietnamese food staples right here - pho, vermicelli dishes and some misc southeast asian dishes. We had the pho with raw steak and meatballs (my fav combination). The soup was fresh and very tasty. The noodles - flat rice noodle similar to linguini as opposed to more typical small round vermicelli, but just as tasty. They didn't have basil, unfortunately, but promised they've been waiting for it to come by the end of the week. No Vietnamese coffee, either (somebody give these guys a french press!), but some Thai-style soups looked like they'd make up for it. All in all, great place with sincere service and tasty dishes.
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Review from Mitchell M.
Halifax, NS
10/16/2009 2 photos
Went with my buddy Mike who just got back from Vietnam. Tried Pho, he said the Pho was actually pretty authentic to the taste of what he had tried in VIetnam! I'd recommend trying Pho if you haven't already!
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Review from Anna H.
Halifax, NS
1/7/2010 1 photo
I think my friend Devin's comments during our meal really say it best. When asked her opinion on the plate of yellow curry she was served she said, "Nothing to write home about." Fair enough. Yet a few minutes later, as she approached the point where her plate was empty and had been scraped clean, she let her true feelings show as she muttered, "Mmmmm, food."
We went on a cold January afternoon in search of "mmm-food" and I feel satisfied that we both got just that. One point of note from the experience was our exceptionally friendly server. He rocks, and I am considering hiring him to come to my house each night to serve me the dinner I've just cooked. Not only was he wearing a shirt from Cats (rest in peace, greatest Broadway show of all time), he was attentive to my veggie-based order and notified me that there was beef in the stock, but suggested a substitution that would work. Awesome. Love the help. Plus he was super speedy, never in our faces, but always there when needed. Thanks, Star Anise dude, for making lunch a delight. -
Review from Sara M.
Williamswood, NS
2/12/2010
I love this place! The food is cheap and delicious!!
