Bac Ky Vietnamese Canteen

I'm sad to say that my experience here was incredibly underwhelming. We were served quickly, but that's the only good thing I can say.

The pho itself was shockingly bland. Even with the addition of hot sauce, it was somehow flavorless​! I would echo another reviewer (Dan C.) who said it was "basically warm water". Also, the server was very unfriendly and borderline rude.

It just wasn't a pleasant dining experience, but luckily I had good company! Save yourself the trip and just try somewhere else.

As the only Vietnamese place on the block, was hoping the pho would have been better. Broth was flavourful, but lacked the aromatic aroma of other pho places. I think they played down the authenticity for the neighborhood. Very little meat, and noodles in the large bowl for $11.95.

The owners could make a killing if they turned this into a bar, and served more authentic Vietnamese food. Dim the lights and turn this into something cool Pls. Average pho.

It used to be my favourite Vietnamese restaurant but lately their dishes are not so good as they used to be. We used to come in often for Pho (we realized that veggie Pho was the best - the most flavourful) and their Fresh Avocado Rolls with Peanut Sauce were divine... well, not anymore. Our last few visits left us disappointed as the Pho was missing taste - no salt, no flavour and Avocado Rolls barely had any avocado in it. I mean, they used to be full of avocado- so delicious. But now it's mostly noodles... no, thanks. And once the avocado was all brown and ugly, I had to ask for another portion. Will look for new place. Maybe their chef changed, not sure what happened here...

You know how when you edit pictures on Instagram, you can toggle the "Contrast" setting all the way down and give uorh picture a muted effect? THIS WHAT EATING HERE FELT LIKE. I had the grilled pork rice bowl and it just felt so... diluted. The pork was not seasoned enough and the fish sauce was not fishy enough. I don't know. Maybe if you have 10x taste buds, this will work for you.

Service was decent and food came out promptly.

I've been wanting to try this place for a while because I love Bun a ha and it can be hard to find in this part of the city (walking distance). The grilled pork was delicious, with a bit of char that I like. The portions for noodles were generous with a good mix of shredded veggies and peanuts. The only thing that could use some improvement is the sauce, which was rather bland. I am never one to add sriracha, but adding it made the dish a hit for me. Not sure if they have it in stores though because I got take out. I will definitely be back for more.

I used to love this place when it first opened, but since then the pho flavor has been inconsistent and the spring rolls are fairly bland.

Unfortunately the last time I went, I got food poisoning as well.. . I had the beef pho and veggie spring rolls.. Not sure which one did it.

If you're really craving good pho, I'd try somewhere else.

I love my Vietnamese food and this is definitely one of the worst places I've tried. Dry and bland pho, barely any beef in the soup, not a lot of garnishing (see photo). Spring rolls were gross.. they put yam and taro in it. Blech. NOT GOOD. Vermicelli was also tasteless and no flavour at all. Pork that came with it was dry. They topped it off with watered down lettuce and cucumber. To top it off, we waited about 20 minutes for our food.. the restaurant wasn't busy either. Don't come here if you want decent/good Vietnamese food, walk to Spadina!!

Pho-nomenal (I'm so funny)

This place is a great little spot to get your Vietnamese fix in for a great price too!

I'd recommend for sure to try out the shrimp fresh wraps as a starter, served with a peanut satay dip it's very good and tastes freshly made in house.

Then Pho also is great, beef is cooked perfectly and a little pink then finishes itself off in your Pho...just be warned if you go for the large it's absolutely huge - like seriously a punch bowl of Pho, but it's some of the best in the city!

Additionally, very cheap starter + soft drinks + 2 meals for 34$ is great value.

Good place to take a date your not really interested in but when you just don't have anyone else to eat with and well yano...

3.5/5

*The term bac ky is actually a derogatory term for people from Northern Vietnam (like me). I'm not offended by any means and apparently the owners picked that term to pay tribute to their parents, who came to Canada from a city in Northern Vietnam.. Quite strange.

*The menu was pretty basic for any Vietnamese restaurants with a few options for each categories. I was surprised to see that everything is priced under $10, which is really rare for a restaurant in King Street West.

-Shrimp Fresh Roll - $5
The roll was well-made and refreshing with lettuce, bean sprouts and the carrots were slightly tangy. The fish sauce was disappointing as it was extremely watered down. A bit more fish sauce and few slices of red chilies would do the trick :)

-Bun Rieu (vermicelli noodles, chicken soup broth, fresh tomatoes, dried tofu, crab meat balls made with ground pork, egg, crab paste) - $8.80
it was way much better than the one I had at Banh Mi Bar! It was light and not too oily along with stewed tomatoes that contributed a slightly tart and natural sweetness to the dish. However the soup was a bit salty for my taste and there was too much broth for the amount of noodles and meat in the dish. I also found that since the soup had been modified to be healthier, the broth doesn't have as much depth of flavor as the ones I had in Vietnam. But I supposed this will have to do if you are craving for bun rieu and unwilling to travel outside of Toronto.

What you'll get at Bac Ky is friendly service and a good vibe.

There is usually one person on the floor and they function as both a server and clerk. You may have to wait a little to be served/have your order taken, but they are highly efficient and thus quick to get to you. They won't check up on you like other sit down restaurants, but they will be prompt with helping you while mixing in a little small talk.

Decor-wise, they use slightly worn down furniture with black, red and bronze making up the main colour palette throughout the small sit-down space. The fact that the furniture has been worn down may make the room seem unsanitary, but it is actually very clean inside and the weathered look gives the place some extra character. With retro music playing in the background that isn't overpoweringly and set at just the right volume to allow conversations to be heard, Bac Ky creates a funky atmosphere for diners.

The food, however, will rub you the wrong way. I decided to try pho here for lunch. They serve various types of basic pho and even a vegan version for a more environmentally friendly appetite. With beef as their most popular choice, I placed my bets on that and ordered it in size Large. However, what I got was Small at best. Sure, they use a large ceramic bowl that is similar in size to what you would find at pho vendors in Scarborough/North York that also serve size Large. Unfortunately, unlike other vendors, the pho here was mainly composed of broth with little noodle and meat. I would have gotten the same amount of noodles if I ordered a size Small at one of my regular vendors in Scarborough. To pay more for a portion size that left me hungry was a bit absurd. Also, adding fuel to the fire was the meat. You get flank, red meat, and beef balls when you order the beef pho, but all three were sub-par when I visited. The flank was like chewing rubber, the red meat slices were thin and small in size, and the beef balls were not thoroughly cooked through. Lastly, the broth, which is the heart of pho, lacked depth and a rich flavour, tasting much like water mixed with a light broth. I would not recommend the pho by a long shot and will most likely not return to Bac Ky.