Kim Anh

This is another within the category of restaurants that I drive past and never stopped to eat at.  Kim Anh is a non-descript Vietnamese joint out on Edmonds in Burnaby that I've reminded myself to try for the last 8? years.  I can't even remember.  So it took a specific prescription for my daughter that we had to head out over to a pharmacy on Edmonds Street.  Since we were there already and hungry, this was as good as anytime to finally try Kim Anh.  Interestingly, we noticed a picture of banh mi with a side of fries on the sandwich board.  That didn't scare us away, in fact, we wanted fries!

Before that, we got the usual Phở Dặc Biệt with the usual brisket, tripe, tendon, beef meatballs and rare beef.  This was a fair portion for the price and despite not being visible, there was enough al dente noodles as well.  We found the broth to be clean and slightly on the lighter side.  There was the sweetness of daikon that came through with a touch of meatiness.  A more-than-acceptable bowl of Phở.  For myself, I decided on the Bún Bò Huế.  Like many other versions in town, this one was missing pig's blood and pork knuckle.  I won't hold that against them because not everyone actually likes those ingredients (I do though) and it might not be a big enough seller to justify keeping it in stock.  I thought this BBH was decent with a mild spiciness that could've used more fermented seafoodiness.  Meats were good and the noodles were the usual slippery self.

For my daughter, she didn't want the usual beef soup, so she went for the Phở Ga instead.  Although the broth was mild and of course not heavy, the bowl was still rather hearty due to the good amount of chicken breast.  I wouldn't go as far as say it was juicy, the chicken was dry either.  Noodles were on point and the broth did taste good with plenty of chicken essence.  My son didn't deviate from his usual ordering pattern at Vietnamese restaurants by getting his favourite - Lemongrass Chicken on Rice with fried egg.  Once again, the dish was solid featuring well-seared chicken that was juicy and mildly-marinated.  It could've had a stronger aroma, but it was still good with some smokiness.  Rice was chewy and the egg was fried just right.  Many places overcook it, which defeats the purpose of having an egg in this dish.

Yes, we did end up ordering the Cold Cut Combo Banh Mi with a side of fries.  Call it the power of suggestion... the sandwich board outside???  Anyways, the frozen fries were really good because they were fried perfectly.  So golden and crispy.  The banh mi was no slouch either as the baguette was relatively light and crusty.  Inside, there was more than enough pate for impact and sufficient ingredients to create a good bread-to-meat ratio.   Although the meal wasn't anything I would drive specifically for, Kim Anh is a solid choice for the neighbourhood.  It is especially good for its price point and people there are super nice.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Resonably-priced
- Good people

The Bad:
- Flavours could've been a bit stronger