Little Minh's Kitchen

This was a little while ago, but I finally got around to finishing up this post on Little Minh's Kitchen.  Located in the Marine Way Market complex off of Marine Drive in Burnaby, the place is a bit hidden, but I also believe it is a hidden gem as well.  The place benefits from plenty of parking spots, a spacious and clean dining room and friendly staff.  Of course the most important thing is the food and I guess we'll get right into that.

As part of any entree, one can get a Spring Roll added to their meal for no extra charged if ordered online (for dine-in and take-out).  I'm sure you have noticed, very few places use rice paper for their spring rolls anymore and that doesn't really bother me.  These were good with a crispy exterior that wasn't greasy while the filling was packed with pork, taro, vermicelli, onion, carrots and wood ear.  A good start to the meal.

For myself, I had the Bún Bò Huế which was also quite good.  Although I would've liked to see just a tad more brininess in the broth, it was still flavourful (with the unmistakable essence of lemongrass) and balanced.  There was a noted spiciness which was not overwhelming.  As mentioned with the spring rolls, yes, this was missing pig's blood and knuckle, but again, that didn't bother me as there was enough tender meats to make up for it.  You have to remember that restaurants are not in the business of pleasing the small percentage of people who demand complete authenticity.

Viv went for the Phở with rare beef, brisket and meatballs.  As you can see, the broth was clean and clear.  There was a background sweetness accented by a slight meatiness.  It wasn't overly salty, so that made it a bit lighter, which was fine by us.  Within that broth, the noodles were al dente and not clumpy.  As evidenced, the amount of meats was enough and were tender.

My daughter went with the Phở Ga which was also a very clean broth.  It was light with the natural sweetness from the chicken.  Again, this was not salty, which was a good thing in our minds.  Even though the chicken breast couldn't be considered juicy, it was still moist and not chewy.  Unlike most other places, they included tender bouncy chicken meatballs as well.  There was more than enough noodles and they were the right texture.

For my son, he went for his standby, the Lemongrass Chicken with Rice (and a fried egg).  The chicken thighs were nicely charred while being well-seasoned.  They were tender and moist being cooked just enough.  Rice was chewy and not overloaded with moisture.  A well-executed dish.  Overall we enjoyed our meal at Little Minh's and the service was really friendly.  We will be back for more in the future.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Nice people
- Lots of parking

The Bad:
- For those nitpickers, maybe some key ingredients missing. For me, who cares?