Stanley Restaurant

Pho is something that you can probably get on any street corner in Vancouver, particularly on the Eastside. However, in some of the burbs, particularly Delta, you would be hard- pressed to find decent Chinese food, let alone a good bowl of Pho. So with that in mind, my expectations are tempered. The one place I frequent quite often is Stanley Restaurant. Yes, I know the sign says Pho Stanley; but the actual name is Stanley Restaurant. Tucked in behind the Delta Lion Pub, most people wouldn't even know it existed. As such, there is very little natural light in the place. In fact, it seems almost like someone's basement. One look at the decor and it sure looks like forgotten restaurant decor from the 70's. Hey, whatever, it is the food that counts right? When I first visited the Stanley, it was a full 5 years after I started working out in North Delta. I didn't even know it existed up until then!

As mentioned, the decor is pretty typical of Pho joints. Minimalistic, keeps the cost down. Well, at the very least, this place give you the full neon treatment (seems to be a Vietnamese favourite) such as the case at Pho Van and Goldtrain Express in Vancouver. Service is pretty good, since it appears that it's family-run. It's by no means memorable, but it's quick and efficient. The food at Stanley Restuarant is pretty good for a Vietnamese restaurant out in Delta (not exactly the hotbed of Asian cuisine). This time around, I decided to start with a Shrimp Salad Roll. I don't usually get it since it is too much food for me to finish and have a Pho too. Not bad, lots of ingredients inside including roast pork and shrimp. A bit bland without any basil. The dip was more hoisin than peanut; but did the job.

Like I always do, I get the large House Special Pho for $7.25. It's got all the goodies such as brisket, rare beef, tendon, tripe and meatballs. All the meats are good except for the rare beef. It is on the chewier side. The broth is quite decent in my books. It has a good amount of meat flavour, possibly on the saltier side. And in this case, not very clear. The noodles could be a bit chewier; but not a bit deal. Let's be honest here, it's good for North Delta. There are better. Not nearby though! The closest is Pho Hot and it is not as good. Okay, I must admit I eat at the Stanley quite often since it is close and relatively inexpensive. So on another lunch hour, I had the Bún bò Huế. This particularly version had some heat; but not incredibly so. I didn't get much in the way of lemon grass, so that was a bit disappointing; however, the abundance of noodles and meat made up for it in some ways. I'm not too picky when my personal favourite , Pho Tam, is so much farther away. But if I had to compare, the one here does not hold a candle to the Pho Tam version.

As always, Ma loves the Lemon Grass Chicken on rice. As you can see, it is a very generous portion. The chicken is tender with a good amount of lemon grass flavour. It is so good for her, she asks me to get it for takeout whenever I head here for lunch. Hey, I'm not going to declare the Stanley to be in my top 10 of Vietnamese restaurants. However, with the very few options in this area, it more than satisfies the Vietnamese Pho cravings. Prices are reasonable, service is good and it is relatively clean, if not a bit dated. We really can't ask for more.

The Good:
- Decent portions
- Reasonable pricing
- Friendly proprietors

The Bad:
- Not sure about the Chinese food...
- Hard to find

Stanley Restaurant
11184 84th Avenue
Delta, B.C.
Tel: (604) 594-1933

Business Hours:
11:00am - 9:00pm (Mon - Sat)