Ngon Cafe Burnaby

For since I can remember, I've loved snacking on Banh Mi or having a few of them for a meal.  They were really cheap back-in-the-day, but like everything else, they have gone up in price.  Let's be honest about it, they were probably underpriced at one point, so the prices now are more in line with what they should be worth.  I really am enjoying some of more progressive spots that have the classic sandwiches as well as some reimagined ones.  One of these places I checked out recently is Ngon Cafe in Burnaby.  Their menu is pretty simple with a selection of Banh Mi, coffees and now noodle bowls (in lieu of their salad rolls).

So the thing to get here is their #1 or Ngon Special.  This fully loaded sub consists of siu mai (aka pork meatball), braised pork, fried egg and pate.  If you can imagine, this is packed with umaminess and various meat flavours.  The tender meatball is sweet with onion vibes while the braised pork adds body and rich stewed essences.  Of course the pate gives plenty of punch with mild gaminess due to the fat content.  They also add a fried egg to it so you have even more protein in the way of fluffiness.  

The next best thing to get in my opinion is the Meat Lovers (as if the Ngon Special is not a form of that already!).  This features all the goodness of a Banh Mi Dac Biet (or cold cut) including more interesting components such as banana leaf pork, ham, pork belly, beef ham, jambon and pate.  This is seriously a loaded sandwich as every bite is a mouthful of meat.  The great thing about those meats is that they all have their distinct flavour.  Hence it is a real party of sweet and savoury as well as aromatics.

One of the more surprising sandwiches on the menu is the BBQ Pork.  Sure, that does not sound very interesting and in fact, it maybe is one of the more basic options.  However, this was one is a solid option for those who didn't want the aforementioned sandwiches.  This features tender and slightly fatty pork that is juicy and well-seasoned.  The sweetness helps balance out the savouriness.  As for the bread itself, it is light, crunchy and airy.

One of the most neutral options is the Lemongrass Chicken banh mi.  What I mean is that chicken is easy to eat and probably fits most diets excluding vegetarians.  With that in mind, the chicken is the least meaty of the available non-vegetarian options.  It is moist and has plenty of flavour while it goes well with the other ingredients such as the pickled daikon and carrots, cucumber and cilantro.  As I said, a good neutral choice.

On the other hand, the Grilled Beef is the opposite of the chicken as it is denser, more meaty and richer in taste.  I find the beef sufficiently tender, yet due to its leanness, the texture is a touch dry.  It is slightly peppery and plenty beefy.  The rest of the ingredients are needed to keep things from being too heavy.  Thankfully, the bread, as mentioned, is light and airy.  So it keeps the balance within the sandwich. 

Lastly, they have a selection of Vietnamese coffee, in particular, cold drinks.  In the picture, we see the Salted Cream Coffee and the Coco Coffee.  I'm not usually a coffee drinker, but these are aromatic with balance from the coconut cream.  A real treat in itself apart from the delicious banh mi.  Overall, the stuff at Ngon Cafe is carefully made with great ingredients.  Their take on the meatball sandwich (#1 Ngon Special) is my choice here.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Quality ingredients

- Lots of filling

- Bread is airy and crunchy

The Bad:

- This particular location doesn't have much seating, mainly take out

 

Pho 68

So here we go with another Vietnamese restaurant with a number in it.  This time around, we have the brand-new Pho 68 located right below Superstore on #3 Road in Richmond.  I think the biggest question about the place is what sets it apart from the many run-of-the-mill spots in town?  For one thing, the menu seems to combine both Northern and Southern Vietnamese cuisines into one.   Secondly, the place is modern and purpose-built, rather than taking over an existing space and doing no renovations to it.

To start, we had the Beef Shank Salad consisting of sliced braised beef shank, pickled veggies, mint, nuts and fried shallots in a tamarind dressing.  This was a light and almost refreshing beef salad (not that I would often say that) where the meat was tender and the dressing was tangy and sweet.  Another starter was the Sticky Wings in a caramelized fish sauce that also came with rice and pickled veggies.  This could definitely be eaten as a meal!  The wings themselves were large and juicy.  I found the skin to be crispy and properly-rendered.  The ample amount of sauce ensured that we got every little bit of the stick sweetness combined with salty-briniess.

Typically a specialty of Hai Phong in the North, they serve pâté sticks here.  On the menu, it is referred to as Breadsticks filled with pâté, meat floss and hot sauce.  These were very good with crispy, almost crunchy bread that fairly light.  The ample amount of homemade pâté was flavouful and aromatic.  Now onto the more familiar Southern Bánh Mì, we had the cold cut,  lemongrass chicken and grilled minced pork.  These were also good with airy bread with a crunchy exterior.  All the usual ingredients were there  including mayo, cucumber, pickled carrot, cilantro, hot pepper, black pepper and soy sauce.  For me, I've always enjoyed the cold cut myself and this was loaded with all the usual meats.

Onto some soup noodles, we had the Beef Rib Phở.   With 3 big meaty beef bones, this was one hearty bowl of noodles.  I found the broth for the phở to be clean and fairly balanced.  It did have some meatiness to go with the sweetness from the daikon, charred onion and rock sugar.  The noodles were nicely al dente (even though it sat in the broth for awhile) and the rib meat was fall-off-the-bone tender.  I found the rare beef to be sliced thin and ultimately tender as well.

For the Bún Bò Huế, this was a hearty version with plenty of slippery lai fun noodles, beef brisket, chả lụa and chicken meatballs.  The broth was pretty fragrant with a definite lemongrass essence.  There was some spice due to the chili oil and a minor brininess.  In general, this was a solid version of BBH despite missing 2 key components of pig's blood and pork knuckle.  However, I do understand why they were missing as those components do not appeal to everyone.

Our last soup noodle was the Bún Riêu or Vietnamese crab noodle soup.  Now, there are many variations in town and for the going price (around $15-$20), you aren't going to get a lot of crab.  But in reality, it is little to with the amount of crab meat, rather it is the flavours and the soup base.  This one was aromatic, sweet, a bit tangy and of course briny.  I've always thought that the much-talked about version from Bun Cha Ca Hoang Yen is far too "porky".  This one here was much more focused and clean.  The crab, pork & egg mixture was light and fluffy.   Completing the bowl was some shrimp, tofu and crab cakes.

From soup noodles, we moved onto rice dishes in the Grilled Prawns & Pork Slices as well as the Beef Luc Lac.  As you can clearly see, both rice dishes were well-portioned.  Beyond that, they were also very good.  The ample pork slices were charred and fully caramelized whereas the prawns were just cooked through with a meaty snap.  As for the luc lac, there was a bit too much veg for my liking, but ultimately, they were able to have enough wok heat to sear the meat with a sweet and salty caramelization.  The same could be said about the veggies too as they were still crunchy but cooked through.  This was super impactful and went well with the rice.

To get a sense of the entire menu, we also had the Lemongrass Chicken & Spring Roll Vermicelli.  Just like every other dish, this bowl was loaded and the vermicelli couldn't even be seen as a result.  The huge piece of chicken was well-charred while the meat was still juicy and properly brined.  The ample amount of spring rolls was crunchy with a medium-dense pork-filling.  Overall, the food at Pho 68 is solid across-the-board.  Considering the reasonable prices and large portions, it is no wonder why there are many locations and they are generally all busy.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Large portions

- Consistent across-the-board

- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:

- The beef luc lac could do with a few less veggies

Hải Phòng

Here is another ol' favourite of mine that I just really haven't gotten a chance to revisit as of late.  I've been to Hải Phòng on Kingsway many times over the years.  Whether it be with the family or with friends, it was a dependable spot for Vietnamese fare.  Well, things have changed as the next generation has taken over and there have been some subtle renovations to the dining space.  Well, there have been some changes to the menu as well, hence, we were invited to try a wide range of dishes.

Before we get to the sexier items, there is nothing wrong with the classics.  We had the Spring Rolls first and yes, this was prepared with wheat wrapper rather than rice paper.  However, it is really personal choice as to which wrapper is used.  These were really good with an almost fluffy texture beyond the initial light crunch from the exterior side of the wrapper.  The filling was airy, but not crumbly.  It was sweet and had the unmistakable brininess of fish sauce.

One of the more interesting dishes of the meal was the Lotus Salad with lotus rootlets, carrots, shrimp, pork, fried onions cilantro and peanuts with fish sauce.  Without looking at the menu description, I was expecting the usual lotus root slices, but being rootlets, it was a totally different experience.  I really enjoyed the crunch and juiciness of salad as well as the ample amount of meat (who doesn't like meat in their salad???).  Add in the fish sauce, then there was also the usual sweet salty brininess that helped whet our appetites.

Whenever we have a chance to order wings, we do so!  Thus, we got the Garlic Butter Chicken Wings served with lemon pepper dip.  This was a large portion and a great value especially for only $11.95.  Not only that, the wings were also very good!  Beyond the crispy batter we found juicy and moist meat inside.  The quick toss in garlic butter made things rather aromatic and of course buttery.  The aggressive amount of black pepper added much more bite to the dip.

So one of my favourite items was actually a last minute add on to our order.  The Chinese Sausage Omelette was exactly like its description.  It was scrambled egg and sliced Chinese sausage with some white onion and green onion.  As simple as this was, it was super delicious and aromatic.  Naturally, the fats from the sausage as well as the copious amount of oil used to fry this up in the hot wok created lots of umaminess and crispy textures.

For some reason or another, I've had a few versions of Banh Khot lately.  Whether it be from Banh Mi Tres Bon or Pho 101, there has been big differences between them.  The one here at Hải Phòng was much more robust with lots of coconut milk creaminess and density.  It was aromatic and featured a firmly crunchy bottom shell.  It was also sweeter and had more seasoning in general.  Nice large half shrimp on top.

I guess we couldn't ignore the more classic soup noodles such as the Phở Dặc Biệt and the Bún Riêu.  I found the pho broth to be fairly meaty, yet with a clean taste.  It wasn't salty per se, but it did have enough flavour.  Noodles were al dente while the meats were plentiful.  As for the Bún Riêu, it also had a clean and sweet flavour.  I actually prefer this one over the popular one at Bun Cha Ca Hoang Yen since it wasn't as "porky".

Staying with the theme of soup, we had the majestically served Vietnamese Hot & Sour Soup.  Loaded with prawns, fresh pineapple, bean sprouts, tomato, okra, taro stem and topped with fried garlic and herbs, this was a meal in itself.  The tamarind broth was pleasantly sour and sweet.  It also had a balanced spiciness that made for a wealth of flavours.  This was one of my favourite dishes of the meal.

Initially, I was a bit apprehensive with the Vietnamese-Style Beef Sashimi as it didn't appear to be very tender.  However, I was very wrong about this.  The beef was buttery soft while the dressing did the heavy lifting.  It had sweetness, acidity, saltiness and aromatics.  As much as there seemed to be a really unbalanced ratio of meat-to-sauce, it really wasn't.  Every piece of beef was completely seasoned.

Back to something more standard in the Lemongrass Chicken & Pork Chop with fried egg on rice.  As you can see, this was a very generous portion of food with beautifully charred meats.  Hence, there was a certain smokiness and caramelization going on.  Yet, the meats were still tender and succulent.  They were also marinated well with flavours throughout.  Broken rice was great too being chewy and slightly dry.

Another super delicious item we had was something that was off-menu.  Sure, they had the Vermicelli Sheets with various proteins, but not the beef short rib.  However, I assure, you, this can be ordered regardless.  These sheets were made from vermicelli noodles, which were texturally appealing.  Fluffy and slightly chewy, the noodles complimented the caramelized short rib in the lettuce wraps were constructed.  Fun and delicious dish!

As if we hadn't already experienced some bold and mouth-watering flavours already, we then got to try the Vietnamese Braised Pork & Fish.  This was also a custom dish as both proteins are usually separate, but we combined both for this one.  Oh man, the intense caramelization of the sauce created rich sweetness complimented by intense savouriness.  This was so good with white rice!  The pork was super tender with some appealing firmer parts while the fish was cooked through but still delicate.

Now here was the dish we were waiting for - the Tamarind Crab!  Yes, this live crab was cooked to perfection while tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce.  I've never had crab prepared this way before and I wish I did sooner!  Such intense flavours that we normally do not get in Cantonese prepared crab.  So in general, this meal reintroduced me to the classics, yet at the same time, exposed me to some dishes I've yet to try.  They were so appealing and full of flavour.  Will need to come back sooner than later.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Has all of the usual dishes but also many unique ones you don't normally see

- Intense flavours

- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:

- Not a fan of that parking lot as it can get pretty full

Bánh Mì Très Bon

Yes, I realize that it hasn't been long since I made my last visit to the White Rock location of Bánh Mì Très Bon.  However, they have begun to add more dishes to their menu as they get settled into the groove of operating a second store.  So that is the main reason for being there again so soon.  However,  we were able to sample some of the favourites as well as their surprisingly good cocktails.  So I met up with Roanna and Eileen for another tasting.

We started off with their Savoury Mini-Crêpes and I thought this time, they were even better than the last time I was here.  The edges and bottom of the crêpes were uniformly crispy and light.  Each one was filled with fried shallots, shrimp and green onion.  This combination ensured there would be aromatics, brininess and a bright sharpness.  But to complete this concoction, we were served a side of fish sauce to up the salty briny flavour quotient.

So we couldn't do food here without some of their excellent drinks either right?  We got the Taste of Vietnam Cocktail Flight featuring Smooth Landing (plum wine, rambutan juice, ginger, & jalapeños),  In the Air (rice wine, soho lychee, & crème de cassis), Taking Off (hpnotic & coconut liqueur).  My favourite of the bunch was In the Air due to the lychee and creaminess.  We also had the Bonsoir Saigon and Parisian Nights.  Loved the coffee in the Bonsoir Saigon and the fruitiness of the Parisian Nights.

So we had 2 versions of their next dish including the Sweet Tamarind Crispy Prawns as well as the Sweet Tamarind Crispy Tofu & Cauliflower.  Loved the tanginess of the tamarind that was tempered by the sweetness and slight spice of the sauce.  The prawns were indeed crispy with a meaty snap texture.  However, I enjoyed the vegetarian version even more with the firm cauliflower and the tender chunks of crispy tofu.

The next 2 dishes we had also featured the same main dish but with different starches.  We had the Vietnamese Free-Range Chicken Curry served with rice vermicelli or their house-made baguette.  Really enjoyed this dish as the curry featured coconut milk, but wasn't heavy at the same time.  We got the aromatics as well as some sweetness with some spice.  The chicken was certainly tender while the little nuggets of purple yam were texturally appealing.  We also found eggplant, green beans, carrots and daikon hidden within too.  I thought the vermicelli went really well with the sauce.  The bread was fantastic too being soft with a crunchy exterior, but it would go better with a beef stew in  my opinion.

So you can't dine at Bánh Mì Très Bon without having their Bánh Mì Trio right?  Well, this featured braised pork belly & Vietnamese ham, grilled lemongrass chicken and pork meatball.  Again, the bread on these were good with a crunchy crust giving way to a soft chewy interior.  This held all the wet ingredients at bay very well.  My favourite was the meatball as it was soft and meaty with lots of sweet onion flavour as well as a meatiness.

Going for all the greatest hits, we had the BMTB Signature Beef Tenderloin Bone Marrow Phở.  Okay, yes, this was money with a clean-tasting broth that had plenty of meatiness.  It wasn't too heavy on the seasoning though as it was not too salty.  I found the meat to be tender and sliced thin.  Of course the star of the show was the large bone marrow with plenty of fatty goodness in the middle.

We ended our savoury portion of the meal with the delicious Caramelized Fish Sauce Brussels Sprouts.  Yes, to most this would look very unassuming, but rest assured, the flavours in this pop.  With the briny saltiness of the fish sauce and the sweetness of caramel, the balance was all there.  Coupled with aromatic crispy shallots and firm, but cooked-through Brussels sprouts, we had textural and flavour contrast.

Onto dessert, we tried the Apple Cream Puff Tart.  Oh I really liked this as the contrast between the fluffy & crispy choux pastry with the firm tart shell worked.  Also, the sweetness was just right where it was impactful without being overly sugary.  So nice end to this delicious meal.  Things were carefully-prepared and tasted great.  Definitely an elevated Vietnamese dining experience.  Perfect for the neighbourhood.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post

The Good:
- Elevated food
- Good flavours
- Nice dining space

The Bad:
- On the pricier side (but what isn't these days?)
- Parking is a bit difficult

Phở Pasteur

I know you've heard me complain about high food costs these days, whether it be groceries or at a restaurant.  It is truly becoming unaffordable to eat out and if you aren't careful, you can blow your budget after one meal!  So where can one grab a quick bite with the fam without sacrificing your kid's college fund?  Well, even Vietnamese joints are no longer that cheap.  However, there is Phở Pasteur on Hastings in Burnaby.  Hidden on the 2nd floor, this place use to be So Crab, So Good.

All we needed was a cheap quick meal and this place seem to fit the bill (sorry for the pun).  We kicked things off with the Spring Rolls and we were pleasantly surprised they used rice wrappers rather than wheat.  This is the way it should be in my opinion because the crunch and texture is very different than wheat.  It is in some ways crunchier while having a light chewiness.  Inside the pork and veggie filling was tender and moist while nicely seasoned.

We also had the Deep Fried Chicken Wings that actually came at end of the meal (maybe they were defrosting them?).  These were fried aggressively where some of the the sugars had burnt a bit.  However, that was a good thing as the caramelization was sweet and smoky.  The fish sauce really came through as the wings were well-marinated.  The skin was rendered nicely, hence the skin was crispy and not flabby.

For myself, I went for a large Phở Đặc Biệt for only $12.00.  When bowls of Pho are going for close to $20.00 these days, this was very reasonable.  They didn't skimp on the amount of noodles and meat either.  I thought the broth was a bit muddled but it still had meatiness with a star anise finish.  Meats were plentiful but some were cut rather thick.  A bit less refined, but they were still tender nonetheless.

Viv ended up with the Spring Roll & Grilled Chicken Vermicelli Bowl.  This was a fairly good portion of soft, yet still chewy rice noodles with the same aggressively deep fried spring roll.  The grilled chicken was marinated well with lots of flavour as well as colour on the outside.  Perhaps it was a bit wet before it got onto the grill as it didn't caramelize as much as it could've.  The byproduct was some residual juices that helped flavour the noodles.

Staying with chicken, my son had his usual in the Lemongrass Chicken with Rice.  He didn't opt for the fried egg because it was $2.00 extra.  He didn't want to spend the money for one egg (actually it was my money and I appreciated his frugalness).  So the grilled chicken was no different than the one in the vermicelli bowl.  It was tender and moist with plenty of sweet salty brininess.

My daughter made it a trifecta of chicken when she got the Grilled Lemongrass Chicken Noodles.  Nothing more to add about the same chicken here.  As for the broth, it was pretty clean and mild-tasting.  The noodles were al dente and not clumpy at all.  In general, this and all the other dishes we had were fine and good value.  This would not be my first choice when it comes to Vietnamese eats in town, but it does the job and not for very much money.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Does the job
- Friendly people

The Bad:
- A little less refined than other spots