Tableau Bar Bistro

So this isn't the first time that I have dined at Tableau Bar Bistro.  In fact, Viv has been here for brunch on many occasions (too bad she doesn't take pictures and blog about it...).  This time around, it was for my mom's birthday as she enjoys French food.  Good thing too as I've been meaning to do another post since the last time was over 10 years ago.  I've always liked Tableau because their food is solid and best of all, reasonably-priced.  So this particular blog post is actually an amalgamation of 2 separate visits done within a month of each other.  I think we tried almost everything on the menu!

So one of their most grandiose items on the menu is the Eiffel Tower consisting of 2 tiers including the Seafood Tower.  This featured Westcoast oysters, mussels escabeche, prawns, scallops, tuna rillette and snow crab legs.  We found the oysters to be shucked properly without any shell fragments.  There was a considerable amount of sweet liquor in the oysters.  Mussels were tender and briny with good acidity from the escabeche.  Large with a meaty snap, the prawns were also sweet while the snow crab legs were okay (I'm personally not a fan of snow crab legs).  Wasn't in love with the tuna rillette as it was far too salty, even when we picked out the capers.

The other tier featured a host of their other appies including the pâté, steak tartare, foie gras terrine and truffle frites.  For $20.00 more, I find this setup a fantastic value as most of the items were the same size at the a la carte order.   Really enjoyed this platter as the pâté was meaty and full of great texture.  There was a variety of natural meat flavours complimented by the aromatics of the seasoning.  We thought the tartare was excellent where the texture was buttery and tender.  Seasoning was just right where a slight background acidity kept things bright while the quail's egg added a certain silkiness.  The small piece of foie gras terrine was sinful being buttery with a big hit of sweet wine.

Now you might be wondering why I didn't make a comment about the Scallop Crudo in the seafood tower...  Well, it is because on a previous visit, I had ordered it separately.   Seemingly simple with diced apple & jalapeño, lemon and olive oil, this was so subtle and delicious.  Now if you got more of the jalapeño, it was not as mild, but for me, I kept that to a minimum to allow the sweet buttery scallops to shine.  The lemon apple added the necessary acidity to compliment the sweetness.

Something more rich was the Mushrooms on Toast featuring roasted mushrooms, Madeira jus and La Sauvagine on toasted sourdough.  Although the bread was quite stiff, it was necessary as the moisture soaked into it.  There was so much umaminess in this from the mushrooms, buttery cheese (which was earthy as well) and truffle on top.  Now the whole thing was pretty rich though and best to be shared.

To compliment the Eiffel Tower, we added the Demi Baguette with whipped onion butter.  Yes, we understood that a whole baguette might've been overkill given that we all had our mains still, but it was necessary so we could finish up the tartare, foie gras terrine and pâté.  Having some bread with these items made it more enjoyable than scooping a chunk of terrine into our mouths.  Restaurants never include enough vessels (whether it be chips, crostinis, blinis or bread) for these items.  This was a good baguette where it was crusty on the outside and soft on the inside.

So for my main, I decided to try the Corned Beef Shortrib with house sauerkraut, pickle, 1000 island dressing and a side of salad.  Essentially, this ate like a drier form of corned beef.  Not that it wasn't tender though as there were buttery elements too.  In the end, I had to use the dressing to add moisture.  Loved the sauerkraut on the side as it was crunchy and only tangy enough that it wasn't too sour.

Viv decided to go for her ol' standby being the Moules Frites featuring Totten Inlet mussels, white wine, saffron and dijon.  These medium-sized mussels yielded plump morsels inside that were buttery and full of umami brininess.  There was a fair amount of them where not one was closed.  The broth was a little on the saltier side, but was still delicious and aromatic.  Perfect for dipping the crispy frites into.

Surprisingly, my son did not go for the burger or a steak.  Rather, he had the Ragoût de Boeuf with braised beef & pork ragu, garganelli pasta, herbs and grana padano.  Although this wasn't the largest portion, it was rich and creamy.  The meat sauce was tender with plenty of body and deep meat flavours.  There was just enough of it to caress each piece of al dente pasta.  He happily ate this up, really solid.

My daughter went for the Canard featuring 2 thick slices of breast, beets, poached rhubarb and foie gras jus.  She really enjoyed the duck as it was cooked beautifully and was generally tender with natural duck flavour.  The skin could've been rendered more as it was rather flabby.  Rich and mild, the jus complimented the duck well.  The juices from the beets and rhubarb made its way into the jus adding some sweetness.

Interestingly, it was my dad who ordered Le Burger sporting a 6oz freshly made-to-order beef patty, La Sauvagine, bacon, caramelized onions, dijon and frites.  Thick and juicy, the patty was cooked to medium.  It was a bit salty, but there was no doubt of the natural meat flavours.  With a perfectly toasted brioche bun, the burger ate very well, especially with the thick cut bacon which was quite meaty.  Frites on the side were plentiful and crispy.

Predictably, my mom had the 10oz Striploin with mushroom & peppercorn jus, arugula salad and frites.  We felt the steak was more rare than the requested medium-rare, but it was still tender and plenty moist.  Maybe it could've used a more aggressive sear on the outside though.  It was lightly seasoned where the woodsy peppery jus did all the heavy lifting.  Nice addition of the arugula as it provided a peppery brightness.

On a previous visit, I had tried the Hanger Steak with arugula salad and red wine jus.  Now this was perfectly medium-rare and salted.  In my mind, this was as tender as the striploin with more natural meat flavour.  Loved the silky and glossy red wine jus where the reduced flavours were intense and full of umaminess.  Once again, the side of arugula salad added brightness and tang.  This also included a side of frites.

Probably my favourite main dish at Tableau has to be the Halibut in a lemon & caper butter beurre blanc with a spring onion tarte tartin on the side.  The fairly large piece of halibut was perfectly prepared being delicate and flaky.  This speaks to the freshness of the fish.  The beurre blanc was mildly rich with a creaminess that was balanced in terms of acidity and saltiness.  Lots of fresh parsley and dill (as well as croutons) completed the dish.

In addition to the side of frites (white truffle and parm in this case) and the spring onion tart tartin, I had also ordered the Roasted Brussels Sprouts as well.  These were still firm and dressed with sherry and bacon lardons.  I thought this was merely acceptable as the flavours were a bit flat and the sprouts could've used more charring from the roasting.  Lardons were meaty and delicious though.  As the for the tart tartin, it was creamy and naturally sweet.

Onto dessert, the best one on the menu has to be the Butterscotch Pot de Crème with Tonka bean caramel and maldon salt.  Okay, normally I'm not into butterscotch due to it being generally quite sweet.  However, this dessert was purposefully sweet while not going overboard.  This was super rich and creamy with the unmistakable deep sweetness of brown sugar.  The maldon salt only served to heighten the already strong flavours.

I wasn't really into the Banana Bread Pudding though.  Too bad really as most of the components were excellent including the brûléed sliced bananas on top.  They were just ripe enough and featured a smoky and sweet crunchy top.  The macerated raisins provided pops of sweetness, yet the actual bread pudding was dry and overly stiff.  If it had been more moist and pudding-like, this would've been a winner.

The other dessert was the largest in the Profiteroles with brown butter ice cream, pecans and bourbon maple syrup.  Now if you thought this was sweet, you are completely right.  Creamy and rich, the ice cream was nutty and aromatic.  The syrup only added more sugar to an already sweet ice cream.  Choux pastry was on point being crispy on the outside and airy on the inside.  So as you can see, we have nearly tried everything on the menu.  From this sample size, I'm confident to reiterate how solid the food here is at Tableau.  Add in good service and reasonable pricing, this is a place you can visit often.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Reasonable pricing
- Decent portions

The Bad:
- Parking in the area can be a challenge
- It can be loud in there, but I personally love the lively atmosphere

Kook

It has been awhile since I had last visited Kook Korean BBQ.  That time was after hockey and was for lunch.  This time around, the whole family including grandparents made it out to the T&T complex out on 1st Ave and Renfrew.  I gotta say that Kook is one of the better options for Korean BBQ in Vancouver proper.  They have the largest selection of included Banchan and their overall food quality is above average.  As mentioned in my previous post about Kook, I said I would return.  Well, sandwiched between the height of the pandemic, we did.

Of course the signature thing here at Kook is their huge selection of Banchan.  Whereas you would normally receive around 4 varieties, Kook offers 15!  I'm not going to list them all here, but you can see that all the favourites are there including stewed potato, kimchi, sprouts and daikon.  All were well-prepared and delicious accompaniments to our grilled meats and rice.  Like most other places, you can get a refill of your favourites.  We did exactly that.

We ended up getting Combination C ($195.00) which was enough for 6 people.  In addition to the Banchan, house salad and rice, the meats included yangnyeom galbisal, LA galbi, pork galbi, beef bulgogi and chicken bulgogi.  Even though the platter of meat doesn't look like much in the picture, it was enough for us.  Meat quality was good and the marinade was just enough.  The highlight was the beef rib meat "finger" which was buttery and tender.

The meal also included the Soondubu Jjigae with soft tofu and beef.  This came out bubbling hot and full of ingredients.  There was the usual onion with zucchini and the usual red pepper spiciness.  Sliced thin and plentiful, the beef was tender and added some body to the soup.  I thought the broth was well-balanced in flavour while the spice and tang was just enough.  Plenty of silky and soft tofu.

Also included was the Haemul Pajeon (Seafood Scallion Pancake) that was super crispy and surprisingly only a little greasy.  Sometimes, the seafood pancake can be underdone being mushy and doughy.  This one was not that at all.  Relatively thin and full of imitation crab with only a mild amount of green onion, this ate very well.  It was not heavy and there was a little of every texture in each bite.

Lastly we had the Tangsuyuk (Sweet & Sour Pork) which came in a manageable-sized portion.  This was large enough for us without needing to doggy-bagging it.  As you can see, it was crispy and the batter was only semi-thick.  Pork was tender while the sweet and sour sauce was a little sparse, hence it wasn't as impactful as it could've been.  However, that was probably the only thing that could've been better.  Things were good, well-portioned and overall a decent value with all things considered.  I'll say it again, I'll return again shortly.

The Good:
- 15 types of Banchan
- Overall good food quality
- Combos are a decent value

The Bad:
- Worth mentioning again - parking lot of hell (narrow spaces and crazy drivers)
- A la carte can get pricey

Tap & Barrel Shipyards

Sometimes chain restaurants are given a bad rap due to their "mainstream" nature of their operation and menu.  As you already know, I am not food snob.  I appreciate all types of food whether it be a dive or a fine-dining establishment, and that includes chain restaurants.  Let's be real here too, all chain restaurants started off with either one or very few locations.  So suddenly since they expanded and they are no longer good anymore?  Well, I guess that could be true for some, but many do offer compelling eats.  One such chain is Tap & Barrel and I had no problem coming back to my favourite location - Shipyards.

We started off with the Salt & Pepper Wings with a side of buttermilk ranch dip.  This was actually a generous serving of wings that were quite crispy with well-rendered skin.  Despite not looking like it, the meat was actually not overly dry.  Now it wasn't juicy per se, but it was still moist.  There was enough salt that the wings could be eaten without the dip, yet I would've liked more black pepper.  With that being said, I did end up dipping the wings in the creamy ranch.

We couldn't forget about the awesome Famous Fried Pickles with creamy dill dip.  What makes this dish a winner is that they use breading.  The places that use a tempura batter have got it wrong as it isn't crunchy enough to stand up to the wet pickle.  So the crunchy breading was the perfect contrast here as it gave way to a juicy briny pickle.  The creamy dip added a cooling effect to the hot fried pickle.

Now, you know I would order the Southern Fried Chicken Burger with aged white cheddar, arugula, honey cayenne mayo and pickled onions.  This featured a buttermilk fried chicken thigh which was juicy and moist.  The batter was crunchy and stayed like that until the last bite.  This was a pleasant sandwich with good textures, but I found the flavours to be too mild for my own tastes.  If there was more of a kick, this would've been a winner.

Off to another handheld, we had a Tap & Barrel classic in the PB&J Burger consisting of an Angus beef patty, bacon jam, chipotle peanut butter, lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayo.  Sure, other places have put peanut butter in the burgers, but I find the one here at T&B to be balanced and downright tasty.  That bacon jam provides just enough sweetness and bacon goodness to compliment the spicy and smooth peanut butter.  Such a rich burger, but oh so good.

Now we weren't done yet with the food and continued with the Hand-Stretched Local Wild Mushroom Pizza with arugula, truffle oil, mozzarella and roasted garlic cream.  I've always considered the pizza at T&B to be pretty solid.  They have changed over the years from a flatbread style to a round pizza.  This featured crispy edges and decent charring on the bottom.  Definitely nutty while the dough was nicely salted.  Lots of woodsy aromatics going on.

 

Lastly, we had the Pesto Chicken Linguine with handmade almond basil pesto, feta, grape tomatoes and garlic shallot cream.  Another winner in my books where the linguine was al dente while the rest of the ample ingredients were on point.  The tomatoes were still vibrant and in one piece being tangy.  The chicken was tender and plentiful.  Finally, the pesto cream was aromatic and flavourful.  Okay maybe it is just me, but I happen to like T&B because the food is more than acceptable while the prices are fair.  Their decor and ambiance is pretty on point too.  This is one chain restaurant that I don't mind going back over and over again.

The Good:

- Above average eats

- Love their dining space

- Fair pricing

The Bad:

- Menu is diverse (much like most chains), but can be more focused and offer more options of each item

Jollibee

Okay, I finally made it out to Vancouver's 1st location of Jollibee on Granville in Downtown.  Hey, I would've gone earlier but I'm not that committed to wait 3 hours in line for fried chicken!  Besides, I've had Jollibee before at Southcenter in the Seattle area in the past.  Besides, I'm glad I waited because there was a $30.00 gift card encouraging me to visit and post about it.  Well, to be honest, I would've went anyways and $30.00 wasn't going to get me very far since I like to over order.

That I did, with 2 family meals and one extra order of chicken.  Hence, I ended up with 3 buckets of Jolly Crispy Fried Chicken (with 6 pieces of dark meat each).  Let's start with the original fried chicken first.  The batter (a good balance of cornstarch and flour) was crunchy and stayed that way even though I had to transport this a good 20 minutes before eating it.  The chicken was juicy and tender with a slight hint of five spice.  As for the spicy chicken, it did have a real kick.  I preferred this one more than the original.  Of course, there was the requisite gravy on the side and it was thick, flavourful and creamy.

As part of the combos, we received a family pack of Jolly Spaghetti with its classic sweet sauce and hot dog wieners.  I am a fan of Asian-style spaghetti including HK-style and Japanese style.  So this was right up my alley with a sweet and tangy sauce hiding the sliced wieners, ham and ground meat.  Even though it had been sitting in the takeout container for awhile, the spaghetti was still al dente.

The other item in the combo was the Palabok Fiesta Noodles topped with pork, shrimp and sliced boiled egg.  This was briny and shrimpy as it should be, but wasn't as strong as some other versions I've had in the past.  Noodles were rather soft (softer than usual), but that might've had something to do with not eating it right away.  There was more than enough sauce to coat the noodles and it was a decent version.

To get my fill of chicken sammies, I got both the Original Chicken Sandwich and the Spicy Chicken Sandwich.  Both versions featured their toasted brioche bun which was a little on the denser side and was pleasantly sweet.  The hand-breaded chicken breast was large and rather thick.  It was coated in a crunchy batter that was flavourful and held its texture from start to finish.  I found the chicken to be tender if not a bit stiff.  I enjoyed the spicy version more due to the sriracha mayo and the sliced jalapenos.

For dessert, we had a the classic Peach Mango Pie that were fried (like the McD's used to do with their pies).  Hence, the exterior was crunchy and light while giving way to sweet mangoes and peaches.  I was only going to eat half, but devoured the whole thing.  Overall, this was not overly different than the last time I was at a Jollibee.  I was impressed with the quality of food given how busy they are currently.  I really wish I could eat it right away, but at the moment, there is no dine-in.

*A $30.00 gift card was provided for me to try the food at Jollibee, I did spent way over that though*

The Good:
- Chicken (and other items) remained crunchy even after 20 minutes
- Something a bit different including the Filipino noodles
- Love that pie

The Bad:
- A little pricier than other fried chicken spots
- No dine-in at the moment  

 

DooBoo

Before the pandemic, I had visited a small Korean restaurant on Kingsway at Griffiths in Burnaby.  It had been a noodle house in the past and I had tried that too.  I have very little recollection of that noodle house and I guess it wasn't any surprise it was replaced by DooBoo.  Now I do remember DooBoo as it was solid eats at a fair price.  Furthermore, the staff were hard-working and pleasant.  So we weren't really planning on visiting DooBoo this night, but due to an accident on the Iron Worker's Memorial Bridge, we weren't able to make it to Smoke 'n Bones.  Of note, this is the second time I've had to cancel my reservations at Smoke 'n Bones in the past while due to accidents on the bridge.

So anyways, we ended up ordering much more food than the last time I was here.  We got a couple orders of the Korean Fried Chicken in spicy soy and also honey garlic.  On the menu, it is described as a "chicken salad" but really it was KFC with slaw on the side.  This was really good as the chicken was in bite sized pieces with a crunchy batter.  The boneless leg meat was tender and juicy with enough marinade to stand on its own.  Add in the seasoning and there was good flavour going around.  The spicy soy was mild with the classic sweet and salty hits.  As for the honey garlic, it was stick, sweet and garlicky.  Solid KFC.

We also got the Mini-Dumplings filled with cabbage and pork.  Loved the size of these things as it was easy to eat as one-biters.  Even though they were small, there was enough filling for impact.  It was tender, juicy and well-seasoned.  I found the dumpling wrapper to be medium thickness where it wasn't dense.  The bottoms were crispy and the overall texture of the wrapper was good with some elasticity.

From there, we moved onto some classic dishes including the Dolset Bibimbap.  As I've said about this dish many times over, it comes down to the rice, how hot the stone bowl is and the quality/amount of the ingredients.  This is not a complex dish, but these factors can greatly influence how good it is.  This one was good where a socarrat was formed on the bottom resulting in crispy rice.  The rice wasn't too wet, so this could happen.  Furthermore, the ample amount of ingredients were well-prepared.  When combined with the gochujang, this was solid.

Next we had the Japchae which was complete inundated with slivered white onions.  Maybe they should've eased up on that as it was the dominant flavour and texture.  Now that didn't mean it wasn't still good.  In addition to the onions, there was plenty of spinach and tender slices of beef too.  The seasoning was on point with good balance of salty and sweet with some black pepper and sesame oil.  Noodles were slippery with some chew and not overly greasy.

To keep carbing it up, we also ordered the Kimchi Fried Rice topped with a fried egg and nori.  I really enjoyed this dish as the rice was beautifully prepared where it was chewy and nutty being caramelized.  Furthermore, their kimchi had good balance of flavours which were rich and not overly sour.  It was aromatic with a touch of brininess.  Therefore the rice was flavourful and full of depth.  There was also a good amount of ingredients too which made it hearty.

Continuing on the greatest hits theme, we got the Seafood Soft Tofu Soup as well.  This came out bubbling hot, like it should've been.  We thought this was pretty good with plenty of ingredients including the soft tofu.  The broth was flavourful and briny with enough spice for impact.  Of course it came with a side of rice, but this was served in a wooden steamer.  After we ate the rice, hot water was poured into it to soften the scorched rice.  Known as Sungnyung, this becomes a drink that takes on the nutiness of the rice.

Completing our meal, we got one each of the Beef Short Ribs and Pork Belly on a sizzling cast iron plate.  These were pretty good with obvious charring that ensured caramelization of the marinade.  The meats were tender but the pork belly was a little too lean (more meat though I guess).  So overall, the meal at DooBoo was solid and we were quite full.  Service was a bit sparse (due to only 2 servers), but they were friendly and efficient.  I would come back for another revisit sometime.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Parking lot is insufficient

Jimmy's Lunch Box

This post is a long time coming.  No, it isn't because I was anxious to visit Jimmy's Lunch Box.  Rather, I went there awhile ago but never got around to posting it.  No matter, nothing has changed and that is pretty much the nature of the restaurant.  It is a consistent place with good portions and very reasonable prices.  There is a particular Korean influence to the joint and it shows in the menu.  We ended up in Maple Ridge because we were at Wild Play and needed some eats nearby.  Turns out that we weren't the only ones because there was a lineup out the door.

So about that Korean-influence...  We had the Bulgogi Skillet with 2 poached eggs, beef bulgogi, onion, mushroom and cheese on hashbrowns and sourdough toast.  So this was rather hearty with lots of tender thinly sliced beef.  It was mildly seasoned where it was sweet and savoury.  Hashbrowns were shredded and still crispy while the poached eggs were runny as evidenced in the picture.  Overall this was more than enough food and quite good.

Something a bit more usual was the Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict with avocado, tomato and feta cheese.  Not sure if my son omitted some of these items since he isn't one for veggies...  But it was overall a solid benny with runny poached eggs and nicely toasted English Muffin.  Hollandaise was a bit mild in flavour, but it did the job.  The side of hashbrowns were golden brown and crispy.

Now something that was not usual was the Open-Faced Smoked Salmon Sandwich.  Yah, it sure didn't look like a sandwich, rather it was more like a salad.  This featured a poached egg, balsamic drizzle and feta atop smoked salmon and spring mix.  Then underneath this, we had tomato, avocado and basil pesto on sourdough.  It was definitely a fork & knifer and ate like a salad.  Nothing usual where it was pleasant enough with complimentary ingredients.

So for myself, I had the Crispy Chicken Burger with lettuce, tomato, red onion, mayo and honey mustard. Essentially, this was constructed out of 2 big chicken strips.  Pretty standard stuff, but the chicken was tender and the batter really crunchy.  Produce was super fresh and appealing in texture while the bun was nicely toasted and soft.  Nothing particularly interesting about this burger, yet it was non-offensive either.

For the side, I chose their famed Wonton Soup.  Huh?  Wonton soup???  But this is a diner...  and a Korean-run diner.  Hey don't judge because this was one solid wonton soup, albeit the pork variety.  First of all, the wontons were delicate and full of tender well-seasoned pork.  Secondly, the broth was super flavourful with lots of sesame oil.  Lastly, this was a huge bowl for a side to the burger.

Just for kicks. I also tried their Cheeseburger with a side of fries.  Once again, it had all the produce and it was fresh.  The beef patty was moist while nicely seared.  Again, nothing Earth-shattering, but it was a solid burger.  Fries were starch-coated and crispy.  Good value for $11.95.  Now this pretty much encapsulates what JLB is all about.  Nothing that will blow you away, but it is solid diner food that is well-priced.  Wonderful people running the place to boot.

The Good:
- Well-priced
- Solid diner food
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Maybe could've done a house-made fried chicken patty instead 

 

Pho Chan

Ever since I can remember, I've loved going for Phở.   I also remember that it was a lot cheaper too.  But with everything, there are higher material costs, higher minimum wage and just plan inflation due to those factors and of course the cost of fuel.  So I completely understand the rising prices of restaurant food.  However, there are still a few places that are still on the less expensive end of the spectrum.  Take Pho Chan in New West for instance, their prices are still very reasonable being between $10.00 - $15.00 rather than the over $15.00 at most places.  Also, I really love the name of the place (hint: my last name...).

So I gathered up the fam and made my way out to McBride for some noodles.  Before that, we had a few appies including the Crispy Pork Spring Rolls.  If you notice in the picture, these were legit employing a rice paper wrapper.  Many places default to wheat wrappers and that is mostly due to convenience.  These were extremely crunchy and that made the difference in texture.  Inside, the filling consisted of tender pork, onions, carrot, vermicelli and wood ear mushrooms.

We also got the Prawn Salad Rolls, which were decent in size and wrapped tightly.  The rice wrapper was nicely hydrated, but still chewy and not wet.  Inside, there was a good deal of prawns that had been halved.  They had a good natural aroma and were meaty with a snap.  The iceberg lettuce was fresh and crispy while the addition of pickled carrot added more crunch.  The ample amount of peanut sauce on the side had just enough hoisin for sweetness.

For myself, I didn't actually go for Phở.  Instead, I had the Dry Egg Noodle with Seafood.  Reminiscent of the dry noodles at Phnom Penh, these were topped with fried cuttlefish balls and fish along with prawns, squid and imitation crab stick.  The egg noodles were perfectly al dente and dressed in a sweet soy.  I found the fried items a bit greasy though.  The ample amount of ingredients made this actually filling.

Viv went for the Rare Beef and Brisket Phở.  This was a fair portion for a large costing $12.50.  I believe this has to be one of the least expensive bowls of Phở in town (especially since it is decent).  I found the broth to be clean and on the lighter side.  Definitely could taste the sweetness and some background meatiness, but I would've liked a bit more punch.  Noodles were cooked perfectly and the meats were tender (and fairly ample).

My daughter ordered the Phở Ga and it was topped with some fried shallots.  As such, it was rather aromatic which compliment the sweet broth nicely.  Again, it was clean and on the lighter side.  Definitely not salty by any means.  Since the chicken was free range, it was a touch chewy (but to be expected). Once again, the noodles were al dente and not clumpy.  This was a small size and it was $12.00.

My son predictably went for his standby being the Grilled Lemongrass Chicken & Pork Chop on Rice (with a fried egg).  This was a huge portion for $13.50.  Also, it was very good with tender chicken and pork that was well-marinated.  There was caramelization and only a slight char.  Funny how there was more meat than rice on the plate.  So I guess you get the point here - the prices are reasonable and they don't skimp with the portion size.  Pho Chan is a good neighbourhood spot that won't break the bank.

The Good:
- Well-priced
- Fair portions
- Decent eats

The Bad:
- Broth could be more impactful