Restaurant Review: Dang Good
DANG GOOD VIETNAMESE CUISINE 13308 118th Avenue ~ danggood.ca Instagram: @danggood Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew
I love trying new restaurants, especially ones that I've never even heard of before. Dang Good is such a place because I don't often venture to their Dovercourt location. However, I will literally travel to any corner of the city (and beyond) if the eating is good. CBC Edmonton's Best Restaurants 2019 said that Dang Good is the Best Restaurant North of the Core and that's plenty enough to get me through the door! You'll find them in a strip mall right by the traffic circle, and I have to admit that I did not realize that there was good food to be found in this area. I am so pleased to be proven wrong! While a strip mall is certainly not the height of luxury some of the best food is hiding within them - this I know for sure. The signage is bright and enticing. Honestly, who doesn't want to visit a place where the food is dang good? Inside, the restaurant is clean, nicely decorated, and fairly simple. I loved the Buddha statues that I spotted around the room. The dining area is a decent size with plenty of tables and our server was wonderfully friendly, referring to us as "family" for our entire visit. The cuisine on order at Dang Good is Vietnamese and their specialties are vermicelli noodle bowls and phở bowls. They also feature a very extensive vegan section on their menu. From the appetizer list I figured that the Chả Giò - Deep Fried Spring Rolls ($7.95) would be a solid choice.
I liked these because they came out quick and they were exactly what I wanted them to be. Piping hot, I enjoyed biting in and trying not to burn my mouth. Sometimes you just can't wait! Crispy and golden, the filling seemed a lot more homemade than the average spring roll. I could really taste the juicy pork and enjoyed the savoury flavours a lot. I especially loved the fish sauce and was sure to bathe each and every bite in sauce. These are a great example of a very common dish that satisfies every time. Next, there was only one item on my radar that I simply had to try; the Phở Bò Sả Tế - Pho Beef Saté ($13.95). This is the dish that everyone talks about and the reason that most people visit this restaurant.
The huge bowl arrived in no time at all and I loved the mix of colours and promise of some serious heat. I jumped straight in, armed with chopsticks in one hand and a spoon in the other. Slurping is entirely expected and encouraged! The noodles themselves were great because they were nice and loose - not sticky. A giant sticky mass is never what you want. The pieces of thinly sliced rare beef on top were perfectly pink and beautifully tender. Once stirred into the broth they continued to cook and I really appreciated the nice quality of the meat. The texture and crunch from the peanuts was another very enjoyable element. The best for last is the broth, which is always the most key component in any style of phở. This one was delicious and seriously amped up with spices (just the right amount). The depth of flavour was there however, I did find myself looking for a bit more richness. I really enjoyed the cucumber and tomato within the broth which added beautiful and unexpected pops of juicy freshness. I was getting a lot of authenticity from the flavours. This soup is great and for anyone who considers themselves a lover of spice, it's certainly the one for you. I finished the whole dang bowl and felt incredibly satisfied. Dang Good is a great little spot. The food is very good and it's nice to see that they're bringing something delicious to an area of the city that doesn't have quite as many options. The prices are great and I'm always happy to find restaurants that don't shy away from using spice. Certainly worth the visit!
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