Restaurant Review: King Noodle House

KING NOODLE HOUSE PHO HOANG 10613 97th Street | kingnoodlehousepho.ca Instagram: @kingnoodlehouse | Twitter: @KingNoodleHouse Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew

I have lived in a lot of major Canadian cities; Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal... And in each of those cities I have eaten the so-called "best pho" in town. I always found myself saying the same thing over and over each and every time: "I don't know why, I don't know how, but the best pho in Canada is in Edmonton." And it's at King Noodle House. I first tried them back in 2013, back before I knew how good I was getting it. Unbeknownst to me at the time, King Noodle set a bar that I continued to measure all other pho restaurants against - and very few of them even came close. (Shoutout to Pho Nam Quan in Montreal because they were the only ones that even entered the conversation.) I came to realize what a true gem King Noodle actually is and how lucky Edmontonians are to have them. When I moved back to Edmonton this restaurant was literally my first stop, straight from the airport. Chosen in the Favourite Soup section of the Edmonton Food Faves We Crave 2022 list and also found on my website's Worldwide Faves list (obviously!), King Noodle House is an absolute must. I visited on a Saturday evening and what I once would have considered a hole-in-the-wall is now an incredible palace of pho excellence in my eyes. It's amazing how your perception changes once you know better. You'll find King Noodle House in the heart of Chinatown in the McCauley area - a part of the city that is packed with delicious food (you should probably go there more). The restaurant isn't very big and you won't soon forget the yellow and orange walls. Or the multi-coloured bulbs in the light fixtures. Or the old, old wooden ship? All of this and more awaits you, along with Mustache Man, your expert pho guide. King Noodle's business hours should be noted. They are only ever open until 7pm so if you plan on having dinner you'll need to keep that in mind. Another important factor is that they are CASH ONLY. The incredibly fragrant aroma of broth will tantalize your senses from the moment that you enter the door. Once seated, the impeccably prompt service will begin like clockwork so it's best to make your selections as quickly as possible. On this visit I was hoping to branch out and try a couple of new things while simultaneously sticking to my tried-and-true favourites. Every meal begins with a complimentary pot of tea and it's part of the comforting ritual of settling in.

Perfectly steeped jasmine green tea, served piping hot. Sipping on the warm cup, I had arrived and was ready for a wonderful Vietnamese food experience. I don't normally order an additional beverage when I'm at King Noodle but on this visit I wanted to find out what the drinks are like. In true me fashion, I picked one of the beverages that sounded the strangest to me; the #10 Sữa đá Chanh Tươi ($4.50).

Condensed milk with fresh lemon juice and ice.

This was great! And different and fun! It was very milky but also deliciously refreshing. The condensed milk had a viscous quality to it, especially at the bottom of the glass. The lemon flavour wasn't overpowering and the whole drink was kind of like a creamsicle, except with lemon instead of orange. Plus the glass itself was super cute. I'm glad that I ordered it! The main new thing that I wanted to try was the #38 Nem Nướng ($14.95) appetizer. I'd somehow never had these!

Fried pork balls.

The food comes out FAST at King Noodle. Once your order is made you won't be waiting more than five or ten minutes before the feast has begun. This is the case whether the place is packed or not. Everything happens very quickly! The pork balls are rust-red in colour and you get a whole bunch of them! The outside of each ball is slightly crisp while the inside is succulent and juicy. I can see why these are popular. Very easy to pop into your mouth, satisfyingly salty and flavourful. We commented that some type of dipping sauce would be a nice addition... But that might be blasphemy. I'm not sure. King Noodle House does offer a few vermicelli and rice bowls to eat but if you're not visiting for the pho I seriously question your motives. There are 35 different pho varieties on the menu because that's what they do. Just get the wonderfully authentic pho. That's your one job. It's all about the broth and King Noodle's recipe has been passed down through three generations. The expertly-made broth simmers for 14 hours before it reaches your bowl and it is a thing of beauty. There are also many types of meat that can go into pho and some of them might feel a bit "advanced." (I'm looking at you: flank, tendon, and tripe.) I have personally been ordering the #13 Pho Tai Gau ($12.95 for small) for years and years.

Rare steak, well-done brisket.

Some restaurants don't even offer this exact meat combination and that always makes me sad. This is another example of how King Noodle has forever shaped my tastes. The soups are offered in three sizes; small, large, and extra large. I have always found that the small size is plenty for me (and is still very big!). (Fun fact: I ordered this exact bowl of pho on my first visit in 2013 and the price was $7.75. That's what happens in a decade!) Served with a garnish plate of bean sprouts, lemon or lime, Thai basil, and fresh chili pepper, the one glaring omission was sawtooth coriander. King Noodle House usually always includes it but it was missing on this occasion. Many other pho restaurants don't include sawtooth coriander and I've always deducted points. King Noodle used to be good for it! They've taught me to expect it! Barring that, everything looked perfectly amazing and fresh. The soup itself is topped with black pepper, cilantro, and green and white onions, which is standard. I set about garnishing my bowl, which includes a little bit of everything, plus a bit of hot sauce and hoisin. I eat my pho in a two-handed manner, armed with chopsticks in one hand and a spoon in the other. It’s all about the broth when it comes to pho - it's all that truly matters. King Noodle has always risen above the rest for their deep and aromatic broth, complex and full of robust flavour. But if I'm being honest, on this visit the broth seemed slightly more watered down than usual. It was lacking the absolute depth that I have come to expect from them. I really hope that this was an exception to the rule. Also important are the rice noodles. I look for noodles that are loose and well-cooked, not one big sticky ball. These ones were done perfectly and were wonderful to slurp. The beef was excellent, thin pink slices of rare beef that cooked in the broth over the course of the meal and juicy pieces of beef brisket. The meat was perfectly tender and not too fatty. Every single component danced together in harmony, each helping out the last. I found my way to the bottom of the bowl quite quickly and as usual, I was grateful for the lovely (and filling!) experience. While I had a few small critiques on my visit, you must understand that my expectations are honestly so high for King Noodle House. I have tasted them at their best and I know what they are capable of - which is literally serving the best bowl of pho in Canada. They are a staple on my list of favourite restaurants and I hope to visit them many, many more times. The sad news is that after 26 years in business, this small family-owned restaurant is looking to close its doors. Once a buyer purchases the building King Noodle will be retiring the best pho in the country permanently. However, the good news is that until this happens you still have time to enjoy this delicious Vietnamese soup before it's too late!