Restaurant Review: Phở Hoàn Pasteur
PHỞ HOÀN PASTEUR 11443 Kingsway Avenue ~ phohoanpasteur.ca Instagram: @phohoanpasteur Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew
I'm not sure what it is about Edmonton but there's a lot of good pho here. It's better here than in most other cities in Canada (and I have tested this theory quite extensively). I have tried the best and most popular pho restaurants in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal... And my favourite bowl remains right here in Edmonton. The bar is high and so are my standards. Most people in Edmonton have "their place" for pho, as do I, and one of the spots that I tend to hear quite a lot about is Pho Hoan Pasteur. They've been around since 2005 and now have five locations in the Edmonton area (and four in Calgary). Lots of people adore this place; VUE Weekly named them #1 Best Vietnamese 2018 and #1 Best Bargain 2018. Avenue Magazine awarded them Best Multi-Location Restaurant 2019. For many people in Edmonton, Pho Hoan Pasteur is their place for pho. By now you know that I'm a sucker for the OGs, so I visited the original Prince Rupert location for my first visit. North of the core in a strip mall, this is kinda exactly the type of location where I like to feast on pho. They've got yellow signage with red lettering and they refer to themselves as a "fusion noodle house." Upon entering the restaurant I was met immediately by the delicious aromas of steeping broth, which I felt was a very good sign for my near future. The dining room is larger than you'd expect and quite simple in decor. The colours are muted and everything is clean and straight forward. Each table is adorned with the usual accoutrements; sauces and seasonings to enhance your experience. Seated in a booth, we were delivered a complimentary pot of tea, a typical practice. Our server was quiet and efficient, bringing our food in no time at all.
The warm tea tasted like a green genmaicha type to me, and I greatly enjoyed sipping on it throughout the meal. If anything, I noticed that the teapot was too clean! (Which in fact, I did appreciate. It was a nice departure.) They also serve Vietnamese coffees, several types of blended drinks, and even bubble tea, however I was happy to stay with my nice little tea situation. The menu is fairly extensive and it starts with an appetizer section. We probably should have gone with something extra classic like the spring rolls or very Edmontonian like the onion cakes. But instead ordered the Gỏi Cuốn ($6.25).
A seemingly safe choice in its own right. The rolls appeared pretty standard and I liked the looks of the peanutty sate dipping sauce on the side. I grabbed a roll and took a bite and was sadly underwhelmed. My roll barely had any flavour and was filled with tasteless lettuce and rice noodles (two of the plainest things that you can think of) and nothing more. The roll did contain two shrimp. Thankfully the shrimp were alright. But the worst part was the rice paper wrapping, which had hardened quite a lot in some spots. I'm not sure if this meant that they weren't fresh but biting into something hard and difficult to chew is not what you want with a salad roll. The flavourful sauce couldn't save it. I was really hoping that the pho itself would redeem everything! I mean, that's what they're famous for. In addition to pho, Pho Hoan Pasteur has a large section of vermicelli bowls on the menu and many of them sound very good. But the beef noodle soup is what they're known for and that's what I was planning to eat. I was thrilled to find my favourite type; Phở Tái Chín ($14.00 for small).
Garnished with white onions, scallions, cilantro and parsley, their pho is also served with a side plate of beansprouts, basil and lemon. There are three sizes of pho available; small, large and extra large. I normally find the small size to be plenty because it's also pretty large! The colours in the bowl looked beautiful and the deep broth tantalized me. Armed with chopsticks in one hand and a spoon in the other, I was ready to do some serious pho-king damage. My first issue was with the side plate of garnishes. I used a bit of everything provided, however I noted that there was no sawtooth coriander and no chili peppers. These are both normally offered at some of the best pho restaurants. After tasting the broth (always taste first before seasoning!) I added a bit of hoisin sauce and hot sauce to my preference level. These were both readily available on our table. I liked this pho! The meat was all very tender and served pink, continuing to cook in the hot soup. I liked that none of it was too fatty and the slices seemed to be of good quality. The noodles were nice and loose, not stuck together in a big ball. And the vegetables were fresh and crisp. But of course the most important component of pho is the broth. I look for a deep, serious depth of flavour and this one did not disappoint! I liked the robust flavour profile a lot, and it certainly wasn't thin and watered down like in some places. Many spices go into a pho broth and most restaurants have their own special recipes. At Pho Hoan Pasteur I noticed that the flavour of clove is more pronounced in their broth, which is quite unique and gives them a signature flavour that sets them apart from the rest. Unfortunately, I found a fly in my pho right when I was nearly finished. It was one of those small ones, kind of like a fruit fly. I didn't bother to mention it and I kept eating anyway, but it definitely put a damper on my experience. My son ordered from the kids menu and his meal was supposed to come with a soft drink... Which was never brought to us. I wanted to enjoy Pho Hoan Pasteur a lot because so many people seem to like it. However, I couldn't help but notice that the issues during my visit kept piling up. The pho itself was pretty good but I'm not sure that I would return given the rest of my sub-par visit. My favourite pho restaurant of all-time will remain King Noodle House because they serve the best bowl of pho in all of Canada in my opinion.
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