The Best Pho in Toronto
Pho Tien Thanh (ranked #2)
Location: 57 Ossington Avenue
Atmosphere: Small, busy and very pink
According to blogTO, the two best places for pho—the quintessential Vietnamese soup—are about a block and a half away from each other on a strip of Ossington between Dundas and Queen. Nowadays, this location seems like an odd setting for the two best pho places in the city, but before the specialty shops and skinny jeans, Ossington had a large Vietnamese population nestled amongst the older Portuguese community that had immigrated here around mid-century. Rising rents, high crime, and the economic downturn drove away many in this neighbourhood and shuttered businesses along the Ossington strip in the mid-2000s, leading to its current gentrification, but despite these setbacks Golden Turtle and Pho Tien Thanh have managed to flourish.
I was planning on going to Golden Turtle, but upon arrival a sign on the door informed me that the restaurant was closed for the holidays. I was happy with this minor setback. After doing some internet reading, I was having a hard time deciding which one of the top two places I should review. Diners of both restaurants are very adamant that theirs is the one with the better pho, and although blogTO ranked Golden Turtle as best, Yelp reviewers seem to lean towards Pho Tien Thanh, which customers describe as more “authentic.” Both restaurants are supposedly frequented by well-known Toronto chef Susur Lee, and the friendly competition between the two eateries has been featured in the Toronto Star.
I am no pho expert—I have yet to make it myself, which is terrible considering I am a trained chef—but I have eaten a lot of it, and it’s always held a special place in my heart since I first tried it about a dozen years ago. I had a friend who spent some time travelling in Vietnam, and when he came back he took me out for pho and tried to teach me how to properly pronounce it (it’s more like “fuh” but I am still guilty of calling it “faux” half the time). I immediately fell in love, and upon reflection, it’s easy to see why. It’s customizable, so one can individualize their meal at the table, it’s nourishing, filling, and very cheap. And as far as I’m concerned, there is nothing that cures a hangover better than a couple Advil and a giant bowl of pho.
I don’t think I’ve had a bad bowl of pho, so when I saw the lineup in front of Pho Tien Thanh on a Friday afternoon I was annoyed. Waiting in line for pho, when there are endless places in Toronto that serve a perfectly fine version of the dish, feels silly, and this is probably my only hesitation in fully recommending a meal here. The restaurant itself is tiny, so even though the long line on this wintry work day must have had something to do with the closure of Golden Turtle, I suspect that line-ups are fairly common.
Upon entering, it would be hard to ignore the giant block letters on the wall that spell out “I LOVE PHO FOREVER” placed between a clock and a gold-framed copy of the ubiquitous “don’t drink while pregnant” signage required by Ontario law (which I now know is called the “Sandy’s Law Warning Sign”). The decorations, plastic plants and bright pink walls make for very kitschy decor, but the way the restaurant bustles visitors in and out you are more likely to be focused on trying to finish the giant bowl of soup in front of you than admiring the surroundings.
We ordered deep-fried spring rolls to start, and oh my, these were the greasiest, most delicious spring rolls I have ever had in my life. The filling didn’t have the typical cabbage and carrot found in most spring rolls, but were instead much skinnier (and longer) and filled only with pork, served with a standard sweet and sour fish sauce. Although I am only reviewing this place on the pho, I can’t stress enough how delicious these were, and even more than the pho these rolls made me want to go back to Pho Tien Thanh to try their other Vietnamese dishes.
I ordered the pho with rare beef and beef brisket, while my partner got the house special which also came with beef tendon and tripe (an organ meat from the stomach of a cow). I don’t mind well-cooked tendon but as someone who can handle most offal, I have a slight aversion to tripe, not because of its taste (very mild) but its texture, which can best be described as spongy. Pho is certainly not for the meat-adverse, but do note that the menu contains a separate vegetarian section which contains, among other things, a tofu and vegetable based pho.
This was excellent pho. It’s hard to say it is the best—more than other foods, I think I would need different bowls in front of me to taste at the same time to determine this—but it was a notch above Pho Hung (number seven on the list, and where I ate most of my university pho) and the restaurant I frequent now (Pho King Fabulous, which isn’t great but would be number one in a ranking of best pho restaurant names). The portions of meat are generous, and we both really liked the addition of thinly sliced white onion which added a pleasant sharpness to the broth.
And the broth at Pho Tien Thanh is wonderful: rich, but not too greasy or salty. I could definitely taste the star anise, which often is not prominent enough to add the nice level of complexity that this broth had. The traditional pho garnishes—Thai basil, culantro, lime wedges, and bean sprouts—were crisp and fresh. I really enjoyed the fact they served the pho with the harder-to-find herb culantro, instead of its more popular cousin cilantro. Culantro is described as tasting like a stronger version of cilantro, but in my opinion it is less soapy, and it is perfect for the soup since the thick, serrated leaves do not wilt as fast.
The pho at Pho Tien Thanh will set you back about a dollar or two more than the standard pho restaurants, and with line-ups out the door I can’t say I blame them for the price hike. Even with the popularity surcharge, a medium sized bowl of pho, for nine dollars, is solid value. If you find yourself in the area and the wait seems tolerable, I highly recommend stopping by this little Vietnamese gem or its number one ranked neighbour Golden Turtle. Even though I didn’t eat there, if it is in solid competition with Pho Tien Thanh it must be pretty darn good too.
Cost (for half an appetizer and a bowl of pho): $11.50 + tax + tip
Service/Atmosphere: 3/5 Dean Sossins
Value: 4/5 Dean Sossins
Food: 5/5 Dean Sossins
Overall: 4/5 Dean Sossins