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| - All Vietnamese restaurants serve pho of course, but not many also do bánh cuon (Vietnamese steamed rice rolls). My sister complains that the bánh cuon served around little East Chinatown are disappointing shit. In the search for a local restaurant that can live up to what we were used to at home, the mechanical fairies of Yelp suggested this place as one with promising potential. After all, it's in its business name.
Among the small Viet enclave along St. Clair, Banh Cuon Pho Ga is one of a handful of restaurants packed with old neighbourhood faces hanging out for a weekend meal and chat here. So typically dingy, unassuming and basic hole-in-the-wall-looking for a typical Viet diner (like so many others on the block), and empty tables seemed to have missed the attention of a complete post-meal wipedown. It seems also that you get more service attention the closer you sit to the open kitchen, because I had to haul my own ass to hand over our order sheet or to pay. They do get a lot of takeout orders though.
But in terms of food, they keep it simple--a short menu compared to most other Vietnamese places that give you a gazillion ways of serving pho. And damn cheap too. All pho $6, and them banh cuon start at $4--four!--for the most basic kind with ground pork.
The rolls come in sets of four, which is enough to be filling or be like a large appetizer. It's decent but I find the skin to be rather thick and bland. The shrimp cupcake though were delicious--a good mix of soft and crispy.
Can't speak about anything else they make here. Though for me to haul ass this far for pho is a big stretch. Keep this place in mind should one ever be this far in St. Clair West. And yes, cash only.
{TTC: 512 to the Silverthorn/Hounslow Heath stop. I guess you could also get here using the West Toronto Railpath all the way and keep going all the way on Osler St until you are facing it on approach.}
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