So being very critical with my pho experiences, I've decided to finally write review for Xe Lua Vietnamese Restaurant. They are a small restaurant chain with around 3 locations in Toronto. One in Vaughan, Chinatown and now North York. The north york location replaced the awful Top Saigon but in my opinion made no difference in the quality of the pho.
The atmosphere is clean, modern and comfortable. The service is quick but not too friendly as most of them are run by mainlanders with rude attitude. What comes with quick service is poor food quality. The portions are fair but should be more careful with how they cook the food. You'll find that their noodle soups, or pho in the case, are fatty and greasy. You can tell that they take the rice noodles right out of the packaging, place it in a ladle, cook it in a water boiler and dump it directly into the bowl. They don't bother hanging the ladle for a few mins to drain the water and oil. (Seen with my own eyes). So what you're left with is fatty pho and a bit of regret after eating it. As an experienced chef, this is not acceptable and makes me sick to my stomach... literally.
The great thing about Xe Lua and the reason why I gave 2 out of 5 is they tend to open pretty late to accommodate the bar and club goers. So if you're out late and need something to relieve your alcoholism then this is best place to go. Just be cautious of the s.w.a.t. team... get it? if not then watch this - https://youtu.be/1XoT6VQE0q8