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| - It was a warm night in late spring and 5 of us wanted to find a nice patio to enjoy. Not being from Leslieville, we thought that it would be a nice change of scenery, so a quick look on Yelp resulted in this joint getting the nod.
It was nice to see a place that takes reservations for the patio, but it ended up being rather unnecessary at 8:30pm considering the lack of clientelle. The patio is small, seating only 16 or so, but it's in a nice garden enclave at the back of the store. Funny thing is that you have to pass right through the kitchen to get to it.
Two in our crew were late so we started off with some hot sake and Saigon beer coupled with spring rolls and crispy shrimp rolls. The quality was above average, but the bar selection was definitely weak. Gekkeikan was the only sake carried, whether served hot or cold, and the beer selection was small. This place could definitely do well with a more stocked bar.
Meal time wasn't challenging as most Asian restaurants tend to be. There are only a few dozen choices, not hundreds. Of course, Pho was on the menu, so I decided to try the well-done beef Pho while others tried a variety of chicken, shrimp, and beef dishes.
Overall, the level of satisfaction was middle of the road, with nothing spectacular to report. The Pho had a well spiced broth but rather bland noodles and subpar cuts of beef. I was expecting more from this dish and was let down.
The service by the pretty lady was great and the pricing was excellent for what we were given (the beers were $4, 2 spring rolls were $3, $25 / person including tax and tip in the end). A great night was had by all until the bugs began to have their dinner (us) after 10pm.
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