One of the best authentic Vietnamese restaurant in Montreal ! With very nice decoration and good services. The owner and staff are polite, prompt, and knowledgeable.
The name Huong Xua means 'Aroma of Yesteryears', and indeed, this charming restaurant does bring back the cullinary scents, taste, and texture of Vietnamese dishes like they were in the old days.
I visited Huong Xua in April with a few friends and we all agreed the dishes are just as they were back in Vietnam. We ordered the popular family dishes Cá Kho Tô (Basa fish stewed in fish sauce), Canh Chua (Basa fish in Tamarind soup), and Cm Tay Cm (Crispy rice, baked in a clay pot, with shrimp). The dishes were served perfectly hot. The portions were generous. And the taste was wonderful.
The Canh Chua was like a grand symphony of aroma and taste: sweetness of broth and pineapple, tanginess of tamarind and tomato, pungency of fresh chili pepper, crunchiness of celery slices and bean sprouts, ... Not to mentioned the slimy okra slices, perfectly cooked (not too soft, not too raw), and those spongy taro-stem slices (Bc-Hà), and the fish !
The Cm Tay Cm has the perfect texture: rice surface is golden brown, very crispy. On top were fresh shrimp, diced onion, bamboo shoot, mushroom, green and red sweet pepper, all sautéd to perfection.
I came back last week for a take-out of Fish in Tamarind Soup, and the Crispy Rice. They were properly packed so that re-heating can be done without loosing the taste or texture. And yes, they were as good as in yesteryears !!!
Any questions or recommendations, please email me at perry@FloraExotica.ca .
Bon appetit !