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overrated

Rated this place:

I agree with John, I was there when we went together and the curry was not flavourful. The Banh Xeo was not crispy and I was not impressed with the flavors. Truthfully I was not impressed!

#1 in Toronto? Very debatable

Rated this place:

"I ordered #93 Grilled Chicken with Pineapple Vermicelli ($7.25). The noodles themselves were firm and distinct in texture. The chicken was strongly marinated with vinegar and soy, quite salty on its own, but a perfect match for the sweet and unassertive nuoc cham. The garnish was composed of cucumber, pickled carrot and daikon, all perfectly sliced into ribbons, as well as crushed peanuts, bean sprouts and shredded lettuce. The flavors were vibrant and true and I found myself using a spoon to scoop the last bits of goodness out to the bottom of my bowl. The only small disappointment was that the pineapple was canned rather than fresh, but that is true pretty much across the board in restaurants at this price point."Read the whole review in our blog. http://www.pho411.ca/blog/rua-vang-aka-golden-turtle-toronto/

nice

Rated this place:

i like beef

Susur-Sighting

Rated this place:

Recently, while out with a foodie friend, we started talking about how whenever someone in Toronto wants to stress that a place is good, they usually mention that Susur Lee eats there.

My boyfriend saw Susur Lee eat here. After that point, it became our go-to pho place - as, we were sure he knew his stuff when it came to food.

Overrated.

Rated this place:

rua vang is ok. location is convenient for ossington goers, but the pho isn't quite as tasty as pho pasteur, or even some of the places up on college/dundas west of duff. i took my mom here. she ordered banh xeo, and a basic viet curry. the curry was runny, and the banh xeo wasn't as crispy as it should be... overall, i'd rather walk the extra 20 minutes north west to get better dishes. i think the susur business is giving them a bit more credit than deserved. just ok.

it takes a village

Rated this place:

We had dinner at the Golden Turtle on Sunday night with both of our two kids and a friend and both of her kids. My son frequently requests dinner at the Turtle. He really likes their steamed white rice. We showed up at 5:30 assuming that it would be reasonably uncrowded but the place was packed with grown-ups sans kids. The Turtle's incredibly wonderful staff (I think the Turtle is probably family run so staff maybe isn't the right word) found us a table and helped us settle in. My 4 year old and his 3 year old friend made a bee line for the fish tank and spent some time squealing into the ear of the poor woman sitting at the adjacent table. For some reason we didn't notice that they were being annoying. We may have been too busy drinking beer. The Turtle staff did and they ushered our kids back to the table. I mega heart the Turtle for this. They have a way of chastising your kids that makes you feel grateful rather than miffed. It's like we're a team trying to make it through together. They also seem genuinely okay with the amount of rice my kids leave on the floor. Which is significant. Also the Pho is really good.

ET Pho Home

Rated this place:

If you've never had a bowl of Pho you don't know what you're missing. The Pho at the Golden Turtle though sets the standard for great pho in this city. It all comes down to the broth. Last time I was there I asked the owner how exactly he makes it so perfect. First his eyes lit up giving away the passion he has for his perfect noodly soups, then he launched into an explanation of what parts of the meats he uses (beef and chicken together), how much per daily batch (50 Kg of meat) and how long (at least three hours, until the marrow starts coming out of the bones). I'm throwing this into the healthy category because after much study I know the power of a good broth. The bones of animals contain super nutritious substances & minerals and simmering them in a pot brings these all out into the broth. Don't ignore the South American proverb "Good broth resurrects the dead." All the other aspects of this pho are pretty much perfect too, properly cooked rice noodles, big heaps of fresh bean sprouts and that basil-mint herb, and the finest thin slices of super tender beef. Don't miss the spring rolls and fresh rolls, perfect combos of texture and flavour.

• Favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Pho
• Homemade Broth
• Pork Spring Rolls

Pho

Rated this place:

The broth is crazy delicious, they're fast and friendly. Best Pho in the city, at least in my opinion.

• Favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Pho

Vietnamese restaurant

Rated this place:

They have the best vermicelli (Bun) laden with veggies, fresh sprouts, and a hearty portion of proteins. Also the freshest mango shake with a special ingredient that makes it worth waiting for.

• Favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Vietnamese restaurant