Sunday, January 1, 2012

The Pho Files - King Noodle

Pho Tai (Steak) by raise my voice
Pho Tai (Steak), a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

King Noodle House/Pho Hoang (10613 - 97 Street) is one of the busiest Vietnamese restaurants in Chinatown. Pho is what the place sells for the most part, with a few vermicelli dishes and appetizers. It is family owned and operated (Hoang is, in fact, the family name), prices are in line with what pho goes for in Chinatown, and the place has a greasy spoon feel to it, Vietnamese style.

My small bowl of Pho Tai (medium steak) was large and hearty. I find the meat King Noodle uses is very soft and tender. The broth is flavourful and slightly more oily than I have had elsewhere, with a strong scent that can linger on the lips afterwards. I think this is perhaps from a little extra fish sauce, which is a typical ingredient of pho broth.

What makes King Noodle's pho stand out even more from the rest is the noodles themselves. They are firm and stay that way, even after they are in little pieces floating at the bottom of the bowl. They never get soggy. It's a great texture that keeps me slurping all the way to the end - and I very rarely consume all of the liquid in a serving, except here.

King Noodle is a pho joint that lives up to its name.

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