Veggie Pho - Longan

Veggie Pho, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Longan is a gem of a Vietnamese restaurant at 10582 100 street. Because of its location down what is effectively a sidestreet, it is also often overlooked.

Well, if you enjoy excellent Vietnamese food like pho and vermicelli noodle bowls, head here for excellent food, prices, and service (a friend of mien and I call the restaurant "The Smiling Lady" because the owner/cook is always at the front fo greet us with a big smile on her face).

Another exciting aspect of Longan is the extensive list of vegetarian choices on their menu. As far as I have been able to tell, this is one of the only placed in Edmonton to get a vegetarian bowl of pho. And by "vegetarian," I don't mean it's just broth (which is often beef-based anyways) and noodles without the meat - the whole meal is vegetarian.

Lots of vegetables and fried tofu is used in place of meat. The vegetable broth is still seasoned with the same aromatics as the meat version, but is admittedly not as rich in flavour. It also doesn't leave a greasy residue on your lips either. This is a hot and satisfying bowl of soup even for diehard pho lovers like myself. It's pho without the fat, but all the flavour.