Vegging Out: Tofu and Spring Roll Vermicelli Bowl at Pho Ever

Tofu and spring roll vegan vermicelli bowl. Very generous portion served with soy sauce #yeg #yegfood #yegfoodie #nofilter #vietnamesefood #vermicelli #yegeats

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Jul 28, 2018 at 9:48am PDT

Vegetarian Betel Leaf Wrap Vermicelli at An Chay

Betel leaf wrap vermicelli. #yeg #yegfood #yegeats #nofilter #plantbased #anchay

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on May 16, 2018 at 3:28pm PDT

Vegging Out: Pho and Vermicelli at An Chay

Vegan pho. #yeg #yegfood #yegeats #foodporn #vegsn #plantbased

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Apr 19, 2018 at 2:05pm PDT

Vietnamese is one of my favourite kinds of cuisine and being a non-pork and seafood eater, vegan works well for me. An Chay (11203 Jasper Avenue) is spacious, bright, and has lots of comfortable seating. The menu features spring rolls, soups, and vermicelli bowls, with the twist of everything being plant-based. Tofu and soy is mostly used for the protein. I had a vegan pho and found the flavour profile of the broth to be excellent, with lots of noodles, soft tofu, lotus root, and different kinds of mushrooms.

Vegging out with a vegan vermicelli bowl. #yegfood #plantbased #vegan #yegeats #nomnom #vietnamesefood #

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Apr 27, 2018 at 2:48pm PDT

On a subsequent visit I ordered the three-colour vermicelli. The "pork" was very flavourful, and the mint leaves added a lot of refreshment to the dish. I almost never eat all of the salad part of the bowl, but this time I did. The "fish sauce" added a little heat but was not overpowering the way I find real fish sauce to be. Also, the spring rolls are crispy and fantastic.

Chicken Vermicelli at Spring Roll Kitchen

Yesterday's pre-conference chicken vermicelli. #yegfashion

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Sep 3, 2017 at 7:06am PDT

I was in the Century Park area for a conference a couple of week ago, so went to Spring Roll Kitchen (2395 111 Street) when I got off the LRT for a quick lunch. I ordered the chicken vermicelli. The chicken was diced and did not have the deep, grilled flavour to which I am accustomed at other places. Also, some pineapple seemed to have made its way into the bowl. There was a lot of chicken though, and two large spring rolls that were sliced. It was good value, although I find the pho to be better.

Beef Vermicelli at Saigon Taste

Grilled beef vermicelli #yegfood

A photo posted by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Sep 23, 2016 at 12:33pm PDT

When I first had pho at Saigon Taste, I was underwhelmed because I found the broth to be bland. So, when I ended up there again a short while later, I went for a vermicelli bowl instead. What a difference! The meat was tender and flavourful and the portion was quite large. I added a couple of veggie spring rolls for two delicious colours in my bowl.

Beef Vernicelli at Co Do Hue

I returned to Co Do Hue (9524 163 Street) over the weekend for supper, and ordered the beef vermicelli. The size of the bowl was mighty, with two large skewers of grilled beef that was intensely tender and flavourful. I prefer for the meat to be taken off the stick first in the kitchen, but I managed. Loads of noodles and salad rounded out the bowl, which I did not finish. Yes, I did not finish. Delicious and HUGE. Total win if you like vermicelli bowls.

Grilled Chicken Vermicelli at Pho Huong

The pho at Pho Huong/Mama Pizza (10531 107 Avenue) is so wonderful that I rarely order anything else. However, before going to see a Fringe show last week in a BYOV venue downtown, I had a grilled chicken vermicelli bowl with spring rolls instead. The chicken was plentiful with a deep grilled flavour and some spicy kick. The crunch of the spring rolls (I opted for the veggie ones) added flavour and texture above the huge bed of noodles and salad. I think I will have to have a vermicelli bowl more often here!

Vegging Out: Tofu Vermicelli Bowl at Delicious Pho

I was riding my bike home on a hot weekday evening, and stopped in to Delicious Pho at the halfway stop to grab some supper. I wanted something on the lighter side, so had the vermicelli bowl with tofu. The tofu was fried and covered in a mild garlic teriyaki sauce which also permeated into the noodles below. I asked for peanut sauce instead of fish sauce, but I actually did not need it. The serving was a good size and I like how the salad part is served to the side of the bowl instead of under the noodles (where the lettuce and sprouts end up getting hot).

Chicken Vermicelli with Spring Rolls at Pho King

An event I was filming this week was right around the corner from Pho King. I ordered the chicken vermicelli with spring rolls (I asked for vegetarian). The bowl was huge - very wide and deep. Two large skewers of perfectly grilled chicken adorned the top, as did a couple of chopped up spring rolls. The noodles were plentiful as was the salad. This was definitely one of the more generous vermicelli bowls, portion-wise, and it tasted excellent.

Grilled Chicken Vermicelli at Doans

I recently had supper at the south side location of Doans and ordered the grilled chicken vermicelli. The chicken tasted very grilled indeed, albeit somewhat on the preserved side - I think it was pre-marinated. It was served on top of a bed of salad and noodles. The salad was right under the meat, which is different arrangements from other vermicelli bowls, which usually as the sprouts and lettuce on the bottom. It was a light supper, slightly more expensive than a Chinatown noodle house.

Vegging Out: Vegan Bowl at Pho Delight

I went to Pho Delight on Whyte Avenue for lunch yesterday and because it was too hot for soup, had the vegan bowl. This is one of the house specials not on the printed menu. It is a huge bowl of vermicelli noodled topped with picked carrots, cucumber, lettuce, lots of lemongrass tofu, onions, and mushrooms. This is probably the first time I have ever experienced mushrooms in a vermicelli bowl. The flavour of lemongrass permeated the tofu and the onions, which were sweet and delicious. There was a slight spicy kick, but not overpowering. Filling and really excellent. As a note, the bowl does not come with onion cakes or salad rolls - what you see in the picture is my share of some other goodies on the table.

Lemongrass Tofu Vermicelli at Doan's

I have eaten at Doan's before, but never the south side location (7909 104 Street) - until last week for a business lunch. I had a lemongrass tofu vermicelli bowl, and found the spice to be just right, the amount of tofu excellent, and the overall experience affordable and plentiful.

Grilled Beef Vermicelli at Pagolac

Grilled Beef Vermicelli, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Oh Pagolac (10566 97 Street), it has been far too long! I had a quick supper here after filming an event in the area, and had the grilled beef vermicelli with vegetarian spring rolls.

The dish was exactly as I remembered it: the beef was sliced thin, reasonably tender, and grilled to perfection. The spring rolls were crispy, and the noodles plentiful. It was a great way to end a long day.

Vegan Vermicelli

Vegan vermicelli bowl with imitation chicken, beef, shrimp, and pork spring rolls. #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

It was back to Veggie Garden Restaurant for lunch yesterday and I went all out with a vermicelli bowl including lemongrass beef, chicken, shrimp, and pork spring rolls. The flavours, while not totally authentic, were realistic enough - the textures were nearly perfect. I loved the sweet soy sauce on the side and would have liked a couple more pieces of "shrimp," but overall this was filling and wonderful to look at.

Lemongrass Tofu on Vermicelli

Lemongrass Tofu on Vermicelli, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

On Thursday, after a long day of distributing newspapers, a meal of Chinese food was requested of me. As we had business to attend to in the west end, we went to Pho Rice Pot (18485 Stony Plain Road).

Pho Rice Pot offers Vietnamese as well as Chinese cuisine, so I went for a vermicelli rice noodle bowl. The lemongrass tofu was spicy and refreshing at the same time, with lots of bold flavour.

Vegetarian Chicken Vermicelli Bowl at Ninh Kieu

Vegetarian Chicken Vermicelli Bowl, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

My main dish for lunch the other day at Ninh Kieu was the vegetarian chicken vermicelli bowl. It was every bit as satisfying as its meat counterpart.

The soy chicken substitution tasted very authentic and had the right texture. I used soy sauce on my noodles - the accompanying fish sauce was the real thing, which is important for strict vegetarians to be aware of.

Grilled Beef Vermicelli at Ho Restaurant

Grilled Beef Vermicelli, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

The last few times I have visited Ho Restaurant (corner of 97 Street and 107A Avenue) I have enjoyed the pho. This evening, I decided to try something different.

I opted for vermicelli bowl with grilled beef. The size and price of the bowl was in line with other Vietnamese restaurants in the area, at around $9. The noodles were plentiful, atop a bed of salad, and topped with lots of thinly sliced, well-done beef. The beef was a bit on the spicy side for a plain grilled beef bowl, and tasted heavily of lemongrass. It got to be a bit too much towards the end of the meal.

Also, I learned something important: although there are soy sauce containers on the tables, what is inside of them is actually fish sauce. I don't care for fish sauce, which is traditionally served with a vermicelli bowl, and opt for soy sauce and hoisin instead. So, my lesson was learned the hard way. It would have been even harder for someone with a seafood allergy.

I am probably going to stick with the pho at Ho - and suggest to the owner that the fish sauce be labelled.

Four Colour Vermicelli at Veggie Garden

Four Colour Vermicelli, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I had the four colour vermicelli noodle bowl at Veggie Garden for lunch today. IT had veggie lemongrass chicken, beef, shrimp, and spring rolls.

The lemongrass chicken packed the most flavour punch, and my co-worker who tried it agreed. The beef was plentiful, and I wish there was more shrimp. The spring rolls were crisp and off-set the rest of the dish nicely.

The carrots were not pickled, as they often are in vermicelli bowls, but were sauteed with green bell peppers with chili flakes. The heat was not overbearing, and overall this was a filling, flavourful vegetarian dish.

Grilled Chicken Vermicelli

Grilled Chicken Vermicelli, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I have been wanting to go back to Ngu Binh (15620 95 Ave.) ever since I had an excellent bowl of pho there some weeks back.

Opting to deviate from my standard bowl of pho with medium-well beef, I had the grilled chicken vermicelli. The chicken was among the most flavourful I have had in such a dish, with undertones of lemongrass and other seasonings. The portion size was excellent as well. At $10, the price was slightly higher than a Chinatown counterpart, but not by much.

Vermicelli with Beef and Spring Rolls

Vermicelli with Beef and Spring Rolls, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Today I had lunch at Pho Rice Pot, or The Rice Pad, or whatever it is called these days (18531 Stony Plain Road). I just call it one of my favourite places for Chinese and Vietnamese food in west Edmonton.

I had beef vermicelli with vegetarian spring rolls (ones with pork were also an option). The beef was thin, lean, and tender, tasting of the grill and lemongrass. The spring rolls were long and thin, and super crispy.

Although I always enjoy the pickled carrots, the rest of the salad looked a bit on the wilted side. I was full enough from the spring rolls, beef, and noodles (as well as the onion cakes I consumed as an appetizer) not to worry about that much, and simply left it behind.