The Pho Files: Vietnamese Beef Stew

Vietnamese Beef Stew, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

As the sun began to hide and the wind and snow started to kick up, taking a co-worker for pho seemed like a great idea. We went to the Pho Hoa located on 97 Street and 106 Avenue.

I went for the beef stew with noodles, my first time trying it here. Even though it was a small portion, there was a lot of beef, and the carrots were cooked to perfection. The broth, while different in colour than I have had elsewhere (usually it is more orange), was very aromatic with spices and seasonings. A great mid-afternoon pick-me-up.

The Pho Files: Special Beef Soup at Doan's

After a rally on a cold afternoon I was craving a bowl of warm pho. The downtown location of Doan's was the nearest Vietnamese restaurant, so I headed there.

I got started with a green onion cake. The shape was rather unusual: it was not round, but straight and cut into pieces. It tasted as good as an onion cake should, which is the important thing.

The choices for pho is not as extensive as in other restaurants, and the only option for a plain beef pho was the Special Beef soup with beef balls, medium sliced beef, well done sliced beef, and brisket. I am not a huge fan of Vietnamese beef balls as I find the texture to be too chewy, but these were all right. The other kinds of beef also varied in texture, and there was plenty of beef to be had. The broth was wonderful, very fragrant and rich. I would definitely have this again, maybe without the beef balls.

Chicken Noodle Soup at Wild Earth

Chicken Noodle Soup, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Chicken noodle soup is an excellent comfort food after being outside on a chilly day. The version I had today at the Laurier location of Wild Earth was hearty and full of chunks of chicken, colourful rotini, vegetables, and seasonings. It was definitely not a traditional chicken noodle soup.

Breakfast for Lunch: De Dutch

Eggs with Smoked Salmon, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I finally made it to De Dutch for lunch today. The huge menu includes an entire pages of options for pannekoek, a large pancake with various toppings. However, I opted for one of the simpler two-egg breakfasts, in this case eggs over easy with smoked salmon, toast, hash browns, and fruit. The portion size was excellent, and the quality of the smoked salmon was especially good. My eggs were done to perfection, and the bread was also excellent. I found the hash browns a little small to collect easily with my fork, but this is a minor point. Paired with a mimosa, this was a lovely brunch.