The Pho Files: Steak and Brisket Pho at Pagolac

Steak and Brisket Pho, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

It may be the first weekend of March, but we have fallen into a deep freeze. Prior to an event Friday evening I headed to Pagolac for a soothing bowl of pho. I opted for a regular sized medium steak and brisket. I am glad I did not order a large as I was not very hungry and this was the most packed "regular" sized serving of pho I have ever had. The bowl was full of noodles and meat, and the broth was hot and superb. A side order of vegetarian spring rolls (called egg rolls on the menu) added some flavourful crunch on the side.

Breakfast For Lunch: Building an Omelette at Smitty's

Omelette with Turkey Bacon and Mushrooms, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Smitty's has a new customizable omelette menu, where you can pick several meat and vegetable fillings with cheese. I went for the most basic variety (one item plus cheese) and had turkey bacon with sauteed mushrooms (instead of cheese).

The omelette was quite substantial, with a lot of turkey bacon running throughout it, and a decent amount of mushrooms too. Cubed hash browns and two slices of toast rounded out the meal.

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.

The Pho Files: Tofu Noodle Soup at Nhon Hoa

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

I usually have a banh mi (Vietnamese sub sandwich) at Nhon Hoa (10154 82 Avenue) but for lunch on a busy Saturday I decided to try one of the noodle soups - tofu noodle soup, to be exact.

The price of the bowl was about the same as any pho place, and comparable in portion size. There were a lot of vegetables, noodles, and two kinds of tofu: plain and peppered. The broth was flavourful but a bit heavy on the garlic. It was definitely a satisfying bowl of vegan pho, while a bit on the spicy side (the peppered tofu will really get you!).