Ah, what a crazy m%&*king month! After a particularly hairy week, Office Dad and his boss Choo Choo Train (CCT) took me out for lunch. As it was snowing, CCT didn’t want to walk. He wanted to go to his favourite Vietnamese restaurant, Van Son Vietnamese Cuisine. For this post, let’s listen to something completely random and silly.
The restaurant was busy, packed with regulars. Some customers looked like they had a long night. I recognize the signs – slumped shoulders, tired eyes and a hoody pulled over their head. I realized that this place must be good spot to get over a hangover or a botched B&E.
The portions are big and cheap. I copied CCT and ordered half the amount of noodles. Even with the decreased size, the regular portion of sate pho ($9.99) was huge. Office Dad ordered a large bowl of sate pho with peanuts ($10.99) and the bowl was so big, he only ate half. What a waster taster!
The broth was light, only a little spicy. I didn’t get dry mouth or thirsty after lunch, so I’m guessing MSG here is either non-existent or kept at a minimal. The soup was served hot. The beef was plentiful but not super flavourful on its own and a tad tough. I liked that Van Son didn’t cheap out on the basil and sprouts.
I’d come here again. I’d like to try some of their other dishes, like the vermicelli and spring rolls. Hitting the Sauce gives one and a half fat thumbs up.
