A taste of Vietnam: Toronto's best pho restaurants
You don’t have to travel far to try authentic pho – it’s available right here in your backyard. This delicious Vietnamese soup has reached new heights of popularity, and foodies aren’t the only ones taking notice. The dish is affordable and accessible to all tastes. Adventurous diners eager to please their culinary palates can enjoy a taste of Vietnam right here in Toronto.
Golden Turtle Inc
125 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON M6J 2Z2Nestled on a quiet, downtown street corner is this Vietnamese treasure. As their name may suggest, the Golden Turtle’s fine Vietnamese cuisine is worth its weight in gold; the menu includes an impressive variety of traditional Vietnamese favourites, including a large pho selection. Most of their pho dishes come with rare beef, but they also offer chicken and tofu varieties. Available in three sizes - small ($7.50 or $7.75), large ($8.50 or $9.00) and extra large ($10) - the pho is affordable and filling. The restaurant’s traditional Vietnamese murals add to the authentic atmosphere.
The Captain's Boil York Mills
10A-865 York Mills Rd, North York, ON M3B 1Y6Wonderpho will have you wondering why you didn’t visit them sooner. This classy, modern Vietnamese restaurant is a gem in North York. Since 2011, Wonderpho has offered customers a small, basic menu focused on quality and fresh ingredients. They specialize in pho, rice and vermicelli bowls, plus banh mi sandwiches. Most of their food is made from scratch daily by in-house chefs, including their six signature broths. They offer different pho dishes with beef, chicken or vegetables, in spicy or vegetarian varieties. Takeout and delivery are available.
Home Of Hot Taste
658A Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6G 1K9Pho Rex may sound only vaguely Vietnamese, but their menu offers Vietnamese classics including an authentic take on pho. Located in Koreatown in The Annex, the restaurant offers a mix of South Asian and Thai dishes. Their pho selection features several traditional beef varieties plus chicken and veggie versions. The well-sized portions are available for takeout, and they sell lunch and dinner combos daily.
Pho Pasteur Restaurant
525 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M5T 1H4Night owls will rejoice to discover this Vietnamese eatery in Chinatown is open 24/7. You need never let a late-night craving for authentic Vietnamese cuisine go unsatisfied again. Order takeout or take a seat in their small dining area. Pho Pasteur is nothing special to look at but that’s not why regular customers come by – they’re here to enjoy the food. Pho is the main event, offered in three savoury varieties (beef, chicken or vegetarian) and in three sizes (small, medium and large).
Pho Hung Restaurant
350 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2G4Pho Hung’s name couldn’t be more authentic, and the same goes for their cuisine. For those who want a real taste of Vietnamese food, especially pho, this family-owned restaurant in Chinatown delivers the goods. Nguyễn Đắc Thòi and his family arrived in Canada in 1980, bringing their love of native dishes and a cooking tradition spanning generations. The pho menu is extensive, offering customers a variety of flavour combinations, including meatless. The restaurant is spacious yet cozy and well-decorated.
Hanoi 3
1135 Queen E, Toronto, ON M4M 1K9Leslieville natives are lucky to have one of the city’s best pho restaurants in their backyard. Hai Luke Tran left his prestigious job as a money manager on Bay Street to follow his dream — which has turned into a giant success. His North Vietnamese-style restaurant has won acclaim in critical reviews and is usually packed with satisfied customers. The slightly upscale eatery has an amazing pho selection focused on quality, and with tender beef, chicken and vegetarian tofu, there’s a pho for everyone. The quaint restaurant offers takeout and serves alcohol.
Pho Linh Restaurant
1156 College St, Toronto, ON M6H 1B6Ignore Pho Linh’s modest exterior and basic, no-frills dining room and instead focus on the food. It’s magazine-quality, overflowing with colourful, authentic ingredients. Each dish exudes an intense, mouth-watering aroma. Their famous pho is available in 10 tasty varieties, each seasoned with authentic Vietnamese spices and ingredients. Never watery, Pho Linh’s broth has a complex flavour that’s comforting and distinctive. The pho comes in three affordable sizes: small, large and extra large. Located in Brockton Village, they also offer takeout.
Pho Huong
394 Pacific Ave, Toronto, ON M6P 2R1Pho Huong’s Junction location is beautifully decorated with stylish, sleek wooden tables and modern silverware. They’re a dine-in restaurant that encourages you to sit and enjoy your meal, but also offers takeout. A small outdoor patio is open, weather-permitting. They offer all the Vietnamese classics, but pho is their specialty. Overflowing with thinly sliced, tender beef strips, the broth brims with delicious spices and secret family ingredients. They also offer shrimp, chicken and vegetarian pho, inviting return trips so you can try all of them.
Pho Tien Thanh Fine Vietnamese Restaurant
57 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON M6J 2Y9The decor here is diner-like and basic — but don’t let that fool you. The food is exquisite, well-presented and appetizing. Maybe that’s why this tiny restaurant is always bustling with a hungry crowd of pho-seekers. Prepared by talented North Vietnamese chefs, the pho has three protein options: traditional beef, chicken and a modern vegetarian tofu version. Of course, the beef pho has the most flavour choices — 15 in total — all with authentic Vietnamese names. Pho Tien Thanh is licensed and offers takeout.
