The Viet Noodle Guy: Modern Take on Classic Vietnamese

Everyone has their own favourite spot for pho. In the past, this usually meant some hole-in-the-wall noodle joint that’s seen better days. The Viet Noodle Guy kicks that trend and seems to be doing quite well at it.

The interior of this Vietnamese restaurant is very bright and airy owing to the large windows that fronts onto Rosser Avenue and the high ceilings. My first encounter with this restaurant was actually for take-out as we noticed the restaurant while we were dining across the street. Intrigued, we decided to get some Chicken Wings ($6.50) with a lemon pepper sauce to-go. The chicken wings were okay but nothing very memorable besides the coating being a bit too thick for my liking.

I came back in early December to try their pho and stuck with a classic… the Pho Dac Biet or Viet Noodle Special ($10.45 for a small bowl). There was nothing small about this bowl, however, as it had plenty of meat and noodles. Specifically, thin slices of rare beef (perfect for dunking into the piping hot broth), beef brisket, beef balls, tripe, tender chunks of tendon, onions, green onions, cilantro, and the requisite basil, bean sprouts, lime, and jalepeño slices. The bowl also contained an ample amount of thin, flat, rice noodles which was filling for a small bowl.

A week later, my sweetie and I returned during the weekend for lunch and were lucky to grab a table given how busy they get. The Bun Dac Biet or Special Vermicelli Bowl ($12.95) is a pork lover’s dream with lemongrass, grilled pork, pork patty, and shredded pork combined with the crispy spring roll.

I picked the Com Bo Luc Lac or Shaken Beef Cubes with Rice ($14.95). Served with a fried egg, this is a complete meal which will really satisfy your hunger. Unlike the famous Beef Luc Lac at Phnom Penh, the shaken beef here is served in cubes but is just a tender.

While they have a separate area upstairs dedicated to banh mi (Vietnamese subs), you can order them in the restaurant. We picked the Banh Mi Dac Biet ($6.25). They do make a very good version here with a nice crusty bun. This one comes with ham, pork roll, fried pork roll, Vietnamese ham, pate and accompanied with the requisite pickled veggies, cilantro, hot peppers, cucumber, soy sauce, and mayo.

On a return visit, I decided to try their Bun Bo Hue ($11.55 for large) which comes with thick, round, slippery rice noodles, beef slices, chicken balls, ham, onions, and green onions in a piping hot broth that has a nice spice level.

Located diagonally across from a large cherry blossom garden, I’m sure this would make a great spot for cherry blossom viewing during the spring. It gets super busy here during the lunch hour but food comes out pretty quick.

1902 Rosser Ave
Burnaby, BC

www.thevietnoodleguy.ca