Bun Cha Ca Hoang Yen: Special Fish Cake and Vermicelli in Soup

It seems like I’ve been waiting pho-ever to try this place out… Okay, go ahead and groan… that was a bad pun. As their name implies, this Vietnamese restaurant is well known for their specialty pho… a fish cake noodle soup (bún chả cá).

The interior of this place is fairly typical of most Vietnamese restaurants but I doubt that people come here for the atmosphere. When you open the menu (which only lists the name Hoang Yen on the cover), the thing that you want to find is the Bun Cha Ca Dac Biet ($11.95 for a small) aka the Special Fish Cake and Vermicelli in Soup. Seriously, this is one good pho! The broth is quite light but still aromatic and flavourful from the use of fresh herbs. The smooth and tender rice vermicelli noodles are the best that I’ve ever had.

With your order, you can also do add-ons such as the Salad Roll ($3.25 add-on). It’s a bit typical but I do appreciate how nicely packed the salad roll was (nothing worse than a salad roll that just falls apart when you pick it up).

I also ordered the Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings ($11.50) which turned out nicely as well. It’s kind of similar to Phnom Penh wings and comes with a lemony-peppery dipping sauce.

Overall, the food was quite good here and you can tell by how busy it gets at times. Best tips are to avoid the peak rush period and make sure you have some cash on you because it’s cash only here.

5083 Victoria Dr
Vancouver, BC