White Lotus Cafe: Busy Hidden Gem

Okay, if you’ve been reading my blog for a while now, you probably know that I’m not really inclined to wait in long lines for restaurants. I usually pre-plan and look up when places are busy to avoid those hours. Unfortunately, Google’s not always that accurate (I probably shouldn’t say that out loud… I can hear the black helicopters hovering nearby as I type this).

Co Chau Vietnamese Restaurant: Modern Vietnamese Dishes

It used to be that you couldn’t find a good Vietnamese place in New Westminster but this seems to have changed. Recently, I noticed a new Vietnamese restaurant take up in the former digs of Pho Chung Nam (not sure if it’s different owners but I know that a new Pho Nam opened up in a different part of New West earlier this year).

Kim Anh: Return of Kim Anh on Edmonds

In early September, I noticed that Kim Anh had recently reopened on Edmonds Street in Burnaby. I found this to be a bit odd because I distinctly remember eating at this same restaurant in this same location a number of years ago. As it turns out, the owners of Kim Anh had subleased the location for a couple of years (to Aria Kabab) and had recently decided to reopen.

Pho Nam: Comforting Vietnamese Food

Earlier this year, I noticed a new Vietnamese place open up on the corner of 8th Ave and 12th Street in New Westminster called Pho Nam. The interior is quite spacious and there’s plenty of light coming in the windows.

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).

Little Minh’s (Formerly Most Valuable Pho): Vietnamese Food in Burnaby

In early April, we noticed that a new Vietnamese restaurant called M.V.P had opened up recently in the Market Crossing complex on Marine Drive in Burnaby. I was a bit confused by the name at first until I learned that it stood for Most Valuable Pho. As things turned out, they had to change their name at the request of their landlord (because there are other competing tenants that also serve pho)… hence their new name… “Little Minh’s”.

Gold Train II Express: Unabashed Viet Food but Iffy Service

Gold Train II Express is one of the no-nonsense eateries located in the Market Crossing area of Burnaby serving up hearty Vietnamese cuisine. As typical with many Vietnamese eateries, everything is very utilitarian here… meant to get people in and out as quickly as possible.

Dundas Eat and Drink: East Van Fusion

For the better part of my childhood, I grew up in East Van… specifically, in the area close to the PNE. Back in the day, it was hardly the place known for being able to find restaurants of any kind. However, over the last few years, a new bunch of eateries have popped up around the northeast corner of Vancouver.

Pho Capital: Pho in Coquitlam

After running out of places in the South Burnaby and New Westminster area to eat, I’ve been gradually expanding my range to areas around the Burnaby/Coquitlam border. This area is primarily known for having lots of Korean restaurants but I wasn’t really in the mood for Korean so I stopped by Pho Capital.

Pho Japolo: Vietnamese and Japanese Food in Burnaby

Pho Japolo is located on the Burnaby side of North Road, just off of Cameron Street. While I’ve had this place on my list for quite some time, I really didn’t plan on visiting the day that I did… it just turned out that my first choice was too busy so I wound up turning into this parking lot and saw the sign for Pho Japolo.

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.

Broken Rice: Bánh Khọt

It’s been a while since we last visited Broken Rice in North Burnaby. This Vietnamese restaurant located on Hastings Street has always been a spot where we knew we would get a good quality meal. Unlike most Vietnamese restaurants which seem to be hole-in-the-wall joints, Broken Rice seems to be of slightly higher ambiance with beautiful blue and white dishware.