Vietnamese and Cambodian


AU PETIT CAFE
Perpetually crowded, this tiny, no-nonsense, 10-table storefront turns tables quickly. There are lots of Vietnamese favourites, including a husky and aromatic star-anise-noted beef stew worthy of a Canadian lumberjack. Colonial French crossover influences show most clearly in well-made banh mi, where a generous crunch of baguette is over-filled with juicy miniature meatballs, pickled vegetables, cold cuts, hot peppers and purple basil. For $4 they’re a steal; if you’re rushing off they’re neatly wrapped in butcher’s wrap snapped with an elastic. Wash it down with a strong, sweet iced coffee, and rush back. 4851 Main St., South Main, 604-873-3328. $

BA LE FRENCH SANDWICH
Tucked away in a nondescript pan-ethnic strip mall, Ba Le French Sandwich sees a steady stream of customers in search of food-in-hand at bargain prices. A photo board helps to decipher the succinct Vietnamese menu, but newcomers needn’t look any further than the banh mi. The Vietnamese equivalent of a sub sandwich, it’s filled with pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro, the meat of your choice and served on a crusty halved baguette. Pick up two banh mi and a coconut water to wet your whistle, and you’ll still get change back from a $10 bill. 21-701 Kingsway, 604-875-6322; 121-633 Main St., Chinatown, 604-662-8108. $

DUFFIN'S DONUTS
The torta subs (all for $3.75) are the best thing going here, on fresh home-baked buns loaded with lettuce, tomato, avocado and hot peppers. Try the spicy shredded beef machaca, chorizo and egg, or the carne azada, a savoury chicken schlimazel. Now with two venues in the city to broaden the edible horizons of folks with doughnut and torta sub hankerings. One of the city’s best spots for cheap eats. 1391 E. 41st Ave., East Side, 604-325-5544; 4898 Main St., South Main, 604-879-5551. $

KIM PHUNG
It’s often standing room only at lunch hour, as Vietnamese soup aficionados flock to this tiny hole-in-the-wall for what’s considered by many to be Vancouver’s definitive bowl of pho. The rich broth is the main attraction, and $5.50 buys you a bowl packed with rice noodles and morsels of beefy goodness. Garnish to taste from your plate of fresh bean sprouts, basil, chilies, and lime. Strong Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk served over ice delivers a one-two punch, but try a jackfruit shake for something exotic. Cash only. 5764 Victoria Dr., South Vancouver, 604-327-4490. $

PHO HOANG VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT
Good pho is a life-sustaining meal that manages to combine most of the major food groups (with the exception of alcohol) in one bowl. From the encyclopedic pho list, choose the No. 15 beef bowl—pho tai nam. Long-kettled beef bones produce the mother broth—which we’ve found inconsistent, but when it’s good, it can be very good. It’s clarified (a bit of alchemy), then transferred to litre-size service bowls. Sliced rare beef and braised brisket are added over rice noodles, whole stems of basil leaves, and a dice of fresh chilies. A splash of lime juice to finish. Charbroiled chicken leg and pork chop divine; chilled Vietnamese coffee a must. 3388 Main St., South Main, 604-874-0832. $$

PHO TAN VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT
Well-executed traditional Vietnamese fare makes this family-run restaurant an unexpected gem on the Main Street corridor. Ga uop xa is succulent chunks of grilled chicken delicately scented with lemon grass, guaranteed to disappear as soon as it hits the table. Available only after 3:00 p.m., banh xeo is worth the wait—a delicate turmeric-laced rice-flour crêpe studded with shrimp and scallions, encasing a filling of bean sprouts and mixed seafood. 4598 Main St., South Main, 604-873-3345. $-$$

PHO THAI HOA
A recent change in ownership brought a much-needed face lift to both the decor and the menu of this no-frills family restaurant. Start with the chef’s special steamed rice rolls topped with Vietnamese pâté, or green papaya salad tossed with strips of sweet beef jerky in tangy vinaigrette. House special pho dac biet is a slurptastic beef lover’s delight: a jumble of fatty brisket, soft tendon, tripe, and meatballs with noodles in light, clean broth. Get your starch fix with bôt chiên—toothy, disc-shaped rice noodles pan-fried in sweet soya sauce with egg and green onion. 1625 Kingsway, 604-873-2348. $-$$

PHNOM PENH
A favourite of both Julia Child and Anthony Bourdain (now that would have been a dinner party), this Cambodian-Vietnamese restaurant is distinctly different from run-of-the-mill pho shops. The extended Huynh family’s sparely decorated Phnom Penh might survive on one dish alone: their apocalyptic deep-fried garlic baby squid (with piquant lemon pepper dipping sauce) will ensure that you’ll never eat wedding ring calamari again. Tissue-thin-sliced beef, barely seared, is dressed with lime, cilantro, and fish sauce then spread across a plate like the petals of a flower and sprinkled with crunchy deep fried garlic. Regulars also know to pre-order garlic-flamed cracked Dungeness crabs, paired with a platter of shimmering, sautéed lotus roots, and to drink their Tsingtaos straight from the bottle. 244 East Georgia St., Chinatown, 604-682-5777. $$

SPICES
Artful black-and-white photographs showcasing the people and architecture of Vietnam grace the deep red walls of this casual Cambie Street spot. Tune out the muzak and focus on flavourful entrées like drunken prawns marinated in spiced wine and sautéed in a buttery garlic-citron sauce, or pan-fried pomfret fragrant with grated lemongrass. Combination plates offer a taste of everything for the indecisive, and banh mi—the Vietnamese equivalent of a sub sandwich—is ideal for lunch on the go. 3446 Cambie St., South Cambie, 604-876-6618. $$

VANCOUVER VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT
Forgive the uninspired name, this pho restaurant is memorable in all the right ways. Go for appetizers like fried prawn on sugar cane ($3.99) and steamed rice crêpes filled with pork and mushrooms ($3.50) plus generous soup noodles and entrée portions—extra rice noodles offered free. Enthusiastic greetings of “Super friend!,” “Beautiful lady!,” or “My brother!” from owner Brian and his staff will make you feel loved. 4136 Main St., South Main, 604-872-3455. $

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