Pure Contemporary Vietnamese Kitchen + Bar

8 Reviews on “Pure Contemporary Vietnamese Kitchen + Bar”

• Bruce Kehl

  An easy rating, because we’ve thoroughly enjoyed all 9 dishes ordered (4.75+ stars).As I consider the stuffing of any Asian restaurant to be their noodle soups, and especially of Vietnamese or Chinese origins, I just had to try the pho. And as the chef emulates Vietnamese street food (as does the excellent Troi Oi in Iloilo, Philippines), no wonder it’s so good!First time.Pure’s sate pho: so worth it with great thin noodles, super broth is great untouched, but that which can be spiked from a small shallow dish of tangy and hot sauces, plenty of tender beef slices and tasty pork sausage chunks, all in a very large bowl 3/5 full, and flavours that zinged me into draining every last drop. The best outside of Asia so far…Our accompanying claypot chicken was excellent: a complex blend of spices with tender pieces of marinated chicken in an oil-based sauce that was excellent.And the bowls of fluffy jasmine rice so well complemented the flavours.Even the plain water tasted good: perhaps we were primed, or the flavour is from a special filter system.Our second visit.The tender wok shaken beef sat on top of a raw watercress salad and a juicy sauce to live for.And the also tender hoisin-rub ribs were smothered in their own juices near a small stack of shredded papaya with a special tangy sauce.With the meal came 4 steamed asian rolls that were gently flavoured with a hint of sweetness that also were great with the sauces.Subsequent visits…Over time we had a few ‘crispy dish’ appetizers also – pork/lamb spring rolls with a special house sauce that was presented so well, small delicate vietnamese-style tacos with a delicious sauce mingled in, shrimp tempura much different from Japanese variations without the thick oily feel.On our anniversary, we ordered another spicy sated pho, and to change things up, chef Olam Pham’s seafood fried rice and masterstock chicken.Sliced cross-hatch much like Peking duck, the chicken was tender and tasty in its own delightful sauce with succulent tasty mushrooms. Yummy.With crunchy caviar adorning the seafood rice, what flavours! The long-grain white rice was suitably oily and fresh feeling, much better than found in most Chinese restos.Stumbled in on Olam’s eat-all-you-can wing night to a packed house at 9pm: donated to a couple of famished bellies some nicely-spiced wings that just so right on! Pleasantly waded through another order of seafood fried rice, claypot chicken, and gailan veggies … all so yummy. Oh yes, on wing night, packed until 10pm, but open until midnight!And on a birthday occasion Olam kicked in a free desert!Oh yes, the takeout pho proves to be almost as good…!Ah, but the flavours and presentation of these dishes are just wonderful!All truly eaten to the last wee scoop.Our servers were super helpful, esp. Claire and Romar, who work very much with the kitchen to make us sit up and yelp! As well, on three occasions Olam came out to personally serve some tables, and graciously helped us enjoy. As is usual, we had asked for the full-flavoured meal lest they back off for yet another caucasian desire for less.The quality cloth napkins with fine chopsticks and utensils suitably added to the whole affair.The interior decor is okay although somewhat dark gray and austere; not sure why, but some bright colors with darker wall motifs would be much more appealing. Consider the decor in Khao San on 17th and one can get what I’m driving at…The music is mixed between Vietnamese, pop songs and hip-hop.But the true attraction at Pure is plainly the food!Too bad the parking is terrible, but it seems clear that the lunch trade during the week would turn a healthy profit during these stretched times, at the same time as attract a different market than on 17th Avenue. But this factor didn’t seem to hurt the mostly full seats in the main dining room and outside. That people will stretch their legs some to get here says a lot…But if you come after 6pm on weekdays or possibly all day on the weekend, often one can find parking spots right in front of the resto.We have gone back many times, and have concluded that the creative energy that Olam exudes carries over into his work and with his upbeat staff: one of our favorite restaurants in the city now, it’s easily the best Vietnamese – indeed ethnic – food in the city. You should be very pleased (aside from business hour parking, not sure how anyone can diss this place!).Get over there, okay? See if it hits you the same way…

  December 7, 2020, 1:28 am

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