Restaurant Pho Nam Quan

2 Reviews on “Restaurant Pho Nam Quan”

• Erika Golem

  The hunt for amazing pho in Montreal rages on! Respected food blogger Shut Up and Eat named this tiny Villeray place in their Montreal’s Top 3 Pho entry, and I took note. As soon as we got out of the car near the restaurant I could smell the pho. And it smelled incredible. This had to be the place. As we approached the hole-in-the-wall-esque restaurant I could see into the windows, and it looked exactly like how I want my pho place to look. This had to be the place. The location can be found in the downstairs basement level of a duplex and the dcor is practically non-existent. Theyve got tables though, and theyll seat you at one. Each table is adorned with all of the expected accoutrement; spoons, chopsticks, hoisin, hot sauce. The menu includes a variety of Vietnamese fare, however pho is the thing. Pho is what theyre known for. You get the pho. We were brought the usual dirty pot of complimentary tea – things were off to a very promising start. The tea was light and lovely. It tasted of jasmine and green tea and was exactly right.I typically enjoy my pho to be comprised of rare beef and brisket, unfortunately however, they had no such combination. Their bowls come in three sizes; small, large, and extra large. I settled on a large 5. Ti (Rare beef – $9.00). The giant bowl was placed before me in no time at all, along with a plate of garnishes that included bean sprouts, lime, Thai basil, and sawtooth coriander. You dont often see ngo gai (culantro) included and I welcomed the rarity. No fresh chili peppers on our plate though. The aroma was extremely enticing and I set about garnishing my bowl. Once complete, it was time! And it was excellent!!! I am SO excited to say that this was the most delicious pho that I have experienced in Montreal so far and this will certainly be my go-to place from now on. Its all about the broth when it comes to pho, and this one was incredible. It was unique too! The broth was robust, deep, and beefy, intricately created with an obvious flavour of cinnamon at first, which later evolved into pleasing notes of anise. The full-on flavour was not weak and watery in the slightest – my greatest criticism of bad pho. Pho broth is a very complex thing of beauty and this one was done extremely well and with great love and care. Also important are the noodles. I look for noodles that are loose and well-cooked, not one big sticky ball. These ones were perfectly al dente and wonderful to slurp. The beef was ideal as well, thin pink slices that were tender but not fatty. The meat cooked in the broth over the course of the meal, however the first few bites of rare beef are my favourite. Green and white onions completed the bowl.I will be haunted by this pho until I can get some more at my earliest convenience. You can go ahead and forget about every other pho place in Montreal because this is the place! erikaeatseverything.com

  March 21, 2016, 2:19 am

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• Robert S

  Best damn Pho in Montreal!!! Hands Down!’

  February 20, 2015, 12:06 am

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