Pho Bang New York Montreal

There is just something about pho that brings people together. This is especially true on cold, frigid days like the ones we’ve been having here in Montreal lately. -20 and -30 degree weather? Yikes. A bowl of tasty, warm soup and noodles warms you up like nothing else. Looking for just that effect, we headed to Pho Bang New York in Chinatown for some of the good stuff.

Stepping into the busy restaurant, we were lucky to snag a table within minutes of entering. Any later and we would have had to wait or take our business somewhere else. Settling in to a table close to the window, we had a nice view of the snowy exterior and a commanding one over the rest of the restaurant, which made it easy to get our server’s attention. We ordered promptly, two dishes comprising of beef cuts: one with well done flank, flat brisket and tripe and another with eye of round steak and well done flank. The last was a classic chicken Tonkinese soup.

Shortly after, our steaming bowls came accompanied by the usual plate of bean sprouts, Thai basil and limes. Squeezing the requisite lime juice into the bowl, shredding the basil and adding a handful of bean sprouts, we were good to go. The pho was exactly what we had been looking for. The amount of beef in both the beef bowls were plenty and generous. The amount of tripe that I got though was less than I expected – only several short pieces, thin and not quite as juicy as I had expected. For me, a little less flank and brisket and a little more tripe would have made this bowl of noodles even better. At the same time, in comparison to the amount of beef we were getting, the chicken Tonkinese soup seemed to be lacking in amount of chicken. Little details but details none the less. Just a touch less grease/oil on the top would have also been nice.

Overall, everyone reported their dishes to be very tasty. The broth was superb – just a really nice mix of flavor. That being said, Pho Bang NY is a great spot for a quick, satisfying lunch.