Alex G.
Yelp
A long-overdue review for one of Mississauga's "pho staples".
One thing you can say about Pho Do Thi is that it's immediately recognizable. Set smackdab in the virtual centre of the city, in a plaza right beside fellow late-night munchie spot Burrito Boyz, this pho restaurant is hopping at virtually all hours of the day. Last year, my friends and I tried this place for the first time, and were surprised to find the joint was packed at 1 a.m. on a Friday. Never let it be said that time will stand in the way of having a good bowl of pho.
Regardless, I had the recent opportunity to visit this restaurant again for a media launch promoting the upcoming Taste of Cooksville festival (which is planned to be a yearly event happening every September with local businesses participating). As such, the owner and staff prepared a special "tasting menu" with a handful of appetizers for the scant handful of guests to enjoy - among them, two different types of spring rolls (crab and possibly beef?) and sliced watermelon.
I contrasted this offering to the meal I had last year, which was my stock order of vermicelli w/ chicken & pork, and a spring roll. My thoughts about the spring rolls being way too small hasn't changed - it's more batter than filling, and the crab rolls I had this time smacked of being reheated from frozen. The rest of the items were good, and we shotgunned glasses of green tea as they announced the restaurant's participation in the festival.
My feelings about the menu also haven't changed since I last visited. This is the standard "hit them with menu items until their eyes burst" menu that you'd find in any Vietnamese restaurant, but the prices are still above what I'd normally pay. Whereas I ended up paying nearly $13 last year for a bowl of vermicelli with a spring roll, I could go down the road and get the same dish with a bigger portion size for $9 at Pho 99 at Dixie/Dundas.
In the end, my thoughts are still mixed on this site. Decent if you need a spot to hang out at late-night, but there are more worthwhile Vietnamese restaurants out there for the price point.