Pho Rùa Vàng Golden Turtle Restaurant

We had the most wonderful experience at Pho Ria Vang Golden Turtle! From the moment we walked in, the staff were warm, welcoming, and incredibly respectful of our dietary preferences. As vegetarians, we often have to double-check ingredients, but here, the staff went out of their way to accommodate us; offering to swap out the fish sauce for a delicious Thai sauce without us even having to ask. We ordered the vegetarian fried rice with tofu, deep-fried spring rolls, and vegetable noodles, along with a refreshing lemon soda. Every single dish was bursting with flavor and arrived at our table in under five minutes! The tofu was perfectly cooked, the veggies were fresh and crisp, and the rice was beautifully seasoned. The spring rolls had the perfect crunch and the dipping sauce was addictive. It’s rare to find a place that combines speed, flavor, and genuine hospitality so effortlessly. This meal was one of the best I’ve had in a long time. Highly recommend Pho Ria Vang Golden Turtle - whether you’re vegetarian or not, you’ll leave full and happy!

Visited Golden Turtle on Ossington Avenue for a late weekend lunch with a friend. We started with deep-fried pork spring rolls, which had a crisp exterior and a savoury filling. For the main course, I had the Phở Đặc Biệt (large bowl), which included rare beef, well-done beef, tripe, tendon, and beef balls. My friend ordered the Phở Chín Nạm (large bowl), a well-done beef rice noodle soup. The broth was light and mildly savoury, served with tender rice noodles and the usual accompaniments — bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime wedges, and fresh herbs. I also tried the jackfruit milkshake, which was refreshing and enjoyable.

Ordered some take out for 7 of us to enjoy. The noodles, spring rolls and everything else tasted great. Texture wasn’t as fresh due to it being eaten 30 min after being cooked but that’s fine. Will go back one day for bun.

I don’t like reviewing places negatively but I honestly didn’t enjoy my order or experience. I have always loved pho and never had a bowl that wasn’t good except for this particular location. Some of the servers were really nice and helpful and most importantly good to me myself and I but I witnessed there was one particular lady that was very condescending towards others and i just thought to myself, that’s not nice, I really didn’t like her approach to handling situations and her energy… I don’t want to support a place that hires someone with not so pleasant behaviour like that. It doesn’t take a lot to be kind to others. Do better. If you do better = more money 💰 The environment is not pleasant with that one person. Sorry to say but I would not come back here.

I was really hesitant on leaving this review. I always love supporting family owned shops and I find the staff to be very welcoming. I've had some good experiences in the past but the food was not edible this time around. The main issues was the pork in the pork vermicelli. It was flavorless but worst thing was it was completely overcooked. Some pieces almost had the texture of beef jerky. I had something hard I bit into and couldn't chew, I thought it was a super dry peanut or something , nope it was just a chunk of pork. It was almost as if the meat was a day or two old and it was just re-heated or something. The portion sizes of the bowls are considerably smaller than I remember. One positive I would say is that their recent renovations including the washrooms, main dining room and patio are a nice upgrade from before. I just wish they spent more care and time on the food. I won't be giving this place a try again nor will I be recommending it.

Been here a few times now. Service is nice, staff are pretty friendly and accommodating. Food was delicious and this place is pretty popular. They also have a patio which gets busy. Overall I will definitely return here when I'm looking for a different Vietnamese restaurant then where i usually frequent and in the area. I also do recommend this place to those nearby and who also want some good authentic pho.

I ordered a bún gà xào sả ớt and I loved it! However, I also ordered the chicken fried rice, and it wasn’t anything special — just standard.

Had a pho, which was prepared quickly and was good size. Tasty and filling. Prices were decent. The interior was dated but nothing wrong with it. The staff was friendly and efficient. There was a line up to get in so we were not the only ones to make this our dinner choice.

I've been on a pho kick lately. Don't know what's happening to me but I crave it all the time. We've ordered from golden turtle about 4 times in the last month... and have probably ordered from them about 30 times in my life. All I can say is that it's consistently delicious. They're running a tight ship here. They want you in and out as quick as possible but the food always tastes the same and you never wait long for your order. I like Pho Tien Thanh except for the spring roll inconsistency. Sometimes the spring rolls are the ones we love with the coating/batter we hope for, other times it's like they've gotten a shipment from a different vendor and the product is completely different. Also, golden turtle is like 30 meters closer to us, lol. Easier to get to. This would be a 5 star review but I've got a couple gripes. Once we got take out and they completely forgot the sides (bean sprouts, basil, lime and sauces). We had to drive back to pick these items up with nary an apology from the restaurant. They never remember us so loyalty does t go far here. We dined in yesterday with our kiddos and a friend and two of us couldn't finish our pho. We asked for the rest in a "doggy bag". They packed it up on our behalf but definitely poured all the broth down the drain and only gave us the remaining noodles and meat in the container. To add insult, there's a 25 cent charge for each take out container. I don't dine-in often so not sure if this is the norm at most restaurants, but we noticed it on our bill. Other than that, golden turtle is a solid Toronto institution and always a smart choice if you're wanting Vietnamese cuisine on ossington. You can't go wrong, really. Don't overlook the rest of the menu either if you're not craving pho-- my son lives for the grilled pork chop!

The Bo Bun Hue is spicy and has good flavour. The noodles were extra thick than usual which I didn't expect. It was getting a bit salty in the end but nothing fresh limes can fix! The service is not that inviting. The servers didn't look happy. They moved down the street and the new restaurant looks really updated now.

We used to come here often about 10 years ago. At that time, I learned about this place word-of-mouth and wow! Their Pho soup was super clear with deep flavor. They got a new looks, so we had difficulty finding here. :) Nice change. The patio tables were full and we were seated inside. Clean and simple as before. We ordered: Vietnamese style rice noodle soup #5 Pho tai Nam - rare beef and well done beef rice noodle soup (L) The noodle came to the table in 3 mins after ordering, piping hot! The bean sprouts are fresh and crispy. The noodles are thinner (my preference) and nicely chewy. The broth tasted natural, clear and had good depth like before. Happy to know that this place is keeping the same quality as a decade ago. Hope to come back here soon!

Great pho in a great neighborhood! The broth is flavourful and service is very fast. A lot of classic menu options. Next time I want to try the bun bo hue!

One of the best pho you can get outside of homemade. The place is on the smaller side but quaint and usually pretty busy come the weekends so if you really want to try it out give it a go on a weekday for lunch or dinner. The staff is quick but I have been in when some ruder staff have worked, although mostly had good experiences.

This is my third time to eat here and my first time to dine in. I normally go with the vegan Pho, vegetable broth, and veggie spring roll. I decided to shake it up and try one of the Chef's specials (Vermicelli bowl with beef, Pork, and shrimp) the Shrimp Salad Roll, and the vegetables. The order of vegetables was mostly broccoli. My mom with with me and she order the mixed meat fried rice and a Chicken Pho. She said both were outstanding! I really liked my order as well and will say that I have ordered similiar at a couple of Pho restaurants in Toronto and this was the best version. The portion was perfect for the price, it was not over salted, and it was not super greasy even though it was a 'stir fried' noodle. I was over the moon with how well this turned out. The eatery is very small and gets crowded around lunch. It is not the typical walk in with the cheap booths or the rosewood tables with chairs that one often sees in Toronto. It is somewhere in the middle and adds a little Queen West specific flare to the building. Again, if you are looking for a great place for a meal you must try Golden Turtle!

It's been a while since I've been downtown to the Ossington strip. If you're not familiar, it's an area on Ossington Ave, between Queen St W and Dundas St W, that has a ton of great trendy restaurants. I happened to be downtown with friends and we were hungry so we wandered over to the strip, looking for some great food. Almost all of the restaurants were packed with a dinner crowd. We tried a few places and they couldn't accommodate us. Finally, we came across Pho Rùa Vàng Golden Turtle, a Vietnamese restaurant. Their patio was packed but they had a table available inside. We ordered a couple of appetizers, a couple of vermicelli dishes, and a couple of pho (soup) dishes for the four of us. All the food arrived quickly and we dove in. The appetizers and vermicelli dishes were nicely presented and very tasty. The vermicelli dishes, beef and chicken, were my favorites of the evening. The meats were nicely seasoned and cooked. The pho dishes were a little disappointing. Although tasty, the meat and overall portions seemed to be a bit on the small side, especially compared to almost all the uptown places I've been to. Overall, however, the food and experience were good. Although busy, the restaurant was clean, bright, and the staff were efficient, friendly, and fast.

One of the best pho spots in Toronto, Golden Turtle has been an Ossington staple for years. Particularly during peak times, there's always a long wait here (and at their down-the-street competitor, Pho Tien Tranh) but patience will yield delicious and large bowls of flavourful pho, really good fried spring rolls, and a must-try Vietnamese coffee (which, for the uninitiated, is served with condensed milk - read: delectably sweet).

Love this place. Pho was incredible. Damn near cured my sickness. Service was great. Everyone there is very chill and helpful. Would definitely recommend.

Wildly inconsistent. Left a five-star review last time but been there twice since and every time it has gotten worse and worse. The latest order had a very tasteless broth and ridiculously hard to digest noodles that were way too dry. I can't believe I travelled 40 minutes total to be disappointed Feel like this place has relied on the brand name and previous legacy for way too long, and the declining rating on Yelp reflects that.

Came Toronto for a business. Ordered pho and spring roll through Doordash from a hotel room. The food just didn't taste good. It is not even comparable to pho I had from Atlanta, GA, San Diego, CA, and bay area, CA. Almost worst I had. If you have a high Asian standard on Pho, don't go with this place.

Honestly, I had no business giving Golden Turtle only four stars. I've eaten there dozens of times, and I keep going back. Because it's pretty perfect. After many, many, many taste tests I conclude: There is no chicken broth as loving or as healing as their smooth, slightly ginger-y Pho Ga. If you're sick, hungover, cold, in need of an edible hug, this is the Pho you seek. I had it just last week in 30 degree weather. There is no bad time for this perfection. For families: for $2-3 extra you can add steamed rice, extra noodles or a side of veg. Perfect to create your own cheap kids meal while you slurp. Open for delivery and takeaway during Covid.

Came for a late lunch (around 3:30). Ordered two Pho Dac Biet (No 9). The food was good (not too salty) with good portion (generous with meat). The service was pretty quick. I would have given a five star but the price on the menu and what we were charged was different. The menu said $15 for a large (and the website also says the same) so we were a little confused when it was time to pay, it was $36.17 ($36.17/1.13/2 = $16). I don't want to make a big fuss about a $1 price but this is misleading. Needless to say, I was very disappointed. What was also disappointing was the fact that neither the staff nor the owner apologized. Needless to say, I won't be coming here again. There is no way you do not know about the incorrect price on the menu (which means this is dishonest).

First time here and wanted to support Local! Great service, tasty food and portions. By far the most disappointing $12 Seafood Congee. It came with a minced fish ball, minced shrimp and minced cuttlefish.

Have been here twice for lunch recently. They have a laser temperature sensor and hand sanitizer for safety which is nice. The patio is small but very nice for this style of restaurant. And a 45 minute limit is enforced. The Pho is fine, but not served with the super hot raw red pepper that we normally see. Spring rolls were OK. The problem is the gruff and stand-offish attitude of the staff. The only thing warm here is the food. They do not say Thank You when leaving either. With a much friendlier business model I would have rated it higher. Great location though.

Pho at the Golden Turtle is good, but not good enough for the horrible customer service they provide. Every time I go there, I always forget just how bad the service is there. Why do I do this? The pho isn't that great compared to other locations. Today, we were came in for a late lunch and was sat in one of the smaller four tops. My friends are a little larger and asked to move to the next table which was a four top. Right away the male server told us, "No, you sit where we tell you to sit". My friends tried to explain to him why we needed the table, but the simple answer was no, and that it was for deuces only. So, we order and just let it go, then another group walks in and they are a four... Yup they sit them at the table we asked for. So, my friends were seriously annoyed, and I smooth things over and just go with it. As we order, I ask if I can get some satay sauce on the side of my pho, since every other pho place in the world will to that for you lol and apparently, that was a no. Their boss doesn't want that to happen, and we can only have it in the soup. Needless to say, this experience is the last straw. Just poor customer and indifferent owners who only look at you at a number. Sorry there's a million other pho places around, you don't need to subject yourself to this crap. I hope another Vietnamese restaurant opens up and crushes their business.

A small restaurant that's bright and clean on the inside. Tasty pho and the fried pork springrolls were also pretty good! The prices are a bit on the higher end though ($6 for 2 spring rolls). You have to pay for tea which is unusual for Viet restaurants like this. Service was super fast, I didn't expect that was it was very appreciated since we had somewhere to head to afterwards

Finally tried Golden Turtle and it lived up to expectations and positive reviews. I had the XL Pho with flank. The broth was flavourful and fresh, the meat was well cooked, and noodles were on point! I also asked for chillies on the side. Large servings and polite service! Will be back!

Not the prettiest. Simple and sterile, to eat in. I usually do take out, which is great, bc their takeout is as top notch as dining in. In a world full of disappointing spring rolls, this place DELIVERS. whatever you do decide to order, GET THE Spring Rolls to accompany. You won't regret it. Rather, you'll regret not getting them. Every time. I have a staple order, the Vegetarian Pho. Best veg pho in the city. That's all.

We went here on a Thursday afternoon. It was pretty busy. I ordered the chicken bao and my friend ordered the chicken fried rice and the other one ordered the beef pho. The chicken bao was quite good with really tender chicken pieces. The fried rice was okay as it did not have much flavour and it was oozing oil which was difficult to eat by the end of it. The pho was good. I've had better pho before. Overall could have been better. Can improve a lot on the ambience and neatness of the restaurant.

Authentic, filling, delicious and cheap - just the way pho restaurants should be! The pho ga was filling for a small and the chicken was tender. The spring rolls are some of the best springs that I've had - they were crispy and were just perfect! Would definitely come back and try out their beef pho or their bun bo hue.

That Umbrella Guy @ Golden Turtle. This place is located across the ossington theatre. Like, right down the street at the corner, which is a pretty good location cause lots of people come to watch these live performances. While looking at the menu we noticed one of the actors from the performance come in to pick-up food for the crew. The interior is decorated brightly with lots of artwork along the walls. The menu features pho on the first page, and a number of other dishes if you're not here for the pho. They have S, L, and XL sizes. XL costs $2 extra, but I'd say it's worth it given that it's probably twice the size of the small, in terms of meat and noodles. Food comes out quick. A bit too quick...but given the amount of customers that suddenly come in during dinner hours, I guess they've figured out a way to push out food quickly while keeping quality consistent (based on the reviews). The broth was quite light, which I like: it has flavour without tasting watered down, and I can choose how much salt I want to add, which isn't very much for the most part. XL bowl comes with a lot of noodles and meat, and may be enough for two people!

I've always gone to this restaurant's competition just down the street. But I finally decided to give this place a try. And I must say the soup on their pho is better. Light and refreshing. They give you tons of noodles too. Also had that little bowl to put your sauce in. They have more sauces to choose from too. Its a little more expensive and I was hoping for more meat but this place is a solid 4 stars. They are fast in their service as well which is always great when you only have an hour to eat.

Useful in a pinch when the more popular pho place just south of here is packed with lineups out the door. This small place had excellent and quick service but unfortunately skimping on tendon, a pretty cheap cut of meat really, is why I rate them this low. My friend and I got the exact same rare beef and tendon order (Large that was not so large) and neither of us could find more than 3 pieces of tendon. In other viet-Thai restaurants you would get significantly more.

Food: 3.5/5.0 Service: 3.0/5.0 Value: 3.0/5.0 Decor: 2.5/5.0 Overall: 3.5/5.0 Pretty good Vietnamese spot, though I was expecting better given this was supposed to be the best in town (unless TO's Vietnamese game isn't as strong as I would have expected). The crowd was very, well, not-Vietnamese.

[location] 4/5 It is on Ossington Ave, somewhere between Dundas and Queen but next to a bus stop. [Service] 4/5 It is ok. You have a jug of water to help yourself [Decoration] 5/5 It is probably the best Vietnamese restaurant for decoration. As you can tell from its name, golden turtle. [Food] 5/5 One word. Delicious! [Overall] 5/5 We have been to this restaurant many times, keep trying different food and they are always good. Great location, price, taste and portion!

Best pho in the city!! It's so fast, don't be thrown off by the full house or line up out the door. They're quick to serve and have you out the door! I honestly get the same thing EVERY SINGLE TIME; Rare beef pho & veggie spring rolls. Can't go wrong :)

Call it patio perfect! During a summer day of Ossington shopping on the weekend, we swung by here for some quick and snacky spring rolls. Inside was nice and cool, but outside was a great side patio that was made for just watching the day go by. THESE SPRING ROLLS. They were everything. They were steaming hot. Stunningly crisp and inside was a mix of cabbage, carrot and glass noodles inside. For dipping, a thin, salty, sweet sauce on the side. Having been here other times, the soups have been super yummy and filling with all the accoutrements on the side. That broth. For ordering, you're given a piece of paper where you can mark down what you want. Service can be pretty quick and it is cash only, but there's an ATM on site.

Food was great, service was meh. Service is always meh at pho places though, at least the good ones! Super cheap prices though. Cash only!! Heads up They also have a patio Great location

I had the rare beef and beef tripe pho. For start, the beef wasn't rare, should have been put into the soup last. It's okay for me. Usually other pho places have a special noodle soup which is the best deal, but I didn't see it here. I ordered a small one, which was already pretty filling for me.

Only tried the pho here. Ordered No. 10 with the tendon and tripe and beef slices. Broth was thicker than most pho places I've been to in Toronto, but i found it to be too much. The tendon and tripe tasted a bit off to me, although the quantity was definitely there! Some other places will skimp on the ingredients, but not this place. Anyways, with all the pho options in the City, I probably wouldn't come back here based on this experience. This is solely based on taste, as the service was nice and friendly.

Ordered it as takeout and the spring rolls were still hot and crispy! Unfortunately the soup wasn't as hot as we liked so we just reboiled it. Tasted delicious when the soup and noodles were assembled. Comfort food!

My friend took me here for the first time back in the spring. I would say it's the best Pho I've had in Toronto. The most authentic in flavour and so so fresh. They being the bean sprouts out separately, so they're cooking as you eat! I got the regular sized pho bowl with beef and also got spring rolls to share. They were crispy and hot, and I know they were just made (which I can't say for many places!) The service is quick and the portions are big. I would have liked to have more beef in my soup, but that's just me! They only accept cash, so to avoid misc ATM charges come prepared. I will definitely be back!

Your average run of the mills pho restaurant! Tried the fresh rolls and my friends ordered pho. We waited for about 20 min on a Friday night, it was packed!

Ossignton Ave has many great places to eat and I had high expectation for Golden Turtle but it turns out it is just A-OK. It was a rainy day as I entered the Golden Turtle and the hostess sat my party down and before i sat down an employee told me to put my umbrella in the bucket by the door. Making me walk again around the restaurant as I was about to sit down. ugh. Guess they want to keep their floors dry as possible. Not a good first impression. The menu had a lot of items but I selected the pho (14) and a Fresh salad roll with grilled herb-wrapped beef (115). The food came very, very, very quickly. Faster than fast food chains. The salad roll came out in like a minute after ordering and when I was eating a roll, the pho came out very quickly. The beef roll was ok. It seemed like they took it out of a fridge pre-made and served it. I thought the size of the pho was not as big compared to other pho places. The broth was the highlight of the meal as it was not too oily and had great aroma. However, the noodles and beef were not that great in texture and flavour. It was still A-OK pho though. CASH ONLY. I know...like who carries cash around nowadays? Of course, conveniently, they have an ATM machine inside the restaurant. Weird eh? The interior is nicer than other pho places. Clean and has a ok feel to it. Service was another part where Golden Turtle fell flat. Servers do not give out a friendly vibe at all. Overall, Golden Turtle struck out on the service for my first visit.

I've heard so many good things about this place, so the bar was set really high. My gf and I eventually decided to give it a shot yesterday for dinner - in a word, I think there's a lot of better options in Toronto. We ordered 1 PHỞ TÁI NẠM SÁCH (rare&well done beef and tribe) and 1 Bún bò Huế. These are what we usually order at a Vietnamese resto. The pho soup was ok but on the lighter side. The well done beef was cut really thick and wasn't cooked well enough, took us some time to chew and swallow it. The Bun Bo Hue was definitely below average. The soup was bland, not with the flavours that it's supposed to have, and for the first time in my life I had this dish WITHOUT pig blood. Not to mention we weren't even given tissue/lime wedges/bean sprouts/Thai basil until we asked for them. Really disappointed.

Walked in with a group of 14 on a hot summer evening and they were able to quickly accommodate us. Food came within 5 minutes of ordering. Classic Vietnamese food- pho, rice, and vermicelli- sufficient to satisfy the vietnamese food cravings. Warning: cash only!

My favorite vietnamese restaurant in gta. The price is great, and the quality of food is great too. They have a patio area too which is nice to sit in the summer. The place can get busy and there are usually waits for table near meal times.

Honestly, this is not the best Pho in the city like many claim, but it's very good and a high value little gem. For the prices you'll pay, you will find no other comparison on Ossignton (except for their rival a few doors south). The pho broth does have MSG in it, but it's quite well balanced with being fatty, herbaceous, anise-ey, and everything is fresh. They have high turnover so you can see why. Cash only, and service is rushed. This is a casual place, don't expect to make a night out of this.

I've given them another try, but will have to say they haven't improved to their former glory. At least, if you want a decent clean place and don't mind their extremely warm dining room where food is secondary, then you have found your place.

I came to Rua Vang try the Pho based on the reviews of all your fellow yelpers. It is also convenient for me because it is right across from Yoga Space so I dropped by after one of my yoga class. It was a rainny Monday night when I was there. The place was still quite busy. I orded the Large Pho with Raw Beef. Usually I order small size but the price difference here is only 50 cents. I am glad that I order the large.. because the large is like a small in other places I been too. My noodle was ready so fast! It appeared on my table within 1 minute after I ordered!! Gee.. This is faster than eating at Fast food place. The soup was nice and hot.. with tons of green onions. 2 to 3 times more than any other places I been to. I would go back to eat at Rua Vang again... But I might have to order the XL size (XL I sounded like a pig!) or something else on the side. But the Large size is good as a snack. CASH only

Honestly, this place is below average. You will see people gushing over it here, but go and try it for yourself and then compare it to every other Pho place you've ever been to - nothing special. The food is ok, nothing out of the ordinary. Pho soups are good, broth is a bit saltier than in other places, but when you add sriracha and ho sin it tastes the same. The meat is the same quality and amount as in any other Pho place in the neighborhood. The sitting is just as cramped, the chairs and tables are more worn out and the floor looks like it needs a serious acid wash. The service is ok, but nothing special, just like any other Pho place. Don't believe the hype, there's nothing special about the Golden Turtle, just another hole-in-the-wall Pho place, alike dozens in the neighborhood.

Ossington has tons to offer in terms of food spots, it's actually kind of overwhelming. I was glad to have my brother and sister-in-law's recommendation for this place. We hiked Webster Falls and Dundas Peak and were STARVING so Golden Turtle was a perfect fit for us. The food came out SO fast. It was incredibly fresh and flavorful. I had the spicy lemongrass bun (91) and added a spring roll. Brother had rare beef soup. We also ordered a plate of sautéed spicy veggies and some Singapore noodles. Everything was delicious. This place also has a pretty nice outdoor patio so perfect for dinners on a summer evening. Will definitely return next time I'm in town!

A good bowl of pho that comes out really fast once you've figured out which variation you want. The broth is light but flavorful, noodles are solid, and they do give a good portion of meat for the price. I have a personal preference for tendon, and found their offering of tendons different than the one's I'm use to. Less of the soft gelatinous tendon, and more actual muscle surrounding it. Still good, but different. Service is fast, efficient and friendly. Obviously a well oiled family operation that keeps a balance between keeping things moving and letting you enjoy a hot meal at your own pace. The space is bright and well lit, and the staff makes an effort to keep the floors dry even on a snowy wet winter day.

A family run restaurant where the older generation is teaching the younger generation to serve mediocre, unauthentic food with rude, kinda bitchy service. Long faces and shouty communication styles must run in the family, as does confrontational responses to complaints (watch out for the young woman with glasses, she's a piece of work). This place is NOT worth the hype. "Best in TO" my arse. I encourage you to read the one and two star ratings and observe the startling similarities; also don't say you weren't warned. Hey, at least they're consistent when they fuck it up. COVID UPDATE Gave this place a second chance since I wouldn't have to deal with their customer "service" if I used Skip. They got everything in my order wrong. Wrong apps. Wrong mains. I hope they go out of business soon so that prime location can be used for good, instead of evil.

I don't know what is the big rave about this place? People who live in the area or in downtown said it's must eat for Pho (including blogto). The Pho is heavily soiled in MSG - I'm super thirsty an hour later. Meat portion is stingy compared to most joints - they hardly put any meat in their soup. And above all, not exactly a great value. So why should I return? For the time being, I rather go the other place down the street: Pho Tien Thanh. If you do go to Golden Turtle, it's CASH ONLY!!

Not worth the money! The owner/ waitress with short hair, black skirt , plump figure with glasses or whoever she is , try to kick us out before we even finish our meal. She started cleaning all the chair and dishes while we are still eating. We eventually asked for the bill when she almost take our spoon away. Its not even 30 minutes since we made the order. Unbelievable customer service, that lady need to be banned from serving food to anybody, a disgrace to all waiter and waitress. 0/10 not recommended to anyone , avoid this restaurant if you do not want to be treated like begger. I will give my patron to Pho Tien Thanh , one block away from now on.

I'm from CA so I know what Authentic Pho tastes like. Of course it's way up there my taste bud. Better yet, I am Viet so I know how my country real food taste like. This is cater to only Americans as they would not know. I see a lot of Americans come here. Asian? You should go elsewhere. This place is definitely not authentic Pho. I also asked for Onion vinegar - every Pho waters know what they are. It's just raw onion adding a bit of sugar + vinegar and mix it up. How hard can this be? They brought out vinegar but unable to mix Onion + vinegar with a spoon of sugar. Bad customer service. They came out and said it's not done here. Therefore I was gonna order more food to go but due to the lack in flavor of broth and tastes like hot boil water pour over noodles with no flavor of Pho , vey lacking and couldn't do a simple Onion vinegar as requested so I skipped the to go and take my money elsewhere. Will not come back. And of course not gonna finish this bland bowl of Pho. Some restaurants really shouldn't stay open and deserves your service once!

Haven't had Pho for 5 months so I wanted to service the craving and try one of the well reviewed places I haven't been to yet. Rua Vang, along with Pho Linh & Tien Thanh have been on my list forever but diner downtown before 10PM is a rarity for me so it's usually PASTEUR or NOTHING. Tien Thanh had a line up on a Wednesday with only an hour to go, so Plan B - Turtle it was! Sadly it didn't live up to it's Yelp stars on this night. First impression was good. Staff was super nice. The cleanliness & general upkeep exceeded expectations "for this market segment" ahem...no seriously it was spartan but perfectly maintained compared to Spadina area places. First warning sign: all the Asians (presumably neighborhood Viets) are eating BBQ while only hipsters & White Millennials are ordering Pho - sure sign that the smart money is on the BBQ while the Pho is the "hook" and profit vehicle (for less demanding palettes). But I came to compare the Pho so ... Got my usual Flank & Tendon deal. The actual beef was REALLY nice cuts, and they gave bigger chunks of Tendon than many other places. However, the broth was the blandest, most washed out broth I ever had. No dimensions at all. Like they were running low and decided to add water to increase the quantity. Just substandard. My friend had Seafood Noodles (#30 whatever that is) which was OK but unremarkable. The best thing was the Salad Rolls with Sausage - very fresh greens and again, fine quality meat. But I didn't drive like a maniac to get there by 9pm and snare a parking spot just to get nice rolls. Tough to judge a Pho place from only one visit, I know consistency is difficult when cooking form scratch with real food, but if Pho is in your restaurant's name and the main draw of your business, it should never be this bad. With so many other choices, I doubt I'll get around to a second chance for Golden Turtle.