Rod U.
Yelp
An Eater Essential of Montreal. A Vietnamese eatery that goes far beyond the common pho and banh mi. Regionalized foods of the country. It's a must try.
Bun cha, a traditional soup of Hanoi. Sweet, sour, lots of fish sauce, tomato and a citrusy finish that brings out the porky goodness of the grilled ground pork patty. Truly a flavor explosion.
Equally complex variation, the bun oc cha muc. Take a similar sweet and sour broth sans the tomato and load it up with snails and fried fish / squid patties. The flavor is intriguing and wildly complex. The springy proteins make for fun eating. It will keep you wanting spoonful after spoonful.
Finally the bo la lot. Little packets of seasoned ground beef, shallots, garlic, lemongrass rolled in betel leaf that are then grilled. It is served with a fish sauce based dipping sauce along with fresh herbs, pickled carrots and radish, sprouts, cucumbers and vermicelli noodles. This dish hits every part of the flavor spectrum. So good!
Simple decor with friendly service.
Utterly amazing to find such good Vietnamese food in Canada considering the cuisine wasn't introduced until the 1970's. Outstanding.