You may recognize Pho Thai Hoa as one of the locations we regularly hold Dot Com Pho. Not this particular location in Richmond but the one on Kingsway since most people can’t be bothered to overcome the obstacle that is Richmond traffic. Not a big deal for me since I live a block or two away and Pho Thai Hoa makes one of the best Vietnamese subs in town.
I think Pho Thai Hoa is one of the better Vietnamese restaurants in town and it looks like quite a few people agree with me. You’ll notice a lot of cutouts and such from local magazines and newspapers declaring Pho Thai Hoa as one of the best pho places in town but I believe they were just an honorable mention one year.
You may also notice that the restaurant is designed to look like some sort of cruise ship…most likely by someone that has never been on a cruise ship. There’s plenty of tables inside, even some for tables of 10+ and the place is relatively clean compared to a lot of other places in town.
The menu is quite extensive with a selection of Vietnamese pho, banh mi and plenty of other things like rice rolls, dry egg noodles and papaya salad just to name a few. There are also some combo deals available on weekdays which usually include a bowl of pho, a side item like a spring roll or sandwich, and a drink. Prices vary but you save a buck or two compared to ordering the items separately.
I ordered a house special pho and a grilled marinated pork sandwich. While this isn’t usually the case, the broth wasn’t quite as piping hot as I prefer it to be but it’s quite a good, flavorful soup, especially when you drop in some lime juice and siracha sauce. There’s plenty of flavor, generously laden with green onion and cilantro and I only detect a little MSG.
The noodles still have some bounce and chew. Nothing to complain about although a little more al dente would be nice.
The beef is pretty good as well. The flank is cooked well, not tough although the steak is overdone. If you want your steak rare, dropped into the soup raw and letting it cook with just the heat of the broth, then that’s probably something you should mention. I forgot to and the steak is mostly done.
This is my favorite thing about Pho Thai Hoa, the marinated grilled pork sandwich.
The pork is juicy and flavorful, slightly sweet which is balanced with the hot peppers and sour pickled carrots and radish. I’ve had a lot of Vietnamese sandwiches (or Namwiches…) and this is one of my favorites. The bread is fresh and crispy on the outside and chewy once you get past the exterior. It’s not a Namwich if the outside doesn’t feel like you’re chewing on shards of delicious, delicious glass!
There are other great items on the menu at Pho Thai Hoa. I also enjoy the Cambodian dry egg noodles which comes with pieces of pork, liver, prawns and squid.
Service at Pho Thai Hoa is hit or miss. Sometimes they’re very quick and sometimes they’re extremely slow, usually depending on who is working and how many staff members are there. It isn’t uncommon for a single waitress to be handling everything by herself. They’re always friendly but sometimes there’s a long wait or a struggle to get them to notice you.
Pho Thai Hoa is one of the better pho places in Vancouver. It’s nearly spotless, the people are friendly and the food is very good. The prices are also very reasonable and there are a couple of TVs so you can watch the game while having lunch. I know it’s in one of Richmond’s least drivable areas but at least drop by for the sandwich, which I go back for every time.
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