Dzo Viet Eatery

Hip, modern Vietnamese with some hits and misses

The latest entry in the modern Vietnamese scene, Dzo Viet Eatery opened in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s in the same category as other trendy Vietnamese restaurants like Pinky’s Ca Phe and Vit Beo, but is more ambitious in its dining space and menu.

Dzo has a well-ventilated space. I visited during the warmer months when it was opened for indoor dining. It was the first week of their grand opening, so take this review with a grain of salt.

Patio at Dzo
Patio and dining space at Dzo

The food

The menu can be summed up as fried snacks, bánh mì (sandwiches), wraps, grilled meats, phở, bún (noodles), and cơm dĩa (rice plates). Sounds like traditional Vietnamese restaurants, doesn’t it? The difference is that Dzo doesn’t try to offer 200 dishes. Instead, they focus on a few and invest in modern techniques and plating. It’s not fusion though. The flavours and ingredients are recognizably Vietnamese.

Chicken wings come in three varieties. I went with the most iconic one, Saigon style, also known as cánh gà chiên nước mắm. It’s marinated with fish sauce and caramelized on the grill. Some bits of fried garlic heightened the aroma.

The wings came on a stylish slab with a side of pickled daikon and Thai basil. This side salad makes an appearance in other dishes as well. The edges of the wings were charred but the skin on the other parts could be crisper. The flavour was all right. The fish sauce added umami and the caramelization came through. But the savoury and sweet flavours sat slightly apart. They could use more fine-tuning to meld together. 7/10.

Grilled Saigon wings from Dzo
Grilled Saigon wings

Spring rolls are probably the most popular appetizers at Vietnamese restaurants. Dzo doesn’t have the steamed version but it has the deep-fried one. It’s served in a cute bamboo basket. The dipping sauces are on another basket and connected with a carrying pole, forming a mini basket arrangement used by street vendors in Southeast Asia.

The skin was netted and added textural complexity. It was crisp and well-filled. I chose the pork and shrimp version. The pork was overshadowed by the shrimp and taro but I didn’t mind. There was enough textural interest from the sweet shrimp and crunchy carrots. The dipping fish sauce was exemplary. But it would have more kick if it had some red chillies. 8/10.

Pork-shrimp cha gio from Dzo
Pork-shrimp chả giò

Dzo certainly gets more adventurous with its street snacks. Bánh mì sliders sound exciting but it is actually just a bánh mì sliced in half. They were regular sized too, not like a one- or two-bite slider. I picked the most unusual creation, French phở beef dip. It came with a bowl of beef broth to dip the bánh mì in. It was also accompanied by the ubiquitous salad of pickled daikon and basil.

The exterior of the baguette was blistered and crunchy. The sandwich was overflowing with ingredients. I don’t think anyone could have held it as a normal sandwich, much less dip it in the broth. I had to deconstruct it. The julienned cabbage and fresh cucumber paired well with the grilled beef slices. The marinade was typical Vietnamese: fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and perhaps a touch of ginger and sesame. The only negatives were that the meat was a little tough and the bánh mì got heavy after a few bites.

The broth was the same one used for Dzo’s phở. Eating it with the bread and grilled beef didn’t create any special flavours. I think it works better to drink the broth before or after tackling the sandwich. 7/10.

French pho beef dip banh mi slider from Dzo
French phở beef dip bánh mì slider

Their house fried rice is like Chinese fried rice but with token Vietnamese toppings like nem nướng (sausage) and fish sauce. Wok hei (smokiness) was present, clearly a vindication of the chef’s skill. The vegetables were the frozen or canned variety: the usual trio of corn kernels, carrot cubes, and peas. The fried rice was garnished with fried shallots and coriander leaves. Nothing wrong with low-end ingredients; it’s typical of humble fried rice sold at street eateries. It was tasty. But for the price, I was expecting something more imaginative or luxurious. 7.5/10.

Fried rice and pork-shrimp cha gio from Dzo
Fried rice (right) and pork-shrimp chả giò (left)

The dish I was most eager to try was dry phở. Phở is soup noodles, so dry phở is as bewildering as dry soup. Asian dry noodles come in a couple of formats. The most common one consists of quickly blanched noodles tossed with a small amount of intense sauce. It might come with a small bowl of soup but that isn’t integral. Chinese dan dan noodles, Korean jajangmyeon, and Singaporean bak chor mee are of this group. Another format requires diners to dip plain noodles in an intense broth, served in another bowl. Japanese tsukemen and Vietnamese bún thịt nướng are of this group.

Even after the dish arrived, I wasn’t sure how to eat it. The noodles was coated with some sort of soy-based sauce. I started with the broth first. It had a rich body expected of phở. Southern Vietnamese style, and a pretty good one with various spices. Then I tried the noodles. The noodle was al dente. But it was bland, oily, and reminded me of ketchup pad thai served at bad Canadian Thai restaurants. It tasted much better with the broth. Either a more assertive sauce should be used or the noodle should be served plain. I am hoping for the former.

Spiced chicken dry pho from Dzo
Spiced chicken dry phở

The winner on the plate was the grilled chicken skewer. Great balance of sweet and salty, with pleasant lemongrass tones. The meat was tender and smokey. It was described on the menu as pho spiced chicken but I couldn’t figure out what was so “phở” about it. It’s just a lip-smacking traditional grilled chicken (gà nướng sả).

The dry phở came with the standard salad of pickled daikon, cabbage, and cucumbers. They tasted as expected. A few drops of tangy vinaigrette could really lift the salad. Overall, noodle concept needs work but chicken skewers were fantastic. 8/10.

Dry pho from Dzo
Dry phở noodles and spiced chicken skewers

The place

Here’s an useful adage: if you find a scooter hanging off a restaurant’s walls, it’s a hipster restaurant. Exposed brick walls, dim lighting, and Edison bulbs are other giveaways.

Interior of Dzo
Interior of Dzo

The restaurant concept screams young and trendy. Which makes sense given its location opposite the Art Gallery of Ontario and OCAD. The space is surprisingly large and there is a variety of seating options. It’s a casual place for traditional Vietnamese food dressed in modern sensibilities.

Bar at Dzo
Bar at Dzo

Verdict

Traditional Vietnamese food presented in a modern way. Some kinks to work out for the non-traditional creations. 7.5/10.

Practical information

Name
Dzo Viet Eatery
Rating
7.5/10
Recommended dishes
Spiced chicken dry phở
Pork-shrimp chả giò
Prices (including tax)
Grilled Saigon wings (small): $14.69
Pork-shrimp chả giò: $12.43
French phở beef dip bánh mì slider: $16.95
Dzô fried rice: $18.08
Spiced chicken dry phở: $15.82
I went within the first week of Dzo’s opening and enjoyed a 30% discount. The above are the regular prices.
Address
308 Dundas Street West
Hours
Monday to Friday 1600h – 2100h
Saturday to Sunday 1400h – 2100h
Date of visit
July 2020