Vietnam Archives - Global Toronto Eats

Bo 7 Mon (Vietnamese beef 7 ways) in Toronto

A head-to-head comparison of the ultimate beef extravaganza

Bò 7 món (literally 7 courses of beef) doesn’t come up often in Vietnamese menus. It’s a splurge and it takes a lot of kitchen prep work. I only know of 5 specialists in Toronto in the last decade. Only 2 remain today: Bo 7 Mon Restaurant and Phở Cửu Long Miền Tây. If there are other good ones, please let me know!

Since there are so few contenders, it’s easy to do a head-to-head battle to determine who makes the best bò 7 món.

What goes in a bò 7 món

Bò 7 món is associated with Southern Vietnam, which is more affluent than the rest of the country. In fact, the oldest specialist in Vietnam, Au Pagolac, is located in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). There isn’t a prescription about what the 7 courses are, but there is usually one sausage dish, a beef hot pot (bò nhúng dấm), and beef congee (cháo bò).

The contenders

Bo 7 Mon Restaurant

The name says it all. It’s a weird name if you think about it, like a burger restaurant naming themselves “Burger Restaurant”. Although they can’t trademark the name, it does make it clear what they sell.

Exterior of Bo 7 Mon — Bo 7 Mon Restaurant

This restaurant is in a plaza dominated by Vietnamese restaurants. They’re all better than average and have carved out their own niche to avoid direct competition. Although Bo 7 Mon Restaurant’s specialty is obvious, they also have regular noodles and rice meals for those who want something simpler.

Interior of Bo 7 Mon — Dining area of Bo 7 Mon Restaurant

Phở Cửu Long Miền Tây

This restaurant sits at a junction that has a cluster of Vietnamese restaurants. Đà Nẵng Restaurant is a few minutes walk away and also has bò 7 món, though they are better known for their Central Vietnamese dishes.

It’s a modest-sized space with functional decor.

Exterior of Phở Cửu Long Miền Tây — Phở Cửu Long Miền Tây

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A culinary odyssey of Vietnam in Toronto

Feasting on Northern, Central, and Southern Vietnamese food across Toronto

Toronto has the largest Vietnamese population in Canada. Outside Vietnam, it is also one of the cities with the largest number of people of Vietnamese descent. Waves of immigrants came in with the onset of the Vietnam War. And with them came a blossoming of the Vietnamese food scene in Toronto.

Phở (rice noodles with beef) has become synonymous with Vietnamese food in Toronto. Naturally, there is far more to Vietnamese cuisine and it’s a shame that many Toronto diners don’t venture beyond the familiar dishes. The major regional cuisines of Vietnam are divided into North, Central, and South, each differing slightly in terms of ingredients and spices. So, to inspire your next meal, here are some of the best restaurants to check out for each regional cuisine. Please don’t come to these places for just phở.

Northern Vietnamese: Phở Sơn

Northern Vietnamese food shares similarities with Southern Chinese food. Flavours tend towards sweet, salty, and mild. Phở originated here and the broth is simple and clear, letting ingredients speak for themselves. There aren’t many Northern Vietnamese restaurants in Toronto. Phở Sơn stands out for being consistently good in every dish.

No tour of Northern Vietnamese cuisine is complete without bún chả Hà Nội. This is a specialty of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. It consists of rice vermicelli (bún) with a bowl of sweet-sour fish sauce (nước mắm) to dip into. Grilled pork pieces (chả) are served on the side.

Phở Sơn has the best bún chả in Toronto. It was a refreshing change from other Vietnamese restaurants to find vegetables treated with such care. Every leaf in the herb garnish was free of blemishes. Carrots and daikons were cut into flowers. It might be old-fashioned but I appreciate a restaurant that showcases its knife skills.

Bun cha ha noi noodles from Pho Son — Bún chả Hà Nội from Phở Sơn. Quality bouquet of herbs on top. Bag of nước mắm and pickles at the back.

Expert technique was evident on the grilled pork as well. The fish sauce and soy sauce marinade seeped throughout the meat. The exterior was lightly charred and not burnt. Pork was succulent. Did I mention the accompanying vegetables were carefully carved?

The nước mắm was a refreshing counterpoint. An intense combination of sour, sweet, pungent, and spicy. It was one of the best traditional Vietnamese dishes I’ve had. 8.5/10.

Bun cha ha noi toppings from Pho Son — Grilled pork and boiled vegetables for bún chả Hà Nội

On weekends, Phở Sơn cooks up offal and sausages. They are famous for their cháo lòng dồi (pork offal congee). I don’t see this offered at most Vietnamese restaurants, probably because Toronto diners are squeamish about eating intestines and stomachs.

Chao long doi from Pho Son — Cháo lòng dồi from Phở Sơn

The congee had a style distinct from Chinese ones. It was more peppery, smokey, and oily. It was also deliciously savoury. There was an assortment of offal like large intestine, liver, and stomach. They were succulent and not overcooked. 8/10.

Offal of chao long doi from Pho Son — Intestine in cháo lòng dồi

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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

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Banh Mi Boys

Stalwart for Canadian bánh mì sandwiches

Banh Mi Boys burst into the Toronto food scene in December 2011 and quickly became a food sensation. They had the elusive formula of creativity, price, and taste. Firstly, they were a step up from traditional bánh mì sold a few blocks away in Chinatown. No more mystery meats and cuts. Banh Mi Boys put in recognizable chunks of proteins and jazzed it up with breaded squid rings and duck confit. Secondly, although they were more than twice the price of Chinatown bánh mì, it was still a basement bargain starting at $5.64 (2012 price including tax). Most importantly, as with any restaurant, taste is king. It was sinfully good and a harbinger of how the culinary scene in Toronto was taking off.

Fast forward to 2020 and Banh Mi Boys have opened several outlets across the city. As with any long-running establishment, there are the usual complaints of dropping standards and higher prices. There is some truth to that. But it is still a lifesaver for students on a budget and people looking for fast food that is not burger and fries.

Anatomy of a bánh mì

Quick crash course on bánh mì. Like how to pronounce the weird squiggly lines. It’s ok to say it in a neutral tone: “ban mi”. If you want to attempt Vietnamese tones, bánh has the same rising tone as someone exclaiming “huh?”. Mì has the same falling tone as someone dismissively saying “meh”.

Bánh mì is just a medium-length baguette sandwich. The crusty bread is sliced lengthwise and stuffed with mystery meats and đồ chua (pickles, almost always julienned carrots and daikon). Vietnamese love deli meats like chả lụa (pale pork sausage) and pâté (liver paste). These make an appearance in the house specials (bánh mì đặc biệt) of most stalls. Another popular variation uses grilled meats, like lemongrass pork in bánh mì thịt nướng.

The sandwich is finished in typical Vietnamese fashion with lots of fresh herbs and cucumbers. Well, at least for the ones in Saigon. Bánh mì originated from Southern Vietnam and is in top form there. Street vendors might slather on chilli sauce and drops of Maggi seasoning. Delish.

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