Pho Kim Tuong

In the winter time, soups and stews make up a large amount of my meals. I love them for their nutritious value but also for the warmth and heartiness they provide, especially on cold days. Some of my favourite restaurants, therefore, have been Vietnamese places where they offer up steaming piles of soups, stews and stir fries, all at reasonable prices.

Pho Kim Tuong is a well known Vietnamese restaurant on Ellice Avenue. In a corridor of Winnipeg with a litany of Asian establishments, it takes some effort and notoriety to become well known and established. Therefore on a cold night I decided to warm my soul and made the trek out to Pho Kim Tuong.

The menu was as one would expect it. Featuring classic Vietnamese dishes there was nothing surprising or shocking about their offerings. The restaurant itself had a nice ambiance and was well decorated. The oak tables and comfortable seating, combined with an attentive wait staff made this a pleasurable dining experience.

Ordering my usual, the Rare Beef & Beef Balls Rice Noodle Soup (Pho) was excellent. The hallmark of a good Vietnamese restaurant is in the broth and the version here had a nice depth and richness of flavour. They provide a moderate helping of thinly sliced rare beef which cooked up nice and tender in the piping hot broth. I appreciated the large size and springy-ness of the beef balls, they certainly are some of the better I have had in the city.

Taking a suggestion from the owner I also ordered the Stir-Fried Honey Beef. Served on a hot plate, this tasty offering consisted of a generous helping of beef and vegetables all in a honey and black bean sauce. Tasty! I appreciated all the nuanced flavours here and thought the sweetness of the honey played well with the beef and the tartness of the onion slices. Finally, the peppers added a nice textural crunchiness while also giving some color to the dish.

The meal ended with some complimentary Fruits. Small things like this go a long way to differentiate restaurants and I appreciated this nice touch to end the meal.

Overall Pho Kim Tuong is a tasty, authentic and pleasurable dining experience. In a city full of good Asian restaurants, Pho Kim Tuong deserves mention as one of the better Vietnamese restaurants.  Flavourful and reasonably priced, this should be a consideration for anyone in the mood for Vietnamese.