Favourite Ethnic Food?

[slydevil]

Oh man, that $40 burger's got me drooling and my stomach growling.

http://www.restaurantaupieddecochon.ca/menu.html

 

[JamesDouglas]

I've had Pho and it's okay, but it's just noodle soup with beef in it, I never really undertsood what the big deal was.

 

[afterhours]

IIRC, Georgian is a very spicy version of middle eastern. Where do you find it in this city?

Georgia is pretty far from Middle East IMHO both geographically and otherwise. They are Christians by the way. There is a place called aragvi and another called Georgia, both in north York.

Good for authentic Georgian food - Aragvi Restaurant, Toronto ...
www.tripadvisor.ca › ... › Toronto Restaurants › Aragvi Restaurant
Rating: 5 - 29 reviews
Aragvi Restaurant: Good for authentic Georgian food - See 29 traveler reviews, 3 candid photos, and great ... 832 Sheppard Ave W, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ..

Georgia Restaurant - North York - Toronto | Urbanspoon
www.urbanspoon.com › Toronto › City of Toronto › North York
1118 Finch Ave W ... Be the first to contribute a photo for this restaurant. ... Georgia Restaurant is a new Georgian (the former Soviet Republic country, not the ..

 

[Tech72]

I've had Pho and it's okay, but it's just noodle soup with beef in it, I never really undertsood what the big deal was.

You must not have had good pho. As with any dish, there's various interpretation and differing qualities, depending on the cook/restaurant. To call pho, "just noodle soup with beef" is oversimplifying it. It's akin to calling Picard's $40 hamburger, just a beef sandwich or top grade sushi tuna, just raw fish or a cave cured Spanish hambon, just deli meat. Which all of them are, but you would be missing the point.

 

[Tech72]

is there ANY place that serves pho somewhat like this in Toronto?? (I know probably not)

These world travelling food shows by Bourdain or others are deceiving. Most of the time, the ethnic foods available in North America are much better tasting/better quality/more hygenic than the same dish in its native 3rd world country. Let's take pho for example (plug in your favourite dish from a 3rd world country), what Bourdain's eating on location in Vietnam and what they don't show is the large spoonful of MSG and an extra spoonful of lard they added just before the pho was served. This is a common practice in the far east to compensate for the low quality ingredients and quick cooking these street stalls and road side eateries serve. MSG and animal fat masks crappy ingredients and adds quick, rich flavour without the benefit of slow cooking and using lots of meat and bones to create a great stock/broth.

Don't even get me started on the cleanliness and hygiene of the road side eateries these celeb chefs showcase in their travels in the far east. You would be shocked. I travel to Asia often for work and have seen and eaten everything under the sun.

BTW, as a pho afficionado, Bourdain doesn't even know how to eat pho properly. He's missing the touch of Hoisin sauce and herbs that creates another depth of flavour and freshness. Also, the pho that he's showcasing is a northern Vietnamese version. It's less flavourful then the southern variety. Just saying.

Some standout phos I've had in NA: Pho My Canh in Montreal, Pho So 1 in Las Vegas and Super Pho in Honolulu. There are other 'good pho' places, but these three are the memorable ones.

 

[flyingwood]

pizza hut in other countries.

Check their menu
spain
Japan
China

 

[JamesDouglas]

You must not have had good pho. As with any dish, there's various interpretation and differing qualities, depending on the cook/restaurant. To call pho, "just noodle soup with beef" is oversimplifying it. It's akin to calling Picard's $40 hamburger, just a beef sandwich or top grade sushi tuna, just raw fish or a cave cured Spanish hambon, just deli meat. Which all of them are, but you would be missing the point.

The only Pho places I've been to were the truly authentic ones where I was the only white person there, and where they only spoke Vietnamese and not English. For a large heaping bowl it only costed $5-$6 and there was a ton of noodles, rare beef and brisket, as well as enough broth to fill a small tub. It's very salty, and I can taste the MSG in it, but I suppose it makes it more authentic since that's likely what I'd find in the streets of Hanoi. I'm very adventurous when it comes to sampling ethnic food, and I don't want a white version of the food like I'd get if I wanted to try Chinese food and ate at Mandarin, that's not Chinese food, that's not what they eat in China.

The question is, where can I get good Pho?

 

[Old Milwaukee]

Thai food for me, too bad it's a little limited up here in the Barrie area

 

[youngatheart4444]

Can't beat a good piece of kishka with fresh rye bread for the gravy!!! ( Jewish Food )

 

[JamesDouglas]

Can't beat a good piece of kishka with fresh rye bread for the gravy!!! ( Jewish Food )

I love shawarma. The best I've had is Dr. Laffa.

 

[TeasePlease]

I rarely eat it but I rather like Hungarian food. It's generally heavy and hearty.

 

[Tech72]

The only Pho places I've been to were the truly authentic ones where I was the only white person there, and where they only spoke Vietnamese and not English. For a large heaping bowl it only costed $5-$6 and there was a ton of noodles, rare beef and brisket, as well as enough broth to fill a small tub. It's very salty, and I can taste the MSG in it, but I suppose it makes it more authentic since that's likely what I'd find in the streets of Hanoi. I'm very adventurous when it comes to sampling ethnic food, and I don't want a white version of the food like I'd get if I wanted to try Chinese food and ate at Mandarin, that's not Chinese food, that's not what they eat in China.

The question is, where can I get good Pho?

You're absolutely right about the excess MSG and salt the majority of pho places use in the stock base. It's the cheap and easy way to add depth and flavour to the broth without spending the time, effort and cost of using real slabs of beef and beef bones. Or they will add excess star anise to mask the lack of a real beefy flavour. A consequence of too much MSG and salt is that you will be crazy thirsty after the meal. But hey, for $5-6 bucks for a large bowl with free tea, you can't really expect top end ingredients and the cook to build up the broth for a day or two right? Just about every pho place in the GTA I've been to takes this easy route. Besides the taste, a quick way to tell the quality of the broth is by the tenderness of the flank or brisket. These meats are cooked in the stock. A properly tender flank or brisket suggests long hours simmering in the stock which can only be good for the stock. Again, some Asian restaurants will cheat and soak the tough cuts of meat in baking soda to artificially tenderize it. But a discerning taste bud can pick out the odd texture and taste associated with baking soda. You still see the pho places packed because regardless of the quality or non-quality, it's still a bargain $5 meal and most Asian tastes are accustomed to a high dosage of MSG. Pho is basically street/diner food, rarely will you find a place that will spend the proper amount to time in its preparation. I have Viet friends, who eat the extra large bowl (train size) of pho and they alway bitch about the MSG afterwards. The only place to find a really good bowl of non-MSG enhanced pho is to know a Viet family who cooks properly.

BTW, pho in Hanoi is crap. The northern Vietnamese style of pho is very watery and the flavouring is diluted, hence they add MSG and a layer of beef fat to the broth. Ingredients and cuts of meat used are generally of a lower quality as well. Native Viets will tell you the best pho are southern style, where the broth has more depth of natural flavour. Yes there is a difference. It's like any food, different regions will have a slightly different spin on the same basic dish. As for "real, authentic" ethnic foods, trust me you really don't want the hardcore stuff from the native land. A stroll down the alleyways and street stalls of Shanghai, Hanoi, Bangkok, Manila, etc and you won't want to taste the authentic stuff.....

 

[afterhours]

Thai food for me, too bad it's a little limited up here in the Barrie area

there is a semi-decent Thai Bistro in North York (on Yonge near Mezzo Notte). Any other recommendations for Thai in that area?

 

[Tech72]

One often overlooked food is Spanish. French and Italian foods tend to be more well known and popular from the Old World, but I actually prefer Spanish cooking. While the most over rated food IMHO is Greek. Besides a couple of dishes, it's generally boring and under seasoned. And no, I'm not basing my views on a few meals at Mr. Greek. It's from spending 2 months working in Athens and Patras.

 

[JamesDouglas]

You're absolutely right about the excess MSG and salt the majority of pho places use in the stock base. It's the cheap and easy way to add depth and flavour to the broth without spending the time, effort and cost of using real slabs of beef and beef bones. Or they will add excess star anise to mask the lack of a real beefy flavour. A consequence of too much MSG and salt is that you will be crazy thirsty after the meal. But hey, for $5-6 bucks for a large bowl with free tea, you can't really expect top end ingredients and the cook to build up the broth for a day or two right? Just about every pho place in the GTA I've been to takes this easy route. Besides the taste, a quick way to tell the quality of the broth is by the tenderness of the flank or brisket. These meats are cooked in the stock. A properly tender flank or brisket suggests long hours simmering in the stock which can only be good for the stock. Again, some Asian restaurants will cheat and soak the tough cuts of meat in baking soda to artificially tenderize it. But a discerning taste bud can pick out the odd texture and taste associated with baking soda. You still see the pho places packed because regardless of the quality or non-quality, it's still a bargain $5 meal and most Asian tastes are accustomed to a high dosage of MSG. Pho is basically street/diner food, rarely will you find a place that will spend the proper amount to time in its preparation. I have Viet friends, who eat the extra large bowl (train size) of pho and they alway bitch about the MSG afterwards. The only place to find a really good bowl of non-MSG enhanced pho is to know a Viet family who cooks properly.

BTW, pho in Hanoi is crap. The northern Vietnamese style of pho is very watery and the flavouring is diluted, hence they add MSG and a layer of beef fat to the broth. Ingredients and cuts of meat used are generally of a lower quality as well. Native Viets will tell you the best pho are southern style, where the broth has more depth of natural flavour. Yes there is a difference. It's like any food, different regions will have a slightly different spin on the same basic dish. As for "real, authentic" ethnic foods, trust me you really don't want the hardcore stuff from the native land. A stroll down the alleyways and street stalls of Shanghai, Hanoi, Bangkok, Manila, etc and you won't want to taste the authentic stuff.....

Thanks for your post, it was very informative. Last time I had pho I made sure to just eat the beef, noodles, and sprouts while eating in order to avoid any excess broth and afterwards I still felt like I needed to drink 2 gallons of water since I was so thirsty. I notice the same thing after I go to Chinese, Japanese or Thai restaurants, I wonder just how much sodium and MSG they put in their food.

 

[Miss Maya Blue]

butter chicken

 

[Ceiling Cat]

I have so many favorites, here is a montage of my favorite foods.

I do not know any place that does good spaghetti. I do know a place that does the best pizza in the world, that is because the mafia launders money through that restaurant and they do not care if they make a profit or not. ( I can not tell you where it is, If I do they will kill you. )

 

[thumper18474]

Ghanain ...jollaf' rice.scrumptious
Kenke'.. and banku' are an aquired taste but good with fish and peppers
Best meal ever was fresh tillapia..caught that afternoon and devoured that evening...was at a resort in elmina ...fricken fantastic!!!
Of course can't forget grass- cutter...but that was a little more gamey'

 

[EntertainmentMan2000]

You're absolutely right about the excess MSG and salt the majority of pho places use in the stock base. It's the cheap and easy way to add depth and flavour to the broth without spending the time, effort and cost of using real slabs of beef and beef bones. Or they will add excess star anise to mask the lack of a real beefy flavour. A consequence of too much MSG and salt is that you will be crazy thirsty after the meal. But hey, for $5-6 bucks for a large bowl with free tea, you can't really expect top end ingredients and the cook to build up the broth for a day or two right? Just about every pho place in the GTA I've been to takes this easy route. Besides the taste, a quick way to tell the quality of the broth is by the tenderness of the flank or brisket. These meats are cooked in the stock. A properly tender flank or brisket suggests long hours simmering in the stock which can only be good for the stock. Again, some Asian restaurants will cheat and soak the tough cuts of meat in baking soda to artificially tenderize it. But a discerning taste bud can pick out the odd texture and taste associated with baking soda. You still see the pho places packed because regardless of the quality or non-quality, it's still a bargain $5 meal and most Asian tastes are accustomed to a high dosage of MSG. Pho is basically street/diner food, rarely will you find a place that will spend the proper amount to time in its preparation. I have Viet friends, who eat the extra large bowl (train size) of pho and they alway bitch about the MSG afterwards. The only place to find a really good bowl of non-MSG enhanced pho is to know a Viet family who cooks properly.

BTW, pho in Hanoi is crap. The northern Vietnamese style of pho is very watery and the flavouring is diluted, hence they add MSG and a layer of beef fat to the broth. Ingredients and cuts of meat used are generally of a lower quality as well. Native Viets will tell you the best pho are southern style, where the broth has more depth of natural flavour. Yes there is a difference. It's like any food, different regions will have a slightly different spin on the same basic dish. As for "real, authentic" ethnic foods, trust me you really don't want the hardcore stuff from the native land. A stroll down the alleyways and street stalls of Shanghai, Hanoi, Bangkok, Manila, etc and you won't want to taste the authentic stuff.....

Thanks for the informative post! It's too bad that no Vietnamese family here in Toronto has served up some authentic Pho that you could get in the restaurants in Saigon

 

[peterlee888]

if you can try out at
pho viet nam in scarborough
on kennedy rd just north of lawrance ave
they have viet and thai foods
place i go for pho in scarborough
happy new year all the best