Thanh Huong - Tasty Pho

Post-call days are meant for rest and relaxation. There is no better accompaniment to a relaxing day at home than a bowl of delicious pho. After another all nighter working at the hospital, my trusty stomach companion decided it was time to wake up and refill the energy tank. Wanting something quick but nourishing, I landed upon Thanh Huong, a local Vietnamese joint that promises to offer up delicious Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine.

Thanh Huong is located on Sargent Avenue close to Balmoral Street in a less than spectacular part of town. In seeming contrast to the clientele and seedy-ness of the area, the restaurant itself is beautiful and well presented. A magnificent oak door welcomes you into the spacious and bright establishment, while sleek modern tables beckon you forward to sit, tasteful decor greets your eyes, and attentive wait staff show you the path to food enlightenment. Very impressive.

Although they bill themselves as Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine, the menu is classically Vietnamese. Most of the first few pages center upon their pho noodle soups and Vermicelli bowls, the lifelines of any good Vietnamese restaurant. And while they feature a number of other items that do branch into Chinese stir fries, the emphasis is placed upon the traditional Vietnamese dishes. Curiously, this is the only place I have frequented so far that feature Vietnamese Submarines, a popular street vendor dish featuring crusty bread and tasty sandwich toppings.

I, of course, had to get my usual: Beef Ball & Sliced Beef with Rice Noodle Soup (Pho). This steaming hot bowl was one of the better versions I have had, with a rich deep beef bone based broth adorning a bevy of tender rice noodles and topped with sliced beef and springy large beef balls. I do have qualms with the sliced beef which were added too early in the dish, resulting in them being overcooked and slightly tough. Overall though, the nice broth brings this tasty dish together.

Having to try something new, the Vietnamese Submarine with Grilled Pork was a tasty accompaniment to my Pho. The sandwich begins with crusty French bread that had a nice crispy exterior but soft interior and is adorned with tasty grilled pork and tart pickled daikon and carrots. In truth, it is the dichotomy of the pickled vegetables and fatty meat that work well here and while I appreciated the extremely reasonable pricing ($5 for the sandwich), I felt there was too few toppings to the amount of bread, resulting in an imbalance of flavours.

Always another way to judge a Vietnamese restaurant, Thanh Huong presented nice crisp bean sprouts and fresh basil.

Thanh Huong is a nice addition to the Vietnamese restaurant community in Winnipeg featuring one of the better bowls of pho I have encountered in the city. Despite their location, the restaurant is handsomely decorated and feature good enough food to bring in customers a plenty. And while I felt their submarines could be improved I was impressed they simply offer the dish at all ... and at such a reasonable price to boot!