Nhu Quynh, Authentic Pho

The Vietnamese community in Winnipeg is a vast and diverse one, who have collectively created a silk road of restaurants peppered across Winnipeg. My fellow pho lover contests that Nhu Quynh is the greatest of them all, arguing that their authentic flavours, rich & deep broth and reasonable prices make it a mark ahead of all others in town. And indeed I did enjoy my previous visit, but with the winter cold and a year in my belt, why not give Nhu Quynh a revisit.

Ellice and Sargent Avenues are well populated with their share of Vietnamese restaurants. Nhu Quynh sits on Ellice Avenue just past Maryland Street. Not wanting to judge a place by its covers, the exterior is bland and dated with a small banister hanging off the side of the street showcasing its name and fare. Although calling itself a Chinese & Vietnamese restaurant, the menu is strictly Vietnamese. Divided into fancy appetizers, soups, fries and bowls, the amount of choice here is dizzying. Nevertheless you can find the usual suspects here and Nhu Quynh is not shy to confidently showcase their numerous pho options and Vermicelli bowls.

Mmm these Salad Rolls were delicious. Made fresh in house, the tightly wrapped rolls had springy and large pieces of shrimp with vegetables and rice noodles all surrounded in a paper thin rice paper wrapper. The rolls were a sizable portion and held together even during the numerous dumps into the Hoisin and peanut sauce.

Wanting to order from the grilled section of the menu we went with a Charbroiled Pork Chop, Pork Skin and Meat Pie on Broken Rice. Written exactly as what the dish encompasses, the large pork chop is thinly sliced to achieve a lovely tender bite interspersed with tasty bits of pepper and a sweet ?soy based marinade. Not to be outdone, the slivers of pork skin are likewise tender but give a more elastic-y chewy element to the dish. Meanwhile, rich and fatty ground pork forms the basis for the meat pie surrounded by a crusty dough.

Nhu Quynh does have lovely Pho. My usual order involves the Medium Rare Beef & Beef Ball Rice Noodle Soup (Pho) and it did not disappoint. The emphasis here is on the broth, refreshingly light but rich in flavour, the aroma of star anise with boiled beef bones and other spices was tantalizing our taste buds when this was brought to the table. Its ingredients are also high quality with large springy beef balls, thin and fresh beef slices adding to the vermicelli noodles. All in all combining to become what might be the best pho in the city.

Simple in presentation but high in flavour and taste, this Vietnamese Crepe with Shrimp, Sliced Pork and Bean Sprouts was dynamite. What can be best described as a Vietnamese savory omelette, bean sprouts, shrimp and pork are filled to the brim inside the crisp crepe exterior. The idea is to wrap the crepe inside a piece of lettuce and drizzle the homemade fish sauce on top and eat it as a wrap. I loved the crispiness of the crepe which worked well to give a counteracting crisp element to the lettuce and fried ingredients inside.

Nhu Quynh serves great Vietnamese. From the basic pho soups to the popular Vermicelli bowls to large platters of grilled meats on a bed of rice, Nhu Quynh is always top notch and deserves mention as one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Winnipeg. Well deserving of a visit!