Tasting Journey #28 - Lam Hoa Quan

Lam Hoa Quan
5703 Victoria Drive
604.326.5880
website


I've always been a fan of PHO. I can eat pho everyday, every meal. I enjoy it alot because it is light (perfect for people who are on diet), and healthy (a well-balanced portion with carbs, meat and vegetable).

Whenever I try ethnic food, my conclusion have always been that Vancouver's is still the best.  I think this is a biased opinion because I am, at the end of the day, a Vancouverite, and no doubtedly have grown used to the Vancouverized flavouring, and hence, a preference for ethnic food in Vancouver. This is true for Japanese, for Dim Sum, for Korean...etc.  Pho, is an exception. Regardless of how wonderfully tasting the Pho is in Vancouver, I have to say, the best pho I've ever tried is indeed in Vietnam, recommended by a friend who was, at that time, an expat there.  The funny thing is, Pho is very regional; there's pho from Northern Vietnam, that is made of something sour or tomato-based (I forgot), and then there's the very common pho that I believe is from the southern region of Vietnam.  I prefer the version from the south because it is the most similar to what is offered here in Vancouver.

Lam Hoa Quan is a pho place highly recommended by my co-worker.  According to her, this place is where the real Vietnamese go (OK, so I guess it's like the Richmond of Vietnam where "real Asians" go).  Like all other pho places located on Kingsway, this place looks like any other pho place: minimal decoration, white wall, white floor, square table, tv in the corner, and an old 70's style cashier counter.  Like all other pho menu, there's the special pho, rare beef, cooked beef...etc. I don't see what's so special.

In terms of crowds, I do have to say that it does seem to be busy. Not packed, but there was a constant stream of customers, with a consistent fill rate of 65%, which I would consider good on a Wed night, in the midst of all these other pho restaurants.

I ordered the #1 (special pho).  The food arrived quickly.  Service was friendly. I took a sip at the soup. Nothing mind blowing. The portion was huge, and I was stuffed (if I were to compare this to ramen, this would be the Kintaro size).  They also had lots of other interesting toppings (not sure what they are..probably some sort of tripe, or tendon or what have you's...).  Aside from the quantitative side of the dish, I would say that typically, the deciding factor for a good pho is probably the broth.  Lam Hoa Quan adds ginger to the soup base.  OK I guess, if you're a fan of ginger (unfortunately I wasn't).  The broth is also not as "sweet tasting" as the broth, however, I believe that it is because no MSG was used in the creation of the broth.  Though less "sweet", I would say that the broth is made of true ingredients.  For something that is made fresh, it is probably quite good in quality.

Huge, and satisfying dish for $8? Totally worth it.