4188 Finch Ave E
Scarborough, Ontario
Cuisine(s): Pho, Vietnamese
Date visited: Monthly since 2008
This place is a staple in our (me/bf, me/family) food life. Monthly, I'd say I come here at least twice.
Food: 3.75/5
I come here for the pho. You get a piping hot, decent sized portion of noodles and meat for about $6 (although, I've noticed the portion size has decreased in recent days). Sometimes when me and my groupies come here, we order non-pho dishes, like the fried rice and noodles. This is where the deductions start to kick in. Went here yesterday with bf and another couple after a movie and we weren't really feeling for pho. Our staple dish, spicy clams, was not available at 10:15pm (dang it). But you have to try it - sauce is fantastic (albeit a bit salty and the portion on it has shrunk a bit). Ordered some fried rice, beef noodle dish, chinese lettuce and sweet and sour pork. Everything was overly salty. Even the vegetables! We've done this a few times now and it's not the first time we've noticed the extra-saltiness. I guess we don't learn. Most of the other stuff isn't that bad .. the pork was good and we've tried some of the "main course" dishes before - the "steak" is actually pretty tender.
Service: 3.75/5
Although this is a sit down restaurant, food FLIES around quickly. And what that means is snappy service. You won't see the waitresses check on you. But once your arm hits the air to beckon them, they're on you like flies, ready to get what you need. Service may not the friendliest, but it's snappy and efficient (there's always one waitress who always smiles and always asks how we are - we make sure we tip well).
Atmosphere: 3.5/5
This place is pretty simple - lots of tables and a few "palm" trees spread along an aisle. Floor is a bit slippery so watch out. There are 2 doors to get in/out, but in the winter times, sit away from the door as the coldness comes in! Bathrooms are mediocre but usually clean.
Price/Value: 4/5
If you're ordering just pho, this is the only place I would ever eat at. Like I mentioned before, you get a decent sized portion of noodles and meat for $5-6 + tax/tips. Order anything else and things can get a bit pricey.
Overall dining experience: 4/5
The main reason I give it 4/5 is because we primarily come here for a quick pho meal. The pho is hot and the noodles and meat are always consistently good. Service is quick and you can probably have a quick meal in 10 min (assuming you can get a seat at the busy hours!). I think we'll always be regulars at this place .. they know us too well.
