I have heard lots about Broken Rice from people in my neighbourhood, with mixed opinions, so I decided to give it a try myself. They have updated their menu from the original version, and now have eight different types of pho versus the one deconstructed offering they used to have.We started off with the Phnom Penh Salad Roll ($5.95). There were two reasons why we tried this, first was the name, anything named Phnom Penh has to be good, right? After all, Phnom Penh is a classic in Vancouver. The other reason was the ingredients...they use Chinese Sausage in these! Well, they were executed properly, wrapped tightly with a good combination of vermicelli, romaine (instead of the usual iceberg), shredded carrots and thing slices of Chinese sausage. Unfortunately, the sausage is a bit tough to bite through, and you end up pulling the whole piece out with your first bite. The concept is good, but instead of sliced sausages, maybe juliennes of them would work better. We decided to share one pho, so that we could order another item for variety. This pho is their House Special ($8.25), with beef balls, flank, brisket, tripe and some rare beef, served on the side upon request. There is a healthy dose of bean sprouts, basil and some hoisin and sirarcha sauce. The broth was really clear, free from the murkiness seen in other places. It's also not fatty or oily at all, just great, clean flavours. The thin noodles were cooked to a nice al dente and were not clumpy at all. Really well executed.The other item we tried was the Saigon Crepe ($12.95). Sadly, this most expensive but also the most disappointing item of dinner. The crepe has some tumeric and a hint of coconut and is made with rice flour (which makes them gluten free and egg-free), and envelopes a blend of shrimp, pork and a lot of bean sprouts. They serve this with lettuce and some more basil so you can wrap it yourself, sort of like a lettuce wrap. Unfortunately, the crepe itself was really bland. There wasn't much flavour, and the few shrimps we did have were completely overwhelmed by the abundance of bean sprouts. It's a great concept, but I've had better versions of it.
Take Note:
Service is excellent, prompt and friendly.
Lots of other menu items and I will return to try (Clay Pot Rice, Shaken Beef).
The pho is solid, so if that's what you are looking for, it's a great option.
We started off with the Phnom Penh Salad Roll ($5.95). There were two reasons why we tried this, first was the name, anything named Phnom Penh has to be good, right? After all, Phnom Penh is a classic in Vancouver. The other reason was the ingredients...they use Chinese Sausage in these! Well, they were executed properly, wrapped tightly with a good combination of vermicelli, romaine (instead of the usual iceberg), shredded carrots and thing slices of Chinese sausage. Unfortunately, the sausage is a bit tough to bite through, and you end up pulling the whole piece out with your first bite. The concept is good, but instead of sliced sausages, maybe juliennes of them would work better. 
We decided to share one pho, so that we could order another item for variety. This pho is their House Special ($8.25), with beef balls, flank, brisket, tripe and some rare beef, served on the side upon request. There is a healthy dose of bean sprouts, basil and some hoisin and sirarcha sauce. The broth was really clear, free from the murkiness seen in other places. It's also not fatty or oily at all, just great, clean flavours. The thin noodles were cooked to a nice al dente and were not clumpy at all. Really well executed.
The other item we tried was the Saigon Crepe ($12.95). Sadly, this most expensive but also the most disappointing item of dinner. The crepe has some tumeric and a hint of coconut and is made with rice flour (which makes them gluten free and egg-free), and envelopes a blend of shrimp, pork and a lot of bean sprouts. They serve this with lettuce and some more basil so you can wrap it yourself, sort of like a lettuce wrap. Unfortunately, the crepe itself was really bland. There wasn't much flavour, and the few shrimps we did have were completely overwhelmed by the abundance of bean sprouts. It's a great concept, but I've had better versions of it.
I have been looking for the Vietnamese crepes. Do you know where else you can find them?
ReplyDeleteSorry, I meant restaurants serving the Vietnamese crepes. Do you know where to find them aside from Broken Rice?
DeleteHai Phong on Kingsway does for sure, and Phnom Penh does as well.
Deletethai's saigon bistro
DeleteFYI, eggs are not used in the banh xeo (crepe).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up - I've edited!
Delete