by MARK SLUTSKY

Pho, or soupe tonkinoise as it’s often called in Quebec, is the kind of tasty, comforting, healthgiving stuff you want to slurp when you feel like you’re coming down with something. It’s the perfect post-holiday season pick-meup to enjoy on a blustery January evening. This fragrant soup, traditionally made with sliced beef and rice noodles, is essentially Vietnam’s version of the proverbial chicken noodle soup.

In my opinion, when it comes to this city’s budget Vietnamese restaurants, where pho is served, Pho Lien is in a league of its own. Like me, you’ve probably had your fair share of lacklustre Vietnamese meals in Chinatown, complete with soggy spring rolls and pho that tastes like it just crawled past its best-before date. But why suffer in silence, dear eaters, when Pho Lien’s prices are just as reasonable and the food is beyond comparison?

On my most recent visit to this local temple of pho one frigid Sunday evening, there was a line-up outside the door the likes of which you normally only see at nightclubs. Yes, it’s that popular, but don’t be put off: the line moves quickly (and there are no meathead bouncers who will turn you away for wearing the wrong shoes). Lunchtime is no different, when they pack in the local office workers, Université de Montréal students and staff from the Jewish General Hospital across the street.

My dining partner and I began with the green papaya salad with pork and shrimp ($3.95), and an order of spring rolls ($2.95). The salad was scrumptious, from its subtle lime and fish sauce dressing, to the crunchiness of the papaya and chopped peanuts and the tender shrimp and pork. The spring rolls came with the usual peanut sauce accompaniment, which was served quite warm and worked well with the clean, unadorned taste of the rolls.

For mains, we opted for a large rare beef pho ($6.75) and the sautéed shrimp and chicken served with crispy noodles and vegetables (at a mere $8.75, it’s the most expensive item in the “specialties” section of the menu). The big bowl of steamy pho, swimming with delicate rice noodles and thin strips of rare beef, was accompanied by a plate of fresh bean sprouts, giant basil leaves and lime to be mixed in. The broth is what’s so stellar here, providing a subtle marriage of herbs and meatiness that’s so satisfying.

The noodle dish, deemed a tad on the mild side by my dinner pal (nothing a little chili sauce didn’t fix), was a wonderful mix of crunchy noodles, al dente veggies (broccoli, zucchini, carrot) and tasty chunks of chicken and shrimp. To drink, we ordered two Che Ba Mau’s ($2.75), a sweet and colourful layering of red beans, mung beans, tapioca and coconut milk. Delightful!

TFor dessert, we ordered the crème caramel ($2.75) and the classic fried banana with syrup ($2.75). The crème caramel custard was nice and silky, not too eggy, and came soaked in a delicate ambercoloured caramel syrup. The fried banana’s batter provided just the right amount of crunch, which paired nicely with the buttery texture of the banana and the sweet drizzle of syrup on top.

I popped in again the other day for a quick lunch and had the very popular imperial rolls ($2.95) and the stir-fried chicken with lemongrass, served with rice vermicelli, salad and chopped peanuts ($7.95). The deep-fried rolls were not too greasy and, again, the freshness of the ingredients shined through in the delicate filling of pork, shredded carrot, mushrooms and bean sprouts.

The chunks of chicken in the stir-fry, however, were a tiny bit dry and the lemongrass flavour difficult to detect. Still, when mixed with the vermicelli, peanuts and salad (cucumber, bean sprouts, thinly sliced red cabbage and carrot), the dish really came to life. I topped it all off with a sweet, invigorating Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk ($2.50). I was in and out within about 40 minutes.

Pho Lien
ADDRESS: 5703-B Côte-des-Neiges
PHONE: (514) 735-6949
HOURS: Wed–Mon 11 a.m.–10p.m.; closed Tuesdays
BEST FEATURES: Fresh anddelicious Vietnamese staples,
 arguably the city’s best pho
ALCOHOL: No
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Not really
CREDIT CARDS: Yes
PRICE: $10-$15 per person, before taxes
RATING: *** out of ****