where jess ate

Located on Ossington with a large red sign that says “Rua Vang”, Golden Turtle is a popular place to grab a bowl of pho.

The space was renovated just over a year ago and features a patio on the side of the restaurant which I found odd for a pho place. Anyway, like all other pho restaurants I’ve been to it’s definitely a no-frills spot where you write your order on a slip of paper and give it to your server.

I started off with an Iced Coffee – with condensed milk ($3.50). No matter what the weather is like outside, I always have to order a Vietnamese iced coffee. They’re just so satisfying!

Since we were starving we ordered the Deep Fried Pork Spring Rolls ($5) to supplement our bowls of pho. If you’re not a fan of pork, they have a vegetarian spring roll option. Our order came with three rolls which had a nice crisp exterior and a tasty filling. While they were on the greasy side, I still found them to be quite enjoyable.

For my bowl of pho, I went with the Rare Beef & Tendon Rice Noodle Soup ($6.50 small). I usually like me pho with rare beef, tendon and beef balls but couldn’t find the combination on the menu. I asked about the cost of adding beef balls and was told it’d cost me $2. I decided to pass.

The pho comes with the usual plate of bean sprouts/basil and you’ll find the typical pho condiments on your table – hoisin, siracha and chili sauce.

The broth here isn’t quite as flavourful as others I’ve tried but I still found it to be quite tasty. I’m no pho connoisseur but this bowl of pho really satisfied my craving.

Mike went with the Rare Beef & Beef Ball Rice Noodle Soup ($7 large) and he was equally satisfied.

While I left satisfied, I wouldn’t go out of my way to come here. But if you’re in the area craving a bowl of pho, Golden Turtle will hit the spot!

At a glance:
• Located on Ossington; look for the large red sign that says “Rua Vang”
• The space was renovated at the beginning of 2012; has an outdoor patio
• Cash only but they have an ATM machine inside the restaurant
• Found their pho to be quite satisfying

Ratings (out of 5):
• Food: 3 stars
• Service: 2 stars
• Atmosphere: 1 star