The Best Vietnamese Restaurants in Montreal
Montreal is known for its gastronomic diversity; eating in the city is like traveling around the world without stepping on a plane. In fact, the cuisine of most of the restaurants we visit is rooted in a different culture. That’s the beauty of it, we will never finish tasting everything, there will always be dishes to surprise us, in the good sense of the word of course!
At TASTET, we have the good fortune and privilege of eating at the best tables in town and, over time, we have come to admire the cuisine of certain cultures. One of our favourite cuisines is Vietnamese! In Montreal, Vietnamese recipes have been passed down from one generation to the next.
Did you know that half of the Vietnamese refugees who came to Canada between 1975-1978 arrived in Montreal? This is why Montrealers rarely have trouble finding a small Vietnamese restaurant to stop for a meal. Can you imagine a world without phở or bánh mì? We’d rather not think about it! Obviously, Vietnamese cuisine is not just reduced to its two popular dishes; beyond that, there is a whole gastronomic universe based on traditions and ingredients found in Vietnam.
While Vietnamese food is great 365 days a year, it is especially welcome on colder days. It’s like a dose of medicine, but without the hassle of a prescription. With our Montreal winters, you’ll need this list of some of the best Vietnamese restaurants on the island!
If you have any suggestions for good Vietnamese restaurants, don’t hesitate to let us know right here.
Tran Cantine
Tran Cantine is a family Vietnamese restaurant with a fresh, young and creative spirit. The dishes offered here are inspired by the recipes of the family restaurant Pho Tay Ho – run by the parents – but the concept at Tran is very different and there have been several additions and modifications to the dishes. Everything here is homemade, from the broths to the marinades. We fell in love with the spring rolls. The bánh mi and phở soups are so good that they are now on our lists of best bánh mi and best phở soups in Montreal!
Montréal
Le Red Tiger
The tiger is one of the national animals of Vietnam and the red is to honor the flag of the country. The cuisine at Red Tiger reflects the food that the owners’ parents and grandparents cooked for them. Our favourites at their place include the mini Vietnamese pork and shrimp pancakes and the beef carpaccio. They also serve delicious chicken wings, spring rolls and braised pork ribs that are definitely worth trying. The Red Tiger is on our list of the best tasty and affordable restaurants in the city!
Montréal
Pho Tay Ho
Pho Tay Ho is a great place to savour Vietnamese cuisine in Montreal. When you don’t have enough time in the day, it’s the perfect address thanks to its very fast service! After a walk along Saint-Denis street, Pho Tay Ho is the best way to get your strength back. It goes without saying that their phở soup is one of the best in town. The same can be said for their imperial rolls! They offer a great range of delicious and inexpensive Vietnamese dishes.
Montréal
Pho Lien
Pho Lien has quickly become a staple in the Côte-Des-Neiges neighbourhood. The name Pho Lien is a tribute to the famous Vietnamese soup and to the owner of the restaurant, Mrs. Lien Lee. The specialty of the house is – you guessed it – the phở soup. At Pho Lien, there offer around fifteen soups: rare beef, chicken, and a few with tripe and tendons. We have a few soft spots for the classic rare beef soup and for the minced pork with rice vermicelli, salad and peanuts.
Montréal
Le Petit Sao
Le Petit Sao is a great place to savour a quick and fresh lunch in a friendly and colourful space. The house offers dishes that are inspired by traditional recipes passed down from mother to daughter. Tradition and modernity merge here thanks to the creativity of the co-owner who reinvents Vietnamese classics. Petit Sao offers a wide variety of delicious and affordable dishes, including several vegetarian options. Among the specialties of the house, we find fresh and authentic dishes: bun with grilled marinated chicken, and a bánh mi with Cha (homemade pork patties).
Montréal
Ho Guom
Open 7/7, Ho Guom is a friendly establishment where you can savour delicious Vietnamese meals at good prices. Located in Villeray, near the Fabre and Iberville metro stations, the house specializes in Tonkinese soups in addition to serving excellent spring and imperial rolls. There are also several typical dishes from northern Vietnam. It’s a good little address for comfort food with good and fast service.
Montréal
Hà
The establishment offers a traditional Vietnamese concept of Bia Hoi, a small neighbourhood restaurant where you can savour simple and very tasty food. The menu is inspired by Southeast Asian flavours and is designed to introduce you to a host of delicious little things. We particularly like the Phó soups – one of the best in Montreal (with filet mignon), some of the best pork imperial rolls in Montreal and the buns. The menu items come in rather generous portions and are perfect for sampling and sharing.
Montréal
Hoai Huong
Only a few meters from the Côte-Sainte-Catherine metro station is Haoi Huong, a superb Vietnamese address at the junction of Côte-des-Neiges and NDG. For those who live on the South Shore, there is a branch in Brossard where traditional Vietnamese cuisine is also served. For over 30 years, the team has been preparing authentic Vietnamese dishes. Their phở broth is excellent as are their grilled meats! The service is very friendly and it feels like home. Under normal circumstances, you can bring your own wine to complement your meal.
Montréal
Cafeden
Cafeden is beautiful, it’s good, it’s easy going and it’s affordable. On the menu think Pho Tai soup with rare beef, pork rolls and fried vegetables, chicken wings, grilled prime rib, beef tataki, banh bao, fried squid, scallop ceviche, papaya salad, fried tofu, grilled squid or fish of the day. In our opinion, Cafeden has the best chicken wings and papaya salad in Montreal; they are our staple on every visit. One of our favourite places on Saint-Laurent Boulevard!
Montréal
