The Pho Shack - Ottawa

Great pho!! One of the better broths I have tasted. The service was quick and they were very attentive. I found the flavours to be great, the prices were some of the cheaper ones I have seen and they had a variety of options for your pho. Would definitely go back!

Among the best bowls of pho in Ottawa. Significant portions large could feed three people). Small, cozy space ~10 tables and small bar area). Convenient takeout option.

Excellent Pho! Have tried a few, from special hot to #32... The chef takes great care in preparation, even for take out where we were pleasantly surprised that the thinly sliced beef was not pre cooked but raw and cooked once added to the broth, unlike many other places exceptionally tender, perfectly done every time! Maybe a tad too much salt, but everything else more than compensates.<br/ <br/ Friendly chef/owner, place is clean, fresh atmosphere (benefit of nice/open kitchen from previous I owner, a bit), again a nice subtle improvement to many of our favourite 'hole in the wall ' type paces. (Our prev favorite, now no. 2 is Pho Ba Ga on Lebreton).<br/ <br/ Would be great if they were liscensed.

Cheerful decor, water comes without asking in a wine bottle! which is fun.  Service is good, cheerful and quick. The menu includes some harder to find dishes like Saigon Crab Foam soup as well as Hue style beef soup, neither of which I've yet to try.  I keep getting seduced by their other dishes... The chicken pho is very good. Veggie pho is also nice.  On the must try list: a number of northern Chinese BBQ dishes which come sprinkled with a cumin based seasoning, from BBQ quail egg and BBQ tofu my two faves, to skewers of lamb, beef, pork or chicken.  They have a beef carpaccio like dish which is worth trying.  Another fave the Banh Cuon, steamed rice noodle rolls filled with ground pork and wood ear mushrooms, and topped with both crisp fried onion& sliced scallions as well as slices of Vietnamese sausage which tastes akin to mortadella, and a cucumber beansprout salad on the side.  When I don't know what to order I pick the rice platter, which is large and has a bit of everything from a light salad, to chicken soup with onion, a good amount of rice topped with 2 choices between marinated grilled beef, pork, chicken or shrimp, or else over easy fried egg. The egg yolk is great with the beef which has a wonderful flavour from the marinade.  They also have a very nice rich beef stew which is a bit like a french beef stew big chunks of beef, potatoes and carrots and other veggies in season but with the spicing of course are not at all French   featuring star anise and basil. Comes with a mound of rice very filling!  My boyfriend is addicted to the mango shakes, which use condensed milk and fresh mango and make a nice desert.

This is a great place to get a vermicelli bowl. The portions are generous and I love the variety of hot sauces available to add in. I also tried the chicken spring roll vermicelli for takeout and it was just as delicious!