Located at 87 Green Ln #4 in Thornhill

Pho Hong Phong is a mom and pop Vietnamese restaurant that is hidden from view, located on Green Lane near Bayview Avenue in Thornhill.  We pass by this area sometimes and I didn’t even know this restaurant existed; it’s in a very small plaza next toauto body shops and warehouse-like buildings.

The husband was the one who discovered this restaurant for us to try as we were in that area that night.

View of the restaurant from our seat

When we walked into the restaurant just after 6 p.m. on a Saturday, I was surprised that there were a number of families dining in already.  Despite the small storefront and being tucked away from view, this restaurant seems to be a neighbourhood favourite among families with kids.

The menu isn’t large so it was easy to narrow down what I wanted to order.  The food arrived reasonably quickly, were good in portions, and presented very nicely.

Appetizers, pad thai, sandwiches drinks menu

Rice vermicelli, pho, rice menu

Fish Sauce Fried Chicken Wings. $12.50

The Fish Sauce Fried Chicken Wings ($12.50) were some of the better ones I’ve had.  They weren’t fried to a crisp (not too dry) and the fish sauce adhered well to the chicken wings.  The inside of the chicken wings weren’t too flavourful though as the fish sauce didn’t penetrate into the meat deeply. There were 6 pieces in total (3 wings and 3 drums).

Bun Bo Hue (Hue Spicy Noodles Soup). $17.99

The Bun Bo Hue (Hue Spicy Noodles Soup) ($17.99) isn’t as good as other restaurants but was decent enough.  The broth wasn’t as dense or spicy as I expected and I wasn’t a big fan of the bouncy rice noodles.  There were a lot of meats though like pork blood, brisket, Vietnamese sausage.  The pork blood was very silky soft.  There was a plate of bean sprouts and shredded cabbage on a side dish.

Close-up of the rice noodles

Bun Ga Nuong Cha Gio (Grilled Chicken, Spring Rolls with Vermicelli). $16.50

The Bun Ga Nuong Cha Gio (Grilled Chicken, Spring Rolls with Vermicelli) ($16.50) was beautifully arranged with lettuce, herbs, shredded carrots, peanuts, one spring roll diagonally sliced in half, grilled chicken, and a bed of vermicelli.  I felt that the vermicelli was bouncier than other types and the chicken, while tender, was on the sweeter side for my taste.  The spring roll was really delicious.  It definitely looked homemade with lots of black fungus and vermicelli.  I would definitely recommend trying their spring rolls.

Storefront

The service at Pho Hong Phong was run by a woman and her father (I assume) whose English is not their first language.  Every customer who came in though was so polite and thankful towards them that I think they must be regulars.  It was a nice quiet restaurant and relatively busy.  It’s worth checking out if you are in the area.  It’s great to support these local businesses.