Name: Ro House
Neighbourhood: The Junction
Contact: 3064 Dundas St. W., 416-767-7655, rohouse.ca, @rohouserolls
Owners: Anh Nguyen and Kwan Sit
Chef: Anh Nguyen and Cathy Phan
The food: A vegetable-heavy menu of traditional Vietnamese street food (which means lots of fresh rolls), plus a five-item prix-fixe menu ($30). Those with peanut allergies, take note: crushed peanuts are a popular ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine, so no dish is guaranteed to be peanut-free.
Ga roll: grilled chicken, cucumber, carrots, mint and black sesame. $3.25 each or $8.25 for 3.
Khoai lang roll: sweet potato, cucumber, carrot and mint. $3.25 each or $8.25 for 3.
Bo roll: avocado, cucumber, carrot and mint. $3.25 each or $8.25 for 3.
Goi ngo sen: a shredded lotus root, daikon and carrot salad, topped with pork belly and prawns. $6.50/$10.
Bun bo hue: spicy beef noodle soup with beef shank, pork belly, Vietnamese sausage, and fresh vegetables and herbs. $11.50.
RYOR (Roll-Your-Own-Roll) platter: comes with rice paper, crispy egg rolls, fresh herbs and vegetables, and a choice of tofu or pork skewers marinated with a house-made seasoning. Available for one ($16) or two ($30, shown here). Check out that Ikea-influenced instruction sheet.
Che dau: rice pudding made with black-eyed peas, topped with coconut milk and sesame seeds. $3.50.
The drinks: Unlicensed. The family friendly drink menu includes juice, soda and a chicory-based Vietnamese iced coffee.
Ca phe sua da: Vietnamese iced coffee made with chicory from New Orleans–based Café Du Monde. $5.
The space: The simply decorated room was designed to look like an open-air food stall. A small retail shelf at the back is stocked with the staples required to make fresh rolls at home.
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