What’s on the menu at Pho Le, a Michelin-awarded restaurant that specializes in southern Vietnamese pho

The chain’s first-ever non-Asian outpost opens in Richmond Hill

By Liza Agrba| Photography by Nicole and Bagol

| August 20, 2024

What's on the menu at Pho Le, a Michelin-awarded restaurant that specializes in southern Vietnamese pho

Name: Phở Lệ Contact: 324 Hwy. 7, unit 7, pholecanada.com, @pholecanada
Neighbourhood: Richmond Hill Owner: Hung Tin Chung Chef: Stephen Zhou Accessibility: Not fully accessible

Richmond Hill is now home to the first North American outpost of Phở Lệ, a Vietnamese chain born in 1970 in Ho Chi Minh City (where it received Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition). There are also about a dozen locations in Hong Kong, but Phở Lệ’s journey to Canada is the result of an uncanny connection.

Bao Dao, Phở Lệ’s Canadian brand marketing director, grew up in Ho Chi Minh City, across the street from the OG soup shop, before moving abroad. When his partner—who had encountered the brand while travelling across Asia—suggested they consider bringing it to Canada, his childhood memories came flooding back. “Pho is a breakfast thing where I grew up. Every morning, when I would throw the windows open, Phở Lệ’s aromatic broth was the first thing I would smell,” Dao says. “I would always get the dặc biệt, with rare meat, brisket and meatballs. I like a lot of variety in my bowl.”

Chef Stephen Zhou (left) and brand marketing director Bao Dao enjoying their favourite bowls

It’s a nostalgic brand for many, and given the neighbourhood’s high density of Chinese immigrants, Richmond Hill made sense as a first location. Phở Lệ itself has cross-cultural roots: the original owner is from Guangzhou, China. He emigrated during the Second Sino-Japanese War and settled in Saigon’s Chinatown, where he married a Vietnamese woman named Lệ (hence the name) and opened up shop in 1970. The rest is five decades of history—all taking place across the ocean, until now.

The Food

Phở Lệ specializes in southern Vietnamese–style pho, which has a distinctly sweeter broth than the northern kind. That’s due in part to the selection of particularly collagen-rich bones as well as a higher proportion of vegetables like onion and carrot in the broth. It even contains a touch of sugarcane to bump up the sweetness, though this location’s version is still less sweet than the original.

Because Phở Lệ identifies as a noodle house first and foremost, you not only get a choice between rice and ramen noodles but can expect to see a variety of other Vietnamese noodles appear seasonally. Besides a steaming bowl of pho, there’s a variety of other soups—including a few featuring pork blood (don’t knock it till you try it). And toppings range from rare beef to a whole deep-fried soft shell crab.

Chicken and pork vermicelli rice noodle bowl. — This is the chicken and pork bún thịt nướng, or vermicelli rice noodle bowl. Also available with other proteins, it’s served with shredded lettuce, cucumber, pickled carrot and daikon, and a house spring roll inspired by Dao’s mother’s recipe. The latter is heavier on sweet, starchy taro than your average spring roll, with a satisfying umami bite from wood ear mushrooms. $18

Bún bò huế, a fiery soup with royal roots in central Vietnam. — This is the bún bò huế, a fiery soup with royal roots in central Vietnam. It’s a lemongrass-heavy beef base with beef shank, pork sausage and pork blood pudding. This soup features thicker, heartier rice noodles than the pho. $16.50

An entire deep-fried soft-shell crab sitting atop this bowl of bún riêu, a hearty soup with a pork and tomato base. — An entire deep-fried soft shell crab sits atop this bowl of bún riêu, a hearty soup with a pork and tomato base. The word *riêu* refers to the frothy, airy texture of a rapidly boiling broth—it’s also an evocative reference to sea foam, a nod to Vietnam’s coastal cuisine. Inside, you’ll find crab meatballs, black pepper pork sausage, pork blood pudding and fried tofu along with rice noodles and herbs. $17.50

This is the hefty appetizer platter with deep fried pork and taro spring rolls, crisp pork and shrimp wontons, fresh rolls with shrimp, papaya and mango salad, and sticky, umami-rich fish sauce chicken wings. There are also fine rice noodle cakes that unfold into a sheet you can use to wrap the plethora of veggies and herbs on this platter. — In the centre of this spread is the hefty appetizer platter, with deep-fried pork and taro spring rolls; crisp pork and shrimp wontons; fresh rolls with shrimp; papaya and mango salad; and sticky, umami-rich fish sauce chicken wings. There are also fine rice noodle cakes that unfold into sheets you can use to wrap the plethora of veggies and herbs on the side. $28

This is the pho suon bo dac biet, a loaded seasonal special with hefty beef ribs, rare beef, brisket, tendon and beef balls. Like all Pho Le’s pho, the broth is meaty and a little sweeter than your average bowl, giving it a lighter but still deeply aromatic feel. You can get it with rice or ramen noodles, but it always comes with your classic pho addendums—bean sprouts, herbs, and lime. $28 — This is the phở sườn bò dặc biệt, a loaded seasonal special with hefty beef ribs, rare beef, beef brisket, beef tendon and beef balls. Like all Phở Lệ’s pho, its broth is meaty and a little sweeter than your average bowl, giving it a lighter but still deeply aromatic flavour. You can get it with rice or ramen noodles, and it always comes with your classic pho additions—bean sprouts, herbs and lime. $28

This is the Pho Le’s signature bowl—the pho dac biet—with rare beef, brisket, tendon and beef balls. The brisket is held in broth until serving, so it stays extra juicy, and in a hard left from the norm, Pho Le uses ribeye for its rare beef—a pricier cut with plenty of bite and heft. It’s pictured with $15.50 — This is Phở Lệ’s signature bowl—the phở dặc biệt—with rare beef, brisket, tendon and beef balls. The brisket is immersed in broth until serving, so it stays extra juicy, and in a hard left from the norm, Phở Lệ uses rib-eye for its rare beef—a pricier cut with plenty of bite and heft. $15.50

Here we have chè ba màu, a classic tiered Vietnamese dessert with (bottom-up) red bean, mung bean, pandan jelly, and coconut milk. It’s refreshing, not too sweet, and very good fun to eat. $6 — Here we have chè ba màu, a classic tiered Vietnamese dessert with (from the bottom) red bean, mung bean, pandan jelly and coconut milk. It’s refreshing, not too sweet and lots of fun to eat. $6

The Drinks

There’s no liquor licence here, but a killer seasonal zero-ABV beverage program more than makes up for it. There’s fresh-pressed sugarcane juice with a touch of kumquat, house-brewed Thai iced tea and a downright dangerously delicious Vietnamese iced coffee that only the very brave (or very caffeine-tolerant) should order after noon.

On the left, a delightful, house-brewed Thai iced tea. $5.75. And on the right, super-refreshing fresh-pressed sugarcane with tart kumquat juice. $5.75 — On the left, a delightful house-brewed Thai iced tea ($5.75). And on the right, super-refreshing fresh-pressed sugarcane with tart kumquat juice ($5.75)

The Space

Phở Lệ is set in an unassuming Richmond Hill strip mall that happens to be a treasure trove of Asian eateries well worth exploring in its own right. It’s a cozy one-room restaurant with subtle nods to Vietnamese street food culture like exposed wood beams, a latticed ceiling, pops of greenery and sconces that look like street lights. On a sunny day, the space’s warm wood practically glows.