A bowl of phoI once had some awesome Pho at Times Square (on Hwy 7). But it was only once. For whatever reason, each bowl afterward could never compare to that first sublime sip of soup and noodle. Since moving downtown, Golden Turtle and Pho Tien Thanh were both decent and open late, so that made the go-to list. Mimi‘s isn’t far from work, so I visit regularly. All good, but lacking that certain element that would make me crave noodles and go out of my way to get there. Then a friend suggested Pho Linh. And now when I think of Pho, the Pho Linh sign flashes in my brain, making me debate about how I could get there before they close.

I knew that this was the place for me when I ordered the Bun on a hot and steamy evening and couldn’t stop wishing I’d had the Pho instead. Not only that, but it’s been good every time – consistency being an important factor when declaring favourites. The soup? I drink it. Noodles? Fresh – and has that perfect chew when you ask them to under-cook it a bit. Meat? Never stingy.

Maybe there’s better Pho out there, but for me, for now, Pho Linh tops my list.

  • Pho Linh 1156 College St. Toronto
  • Mimi’s 688 Gerrard St. E. Toronto
  • Rua Vang Golden Turtle 125 Ossington Ave. Toronto
  • Pho Tien Thanh 57 Ossington Ave. Toronto