Authentic Vietnamese cuisine is now on the menu in west Orillia.
With a variety of soups and pho — from beef, chicken, shrimp, and vegetable varieties — to Vietnamese coffee and a number of other dishes, Toronto Pho opened its doors at 3280 Monarch Drive on Tuesday.
Crafted with ingredients directly from Vietnam, owner Christina Tran stressed the authenticity and care that goes into the food the new restaurant serves.
“Our Vietnamese food is very healthy — lots of vegetables, a lot of soups. We take at least eight hours to make (the) soups,” Tran told OrilliaMatters. “We offer all type dishes, but the main one is noodle soup, then rice dishes, like pork chop, chicken.”
Beyond food, the restaurant serves a number of drinks — including Vietnamese coffee.
“You have a lot of choices of bubble tea and smoothies, and especially Vietnamese coffee,” she said.
When Tran says the restaurant is authentic, she really means it.
“When I say authentic, I mean like everything here is from Vietnam — including the bowls we (have), we shipped directly from Vietnam,” she said. “Everything is from there — very, very authentic, and we are proud of our food and we want to share with the people here.”
Started as a GTA-based chain by Tran and her husband in 2007, the Orillia restaurant is Toronto Pho’s fifth location, and she said she chose Orillia as a place to expand because she hopes to make the city her permanent home.
“Last summer I came here for the cottage, and then I fell in love with the city,” she said. “I feel like the vibe is totally different from where I'm coming from. Everybody’s so relaxing, no rushing or pushing … and we (said) ‘OK, this is where we want to move to.’”
That sentiment shines through in how the restaurant is designed, featuring an ‘80s Vietnamese aesthetic, and a large mural done by local artist, Paul Baxter, artfully displaying numerous Orillia landmarks such as The Narrows, and the boardwalk at Couchiching Beach Park, alongside Vietnamese landmarks like the Golden Bridge and more.
While the restaurant is now open for business, Toronto Pho will hold a grand opening event from Nov. 8-10 with 30 per cent off prices.
