Noshwellmenu

[rating:3]

Located on Nanaimo Street just North of 1st Avenue, Song Huong Vietnamese restaurant sits by itself on a somewhat deserted block. Inside, Song Huong has a strange mix of kitschy decor, friendly service and beef noodle soup.

Song Huong is divided into two sections. One side appears to have some tropical theme going on. The bar sits in front and smaller round tables are scattered about. It looks like a lot of drinking happens here. The other side is a diner booth area which seats larger groups and seems more family oriented. Tre and I were seated in the diner area. I guess we don’t look like the drinking type.

(Top to bottom: 1. The Classic Pho, Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup. 2. Pork and Shrimp Salad Roll.)

Song Huong has a large menu, making it difficult to choose. We ended up ordering two soups and one pork and shrimp salad roll to share. Tre had the rare beef noodle soup, while I had the Bun Bo Hue (spicy beef vermicelli noodle soup).

The broth in Tre’s beef noodle soup was deceptively lighter in body than it appeared which was dark and beefy. The noodles were over cooked, but there were generous amounts of beef. The Bun Bo Hue tasted better than I expected: fresh, finely shaved cabbage served with a pig knuckle in a nice, not that spicy broth. I’m not a huge fan of pig knuckles, so I gave mine to Tre — dining with a partner has its privileges. But, like Tre, my rice noodles were also over cooked.

The pork and shrimp salad roll was average, but we could taste that it was freshly made: the rice wrapping had a nice chewy texture, but thoroughly soft and moist, no hard, dry patches. The bean sprouts were served fresh and uncooked — just the way we like them. And a side of red hot chili peppers was provided without prompting, which made Tre happy.

(Above: Bun Bo Hue, Spicy Beef Vermicelli Noodle Soup with Pig’s Knuckles.)

Our bill including taxes and tips came to just under $16 making the prices at Song Houng a bit lower compared to many Pho restaurants. The spacious restaurant seemed clean, the food decent and the service was friendly. But we have yet to find a place that beats Le Do overall.

Perfect for: ducking in for a quick, hot bowl of soup on the East side.

The Details

1613 Nanaimo Street, Vancouver
604.251.1151

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