4.5/5 for King Noodle House. In some cases, hole-in-the-wall restaurants are some of the best and this is surely the case with King Noodle House. This is one legit little spot for pho (15 years and counting), located in the heart of Chinatown in McCauley. Some people may shy away from venturing into Chinatown for food, but in this case especially, that would be a mistake. I had had enough of the white-washed spots for pho and wanted to find a place that meant some serious phoking business.
When The Tomato released their The Top 100 Best Things to Eat or Drink in Edmonton list and I saw that #5 spoke of King Noodle House as Chinatown’s most deliciously fragrant and fresh pho... I was all in!
Sure, the neighbourhood isn't that great. (Is this why they close at 8pm every night? So that they're not open too late after dark?) But you've just gotta look at the whole experience as a culinary adventure, and really, it's not even that scary/bad. In fact, the restaurant itself was nicer than I expected! (Note that my expectations were VERY low.) This place is relatively cute! It's a super small space that feels warm and homey, and more importantly, smells incredible as soon as you enter. They've made some effort to decorate with some art and various objects, and I honestly didn't see a problem with it at all.
We were greeted by the famous Mustache Man upon entering, and while he doesn't seem like a man of many words, he made sure that we were taken care of the entire time. He showed us to a table, left us with menus, and came out with a pot of (free) tea for our table. The tea was lovely. Perfectly steeped, warm and delicious. I couldn't want for anything more to drink.
This is the kind of place that has serious regulars, which I learned by looking around. People would come in and order what number they wanted and already be eating their food before I was even finished looking at the menu... I needed to get with the program!
Obviously I was there for pho, and they have every combination of meats that you can think of. Pho is a Vietnamese soup served in a bowl with a specific cut of white rice noodles in clear beef broth, with slim cuts of beef (steak, flank, tripe, tendon, brisket, meatballs). Garnishes can include green onions, white onions, Thai basil, fresh Thai chili peppers, lemon or lime wedges, bean sprouts and coriander or cilantro. Fish sauce, hoisin sauce and chili sauce may be added to taste as accompaniments. It's really all about figuring out the way that you like it, and fine-tuning it to your tastes. I probably could have been a BIT more adventurous, but I chose #13. Tai Gau (Steak, Well-Done Brisket - $7.75). They offer their pho in two sizes, which I loved because sometimes the huge bowl is just too much. I went with the smaller size, and found that it was the perfect amount (the large size was only $1 more).
The whole thing was delicious. Plain and simple, yet deep and complex. The broth really is the shining star in pho, and it needs to be wonderful in order to ensure a great dish. This broth was savoury and impossibly flavourful - expertly prepared. If ever I was tasting what REAL pho is supposed to taste like, I knew that this was it. The steak is served raw and it cooks in the broth, but both cuts of meat in my soup were perfectly tender, not "fatty," and delicious. I've found in the past that sometimes the noodles become one big sticky mass - but not the case here. I piled in bean sprouts, Thai basil, a squeeze of lemon, a Thai chili pepper, hoisin and chili sauce. I even loved the crunchy hit of white onion in the bowl. Every single component danced together in harmony, each helping out the last. I found my way to the bottom of the bowl quite quickly and was pleased to have had such an eye-opening experience. Now I know what pho can really be, and I sure am glad for it!
Another thing to remember is that King Noodle House operates as a cash-only establishment, and unless you want to go searching for an ATM in Chinatown, you should come prepared with cash. The value is unbeatable, the food is incredible - it's easily worth it to discover pho like you've never tried it before.
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes