Anh Dao - Best Non-Pho Vietnamese Food

A couple of months ago I raved about grilled shrimp that was wrapped in beef. Today I went back for a second helping of grilled shrimp wrapped in beef. This was my third time at Anh Dao, and it's definitely made it on my list of repeat restaurants and my top 5 restaurants to recommend when friends ask "so where should we eat?".


What makes Anh Dao particularly special is it's roll your own salad roll combos. With my mediocre understanding of Vietnamese I believe these dishes in general are called banh hoi. The only difference with each combo is the meat options available, there are the usual grilled meats and kebabs, sugar cane shrimp, and nam nung. And then there's the shrimp wrapped in beef skewers. When I first ordered it I thought it would be a combination of shrimp and beef skewers, but I was delightfully surprised!

Nevertheless, all banh hoi comes with thin vermicelli noodles garnished with green onion, oil, and peanuts, as well as a myriad of vegetables and herbs. And for those not so faint of heart, unassumingly in the corner of the platter is preserved pigs ear. To enjoy all these flavours at once you will need to make a roll with the provided rice paper. Rolling can be quite an art at times, but it seems that the best method to ensure no ripping of the paper is to start with the herbs and lettuce, the softest leaves closest to the paper, then top it off with bean sprouts and cucumber then grilled meat, and on top of that the vermicelli noodles. The idea is to keep the softer and more malleable ingredients touching the paper will the coarser ingredients tucked inside.

After you create your roll, dip it into the provide sauce. Yummy. The best part about this meal is that you can ditch the stuff you don't like and only roll in the stuff you do like. Although some people may be intimidated by the herbs, they are worth a try. Tasting them on their own doesn't do it justice, in order to fully appreciate it, you must roll it into your roll.

For a meal this interactive using your hands is the way to go (just don't forget to wash before and after your meal). To top it all off, I recommend a carbonated beverage, such as their lime soda or preserved lime or plum soda. If anything a coke will be just as refreshing.

A Note About the Rice Paper
Sometimes the rice paper comes out dry and you will have to soak it yourself in the provided warm water. Do not over-soak your sheet as it will become useless and mushy. Just wet all areas of the paper and place on your plate, it will gradually soak in and create a nice soft rollable sheet. If the rice paper arrives pre-soaked, be careful when you separate the sheets as they are prone to tearing.

Atmosphere
Unfortunately the restaurant is a bit of a dive, though is quite clean. There's nothing to write home about in this sense.

Rating: 3 Stars - extra points for interactiveness and creativity
Price: $ - Cheap (for 2, $30 including beverages)
Location: Spadina at Nassau (S. of College)