Spices
3346 Cambie St
Vancouver, BC
Just as mentioned in a couple of post ago, with the current coldsnap, what better than a bowl of soup – or, again, in this case, pho? This time; however, instead of going to the usual places, I chose to go to Cambie – after all, I also wanted to check what has happened after the construction of the Canada Line… And here is where I ended up:
Out of focus, at the bottom left, the 50mm f/1.8D AF Nikkor lens!
I will admit that, for a Vietnamese restaurant, it is not worn out at all! In fact, I found it was quite different. But, I was there only for the food so… Again, I ordered pho, and just like Pho Thai Hoa, I ordered it with rare beef, tripes and tendon. As usual, first, the usual set of bean sprout, lemon, Thai basil and chili pepper.
I also ordered their “special roll” (sorry, the exact name escapes me right now) which costs $5.95.
Nope, no type here! Those two rolls were $5.95! However, despite its cost, I will have to admit it is among the best rolls I have ever had. The filling was not cabbage and/or beef; rather it was shrimp. So, despite it is $5.95, it was worth it. Also, I liked the shredded pickled radish and carrot on the side… Now, as for the pho…
Rare beef, tripes and tendon – $6.45
I think that after Pho Thai Hoa, I have raised my expectations a little bit. Since their broth was quite “clean” compared to the other places I have visited previously, I was looking for the next place that would match it. And Spices does it quite well.
Now, one thing that I am slightly disappointed is the beef. I am not sure if it was because I took too long to take the pictures (I switch to the 50mm by then and had to focus manually), the rare beef was no longer “rare”. It was acceptable, though. One thing I did like, though, was the tendon. It had two “slabs” rather than spare pieces I have had in other places. The other thing was that the noodles was slightly overdone but, again, I might have been to blame for that.
Overall, I must admit I like this place. It is small, it is cozy and the waitress who took care of me was quite gracious. But, of course, it could not be helped when she asked me about me and my D40 snapping all those pictures… Will definitely come back.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
hehehe i think everyone should now follow your example and take a camera into a restaurant with them and start snapping pictures. and then say “oh, i’m a food critic.”
I could, but that could be unfair also. After all, when you are a food critic, you try to make your assessment based on the service an average person might get, not preferential service.
Is that the spicy version? I reckon the non-spicy version sometimes is too clear for my liking, I had the spicy one recently and that was way better than the clear pho. You know the best thing about those summer rolls? I know it sounds silly, but I reckon I could eat a whole lot of those, just with the rice paper i.e. without the filling.
Hi monchichi,
In my experience, most pho shops here don’t have a spicy version of the broth. Either that or I keep overlooking the menu… However, for spicy noodle soup, I go to my favourite noodle place in Vancouver, Lao Shan Dong, which I have blogged previously.
Those rolls look oh so crispy, and love how the shrimp tails are peeking out from the end! On an aside, I think this photo set shows you’re starting to get the hang of the 50f1.8, as its your clearest work so far with the new lens. Keep it up!
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