Pho Bamboo Vietnamese Restaurant

I ate here with my coworker yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. The decor was much better than I expected and the same can be said for the food. We shared some Crispy Dumplings with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce and I had a uniquely delicious Rare Beef Soup.The service was decent, as was their hot tea, but the prices were a little higher than what you would find in Chinatown...yet respectable. I will certainly be going back to try their Vegetarian Roll-up with Rice Paper dish, as that is one of my favourites!

Had the great fortune of dining at Pho Bamboo on Bank Street in Ottawa for a late lunch yesterday. Arrived slightly after 1:30 p.m, They have adequate parking behind the restaurant but the driveway is easy to miss, and doing so results in a typical Ottawa no-easy-way-back situation. The restaurant was empty when we arrived, not surprising given the time of day. The friendly server offered us our choice of seating. We took a booth/table...very interesting decor...there's a feeling of a club with the curved booth coves....nothing is overdone, and it succeeds in being both homey and exotic. We started with bbq pork salad rolls, which came with peanut sauce. The rolls were expertly made and the sauce subtly sublime. I had the Pho with rare and well done beef and tripe, and my companion had the Pho with chicken. Both were delicious and came with a heap of fresh basil and thorny coriander, sprouts and lime quarters to add as desired. A pot of green tea (which I believe was complimentary, as it just arrived) completed the meal perfectly. The portions were very large and the preparations immaculate and fresh. The prices all appear to be extremely reasonable....fantastic value for the money.Highly recommended and I look forward to my next dining experience at Pho Bamboo.

My friends and I were puzzled when we realized there were two New Pho Bo Ga La restaurants right next to each other! We decided to go into one of them and found it to be completely empty.

Eating Area/Wait Time: I visited this restaurant alone on a Saturday and was seated immediately! The establishment appears to accommodate more guests than your typical Ottawa restaurant.

This is likely my first and final visit to this restaurant because their pho is not unique or exceptional.