On Family Day, Mack and I made plans to have lunch with Grandma Male. We were hoping to find an independent eatery in Sherwood Park so we could stay close to her neighbourhood, but it proved to be more difficult than one would think. Many of the restaurants were either closed on Mondays or on statutory holidays. Although we did end up finding a place that could accommodate us, it’s a reality that Sherwood Park isn’t exactly a diner’s paradise. With the  interest in independent restaurants increasing in Edmonton, with some exception (Cafe Haven and Cafe de Ville come to mind), this trend hasn’t quite hit Sherwood Park yet. Given the average income level in the area, I would think there would be plenty of room for more interesting and unique options, but perhaps the appetite there is still quite conservative?

At any rate, we ended up at A Taste of Vietnam. It turned out Grandma Male had already been there once, albeit years ago, and prior to their renovation. Located in a strip mall on Broadmoor Boulevard, it looks like it had been updated recently. It was sleek and modern inside, with brown panelling, tasteful art on the walls and granite tables. It was also fairly busy inside, with a number of pairs and families taking advantage of the holiday.

To start, we shared an order of green onion cakes ($6.95 for 2). Curiously, they weren’t cut in half, even though it was evident there were more than two of us at the table. Although they were crispy, they weren’t seasoned very well – the accompanying sweet chilli sauce was necessary to add flavour.

Green onion cakes

Mack ordered what I think will become his Vietnamese standby, the bun bo hue ($9.95). It definitely wasn’t as visually pleasing as other spicy noodle soups we’ve come across, but Mack appreciated the heat. He also noted that the kitchen was quite generous with the beef and pork provision.

Bun bo hue

I opted for their special beef noodle soup ($9.95), which, unlike at most Chinatown outlets, only contained a pedestrian selection of meat: medium rare beef, well done beef and beef balls. Similar to Mack’s dish, my bowl contained a great deal of meat. The beef balls were tasty, but the medium and rare done beef bordered on dry and chewy. I also wished the broth had been a little more fragrant.

Special beef noodle soup

Mack’s grandma chose the wor wonton soup ($9.95 for small). She liked that the vegetables were still crisp, and enjoyed the broth.

Wor wonton soup

The prices at Taste of Vietnam were much steeper than what I’m used to paying, but then again, we weren’t in Chinatown anymore! Though it wouldn’t be at the top of my list of favourite pho in the city, at least it adds another family-owned option in the ‘Park. It’s one I might return to but only if I were in the neighbourhood to begin with.

A Taste of Vietnam
56, 975 Broadmoor Blvd, Sherwood Park
(780) 416-4436
Monday-Thursday 11am-9pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm, closed Sundays