I was pleasantly surprised that Ottawa, the capital of Canada, turned out to have the best Vietnamese food of all the places we visited on this trip. The photos (swipe for the rest) show the Pho from the three Vietnamese restaurants we visited. Here are my thoughts on each of them...

1. Saigon Boy Noodle House - Huge serving for a large size (we had it sans noodles), rare beef was very thinly sliced and very soft, beef tendon was cut so fine it’s hardly noticeable, beefballs were firm and crunchy, the broth was flavourful but the saltiest of the lot. Beansprouts were scrawny. Service was a big letdown as well.

2. Pho Bac Oriental Cuisine - Medium portion serving was generous, rare beef was not as soft as Saigon Boy’s but beef balls were fine, the broth was flavourful and the beansprouts were plump. Service was cheery but clueless.

3. Pho Bo Ga 2 - Again, very generous for a medium sized bowl, broth was delicate yet full of depth and complexity (my favourite of the three), rare beef was soft but not as soft Saigon Boy’s, beansprouts here were the fattest and crispest. Service was earnest.