Restaurant: Pho 88
Restaurant type: Vietnamese, Asian, Chinese, Thai, South-East Asian
Prices: $4.-$7.25 entrées, $8.50-$15.75 mains
Date: Wednesday May 8th 2019
Table of: 2
My favorite dishes: fried ice cream + pho + grilled pork
Last month, I had the pleasure of dining at Pho 88 as their guest! Pho 88 is, as you guessed it, a restaurant that serves pho soup! Of course, they also serve other Vietnamese specialties, like grilled meat dishes, bun bo hue, rolls and more. They also serve dishes from other Asian cuisines – mainly from China and Thailand – like wonton soup, Thai curry, papaya salad and more. Pho 88 is located on the West side of Boulevard Décarie, just North of Queen Mary Road.
During my sister and I’s visit, we sampled:
- Grilled beef spring rolls
- Chicken Thai curry, served with steamed rice
- Rare beef and well-done flank pho
- Grilled pork and imperial roll over vermicelli
- Fried ice cream
- Fried banana with ice cream
We enjoyed a very good meal at Pho 88 and I definitely recommend it as a top Vietnamese and other Asian cuisines restaurant in the area. This is a first, but I’m going to rave about a dessert, before any of the other dishes. I’m not sure why, but fried bananas and ice cream seems to be a thing at Vietnamese restaurants. I have to say, the fried ice cream at Pho 88 is probably the best I’ve ever had and definitely the best I’ve had in Montreal thus far. Pho 88 prepares a perfectly round ball of ice cream, dipped and fried in a perfectly round and crispy batter and when you cut through it, you’ve still got a hard ball of ice cream, coated in delicious fried and crispy batter. The best word to describe it is definitely perfect.
I also enjoyed the savoury dishes we had, like their beef pho and the grilled pork vermicelli dish. The pho broth was very well balanced between salty and sweet and I like when the beef flank has some fat on it (not too much, but just enough). The pork had a nice grill to it and was drizzled in sauce, which isn’t typical, but it was very good. I really enjoyed the imperial rolls too, which were nicely garnished, as these are often a hit or miss. The Thai curry was good too but nothing special; it tasted just like the one I make at home.
I would definitely recommend Pho88 if you’re in the area and looking for a good spot to grab some great Vietnamese food. They also have a few dishes from other cuisines which presents a nice alternative if you’re in the mood for something else or with friends who are.
UP NEXT: My blog post on BoulZeye (The new amusement center for kids and adults!)
*This restaurant post does not contain my usual restaurant review criteria of restaurants, as this is a sponsored post where I was invited to the restaurant as a guest.
*All photos and comments are mine
