Dining Out: Phở Dặc Biệt, Chả Giò, and Bánh Mì Cà Ri Bo at Nam 2

It's my mom's last day staying with me at my apartment, so we decided to go out for dinner. Since it was -12°C today (Spring is bullshit here), I was in the mood for pho and thus took the opportunity to finally try out Nam 2. (My colleague, Linh, told me to try this place and when a Vietnamese person tells you to try a Vietnamese restaurant because it's one of the best they've had in Toronto, YOU TRUST THEM.) We tried going there last weekend, but there was a line out the door, so we figured we'd get a table for sure on a Monday, right? Well, if it's any indication of how popular this place is, we still had to wait 10 minutes to get a table tonight. Was it worth it?

Phở Dặc Biệt
Chả Giò
Bánh Mì Cà Ri Bo
Yes, yes it was. Of course, we got a large bowl of Phở Dặc Biệt (rare ribeye slices, tendon, tripe, brisket, and beef tendon balls with fresh noodles). We also got the deep fried pork spring rolls, and the Bánh Mì Cà Ri Bo (light coconut curry with beef brisket, potato, and tomato) served with a toasted bun. The pho is the star here, in my opinion. It actually tasted homemade — flavourful from the meaty broth rather than MSG (which makes me ultra-thirsty) — and was packed with a good amount of meat. Noodles were firm with a good chew, and loose instead of all stuck together in a massive pile at the bottom of the bowl like at most other pho restaurants. The spring rolls were perfectly crispy — puffy and airy on the outside — and jam-packed with ingredients. The curry had a good flavour and texture, but I did think it could've had a bit more coconut flavour. It included a good amount of beef brisket, though. 

Even though they forgot to exclude the coriander after I specifically wrote "NO CORIANDER" in the notes section, I still think it's worth eating here. Even if it means I have to remove every offensive leaf myself.

Nam 2

8380 Kennedy Rd., Unit C7

Unionville, ON L3R 0W4

(905) 470-1271