Anise

Was wondering how come there’s a pho in this weird plaza. Don’t seem to have much foot traffic but on Google there’s 400 plus reviews and 4.5 star. Decided to give it a try and were not disappoint. All of us agree its the best pho in Vaughan. Portion is huge! I wish they can offer smaller size. It’s enough for 2 ppl for regular size pho. Love that they have Bun rieu as it’s not available at most pho place and it’s actually taste good! The coffee is super sweet. It’s ok with me but for some of u may want to request less sweet. The take out box comes with dipping sauce too for our spring roll. So thoughtful!

Pho Friendly 18's name begs just one question: are there 17 predecessors? I looked it up to confirm there were none. It's located in a nondescript industrial plaza near Vaughan Mills. I assume it's fairly authentic as this cavernous pho spot is still fairly packed. We have a ton of pho options nearby, and were curious to try Pho Friendly 18. The House Special Beef Rice Noodle Soup has the typical assortment of thin beef cuts, tripe, tendon & beef balls, along w/ a heap of garnishes (bean sprouts, basil, lemongrass, lime & hot pepper). The relatively dark beef broth is quite strong in umami flavour; they don't seem to hold back on good ol' MSG & salt. Still overall, a large bowl is filling & decent value. Grilled Pork on Vermicelli hit the spot, with a faint BBQ char on the edges of the thin marinated pork pieces. Bun Rieu noodle bowl however was a bit disappointing; it contained mainly tofu & ham slices in tomato noodle soup but no meatballs or truly distinguishing flavour. Shrimp & Pork Fresh Roll is fairly light in protein among its stuffing; luckily the hoisin peanut dipping sauce helps to devour the roll. Pho Friendly 18 serves up decent flavours in its staple pho & grilled dishes. Our takeout was well-packed. But 1-star is docked as I went to pickup for a family member, and wasn't directed to take both bags from the table. Usually places are careful with these handoffs. I drove back from home for the second portion. No apologies, so perhaps they're not always that friendly!

Dined in, they have booth seats with high walls which separates from each other. Their food is phenomenal, the spring rolls were soooo delish, not sure if there’s a batter they used but it was very crispy! Enjoyed every bite! My son loved it! We also ordered a large bowl of pho with a very generous amount of beef, the broth was superb! The bun cha ha noi was good too, the pork was tasty but my partner who’s an expert at this dish didn’t find it that great. All in all, the service was exceptional. They also have boaster seats available that fits perfectly in the booths as well.

The food here is delicious! My husband and I love the deep fried springs roles and rare beef pho. This is one of the best pho places we've been to. The broth is delicious, and there's lots of beef added to the bowl. We've tried other pho places in the area after moving from yonge and finch, in search of some soup noodles, and this place is miles ahead of everyone else. Staff is also very friendly there. Been back a few times, and always a great experience whether take out of dine-in.

11/10 pho restaurant!!! I’ve been to 150+ viet restaurants across Canada, this has got to be in the top 10 places. Let’s talk about flavour: so authentic, so delicious! the quality of the food is top tier, meat is fresh, soup is so flavourful and is always hot (NOT warm). Can’t go wrong with their pho or bun rieu! Portions: huge!!! they do not skimp out on the meat Price: extremely competitive!! i don’t think you will find better prices anywhere for the portions. so many places in toronto and markham are $15+ for a large pho because of the more high-end atmosphere Service: amazing, family run establishment. the owners really care about the guests. truly living up to their name! if you’re in the west end, please come and support your local restaurants, i promise you will not be disappointed!!!