Ha Long Bay Bistro

Beef phở? Phở sho! Delicious broth, tasty beef, fresh sprouts. (I order mine with glass noodles instead of the usual noodles, and the waitress gives me a weird look. What? I like glass noodles, sue me!)

I pass by this place daily on the way to and from work, so figured I should go with the Mrs. and give it a try.
All the reviews here were a let down as the overall experience was rather mediocre. The food was ‘alright’ and the service was as well (although it annoyed me that the wait staff would always ask me questions by sneaking up behind me as I was chewing my food.).
If you’re in the area, and you don’t see anything else nearby that appeals to you, I’d say give a try. Be prepared to pay a little more than average for the mediocre food (I attribute the price solely due to area).

Overpriced, small portions. The curry was bland and flavourless, and the asparagus crab soup had no taste either. I was mislead by the positive reviews for this place…

Three Solid Stars. This place is pretty bold for not serving Phở, which makes me like it even more. The food is a little pricy. Given the rent in the neighborhood, I can see why. The appetizers are tasty (I personally love the Evergreen Shrimp). I find the food is catered to Westerners (i.e. when they say something is spicy, it’s not really spicy). It was a good dining experience. The vermicelli with pork taste good but the fish sauce could have used a little more lime and garlic. Their curry taste authentically Vietnamese, made me think of my mom’s cooking. I’ll definitely be back to try their Banh Xeo and the quail. I also liked the Vietnamese Beer, (could have dined one that alone!)

Located on the south side of Eglinton, near the Mad Bean, I have to say they were A-​M-​A-​Z-​I-​N-​G. Took a friend here to lunch today and can not say one bad thing. The service was great, advised them my friend had a peanut allergy and they where completely facilitating. Friendly, beautiful inside, a true gem in the Eglinton West Village. The chef is the sister of Phu Hung on Sadina and loved it here. Hope they are around for a long time. Only thing missing is delivery, I’d be ordering all the time.

This is a wonderful place with lovely, laid back lounge music, great service and wonderful food. Everything was fresh and tasty. I’ve gone vegetarian for the time being and had the tofu with vegetables which were perfectly grilled.
The colour of the dinnerware is a pale green and the cups for tea are tiny. We all felt we were in Vietnam in a Teahouse.
The presentation of the food is very artistic. There is great attention to the presentation as well as the food. Not only did the food taste great, but, it all looked extremely inviting. After a busy day the experience was very soothing.

Restaurant: Ha Long Bay Bistro
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Location: North Toronto
Address: 525 Eglinton Ave W
Price Range: ~$ 10
1: Poor
2: OK
3: Good
4: Very Good
5: Excellent
Food: 2
Service: 3
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 2.5
Extra information:
*modern interior
*extremely clean
*located in quiet neighborhood
*lots of street parking
This was a random Vietnamese spot I went with my family. Even before walking in, I had my doubts because I believe most good Asian restaurants always look a little dingy– and this one was absolutely clean. Plus it was called Ha Long Bay ‘Bistro’, it just screamed fusion food and it made me nervous. It was empty because it was already past the lunch hour. This place is nothing like those authentic Vietnamese Phở places and there is a reason why they call it Bistro. Interior was nicely done with a modern touch and all their bowls/​cultleries were new.
Ordered: Small Rice Noodle with Rare Beef and Meatballs
My rare beef phở was presently very nicely, it came in a nice porcelain bowl on top of a serving plate. However, the soup was so bland it almost tasted like water. Maybe I am so used to MSG filled Phở noodles but this just didn’t cut it for me. The meatballs were tiny but it tasted ok. Rare beef was too lean and tough for me, usually I like them with a bit of fat.
Summary: The whole Vietnamese bistro thing didn’t work for me. If I am craving Phở, I would rather choose a dingy authentic phở place over this place any time.

Visited Ha Long Bay on a Saturday afternoon. The restaurant was dead, only one other family and a single diner in the place. Didn’t mind as we got a great table at the front of the restaurant.
Ordered the summer rolls as an appetizer and they were great! Really fresh with a nice peanut sauce.
For my main I had the Phở Chicken. They bring a nice side plate of sauce, herbs, and sprouts for you to add to the bowl. The presentation of the dish was very cute. Loved the light teal dish wear!
Overall the food was amazing and so was the service. Our meal came to $ 31. Not bad for an app and two mains.
I will definitely return to Ha Long Bay

One of the neat things about dining out in a city like Toronto is watching the progression and migration of cultures through the city. New immigrants bring the tastes of home to foreign shores. For those established in the neighborhood, this can be intimidating, then exciting, then an unquestioned part of the culinary landscape. New cuisines are hot and flavor packed, as likely to be served in shady turnkey premises as they are in family run outfits trying for a foothold in the neighborhood. Sometimes, vibrant flavors and textures are toned down or sweetened for the local palate, only to be amped up as cultures meet and understand what a region’s cuisine is about. By the time a community makes it to Bay street and bedroom communities, the food reaches a level of local ‘refinement’; the restaurants have table cloths and water features, and a ‘trend’ or ‘fusion’ is born.
I visit Ha Long Bay Bistro a week before David Chan announces the impending arrival of his Momofuku empire in Toronto. It’s an interesting contrast. Momofuku is all about the fusion of Asian and Western ingredients, headed by your typical finance-​whiz-​scratch-​golfing-​tormented culinary genius. We’re promised great dining. At least we’ll get a brand. We shall see if the product lives up to the hype. Ha Long Bay is a much smaller operation. One storefront on Eglinton Avenue, just east of Spadina. Drive by at night and you will likely miss it, due to poorly illuminated signage. The signage is my only complaint about the restaurant.
Inside, there are about 20 tables which are endlessly reconfigured to support parties as they arrive. We get there early on a Friday, and the place is dead. Half an hour into service, it’s full, and the tables continue to turn across our visit. Dinner is unhurried, and service is incredibly attentive. We discuss the pretty green China and coffee, both of which are imported from Vietnam. The coffee is exquisite. Rich, deep, with a long sweet finish that the indy shops can only aspire to. Add the requisite sweetened condensed milk, and you have a drink so good it might not be legal.
Soups are a highlight. The sour shrimp version is a mild cousin to Thai’s Tom Yum, while crab meat and asparagus features tender white veg and little lumps of crab in rich broth. Bun noodle dishes pair grilled beef or pork with petite spring rolls and a riot of raw veg. The temperature contrast starts off fun, but tends to lukewarm as we eat. Big flavors compensate for what turns into a bit of a muddled plate. The limited dessert menu yields two real finds. A six pack of small, triangular beignets surround vanilla ice cream and fresh diced mango. A coconut milk flan is wiggly-​jiggly good; almost more of a crème caramel, with sugar so caramelized it recalls coffee.
A return visit proves slightly less successful. The Sour Shrimp soup is still savory, and the crabmeat and asparagus version boasts great depth of flavor with a welcome black pepper bite, but the crab is stringy and bits of cartilage add unwelcome crunch. A coconut crêpe dish attracts oohs and ahhs. The crepes are bright and airy, mixed with assorted meat and veg, then wrapped in lettuce and herb bundles. Everything is fresh, but the dish is waaaay under salted. The bird in curry chicken is admirably tender, and the root veg is soft. The sauce is well-​balanced, but compared to other viet-​erias, the overall experience is muted. The salad alongside is the most ambitious part of the plate; it’s great, if a bit sweetly overdressed.
Once again, desserts and coffee save.
I would gladly go back; phở and banh mi are offered at lunch, and are definitely worth a shot. Otherwise, I’d invite the kitchen to turn it up to 11.

3.5 Stars.
Went with a group of friends and since we had reservations we were seated rightaway. The place isn’t too big and it was pretty crowded on a cold Friday night. The service was friendly and courteous.
There was $ 25 prix fixe menu which included rolls, soup or salad and a main. I am a big fan of phở but I didn’t see it anywhere on the menu so went with the prix fixe. The Fall rolls were good but the summer ones were better. I had the crab soup and it was quite tasty. The lotus salad had quite a nice crunch to it. I ordered the quail for my main course and although it tasted great and a good sized portion, it was a little overcooked. ad chewy.
It’s worth trying if you are in the neighborhood but not worth a second visit.

Ha Long Bay is a majestic area in Northern Vietnam, this bistro serves food to match. In short: best Vietnamese in Toronto, worth a drive across the city. We ordered: Fall Rolls (silky sausage, jicama, basil, rice paper wrapper) gorgeously presented, delicious, $ 5. One of the best beef phở’s I’ve had (top quality rare beef, rich flank, and flavourful beef balls), $ 8.50. And a classed up Bahn Mi (roast chicken or pork on a fresh baguette) served with a light soup, $ 9.50. Wrapped up the meal with an authentic vietnamese coffee. Very nice interior and tableware. Great for lunch or a nice dinner. Very reasonable prices.

Vietnamese food with a fine dining twist.
For lunch, we tried the phở (soup noodles), bun (dry noodles) and some spring rolls. Everything was good and nicely presented. The phở broth (always a good indicator of a restaurant’s authenticity) was delicious. The menu had a good basic selection of Vietnamese standards along with a number of interesting «fusion» items that we will try on future visits.
The décor was relaxed enough for a quick drop-​in lunch, but formal enough to want to go back for a nice dinner. The price for everything was very reasonable.