My Chau Restaurant

I have had My Chau bookmarked for a few years now, and I finally got a chance to try it out recently. We went in after the lunch rush, and were seated right away (plenty of free parking on Kingsway in the early afternoon). The place isn’t the biggest, but it was clean and had your basic phở place setup (all condiments and utensils are already on the table, self-​serve). We ordered:
Shrimp rolls: tasted fresh (I like to add hot sauce to the peanut dipping sauce).
Fried chicken leg phở: The phở itself was pretty good (nice broth), and the chicken leg was really crispy. We liked the chicken so much that we had to order a side order of it for dessert.
Lemongrass chicken with rice: this was decent, but the chicken phở is what most people order, for good reason.
Ice coffee: nice and strong
Although it isn’t fancy, My Chau is one of the better phở restaurants that I have tried in Vancouver. I will definitely be back for the chicken phở again.

This is definitely my go to favourite phở restaurant. They’re the only phở place who can make the best satay soup. The service has always been good and quick. I love this place.

I love the chicken phở here! The broth is very light but tasteful. Must get the spring roll as well.

One my favourite phở restaurants on Kingsway. I would drive from downtown for lunch if I was craving delicious phở. A hole in the wall but the broth is excellent.

Always consistent and alway does the job. I’ve been coming here since Highschool and still do till this day (13years). Over the years I have developed an allergy to msg and therefore cannot have their phở anymore, but I come back for the the best spring rolls. I Would recommend to anyone.

I was introduced to this place by a Vietnamese couple that I had met recently and in our talks I had asked them if they knew of a really good Vietnamese place. And they immediately said this place. Cheap and good food so they said. I can attest to the fact that they do have decent and good food. Everyone in the place is ordering Phở. I should’ve tried that. The lemongrass chicken on rice is good. I also ordered the spring rolls and they were ok. They are a cash only place. Tea is free and good. I’ll be back to try their soup. Can you even call it that? It’s a beautiful thing to have a bowl of Phở.

I made this account to write a review because I was so disappointed with how they prepared the food. I saw the high ratings on Unilocal and decided to give this place a try. I was seated right away, the server seemed friendly, and did his job. I was seated in view of the kitchen. The lady in the kitchen took the basil off the plate that the server had just brought back to the kitchen, tapped out the excess water over the garbage can and placed it on a new plate of bean sprouts. The server then came back with that plate of basil with bean sprouts and placed it on my table.
I ordered a large #1 phở ga on the menu (chicken phở) that was recommended by the restaurant. Food was served within 5 mins. The soup tasted bland, and there was barely any chicken in my noodles. It was also served with a quail egg, chicken liver and heart. Price was $ 7.50 for a large bowl of chicken phở. It is the cheapest phở I’ve seen around kingsway.
I will definitely not be returning to this restaurant.

I have been going here for over 13 years and I absolutely love this place. They have good spring rolls, phở ga, com ga, and I always keep coming back. They did renos few years back and the washrooms are a lot better than what it use to be. Parking is good and remember to bring cash and don’t come on Sunday’s!

Bring on the phở!
It was chilly outside and I felt a cold coming on so I decided to finally check this place out.
The chicken phở is pretty decent. The broth is really yummy but the deep fried chicken left something to be desired as it was a little too dry for my taste.
I tried jackfruit for the first time, which tastes like mango, but has a crunch and chewiness to it like pineapple. Maybe I won’t be so shy to pick up one from the grocery store next time I see one.:)
I got what I came for, my tummy was full, and I was warm and comfy when I left.
At such a good value ($ 6.50 for small phở), I’ll be back to try other items on the menu.

Weirdest phở ga (chicken phở) I’ve ever eaten in my life. I was a little confused when there was a deep fried chicken thigh with my phở… A little bit shocked to be honest. I’ve eaten a lot of phở ga over the years, both in North America and in Asia and i’ve got to say this is a first.
Pretty much the broth in the phở tasted like a cube of chicken broth mixed will a whole lotta MSG. The MSG is super authentic (because Vietnamese cuisine uses MSG religiously), but the broth? No. You’re supposed to simmer the chicken and bones, not stir in some instant powdered chemical stuff. The chicken though was pretty good, if eaten on it’s own without the disastrous «phở ga» — I’d much rather get this than KFC, now you know what I mean by weird right?
Also tried the regular phở bo, same goes for the broth as the chicken — it was really really really bad. I’m no chef, but I’m pretty sure that there were little chunks of powder floating around in my bowl.
The restaurant is cleaner than most Vietnamese joints, but that doesn’t mean that it is clean. Service is alright, they actually filled up my water (after I asked of course)!

Most of the reviews I found it rated at 4 even 5-​star, I’m not sure if I ordered something not right and can’t give them even 3 star.
It was disappointing to food. When I walked into an ethnic restaurant, I found the floor was sticky and the utensils were a bit greasy!
They put a sign outside the entrance and special well known for chicken phở. Of coz, I gave it a try. Well. I agree not many Vietnam place serve it and other special dishes on the menu.
I ordered special chicken rice noodle — Chicken, Liver, Gizzard, Quail Egg and chicken balls
The broth very plain even tasteless, the chicken thin as paper, chicken ball pretty delicious and bouncy.
Spring rolls were good, pretty standard.
Special beef noodles — NOT special at all, light broth and average meats.
Too bad… I probably won’t return for awhile…

I’m not an avid fan of the much loved phở. Shocking, I know. What’s more shocking is that I’m Vietnamese. Say what!!! Now, what person, let alone a Vietnamese, on planet Earth does not like the proclaimed national dish of my people’s country? Well, me for one *meekly waves hand in the air*. Call it treachery. Call it blasphemy. Call it bad parenting. Call me, maybe? Ha. i doubt it. The secret is out.
Now, calm down, I don’t despise it. I even eat it on occasion. In fact, on many occasions especially when I’m forced to, like in survival mode. The truth is, it’s simply not my vietnamese dish of choice given the array of other delicious options available at my disposal. Okay? Let’s move on.
However, with every shocking admission, there are always exceptions. This exception was in the form of a deep gnawing craving, quietly hibernating in muh hungry belly. The said craving usually awakes from its slumber every 3 years and I was overdue for one. I wanted phở. I wanted it bad and I had to have it pronto!
In my mad search for the best chicken phở in this fair city, I came across My Chau and knew this is where my craving shall meet its demise.
I arrived, sat down, looked at the server straight in the eye and let out an exasperated phở ga #3. I think I might have even shot up three fingers on my hand to ensure that there will be no miscommunication. He understood my plight immediately.
When the infamous phở ga #3 came, I quickly scanned its appearance and nodded in approval. I took my first sloppy slurp and was overcome by a pleasant tingling sensation all over my body. The broth was magical and the crispy chicken sublime. Long story short, the mighty phở ga won the battle and my defeated craving scurried back into its dark slumber.
What does this all mean in the grand scheme of things? Does it mean I’m a convert? Nah, probably not. But it can quite possibly mean that my craving may be stirred sooner than later, perhaps in two years time? Hey, I may not get brownie points for being their most regular customer but you can bet your buttons that this is THE place where I will get my phở ga on. Word to the big bird.

Wanted to see what the hype was all about, perhaps i expected a bit too much.
Ordered the chicken phở, and can say the broth is good, and seems to be healthy, no msg…
Fried chicken was good too, though not over the wall.
Yet, i’ll still return b/​c it’s one of the cleaner establishments and need to order some other food.
the spring rolls were good too.
Great service though.
And the iced coffee was just average, compared to Thuan An or my newest craze in dt, Saigon One.

All right everyone, after seeing these reviews, I really wanted to see what the hype was all about and offer my pseudo-​authentic Vietnamese perspective on the cuisine at My Chau. Disclaimer: I’m half Vietnamese so hence, this is only a «pseudo-​authentic» perspective.
This place is okay.
It has a very solid menu with many dishes that you won’t find in typical Vietnamese restaurants in Vancouver. The prices are reasonable, and if you’re craving a solid quick Vietnamese meal, this place will do the trick.
But, if you’re used to really good Vietnamese restaurants, especially the ones in San Jose, Orange County or even in our friendly neighbour city, Calgary, you will be sorely disappointed.
The Phở Ga (chicken phở) at My Chau was good, but not enough to warrant 5 stars. If you were to choose between the chicken phở and the beef phở, I would still go with the chicken phở. My friend had the beef phở, and it was not spectacular by any means.
Key tip — avoid the beef phở, go with the chicken one.
Last, if you’re still itching to find one of the best Vietnamese places in the city, just head over to Phở Tam in Surrey.
And if you’re a die hard Vietnamese food fan and looking for the best of the best, head down to San Jose and Orange County for the true 5 star stuff.

OMG, I thought I knew chicken phở but this is like non other. For my first phở experience in Vancouver, I have asked Christian H, Theresa W, and her hubby to try out My Chau. Unilocalers have such great reviews for their chicken phở so we had to come here.
I usually order the special beef phở at Vietnamese restaurants because nothing beats a good bowl of beef soup with all the trimmings. But My Chau’s chicken phở was PHENOMENAL! The chicken leg was deep fried and super crispy. The noodles were not overcooked and the broth was clear and flavourful with the addition of herbs and bean sprouts. My only complain is that they need to give us a larger portion of the chicken because I can’t get enough of it! Hopefully their large bowl has more chicken, not just noodles.
Now that I had My Chau’s chicken phở, I’ll be back to try their beef phở and see if it’s up to par. The search for the best beef phở in Vancouver continues…

Ladies and gents we have a winner! After several several… several… 3-​star and 4-​star selections, I finally landed on a solid 5-​star. And I owe it all to Kwoky and Christian.
We came here for a lunch with the lovely couple, after noticing that the restaurant had top reviews. We arrived around 1:30, but the place was surprisingly still full of diners and we had to wait outside for another 5 minutes. We didn’t mind, since it was a beautiful day outside and we enjoyed the sunshine (staying inside was hard, since the smell of phở was mouth-​watering).
When we got our seats, the servers were sooooo nice. They always came over with a smile, they didn’t try to rush us when we weren’t ready with our order yet, and kept refilling our teapot at a decent pace long after we were done eating and were just chatting.
The Phở Ga is amazing. the crispy chicken is devine (I love the crunchy skin), and the soup base is clear (tsing) and still flavourful. But it’s not just about the chicken phở people, their regular selections are just as awesome. Husband ordered his regular beef brisket rice noodle stew (he’s just not as adventurous), and was thoroughly impressed with the large bowl that came to our table. It was certainly bigger than what we’d find anywhere, and there was so much of everything (noodles, vegetables, brisket) that you can’t help but let your jaw drop to the floor.
Despit the distance from our home in downtown, we already declared the second we walked out of the restaurant that if we’re to go for phở, this is the place!
Right by the 19 or 25 bus stop, and a short walk to either the 20 or 22 buses. You really have no excuse to not go. Cash only! :)

Disclaimer: I rank meat in following order (1) beef, (2) pork, (3) poultry and (4) seafood. Wanted to switch up from my usual phở and decided to check out My Chau due to all the acclaims for its’ phở ga (chicken).
I was aware that the #3 (deep fried chicken phở) was their specialty — and I was ready to deviate from my usual Vietnamese litmus test — order menu item #1 (the ‘dac biet’/‘house special’) and I’ll learn everything I need to know. However, my dining partner was didn’t want us both to order the same thing — yes, one of *those* people. Am I the only person that doesn’t see the big deal about the same dish ordered more than once? Yes, I’m aware of the (irrational) argument that ordering the same thing will result in smaller portions. But give me a break — it’s usually due to some non-​conformist drive. I already have enough of these people in my life — if you are one, I do not want to be friends with you — stop making life difficult.
I’m usually quite Machiavellian in these situations but I thought I should stick to my ‘dac biet’ rule. I got the #1 (chicken phở with chicken slices, liver, gizzard, quail egg and chicken balls) and my dining partner got the marquee #3. The dac biet was good — clear Hanoi-​style broth and the chicken was good — wasn’t a huge fan of the chicken balls though (seriously, beef destroys chicken in ball form). The noodles were cooked well — al dente and retain a good ‘ricey’ flavour’. The garnishes were very fresh as well. The springs rolls were a tad dry but pretty good.
But really, I spent the meal kicking myself for ordering the wrong item. Had some of the on-​the-​side fried chicken leg and it was well-​seasoned, crispy and juicy. It was good — strange orange colour though. I kept thinking, «WHY DID YOU TURN DOWN FRIED CHICKEN, YOU MORON?!?» Definitely get the #3 — don’t waste your time elsewhere.
So, maybe I’m a sourpuss for missing out on the fried chicken phở. But I generally prefer the heavier, darker beef broth — it’s just more flavourful, yo. My chicken phở was solid and probably one of the better ones I’ve had in Vancouver — but I’m not going to normalize for it. It’s like winning ‘Sixth Man of the Year’ — ya, you’re the best guy off the bench… but you’re still not a starter.
Not my bag, I suppose. But that was so damned good fried chicken. Will come back for that — or combo it with something other than phở ga.
Closes at 6PM.

The chicken phở was not the best I’ve ever had, but for how cheap it was, it was phenomenal. I had the #3 (chicken phở with fried chicken on the side) and it was good. The chicken and broth were sooo good. I’m usually pretty sensitive to msg and I was able to drink the broth and feel fine after.
You can’t go wrong with the prices ($ 6 sm, $ 6.50 lrg). For less than a mcdonalds meal you get a good quality meal.
Actually, the whole ranges from $ 5 — $ 8 for everything. I’ve also ordered the hu tieu kho here … and I would not get it the next time. It was only ok, but seafood isn’t this restaurant’s specialty so I’m not surprised.
As well, I went around 4pm and the restaurant was almost empty, so it’s good to know it isn’t full all day long.

Looks like there’s a legit reason why this place was completely full on a Saturday morning, while another phở place (literally next door) was completely empty. Oh, and this places doesn’t even need to open past 6pm haha. A small lineup formed while we were there.
The food item were among the lowest I’ve seen around here too, at around $ 6 – 7 per item, even for the large.
I didn’t go myself, but my friend said this washroom was the nicest washroom in a Phở restaurant he has ever been inside. He said it was so nice that you think you walked into someone’s home.
I tried some beef ball and steak (#4), and they were wonderfully done. The meat was literally raw, so you could cook it in the soup.
The fried chicken on rice (#62) was excellent. Crispy orange skin, very moist meat. My only complaint was that the portion of meat seemed a bit smaller than other places. And the salad tasted a bit off.
One nice touch about the white coffee is that they give you the cup of ice some 5 minutes after you first get the coffee drip, so that the ice isn’t all melted before your drink goes.
I don’t know if it’s the BEST place for phở in Vancouver (other places like Thai Son come to mind), but this one definitely gets my approval. Just make sure you go early enough to beat the rush.

* Still the best phở ga for me in Vancouver *
I always forget how much I like this place, and then I revisit and remember!
I had their phở ga (chicken phở) which is served a bit differently than at many other places. The chicken comes on the side instead of inside the soup. It is fried (but without breading) so that the skin is phenomenally crispy and the meat is perfectly tender inside. Photo:
The soup itself is very clear, so clear that on visual inspection you may not expect much flavour. But that is deceiving as it is a richly flavoured stock without noticeable MSG (although perhaps there is some). The noodles are perfectly al dente, and the green onions and white onions add a pleasant flavour. Photo:
The garnish plate for the soup included very fresh basil, rau ram, bean sprouts, chili, and a slice of lemon. (Why is it that all Vietnamese restaurants lately have switched to lemon instead of lime? Is there a great lime shortage or something!!!) Photo:
Reliable, consistent, delicious, and did I mention that crispy skin on the chicken!!!