Pho Dau Bo

15 Cannon Street East, Unit #2
Hamilton, Ontario
905-525-0100  

Type of cuisine: Vietnamese
Date of Review: June, 2010

Overall Quality Ranking: Good

Cost: Inexpensive
Gluten-Free Menu Options: Somewhat restricted
Gluten Free Diner Comfort ranking: Cautiously comfortable

Description:  Our visits to Pho Dau Bo are frequent enough that it is shameful they have not featured on this blog.  And we were not the only ones there.  On any night, a number of tables are occupied.  The menu is somewhat limited for the GF eater, and there is something of a language barrier, but you can back for Pho (a Vietnamese soup) again and again.  The broth is made in the kitchen without bouillon added (noting that bouillon cubes and the like are often filled out with flour, a problem that can also extend to the broth used when making rice).   The broth is rich, the meat is of good quality, and the basil is fresh and fragrant.  Both the chicken and beef Pho are as comforting as they are tasty.  The salad rolls contain nice fresh basil, lettuce, and shrimp (or whatever you wish) and are not simply overloaded with rice vermicelli.  Remember to ask for fish sauce for dipping in lieu of the peanut sauce (which is wheat containing). 

Service is more or less perfunctory, but not unpleasant.  There is little wait for food.  The decor is not the draw, but upscale would be out of place, and it is bright and comfortable. 

Pho Dau Bo is a great after-work pit stop, it’s a great place to visit before a show, it’s a comforting place to drop into during the weekend….. well, you get the idea.  There is a second location in Stoney Creek.