Taking over the former Vietnamese spot, Demen Bistro, Little Vietnam is a new arrival on Queen St. W. that aims to bring all of Vietnam's regional specialties to Toronto.
Cofounders James Vo and Hannah Nguyen, both born and raised in Vietnam, first met when James was a Hotel Management graduate student in Toronto. Hannah, a talented chef with 10 years of experience working in Vietnamese restaurants throughout the city, shared James' passion for the traditional, regional flavours of their home country.
"Each part of Vietnam has their own unique flavour, colour to the dishes that cannot be replaced by any other ingredients," says Anthony Do, restaurant supervisor.
The two soon began to collaborate on a new concept that would feature the passed-down recipes of chefs back home. Their initial plan was to find a location in Mississauga, but when they stumbled upon the perfect kitchen for Vietnamese cooking inside Demen Bistro, they knew this was the place.
Using freshly imported ingredients from Vietnam, Little Vietnam stays entirely true to its name.
While you can get all your favourite pho, rice, and vermicelli combos, James and Hannah's menu stands out with a selection of traditional dishes that are harder to find in Toronto.
Take the Bún Chả Hà Nội, for instance—a Northern Vietnamese, Hanoian vermicelli dish that, as Anthony reminds me, was President Obama's go-to when he was working in Vietnam. Featuring ground pork and bacon meatballs marinated in lemongrass, onions, garlic and other herbs and aromatics, it's served alongside vermicelli, a fresh herb salad, Chả Lá Lốt (betel leaf-wrapped pork), and Chả Giò (fried spring rolls).
Another starred specialty from Hanoi is their Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm. A mix of fried tofu, boiled pork, and pork sausages is served on a vermicelli bed, then finished with some fermented shrimp sauce on the side.
Here, you can also find the increasingly popular Bún Bò Huế: a spicy, rich soup noodle originating from Central Vietnam's Huế region. Little Vietnam simmers their pork bones for five hours with lemongrass and shrimp paste, then tops it with pork and beef slices for a combination of spicy, sweet, and umami flavours.
Even with the new lockdown restrictions imposed merely a month after their opening, they share a message of optimism with the food community of Toronto.
“We understand that everyone (including the government, people and young businesses) is tired of the COVID pandemic, but we believe that the pandemic will pass, and Little Vietnam hopes to be one of the businesses that represent the revival of Toronto’s food industry.”
Little Vietnam is located at 500 Queen St. W., on the intersection with Portland St. They’re open Tuesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Place your takeout orders via phone at (416) 792-0991, or get it delivered through Uber Eats and DoorDash.
