Lemon Tree

Located right outside of First Markham place, in the never ending row of restaurants ranging from
sushi to Chinese desserts, Lemon Tree offers a wide selection of Vietnamese and Thai favourites.
Today, we came for the Pho. Still on the hunt for the best Pho in Markham....and in Toronto now...we were hoping to add a small and cozy spot like Lemon Tree to the list.


It was a Tuesday, on a cold autumn evening, and the place was packed! They only one chef and one waitress for almost 20 people, and it took at least 45 minutes for  to arrive.
My sister went for the Rare Beef Pho (3.5/5), which was quite tasty as the broth was piping hot, while it was mild and full of flavour. It wasn't overly salty either and had a hint of sweetness from it which was good. There was a decent amount of rare beef, but it was oddly chewy and not tender at all. I was not a fan of the noodles, as they used dried rice noodles instead of the fresh ones, which in my opinion makes a big difference.

 I decided to have the Cooked Beef Pho (3.5/5), which again had the same mild broth. I love to have Cooked Beef instead or rare, because it is usually brined prior to being sliced, which adds a ton of flavour. In this case, the beef was nice and fatty and somewhat tender which was good. Again, if they had used Fresh rice noodles instead, I would've enjoyed this dish even more.

 
Lemon Tree is a decent place that bowl of Pho you've been craving all day long.
They have enough seating for roughly around 30 people, but their service is slow (Might be different on less busy nights).Lemon Tree deserves a revisit for their other dishes next time.

The Good:

• Nice Broth
• Average Portion Sizes

The Bad:

•  Slow Service
• Noodles might need a little work

Vietnam Noodle Star

It was a cold, summer night....Yup, you read that right! Cold!
This 'Summer' hasn't really felt like Summer to me. I love the Sun, heat warnings and warm nights...not the cold! Anyways, I was craving for some Pho and being right by one of my favourite places to get some, you know I HAD to stop by!
Located in an Asian Strip Mall on Finch/Midland Ave, Vietnam Noodle Star, has been in the business for almost 3 decades. That's when you know there is something special about the place.
Vietnam Noodle Star features a fairly decent menu, composed of
Vietnamese and Thai favourites such as Pho (Which I came for), Lemongrass Chicken,
Bian Hoi, Satay, Pad Thai and variety of snacks. With many tables and seats, the wait
is usually pretty short, depending on what time you go. Usually busier later on at night,
as they close at 12am. Let's get to the food shall we :)

With a variety of toppings and noodles to choose from, we decided to go with a bowl of Lemongrass Chicken Pho. Burning my tongue hot, the broth was rich and mildy sweet. The broth wasn't very salty and exhibited a nice aromatic taste. The Lemongrass chicken was tender and  still maintained it's crispiness and displayed a nice lemongrass flavour. We got the fresh noodles, which made this even more amazing as it was not overly soft and it went well with the broth and chicken.

Next up, we got one of my favourites, that being the Sliced Cooked Beef Pho. Arriving scorching hot,
the broth was just as good with the right level of rich and mildy sweet flavour. With a generous amount, the sliced cooked beef was deliciously tender and flavourful. We ordered the same fresh noodles, which once again, went well with the broth and the beef. The green and white onions add a boost of flavour to the broth which makes it even more tasty!










Vietnam Noodle Star is a great place for Pho and other Vietnamese and Thai favourites. I love how they don't skimp on the toppings and noodles, and really, it's a bang for your buck. The service here is okay, I mean it's a busy restaurant and the people just keep on coming! I know I'll be back for sure to try some other items on the menu!