After a long bike ride from around Brantford (55km) we were really ready for a meal and this place was close to where were were staying. From the outside it doesn't look like much but inside it's quite inviting - there is a big fish tank! I had a classic vermicelli bowl with pork, spring roll and beef wrapped in green leaves. The pork was hot off the grill with a strong charbroiled taste. The beef in green leaves is something I have never had before and I found it to be a tasty little flavor addition to the meal. Spring roll was hot and crispy and also very good. The bowl had a good portion of herbs that makes for that fresh taste the is so much a part of Vietnamese food. My traveling companion had a spicy satay noodle soup with beef, which I had a few bites of and it was delicious. We are always looking for satay soup at Vietnamese places but it is sometimes hard to find. We were excited that Pho Lac Vien has such a great version of it. I really wanted to come back the next day and have one of those, but we were just passing through and will have to wait for the next time we are in Hamilton. We treated ourselves to Vietnamese coffees with condensed milk and ice - a perfect compliment to our food. All in all, a memorable meal and with very freindly service to round it all out. read more

Pho Lac Vien - a restaurant with a long table and chairs - Vietnamese Near Me - Hamilton, Ontario

really fresh tasting food and friendly staff- highly recommend. I am vegetarian and the pho is the best in the city- hearty but not too heavy. read more

We had a mixed experience. Atmosphere was nice, interesting aquarium and mirror display. Since it was our first time we ordered the $12.99 appetizer sampler which we didn't really care for. Peanut sauce was thin, wontons and shrimp were small and very fried, everything was pretty blah. We were expecting a bit more proportion-wise for the price as well. My husband ordered the rare beef with beef balls pho, and I got the spicy beef hue style pho. Mine was delicious - flavor-wise it was a good amount of heat, and the beef was tender, broth was complex, and toppings were fresh. The noodles were especially good in both dishes. Perhaps it was the overpoweringly deliciousness of my dish - but we felt the regular pho with beef was bland. The broth needed something else. No amount of hoisin, hot sauces, or fresh herbs seemed to do the trick. I should have read Yelp reviews before choosing this pace - I see someone else had the same experience. We've been on a mission to find the best pho in Hamilton and sadly this one did not blow us away, this time. Maybe we'll try something else next time. I was surprised to see such a large variety of dishes. Certainly lots of pho, but also congees, Thai noodle dishes, and lots of drink varieties. Full menu is listed on their website. Bathrooms were a little smelly. They don't serve alcohol. Service was a little lacking. But we couldn't help but notice that their kitchen was slammed. Locals may have the right idea of ordering delivery or pickup. This would be a 3-star review, but because of the noodles and hue style pho it's 4! Give it a try. read more

Pho Lac Vien - P15 Pho Bo Hue: Hue style spicy beef rice noodle soup & Rare Beef Pho with Beef Balls, and a few appetizers left from our sampler - Vietnamese Near Me - Hamilton, Ontario

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My husband and I were at this location of Pho Lac Vien last week for the first time. We've been to the one in Mississauga many times, so we thought it would be fun to compare. We were really impressed with the dishes we had. I had a bowl of chicken curry soup with rice noodles and it was so tasty. There was a reasonable amount of chicken in it and I asked for half noodles, which was exactly what I got (not always the case). The broth was really delicious and a little bit spicy. Just perfect. My husband had a noodle soup with pork and shrimp and his was also very tasty with plenty of protein. The interior of the restaurant was spacious, airy and clean and the server (owner) was very friendly. We'll definitely be back the next time we're in Hamilton. read more

Pho Lac Vien - a man sitting at a table in a restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Hamilton, Ontario

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The noodle soup is excellent. But not anything else. Especially the condensed milk coffee, not good at all. read more

One of my favourite pho places in Canada! I'm picky for my pho (food in general) so that says a lot. The portions are generous, fresh and tasty. Tastes authentic and delicious. The restaurant has a modest decor and is comfortable. Nothing fancy however with good food, you don't need the decor to make up for anything. Staff is always friendly and polite and radiate good energy I highly recommend and have already become a regular customer myself. read more

Pho Lac Vien - Hmmmmm yum!! Raw beef pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Hamilton, Ontario

The pho tasted a bit different from typical pho you can get in the GTA. The broth tasted a bit sour. Some people may enjoy it but it wasn't my type of pho. Where is the beef broth? I also got a lychee bubble tea which came at the end of our meal. I didn't particularly enjoy it, either. It was too much of syrupy taste. Inside is decorated nicely with a small aquarium and lots of plants. The entrance is at the back where the parking lot is and it is right next to some garbage bin. read more

Pho Lac Vien - Little aquarium area - Vietnamese Near Me - Hamilton, Ontario

The place itself is clean, bright, and has great decor. The chairs are comfortable, and the restaurant is fairly spacious, and kept cool in the summer. I was greeted promptly and pleasantly by the lady at the counter. My order was ready ahead of time, hot, and exactly what we ordered. read more

Pho Lac Vien - the bar area of a restaurant - Vietnamese Near Me - Hamilton, Ontario

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One of the best pho I have ever tasted! My family will ordered a three rice dishes and everything surpassed our expectations! read more

Soup is basically chicken noodle with beef instead of chicken. Noodles are wrong. Beef cut is bottom end. Does not taste like other lac vien I've eaten at read more

Probably the best viet in Hamilton! Love the pho..amazing broth and super crispy spring rolls.... + the only place that I know of that serves broken rice !! Only drawback is I wish they gave more beef in their pho! read more

The restaurant doesn't have the aromatic cloud of pho when you walk in ... & you don't really smell it even after you get the pho. I ordered the big appetizer: the fried shrimp were okay, shrimp rolls in rice paper were decent - but the peanut sauce was lacking in flavour, spring rolls were average, and the cheese wontons were disappointing as it was 1/10 cheese. My boyfriend ordered their chicken congee and it was burnt :( & the dough fritters were over-fried making it rock hard. The pho was bland and I had to dump a truck load of pepper, salt, and hot sauce in. HOWEVER, the service is impeccable. The waitress was serving 5 tables and never stopped moving to check in or to bring orders out. When we told her the congee was burnt she apologized and served us another pho right away. I will be back to try the rest of their menu just because of her. read more

This is my go-to restaurant in Hamilton. Delicious, authentic Vietnamese food. Extensive menu. Wonderful service. A warm hearted mom and pop experience. My favorite dish is MC4 : stir fried veggies with rice and tofu. Yummy! read more

Good food. Good service. The best rice dishes. Cleaning restaurant.my favourite food in Hamilton cuisine exactly vietnames restaurant

I just ate at this place for the first time even though I have known about it for years. The food is great and the service is awesome as well. There isn't a large vegetarian menu, but what they have is great. It is a simple decor, but clean. Definitely going back. read more

By far the best Vietnamese food around. Excellent service, owned and operated by a family who are friendly and very accommodating. Great selection on the menu. Excellent prices. Love this place read more

I spent over three weeks this summer eating my way through Vietnam. I had been hankering for a soup fix and tried this place for the first time. My Hue style spicy noodle soup was absolutely delicious with beef,pork sausage,liver,pork just like I had in Hue. will definitely return to try other dishes. With tea and tax this large filling bowl was $9! read more

Great customer service tonight. They went above and beyond and the food was amazing! Thank you guys !

Likely the best pho in town! The family who owns the restaurant is extremely welcoming. Lots of variety, and vegetarian options are available! read more

Best Vietnamese in the Hammer! The price incredible. Try their beef wrapped in green leaf and charbroiled pork. Also their traditional rice dishes. Welcoming atmosphere within earshot of Dundurn castle. We eat here far too much! Family-run and extremely hospitable. read more

Pho Lac Vien is the "forgotten" Vietnamese restaurant in Hamilton, perhaps due to its location in a part of town not known for dining options and the lack of street visibility. Not to worry: we eat there often and have never been disappointed. Our children--not always the most adventurous eaters--think it's the place to go, too. We've eaten Vietnamese cuisine regularly since the early 1990s in a variety of locations and types of restaurants, and PLV stacks up quite well. Nothing fancy, but absolutely solid cuisine matched with friendly service and a very relaxed environment. read more