Viet Family's pho will make you forget about beef

Viet Family at 1414 Commercial Dr. on Main has developed what seems to be a popular following, judging by the volume of visitors. It makes sense — Vietnamese is a popular Vancouver food, so why wouldn’t the vegan alternative also be?

Snuggly nestled into the street with an unassuming white-faced facade, I could not help but note the irony of Fanny Bay Oysters on its left and The Daily Catch, a seafood market on the right.

Seitan forms a big part of the menu at Viet Family, with the kitchen using it in creative ways to mimic the meat you might find in normal dishes. Made from gluten, it’s formed from wheat by passing developed gluten flour through water. The starch is slowly removed, leaving behind a dense gluten ball. Historically, it’s been used by many Asian countries as a meat substitute by vegetarian Buddhist monks. 

I ordered the caramel spare ribs and the beef pho. My goal was to try a more traditional version of the popular Vietnamese soup, as well as something a little more creative to see how they emulate meat alternatives.

The caramel spare ribs were golden brown triangles, prepared with a little mountain of dark purple rice and accompanying cucumbers and tomatoes. It’s a colourful plate of green, red, brown and orange.

It tasted… Interesting? The ribs were both soft and crunchy, a spongy texture that sprung back after each chew. It wasn’t unpleasant, just different, especially with my expectations over the name spare ribs. The sauce infused into the seitan was sweet, with clear notes of caramel and hit of toffee that contrasted well with, funny, enough, the tomatoes. 

It did leave me feeling a bit queasy after eating most of it. Maybe it was how the dish was prepared, but it felt a little too oily, as I do have a sensitive stomach when it comes to deep-fried food. It was flavourful and worth ordering, but you may want to share it with a friend rather than eating it all. 

But what I came for was the pho. While they couldn’t replicate the feeling of slurping up noodles pho noodles, crouched on a small chair in the middle of a bus street at 1 am in Dan Nang, Vietnam, could they replicate the complex taste of of beef pho broth? I had to know. 

Pho lives or dies by that pale brown liquid. Clarity, taste, freshness, seasoning, the liquid has a distinct, sweet flavour, made from beef and bones, lending an intense richness that would be easily recognizable in any blind taste test.

Their broth was, in a word, divine. While not packing the same depth of intensity provided by beef, it still had a delightful flavour that mimicked normal pho broth. Like crystal clear Caribbean waters, the broth had very little distortions or impurities, with a faint sheen of what was not, but clearly looked like, fat on the top. They say it takes eight hours to make, which I believe. 

The dish featured vegan beef slices and beef balls, in an effort to truly mimic a traditional pho. The beef slices were forgettable, but the beef balls packed an intense umami flavour that easily made it second best part of the pho after the broth. 

Noodles are of secondary importance in pho. Done well, and it moves the soup up a notch. But, done poorly, it can kill an otherwise perfect dish. I find many places overcook them, breaking apart too quickly after each bite. Al dente isn’t good either — this isn’t Italian pasta — but I prefer a little density, or give, rather than it melting into the broth. 

Viet Family’s were borderline, maybe a tiny, itsy bit overdone, but still very enjoyable. It didn’t take away from the dish, but it didn’t elevate it. The rest of the pho ingredients lives up to its quality. Chewy and delightful mushrooms, thick pliable slices of pure white tofu, lightly cooked bok choy, it’s a medley of vegetables. 

I can see why people love Viet Family. They’re experimenting with different flavours and textures while managing to stay distinctly Vietnamese, giving vegans and vegetarians space to enjoy the country’s classic dishes. Even meat lovers will have something to appreciate in Viet Family’s exquisite pho. 

Noise Level: Not overly loud, but a smaller space so if it was very full, it might be harder to hear. 

Recommended: Any of the soups. 

What I wish I had ordered: Pad thai, dry chicken noodles, coconut udon.

Drinks: $15-$22, but this is a high-quality place serving unique flavours.

Price: $$, main plates were between $18-$26 but mostly sun $20.

Other details: All vegan dishes.

Similar restaurants:

• Do Chay — I have not been, but this place came highly recommended by vegans I know. 

• Acorn — I include this because I will be sharing a review of this in the coming weeks. Let’s just say if you’re a vegetarian, this is a must-visit.