nam 2 Unionville — Restaurant in Markham

My friends and I were regulars at Nam's OG location at 16th and Leslie in Richmond Hill. We kept going until we noticed gradual decline in the quality of food and service until COVID pretty much turned them into a takeout only spot (by that time, there were already a lot of competitors that were offering a better experience).

Which is why, I've put off visiting Nam 2 for the longest time. Because I believed it's glory days were well beyond it and by the time my friends and I had stopped going to Nam 1, the original owner wasn't there anymore (probably devoting most of his time to Nam 2) and the only good items they were serving were the banh mi and broken rice.

Fast forward to Victoria Day weekend, one of my friends convinced me to try Nam 2 because he told me they had more items than the other competitors in the area, the original owner was working there and it was larger. What REALLY convinced me was he told me that Nam 2 did a beef rib pho where the rib was prepared TWO ways instead of one. My curiosity got the better of me) so we stopped by for dinner.

Dry wings: We ordered some of their famous dry wings and they came w/ lime dip. The wings were really good. Idk how they get the batter to be so light and crispy but I think I could definitely mow down like 25+ of these by myself LOL.

Lemongrass pork & chicken broken rice: My friend ordered this and he wasn't particularly satisifed which is ironic since we believed it was Nam 1's best item by the time we gradually stopped frequenting it. There were stingy with the portion of meat they gave him. He was also supposed to get a runny egg with his order but they forgot it so he waited for a good 20 min before it arrived. When it DID arrive, the egg was overcooked and the yolk was already popped so there was just a bit of yellow on the top (we all laughed). Needless to say, he wasn't that happy.

Grilled pork vermicelli: The pork vermicelli was a good portion size. I decided against ordering it because I had another friend tell me his whole group got food poisoning after having the grilled meat here. I had one daredevil friend who ordered it up and 0 complaints.

Crab bun rieu (w/ hot stone bowl): A friend ordered this and he was pleased with the broth's taste. The soft shell crab was fried well but he wished that they seasoned it instead of just frying it and sending it out. However the hot stone bowl kept his broth piping hot so he thought the extra couple bucks was worth it.

Pho dac biet: One friend ordered this because we all didn't trust that the quality had returned. His pho dac biet had a LOT more noodles, a lot more meat and the broth was insanely beefy. It reminded me of Nam 1 when they first opened.

The Dual (smoked rib and braised rib) pho: This was my order. This was the REASON I decided to give Nam a 2nd chance. A beef rib done two ways?? I had to come check this out for myself because most viet places are only serving it one way (stewed in the broth). I'll give them this. THE BEEF RIB WAS GREAT. Two preps. Two Both done equally well. Super tender meat. Super moist. However, I was letdown by the light beef soup they served it with. I was expecting to be served the same broth my friend got with his pho dac biet. The ultra beefy broth. This broth was so light it almost tasted like chicken soup. On my return visit I'm going to request and see if they can just give me the regular pho broth. That would make this dish worth the $30 they are charging.

For all the praise I've given Nam 2, I'm not giving 5 stars because the value prop is just too stiff for them by surrounding competitors. Portions are debatably still shrunken from when they opened Nam 1 and they're also higher priced than their competitors for similar items (aside from the dual beef rib prep which I think is...

A customer review is a review of a service by a customer who has experienced it. Whether it was a complaint or compliment, my review was based on the experience I had with your restaurant. I read your comment thoroughly, so I know that you apologized. However, I did not write my review for an apology. As I said, I wrote my review to explain how my experience was with your (or other) restaurant.

I don't understand why you said, "How can you say something and say it was not meant that way?" Please reread my comment, but this time, without a jaundiced eye. I said, "I had to wait for another staff because the staff could not speak English." What I am trying to describe is the service we got. The emphasis is on 'we had to wait to ask questions about the menu,' not on 'the staff could not speak English. Again, I am trying to describe the experience I had with your restaurant. Since you said, 'If you do not know how to word your complaints properly, ask someone to do for you,' why don't you show me how you would describe the experience I had?

Also, I see that you are picking on my review since it is a one-star review. I am sorry if you are unsatisfied with my review, but I was describing the experience I had.

BTW, the phrase 'my friend' causes misunderstandings between people. It may sound condescending to others. I know what you meant by 'my friend,' but nowadays, the phrase 'my friend' is not used as a term of endearment.

Please note the fact that I am a customer, not a friend. I wrote my review briefly, but I did not know that it would be a bone of contention. Since you are making judgements about it, I will rephrase it.

The vermicelli tasted okay, but the pork wasn't enough. The beef pho had a bad smell. The staff couldn't speak English, so we had to wait for another staff to ask questions about the menu.

In addition to my original review, it is quite funny that you are judging my grammar. My review was based on the experience I had with your restaurant. However, you are making personal remarks. Please read my review carefully and do not make assumptions about what I said. I did not say that it is wrong to hire people who just came to Canada. What I am saying is that I had to wait for another staff that could answer my question. I never said that you guys are wrong for having staff that does not speak English. Please do not make assumptions about what I said or assumptions about me.

Vermicelli was ok, but the pork portion was very small. Beef pho was smell bad. The staff can’t speak English so we had to wait another staff to come my table to ask...

Amazing Vietnamese food! I'm so happy they expanded to open a second location in Markham!

Located in the New Kennedy Square plaza, this restaurant is hard to miss because you'll always find people waiting outside for a table. So be sure to come early if you don't want to be waiting too long.

Due to COVID this restaurant has really stepped up on the digital front. Patrons are asked to scan a QR code on the table which takes them to an online menu you can order directly from. The selection is quite large and varied but has many familiar offerings such as pho, vermicelli bowls, bahn mi, bahn xeo and more!

We started with a basket of dry wings which were flavourful and crispy! It came with a lime dipping sauce which helped add some acidity and brightness to the dish.

As for mains we got bun cha and a bowl of bun rieu with soft shell crab. The bun cha was incredibly flavourful and when you mix it with the veggies, herb and noodles it's makes the perfect bite.

And the bun rieu is a specialty noodle on their menu which isn't offered at many Vietnamese restaurants. The broth may look red and intimidating but it's far from it. It was very light and fragrant, you could really taste the sweetness from the tomatoes. The soft shell crab comes separately on a small plate to maintain its crunch. The crab was crispy and you could taste spices and herbs in the batter. Inside there was a perfect amount of roe. This alone was worth the price.

I've come back and this has become my go-to Viet restaurants in Markham. This time I tried the honey glazed wings which was perfectly coated with the right amount of sauce. I did want the wings to be a little meatier and slightly less deep fried as it was a tad on the dry side. For mains I got the beef curry with rice. The portion is fairly generous with lots of rice to go with the curry. The rice they use is a shorter grain than jasmine but was still a good pairing with the curry. The dish also came with shredded cabbage and in the curry you'll find some potatoes, beef brisket and plenty of herbs. With a squeeze of lime it really adds some nice freshness and acidity to it making it taste not so heavy. The curry wasn't spicy but was well balanced. We also ordered a vermicelli bowl with beef and spring roll. Similar to the bun cha we ordered last time, the beef was well seasoned and had the nice wok hay flavour. The spring roll was nice and crisp and added good texture to the dish.

This restaurant is just as good as it's original location and has all the unique offerings. Service is quick and helpful. Their patio was closed when we got there but they were nice to set it up for us as it was warm when we went. Be mindful to either make a reservation or come early to...