Viet Express Restaurant — Restaurant in Ottawa

This used to be my favourite restaurant in Manotic area, but since the ownership change the quality of food and service has gone down. My family visited in person for dinner a few weeks ago. The service was very slow and not attentive, we weren’t able to even get refills on water. There was obviously a staff shortage so it’s hard to be critical, but at least a quick “how are you guys doing” would be appreciated.

I decided to try again today and get some take out pho and summer rolls. My favourite dish was the special “spicy tenderloin pho”; it always had the most tender melt in your mouth beef tenderloin chunks and spicy broth. This time however, the little amount of meat (which I don’t think was tenderloin) was very hard, and the they ALL had large thick gristle which made it impossible to eat. I ended up chewing on each piece of meat and throwing them all out. Also, at the bottom of my soup I found a shrimp leg… no shrimp were even in my order.. good thing I don’t have an allergy. The summer rolls I ordered were wrapped in plastic wrap. I’m not against plastic wrap but for the delicate rice paper wraps, when you unroll them they all just break apart. The peanut sauce it came with was tasteless and somehow chunky. Very unpleasant. I’m sorry to say it because I’ve been a long time customer of Viet Express, but I will not be...

The restaurant looks very cozy and cute, the service was pretty good as well and the lady was very nice.

Food was not my favorite. I got the large pho, and the portion was kind of small, compared to most other pho places. I'd say it was equivalent to a medium/small. Especially when you are charged $20, I'd expect a lot more food. They also provide very little garnishes compared to other places, no spicy pepper, and no lime wedges, basically one stem of thai basil and some bean sprouts.

The taste of the pho itself was not the best, the beef tasted "old", like it just thawed and was placed into the bowl, the broth is not very rich and has an odd sweetness to it. Meat balls were very standard, exactly the same as every other place. Noodles were very solid.

Maybe it was an off day. If I am in the area again in the future, I'll give this spot...

I had the pleasure of picking up take-out from Viet Express in Manotick on Sunday, and I can’t say enough about how wonderful the experience was! I ordered the BBQ Beef rice dish, and it was absolutely delicious—the beef was tender, perfectly marinated, and had just the right hint of smoky sweetness. Paired with the fragrant rice and fresh veggies, it made for the perfect meal.

What made the visit extra special was the warm, welcoming atmosphere. The two sisters who run Viet Express are incredibly kind and attentive. They went out of their way to help me understand the menu, making suggestions and explaining each dish with such care. They made my whole family feel right at home, and their helpfulness made choosing even easier.

If you’re in the mood for great Vietnamese food with a personal touch, Viet Express is definitely...