Pho Tai Bac — Restaurant in Richmond Hill

Whether it's a windy winter day, a cold rainy night, or just a random craving, VIETNAMESE PHO (topped with rare beef, well-done flank brisket, soft tendon, beef tripe, and beef balls, also known as No.42) paired with SHRIMP AND PORK FRESH ROLLS (No.3) will always be a comfort food of mine. I've tried my fair share of Vietnamese restaurants, but Pho Tai Bac is my favorite place to come back to.

The highlight of any pho is the quality of the broth, which can be found here. Served at a piping hot temporary so you can cook your rare beef and bean sprouts, their soup has that rich, layered, and cozy blend of flavors. The portions are also generous, meaning there's a good amount of meat to pair with your noodles for each bite.

As for the fresh rolls, the shrimp and pork are my go-to as this is the perfect combination for texture and taste. I love how light this dish is. As a perfect pairing, they serve their fresh rolls with a sweet and savory sauce, topped with crushed peanuts and pickled radish - I love!

This time around, I tried doing takeout from their restaurant for the first time. I called to place my order got pickup and was told there would be a wait time of 20 mins. This was a spot on estimate! I got there just in time, so I could feel that my soup was boiling hot upon receiving it. Unfortunately though, by the time it got home, it still wasn't hot enough to cook my rate beef. Easy solve, I just dunked it in a cup of boiling water before adding it to my bowl, or you could opt out of the rare beef to be safe. Everything was packed super well. The plastic container for the soup was completely leak proof, and the noodles and meat packed in another styrofoam container were done so...

I like their pho; the price is fair, and it’s close to my place, so it’s convenient. I’ve been there over 30 times by now, but the staff still act like they’ve never seen me before. That’s not particularly welcoming, but whatever. The bigger issue is that they act like they don’t even want you there. They avoid eye contact when you ask a question, make a request, or even when you’re paying. They almost never greet me, even when I greet them first. And if I say thanks, they either look away or just stare without saying a word. No smile, no dry “thanks,” no “you’re welcome,” nothing; no basic form of human interaction. It honestly makes me feel uncomfortable and like they see me as an outsider.

To be clear, I’ve never been rude to them. I still smile and speak politely every time, but it’s exhausting. Sometimes it even makes me wonder if they’re low-key racist toward people who aren’t Asian or Vietnamese (though I could be wrong). I understand this is probably a family-run business, but the owners really need to step in, especially with the younger staff. The older ones are actually very nice, but the younger ones look like they hate being there with every fiber of their being.

They need to be talked to and trained, nothing over the top, just the basics of how to interact with customers like a human being. I’m not expecting luxury service, just basic decency. I’m writing this because I actually feel bad for them. The food is good, and I want them to succeed. I hope they see this and improve things, especially with the younger staff. For what it’s worth, I know three other people who go here regularly, and they all completely...

Today we went at 10 and as we were eating, they started cleaning around us (10:25-ish). Not a big deal but they started spraying and mopping bleach and other chemicals around us that it made us sick to the point of being unable to finish our food. This wasn't the first time and so I suggested to the cashier girl to let her know that the strong foul smell was not pleasant as we were still eating, and that this wasn't the first time. At first she was understanding and (somewhat) apologized, but then rambled on and on even when we accepted her intial response. To the point of passive aggressivness, and blaming us for coming in late (an hour before closing in a place that you could finishing eating in half an hour) and that it wasn't their fault for wanting to go home (hence pushing the blame on us). If they wanted to leave at 11 (she said herself that they try to leave at 11), why keep the restarutant store hours to be until 11? If they wanted to leave AT 11, they should say they close at 10:30, and if that was the case, we wouldn't be in this situation.

For some background: My family and I have been regulars here for years now and it's always been a safe go-to spot especially after we finish work which tends to be around 9pm. On multiple occasions, we would come late (latest being 10) and order, eat and pay as soon as we can so they can close soon. As a family that's been working in the restaurant industry for years, we can understand the want to leave as soon as possible, but they treat us as if we stayed past store hours, which is just poor business practice...