The Search for Authentic Vietnamese Food

{My bowl of rare beef pho and rice wraps}

One thing I can say that I miss about Ottawa was being in close proximity to my mom's amazing cooking. I grew up on a mix of Vietnamese and Chinese food at home, with some Western food here and there, and do I ever miss home-cooked meals made by my mom! Since moving here, I have been craving proper Vietnamese food, and so far, to my utter disappointment, I've yet to find an authentic (authentic!) Vietnamese restaurant. Most of the restaurants I've come upon that claim to serve Vietnamese food are Chinese-owned and therefore only serve their version of "Vietnamese" food. 

{Iced, milk tea - a Hong Kong staple that the restaurant at least was able to execute properly}

Earlier this week, after returning from my afternoon in Mong Kok at the Full Cup Café, my fiancé and I decided to go out for dinner at a restaurant not too far away from us (by bus, of course) called 1941 Vietnam Cuisine. I pass by this restaurant on a daily basis during my morning and afternoon commutes, and have noticed that it is quite busy so I thought to give it a try. The items on the menu looked authentic, "looked" being the operative word, here. There was not any Vietnamese writing to be seen, and when I asked the server if anyone spoke Vietnamese in the restaurant, the answer was "No." 

We decided to stick to the basics and ordered two bowls of rare beef pho at $37 HKD each, and a plate of rice wraps to share. Although looking very appetising, our meal was quite the opposite. The rice wraps were passable, but the pho was unacceptable by my standards. Perhaps I have been spoiled over the years, not only by my mother's Vietnamese cooking, but also by the plethora of authentic Vietnamese restaurants that can be found in Ottawa's Chinatown (the number of Pho Bo Ga locations is overwhelming). The worst part about my pho was that not even the hoisin sauce (it was rather tasteless) could alter the quality of my soup. How can anyone get hoisin sauce wrong, in Hong Kong, of all places?? Gah! Needless to say, my love of food and my determination to find good food will not stop my search for an authentic Vietnamese restaurant.