CHEZ NAM VIETNAMESE - 343 B BOOTH - 230-4662

Their vegetarian menu is endless and the food contains no MSG (although the spices they add might have some).

In my life, I have been disappointed with Vietnamese resturants and wondered how a country can live on such boring fare as rice noodles and veggie sprigs.

This food makes you glad that the Chez Nam is in Ottawa. When you go down the stairs to enter the restaurant you must pass a small Buddist altar. It shows the respect and relevance to life that they bring to the food.

The service is excellent. This is a family resturant, with all of the pride it brings. The waitresses are comely and efficient.

   Date: Mon Aug 19 10:24:15 1996
   From: aq610@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Siri Bandhu Khalsa)

My friends and I have been going to Chez Nam for almost three years now and we've yet to be disappointed with either the food or the service.

We always enjoy the luncheon menu that consists of a variety of preparations of beef, chicken, pork, shrimp or fish along with some vegetarian possibilities and the always tasty soup and spring rolls that accompany the lunch specials

We've been there in the evening to enjoy a number of the regular menu items and were pleased with those as well.

   Date: Tue Oct 19 10:24:15 1999
   From: bu932@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Jim Roy)

GOLDEN TURTLE - 343 BOOTH ST. - 567-0074

Interestingly enough, the Chez Nam used to be the Red Rose, which used to be the Saigon ... one of the first Vietnamese restaurants in Ottawa. It was modeled after a "Cafe Den Mua"; traditionally, a very dark quite restaurant ... a very popular place where you take a girl for serious romantic intentions (as opposed to a "Tiem An"; a small fast eatery for a quick bowl of Pho noodle soup & iced coffee.).

The Golden Turtle, upstairs, has managed to capture a bit of this languid atmosphere; one can sip soup & coffee for hours while listening to some warm, but haunting Vietnamese ballads.

   Date: Mon Sep 30 04:52:09 1996
   From: cd521@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Geoffrey F.C. Potvin)

QUAN QUE HU'ONG - 947 SOMERSET ST. W.

Four of us went and we tried a variety of dishes, all of which were delicious. The owners described the food as more traditional Vietnamese food (as opposed to Chinese influenced Vietnamese food).

Some of the dishes we tried included: the special of the day (a vegetable stirfry on crispy noodles), a Vietnamese crepe filled with vegetables (it was an egg crepe stuffed with bean sprouts and mushrooms), a vermicelli dish with bbq beef, and my favourite, a chicken dish with lemongrass and chili. (for the vegetarian readers, there were many options, including some neat "mock" dishes)

The service was polite and attentive. The night we went, we were the only ones there the entire evening. (this might have something to do with the weather as it was -30C out)

All together (for 4 of us) with a drink (non-alcoholic) we paid 42$ included tax and a generous tip.

I'd definitely recommend it!

   Date: Sun Jan 19 10:15:58 1997
   From: as370@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Seline D. Herz-Fischler)

SPRINGROLL HOUSE CAFE - 1093 WELLINGTON ST. - 728-3544

There used to be an Ethiopian Restaurant at this location but now it has been reopened as a Vietnamese eatery.

I first went few weeks ago with two friends to sample the food. We had two type of spring rolls. The cold ones in rice paper and the fried ones. The cold ones were the best. We also each selected a main dish on a very sparse menu. The one with tofu was so so. The tofu was not the moist type, but felt like well *felt*! The rest of the dish was nice, rice and veggies. The lemon grass dish with shrimps was delicious as was the vermicelli and various mixed-meat one.

The real winner was the *pho*. We share one small bowl. It is a meal in a bowl, you first eat the meat or shrimps, then the vermicelli, then the broth. It comes in three sizes. If you can finish the big portion, you qualify to become a lumberjack!

We went back last week and decided to sample the vegetarian rolls. Delicious! One of us (the one that was not with the first trio outing) sampled one of the dish and my friend and I had each, as a meal, a bowl of *pho*. I could hardly finish mine!

This restaurant is a real discovery. They are located at 1093 Wellington (phone 728-3544), just opposite Kentucky Fried Chicken (bus line number 2). Parking is readily available on the street or on side streets. They also give you *doggie bag* if you cannot eat everything you order. My husband had a snack from what we brought back the first time.

They have take-out and do catering. And the best is their prices. Most of the dishes are reasonably prices, spring rolls are 2 for $2.50, the *pho* small bowl is $3.99 and the main dishes are around $7. Where can you eat like that for such a price in Ottawa!

The service is friendly, it's a family-run restaurant. I was told the cook cum owner used to officiate in the kitchen of *Cafe bohemian* in the market. The place is clean and colourful, nicely decorated with framed artistic photos on the walls and the building retained its original metal pressed ceiling.

A real discovery and it's within walking distance of rolling my wheelchair, but I do that next week when I go back. Oh yes, they also serve beer and wine, and tea is on the house and delicious.

   Date: Wed Jun 16 21:26:59 1999
   From: ef299@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Monique Vardy)

It's not that new. It's been around for several months, but it's well worth a try and in spite of its relative newness seems to be fairly popular already.

I would compare it to a similar well patronized Vietnamese beef noodle soup place at Somerset and Lebreton, Pho something or other or something or other pho. :-) The menu at both places is limited, but good. If you want to try a Vietnamese restaurant that has a more varied menu and is also quite popular, there's Chez Nam on Booth between Somerset and Gladstone.

   Date: Thu Jun 17 00:23:00 1999
   From: bu932@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Jim Roy)

SAI-GON - 85 CLARENCE ST. - 789-7934

What would be an appetizer in another restaurant -- a noodle / broth dish -- arrives in a bowl the size of a hubcap and, if you've preceded it with an order of their rice-pastry salad wraps, it will leave you with just enough room to have your dessert and coffee in the same glass -- which happens when you order the wonderful Vietnamese iced coffee to finish.

   Date: Tue Oct 26 21:28:41 1999
   From: ae965@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Michael DiCola)