Hanoi 3 Seasons – 1135 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1K9
Country: Vietnam    
Seating: Indoor seating with a charming back patio in the warmer months. 
Must-try dish: Cha Ca- Hanoi 3 Seasons
The high: The broth in the soups is packed with flavour. 
The low: The beef curry vermicelli was dry and lacking in taste. 

Hanoi 3 Seasons isn’t your classic Vietnamese place, although the food is traditional, the atmosphere is eclectic, the menu is small, and there’s a credit card machine for payment. There’s a bit more of a vibe that invites a date night or an evening out with friends who are looking for a glass of wine with dinner. 

With the menu being compact, it’s easier to decide on dishes without having an overwhelming feeling. It’s not a true Vietnamese place without Spring Rolls, which are on offer both fried and fresh. Although this starter feels like it’s overdone in the majority of situations, it absolutely isn’t here. The fried Pork Cha Gio (Spring Rolls) are contenders for the best in the city due to the perfect balance of crispiness and flavour in the shell. Although the exterior is perfectly crisp, it’s the insides that take this appetizer to the next level.

The Cha Tom Cuon (Crispy Mini Shrimps) sounded enticing, and tasted great but they’re essentially battered and fried shrimp. If the fried-food route feels right, then it’s an excellent choice but if you’re looking for something fresher, the Hen (sautéed spicy) is a better option. The name keeps a lot to the imagination, but this dish is made up of sauteed baby clams that create a dip to be enjoyed on top of rice crackers. The description claims that it’s spicy but it’s more flavourful than hot. 

When asked to name the most traditional dish on the menu, our server immediately said that grouper was the way to go. The Cha Ca- Hanoi 3 Seasons is served either atop a vermicelli with a salad of as a soup (pho) with a broth that could win awards. Grouper is a white fish that comes cooked in chunks in the soup with a few vegetables, herbs, and noodles with a reddish/orange colour. The fish itself comes in thin pieces that are tender and juicy. 

The menu has a lot of pho options with fish and seafood. The broth is equally as memorable, and it changes things up from the usual Vietnamese meal of rare beef or chicken soup. 

A Vietnamese curry with vermicelli noodles was the final dish of the evening – the Bo Xao Sate (Curried Sate Beef). The portion of noodles was generous but the dish as a whole was lacking in excitement. There was zero balance between the amount of noodles and beef with sauce/seasoning. It’s a drier curry than the Thai or Indian ones, but it felt like there was something missing, especially after all the other dishes were rocking with taste. A better option would have been for the Bo Xao Rau Cai (Garlic Beef and Stir-Fried Yu Choy), which is tough to stop eating even with a full stomach. 

Vietnamese food is a favourite in the winter months, or when comfort food is needed, so it’s nice to have discovered a place in the city that can offer warmth but still feel like a hip place for a Friday night dinner with a drink. The tables are filled with all types of groups from old friends catching up to first dates to jet-lagged locals.

It’s worth noting that Hanoi 3 Season (according to their menu) has been cited the best Vietnamese food in Toronto in now Magazine 5 years in a row. They have also been featured in the Globe and Mail, Street Eats, ETC News, CBC Radio, Toronto Life and MOST IMPORTANTLY IS NOW FEATURED ON EATTHEWORLDTO.

Eat with you soon, 

Mandrea Bike
(Mat & Andrea)