Trang Tien
Vietnamese
9449 Jasper Avenue
(780) 425-4293

While Boyle Street doesn’t have as many restaurants as McCauley, there are a few along Jasper Avenue worth trying.

Trang Tien, on the intersection at 95 Street, serves up homestyle Vietnamese food. My experience there for Friday lunch was quite positive. Plenty of easy parking, plenty of easy seating, and plenty of things on offer.

A typical numbered menu described over 75 dishes, plus three lunch combos that included soup, spring rolls, grilled meat, and rice/vermicelli noodles. I opted for lunch special #3 and my co-diner selected the Pho Tai, his “go-to” Vietnamese favourite. Most mains were in the $12-$18 range. Fresh juices and Vietnamese coffees as well as sodas and bottled water were among the beverage options. Pick-up and delivery are also available on their website or through SkipTheDishes.com.

The restaurant itself boasts about a dozen booths and nine tables. Clean and comfortable, it was a little cluttered in places, but all those high chairs said “family friendly”. Vietnamese pictures, hats, and wall hangings adorned the place.

Our food came quickly and was hot. The beautiful, clear broth of the wonton soup was coupled with several soft wontons, green and yellow onions, and lettuce. A perfect start to the meal.

The crunchy spring rolls had more crunch than taste. The grilled beef was deliciously sweet, and had a crunchy deep-fried texture accompanied by a wonderful sauce. The lemongrass chicken was spicy (as advertised) with red, green, and yellow peppers, onions, and (of course) lemongrass. The rice noodles were a lovely complement to the meat and vegetables, which were servied with plenty of sauce. The Pho Tai serving was quite generous. The taste was simple, requiring some table spices to make it truly delicious. All-in-all, an excellent meal.

Boyle Street could use more good restaurants like this one. (If only the Mirama building next door would be resurrected.) On their wall, Trang Tien displays their motto: “For special food and special services in cozy atmosphere.” They have been successful, and an example for others to follow in this part of the area.

John lives in Boyle Street.