If you had to eat one type of dish for the rest of your life, what would it be? Popular choices tend to be pizza, pasta, or tacos. For me, it’s a bowl of soupy noodles. And if I had to stick to one type, then pho would likely feed me to eternity.

Yet, pho wasn’t what I was craving when visiting Bong Lau Vietnamese Restaurant. Instead, it was their famous bún riêu ($13.95) that drew me in. Traditionally, it’s a fragrant seafood, pork, and tomato soup. Bong Lau’s recipe skips the meat and uses tomato, crab, and egg drops (?), which when soaked in broth provides a crumbly texture that almost seems like it could be minced meat.

For a dish that looks so vibrant, the taste was surprisingly timid. There wasn’t that salty umami hit of shrimp paste that I expected. In fact, it wasn’t very salty at all. The most prominent flavours were the tomato, basil, and shallots topping the dish.

Perhaps if the bún riêu was hotter, it’d be more enjoyable. As it stood, the lukewarm texture combined with lacklustre soup and the frozen tasting blue crab really didn’t seem rave worthy.

In retrospect, selection of “light bites” would be more impressive. The bahn dap ($11.95), a steamed rice roll stuffed with a choice of lemongrass pork, beef, chicken, or Vietnamese meat balls, makes for a refreshing but hearty meal. Unlike a salad roll, which uses a rehydrated rice paper wrapper, the steamed roll was thicker and softer, while still having an elasticity that allowed it to be held and dipped.

We opted for the recommended lemongrass pork, which was well seasoned and thinly sliced so the meat layer adds a saltiness throughout the roll. Incorporating tender lettuce leaves, hits of herbs, and bits of crunchy peanuts, the bahn dap had a host of textures and flavours that kept me satisfied.

Bong Lau’s extensive menu does offer a selection of soup-based noodles rarely found elsewhere. Consequently, if I had to subsist on soupy noodles forever, you’d find me at Bong Lau’s all the time. 

There are times when I’m craving an eggs benny for brunch and on other occasions wanting bowls of congee and noodles instead. I’d like to think of congee restaurants as the greasy spoon diners from Hong Kong. Let’s face it, no one’s going to Keung’s Delight for the ambiance; it’s a bit dingy and dark despite the dining room’s high ceilings and cheery exterior. They are sort of like an English pub that serves a solid breakfast, without the smell of stale beer.

Aesthetics aside, Keung’s food is decent and well priced. The fish and preserved egg congee ($7.95) was an unique combination containing an ample portion of fish filet and chunks of preserved egg. The congee (a savoury rice porridge) was thick and flavourful arriving piping hot with a sprinkling of green onion for freshness.

The Singapore vermicelli ($12.95) was also well prepared - the thin noodles well tosses so every inch covered with the curry and salt seasoning. The shrimp and barbeque pork were left in larger chunks, so the ingredients were less dispersed amongst the noodles, pick and choose as you fill your bowl to make sure you get a taste of everything.

Keung’s beef and vegetable fried rice noodles ($12.95) contained plenty of sauce dousing the noodles in a rich gravy. There was also sufficient beef but could use more gai lan (Chinese broccoli) to add colour and crispiness to balance off the rich dish.

While their service isn’t overly warm, Keung’s staff is least efficient with the food runner speed walking each dish to the table, so it arrives hot and fresh from the kitchen. Also like a diner, you’ll be in and out in no time, although the restaurant isn’t overly busy, so you’re welcomed to sit and enjoy another cup of weak tea. Or you can indulge in a bressert (breakfast dessert) with a glass of grassy jelly or red bean ice drink.

Who knows, maybe after reading this brief post, you’ll be inspired to skip the bacon and eggs and have congee and noodles instead. 

Ten dollars doesn’t buy much lately. Even more so when you’re dining out and combos at fast food restaurants are in the double digits. Which made walking into Bethune’s Bistro a quaint surprise, as you can still get quite a bit for $10.

The classic breakfast ($9.95) consists of a choice of eggs, protein (bacon, sausage, or ham), home fries, and toast. I’m glad to see their scrambled eggs are made with real eggs and not the boxed liquid ones; I could tell from the telltale flecks of white mixed in with the yolk and denser texture.

Their bacon was also tasty: crispy, not too salty, and had a nice smoky flavour. If anything, the home fries could use more time on the flat top to develop a crispier crust, but they were still decent and would pair nicely with fried eggs to create a soft hash.

I was excited to see the lovely caramelization on the house pancakes ($9.95 for three) but it didn’t really translate into flavour. As pancakes go, they’re nice and fluffy but also store-bought tasting, especially when served with packaged table syrup.

Bethune’s plain house burger ($9.95) reminded me of the ones I had in high school at Johnny Andersons. The beef patty is thicker than McDonalds, but also seems to be mixed with flour as it has a softer consistency. Still, it had a nice crust, and was adorned with all the classic fixings: mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, and onion. The French fries are also a step up from the home fries – crispy, hot, and made with real potatoes.  

The low prices may partially be attributed to Bethune’s lean (but not mean) staff. Even on weekends there’s usually only one person out front and presumably one chef. Yet, service was efficient, and I’ve always felt taken care of and welcomed.

If you’re in Gravenhurst, I’d recommend skipping fast food and support local at Bethune’s Bistro instead. While it’s more aptly described as a diner or family-style restaurant (as opposed to a bistro), there’s a friendly small-town charm to the place and you won’t leave broke or hungry. 

If mom and pop restaurants are your jam, Yunxi Handmade Noodles will have you swooning as it’s an intimate establishment. Technically, Yunxi would be considered a mom restaurant as the female owner acts as the Jill of all trades: hostess, chef, server, and cleaner. She’s a sweet lady describing what was freshly prepared for the day (in my case, the noodles) as she rotates between making noodles and preparing dumplings daily.

The broth of the braised beef noodles ($14.99) was salty and strong, as one should expect from a dish that’s essentially beef braised in soy sauce. I liked that Yunxi finishes the freshly made noodles in the soup to allow it to soak in flavours and develop a brownish tint. While there wasn’t a whole lot of beef, the handful of chunks were lean and tender.

Halfway through the meal, the owner returns with a small bowl of extra noodles, asking if we’d like a complementary top-up. Why of course, and into the bowl they go for round two.

My first choice in dumplings (leek, shrimp, and pork) was sold out so we opted for the chicken and mushroom instead ($10.99 for 12). With a choice of preparation - steamed, boiled, or pan fried – I generally order them steamed as I find this leaves the dumplings the most neutral so you can appreciate the filling’s flavours and the consistency of the wrapper.

Unlike the noodles, the dumplings were made previously (at least a couple of days prior) so the wrapper was too hard and chewy. Consequently, I’d recommend asking the owner when things were prepared and if it isn’t fresh, order the dumplings boiled to give the wrapper some extra hydration.

At least the filling was juicy – use a spoon to ensure the juices aren’t lost as they squirt out – and the dumplings were filled with a decent portion of the well seasoned, finely minced chicken and mushrooms.

Yunxi Handmade Noodles is a bit of a hole-in-the-wall: the décor is sparse and the communal steel spoons housed at each table seem unhygienic. Luckily, larger ladles were given after serving the braised noodles so we didn’t need to rely on the dubious spoons. Yet, what Yunxi lacks was more than made up by the friendly owner and the wonderful noodles, a definite highlight to our meal. 

• Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
• 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
• 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
• 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
• 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
• 10 - absolute perfection!

• Fabbrica
• Pizzeria Libretto