In my eternal search for the perfect broth, I have searched near and Pho. I have started to run out of places in central Vancouver and find myself wandering further afield. Ruby Pho is pretty new and it seems like a lot of the buzz is based on their sandwiches. My first impressions of the decor was that it was just a touch on the generic side, clean, but not a lot of character. The waiter was pleasant, but not as friendly or welcoming as so many of their competitors... Not bad, but not particularly enthusiastic. None of that is particularly important if the Pho is amazing. I start out with the Coconut Shrimp and it's great! Succulent and crunchy, piping hot and tender. And then comes the Beef Pho and it's similar to the atmosphere, Clean, simple, unassuming, but to my taste lacking the depth and complexity that I have come to love. To be clear, not bad, but just not great. Luckily they have well stocked condiment tray so I can dial things up a bit myself. There is so much potential in these places. Potential to make the customer feel cared for and satiated with layers of decor and flavor. Vancouver has a lot of really amazing Pho places, not to mention Tom Yums and Ramens. Places where you feel like you are visiting another country and the the staff are taking you on a journey, but not Ruby Pho. It's just a pretty good place that I would visit often if I lived in the neighborhood, but wouldn't go out of my way for. Dare I say it, I think the owners would benefit from some visits to their competitors. All that said, Maybe the place they shine is their sandwiches, but before I will delve into a restaurant's deeper possibilities, I need to be baptized in broth. I need to be dipped three times and come up satiated and limp. Ruby Pho gets 4 stars because I liked the shrimp and because the broth noodle was plentiful and because the broth, although a touch on the bland side, was still honest and ample. If I find my way back, I'll try the sandwiches and maybe that will fire me up like a bonfire on the coast.
