In this new biweekly feature, Apt613 asks blog contributors and local food lovers about their recent Ottawa area restaurant highlights to help you find new tasty treats to discover or revisit when someone inevitably asks “Where do you want to eat?” We want to hear about something that you ate and loved! Leave comments below and if you’d like to contribute to a future edition of Best Bites, email <editors@apt613.ca>.
Best Bites this week:
- Saigon Boy (648 Somerset West)
- Torta Boyz (60A Lebreton St. N)
- Dumpling? Dumpling! (382 Bank St., 261 Centrepointe Dr.)
This is Ottawa, and if there is one cuisine that we have absolutely nailed, it’s Vietnamese. Our Chinatown is really Little Vietnam, and so of course, that’s where to go when you’re looking for something fresh, hearty, fast, and affordable. They don’t have a website, or any social media, so you know that Saigon Boy is the real deal. I went for lunch recently, and was totally blown away by the vermicelli that arrived. I’ve had my fair share of vermicelli in my time, and it never disappoints, but this bowl was overflowing with a huge portion of meat, tons of vegetables and peanuts and super-fresh spring rolls. I ordered the grilled chicken and pork spring roll vermicelli for only $13.25. There were more goodies than noodles, which I had never experienced before, and the chicken was so tender and juicy that it just fell apart. The restaurant is bright and spacious, and the service was really friendly and fast. You do not need to order an appetizer, but definitely take a handful of those little green candies for later.
Chicken and spring roll vermicelli bowl at Saigon Boy. Photo: Kiersten Vuorimaki.
I can’t lie, Torta Boyz has to be one of my favourite restaurants in the city right now, and I shouldn’t even be telling all of you this, but their birria night special events are a major highlight of the local food scene. Almost monthly, they announce a birria night takeover of the restaurant. Reservations are hard to get, and for good reason. If you’re not familiar with birria, it’s the kind of fantasy taco you can’t quite believe exists. It’s simple: slow-cooked beef that is so tender it melts in your mouth, melty cheese in a taco shell, coated in sauce and pan-fried until crispy. One order is three birria tacos for $21 with a side of beefy comsommé that you will want to drink directly from the bowl. The tacos are messy, rich, and incredible. On these evenings, they also offer birria ramen, which I haven’t been tempted to try yet, because the tacos simply cannot be beat. They aren’t on the regular menu at Torta Boyz, so you have to keep up with their Instagram to know when the next sell-out evening takes place. Paired with some guac and chips and a spicy margarita, you have the perfect evening. Last time they were also trying out a horchata recipe that was some of the best we’ve had in the city, so don’t sleep on the sweet treats.
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Dumplings are comfort food, and in this cold, wet weather, we could all use a big plate of comfort, right? Dumpling? Dumpling! on Bank Street offers that in spades. When you walk in, a pair of dumpling masters are hand-making each dumpling behind glass, so your entertainment is already covered. The selection of fillings is vast, and every order of 15 can come boiled, steamed, pan-fried or deep-fried. We decided to try the pork, shrimp and chive dumplings boiled, and the General Tso’s chicken pan-fried for a bit of crunch. Orders of 15 dumplings are $17.99 with a $1 surcharge for pan-fried or deep-fried. For two people, two orders was the perfect meal. The boiled dumplings are soft and chewy, but the boiling makes them extra juicy inside with an added brothy saltiness that was perfection. The pork, shrimp and chive filling has a great texture, with a combination of ground pork and chunks of shrimp. The pan-fried chicken ones were nice and chewy, and made even better with a hit of sriracha on the side. Dumpling? Dumpling! is also hugely popular on Uber Eats, so with two locations, you can have the perfect bite at home, too.
Pan-fried General Tso’s chicken dumplings at Dumpling? Dumpling! Photo: Kiersten Vuorimaki.
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