New Vietnamese restaurants in Toronto: 28 have been licensed in the past year (1 in the last 30 days), tracked daily from the City of Toronto business-licence registry (chains excluded). The most recent is PHO LE (BALDWIN), first seen 6 days ago.

Pho counters along Spadina opened in the 80s; the newer wave is along Bloor East where banh mi, bun bo Hue, and com tam spots have pushed past the pho-default. Vietnam's three regions are starting to show up on individual menus.

What dishes should I order at a Vietnamese restaurant?

Start with pho — a bone broth simmered for hours, served with rice noodles, thinly sliced beef, and a plate of fresh herbs, bean sprouts, and lime so you finish building the bowl yourself. Beyond pho, look for bánh mì (a baguette sandwich with house-made cold cuts, pickled daikon, cilantro, and jalapeño), bún bò Huế (a spicier Central Vietnamese noodle soup), and com tam (broken rice served with grilled pork or lemongrass chicken).

In Toronto right now, Pho 128 on Bloor E is a focused pho counter, while Broken Rice on Yonge specifically centres com tam and grilled meats. Banh Mi Journey (multiple locations including Bloor W and Queen E) makes bánh mì with house-baked bread and specialty fillings like Nha Trang fish cake.

Where are Vietnamese restaurants concentrated in Toronto?

The original cluster is along Spadina Ave in Chinatown (Dundas–College corridor), where pho shops opened in the late 80s and 90s. A second wave settled in Scarborough — Kennedy Rd and Midland Ave — and along Steeles East, where spots like Banh Mi Nguyen (Kennedy Rd) and Basil Pho House (Steeles E) operate today.

The newest openings are spreading further: Banh Mi Journey Bloor and Banh Mi Happy (St Clair W) are in West Toronto, Botanic Coffee & Caphe landed on Queen W, and Banh Mi Journey Yonge and Pho 128 are in East Toronto. Vietnamese is the most active single cuisine in NowServingTO's feed right now, with 23 verified-open spots across every district.

What is bánh mì and what makes a good one?

Bánh mì is a Vietnamese sandwich built on a short, airy baguette — the bread itself is the variable that separates good from great; it should shatter at the crust and stay soft inside. Classic fillings are chả lụa (Vietnamese pork sausage), pâté, and pickled daikon-and-carrot with cilantro and sliced jalapeño. Variations include grilled lemongrass pork, meatballs, or tofu for vegetarians.

Toronto's current wave of openings skews heavily bánh mì: AND Banh Mi (Elm St, Downtown) bakes their bread in-house, Banh Mi Journey's Queen E location uses Nem Nuong pâté as a specialty filling, and Viet Sandwich (McNicoll Ave) builds each sandwich to order with house-made cold cuts. For under $10, these are among the best-value lunches in the city.

Is Vietnamese food a good option for vegetarians or people avoiding gluten?

Vegetarian options exist but you need to ask: pho broth is traditionally made from beef bones, and fish sauce is the default seasoning across the cuisine. Most restaurants offer tofu or vegetable pho on request, and fresh rolls (gỏi cuốn) with shrimp or tofu are reliably vegetarian-friendly. For gluten-free eating, rice noodles and rice-based dishes (com tam, bun vermicelli bowls) are naturally gluten-free, but soy sauce and hoisin dipping sauces often contain wheat — flag it with your server.

Botanic Coffee & Caphe on Queen W and Am Thuc Viet (Eddystone Ave) both have lighter menus with more vegetable-forward options worth checking.

How is Vietnamese coffee different from regular coffee?

Vietnamese cà phê uses robusta beans — higher in caffeine and more bitter than the arabica standard at most Western cafés — brewed through a phin, a small metal drip filter that sits directly on the cup and takes 4–5 minutes to brew. The classic serve is cà phê sữa đá: iced with sweetened condensed milk. The result is thick, intense, and sweet in a way that espresso-with-milk doesn't replicate.

In Toronto, Botanic Coffee & Caphe (662 Queen St W) and Cong Caphe Yonge & Eglinton (2354 Yonge St) both specialize in traditional phin coffee. Phin & Go Cafe near the Junction (Dundas W) also runs a phin-forward takeout menu alongside bánh mì.