Rice Wrap

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Rice Wrap appeared quite a few months ago on the corner of Bank and Gladstone, taking over the old Don Alfonso restaurant. I was sad to see it go, but must say that I was happy to see a Vietnamese restaurant take it's place (because you can never have too many!). Ever since the construction on Bank, the Vietnamese Kitchen has never been revived. And I must have a spot where I can get bún that is close by and open on Tuesdays for that oh-so-sudden craving (a lot of Vietnamese restaurants in the city are closed on Tuesdays).

If you ever saw the restaurant before, you'd be surprised at the transformation. It's so fresh and bright in comparison. The soft lighting allows for a relaxed atmosphere and the service very friendly. One thing I'm not sure about is the tv. In some ways I love it – if the hockey game is on, what better way to watch it than while slurping pho. But it does take a bit away from the ambiance.


I went with my usual of course. Rice paper shrimp rolls with yummy peanut sauce. They were heavy on the mint, which I love (sorry T, you'd better not forget to ask them to omit the mint if you go!).


And vermicelli with meatballs and spring roll – crisp lettuce, slivers of carrot, cucumber and slices of meat that did not look like meatballs but sure had the texture and taste of meatballs – so tender and delicious. The spring roll was thin with a substantial wrapping, leaving little space for the filling.


My husband had the beef and egg noodle soup.

The dishes were good but not quite as flavourful as I'm used to. I found myself returning to the hot and hoisin sauces for an added kick. It's good to be the one controlling the added flavour though, rather than unwillingly pushing my sodium meter through the roof. I could add as much or as little as I wanted.

It's a great little spot that I'm sure I will be back to again.