A soup-ful oasis on Kenmount Road: Basil Leaf restaurant review

St. John’s newest pho restaurant delivers a taste of hospitality amidst chain eateries

I dislike Kenmount Road for many reasons – the traffic is always unreasonable, there are consistent lane closures due to construction, and its generic Canadian commercial street vibe is frankly depressing. But a recent restaurant opening had me braving the road ruckus. Amidst the car dealerships and chain restaurants, there’s a new soup-ful oasis. Basil Leaf Pho-Asian Kitchen opened in late November and is owned by Mike Zhang, who also runs the popular Paradise spot Ocean Sushi.

Adam and I decided to have a late lunch on a cold December Sunday. The neon ‘OPEN’ sign, adorned with a steaming bowl of pho, welcomed us weary Kenmount travellers to this strip mall sanctuary. Inside, we were greeted by a large stone fountain, modern wooden seating and plenty of booths under a plethora of Japascandi pendant lights.

I knew the food was going to be good when I saw the condiment caddies on every table, loaded with the necessary accoutrement for ideal pho slurping – hoisin, fish sauce, sriracha and chili garlic sauce.

The focus at Basil Leaf is Pho, the beloved Vietnamese soup, but as the restaurant name suggests, there is a variety of other Asian dishes, from Orange Chicken and Singapore Noodles to Pad Thai and Katsu chicken.

First up, we split the Vietnamese Spring Rolls ($8.50), which came out hot and quick. They were served with the classic nuoc cham dipping sauce, a staple Vietnamese flavour bomb, and they were delicious.

The pho arrived with great ceremony – our server brought out the steaming bowls on trays furnished with a spoon, chopsticks, napkins and a divided bowl with condiments and a lime slice. I opted for Regular Beef Pho (small $17.95, large $19.95) with brisket and raw beef, while Adam went with the House Special (small $20.95, large $22.95) with raw beef, brisket, tripe, beef balls and tendon. Both were flavourful, the broth an excellent archetype and noodles plentiful with tender beef and garnished with scallion and Thai basil.

In this day and age, when getting a plentiful entree for below $20 is hard to come by, Basil Leaf is a welcome addition to the St. John’s dining scene, especially in an area filled with chain restaurants. Mains at Montana’s next door run from $18.99 to a whopping $38.99, while an entree at Moxie’s just up the road will run you upwards of $30 (even a salad there is $21).

While there might be an argument that a spot like Basil Leaf wouldn’t offer the same service or experience as one of these chains might, I would counter that this is an outdated perspective and frankly buys into stereotypes that have long been proven inaccurate – don’t come at me with “that’s expensive for Asian food.”

In my experience, service at most mid-range restaurants across the city has suffered over the past few years, and I would argue the hospitality I experienced at Basil Leaf was over and above for its price point and location. Our server was lovely, came back multiple times to check on us and chatted animatedly about her excitement of having a pho place to eat at herself. In addition to the prompt Pepsi drop off after ordering, we were brought a jug of lemon water and glasses.

The point is, hospitality doesn’t have a price point – either it’s good, or it’s not – and those little touches, from the citrus slices to the pile of napkins our server knew we would need, make a dining experience an enjoyable one. So next time you’re stuck in traffic on Kenmount Road, make a slurp stop for pho at Basil Leaf.

---