A lot of Canadians have taken up the Keto diet in an attempt to lose weight and live healthier lives. Dining out on Keto can be a bit of a hassle though. After all, Keto is low-carb and high-fat, and is quite similar to the Atkins diet and other low-carb diets. It is argued the reduction in carbs the body takes in causes it to go into a metabolic state known as ‘ketosis’.

Visiting different Toronto restaurants, a lot of meals you’ll find are mid-to-high carb and aren’t necessarily the most ketogenic foods there are. Thankfully, Vietnamese cuisine may be your answer.

Vietnamese foods bring together many different flavors and ingredients. In fact, there are more than 70 herbs used in Vietnamese cooking. This isn’t even counting the sauces which range from fish sauces to shrimp sauce, crab sauce, frog sauce, and more than 25 other varieties. Needless to say, when you choose to eat Vietnamese food, you’re going to get some really flavorful dishes.

Read more: What Vietnamese Food Works with the Keto Diet – read here

Vietnamese cuisine in Toronto has never been more popular. Although pho in Toronto is what so many have gravitated towards, there are numerous other Vietnamese-style dishes that are sure to warm your tummy. Here’s just a few of them.

Banh xeo

Banh xeo are rice crepes made with a mix of turmeric and coconut milk, usually filled with bean sprouts, pork, or shrimp. Accompanied with some greens, this is a delicious balanced meal that’s easy going down.

Hu tieu

Hu tieu is very popular in southern Vietnam and is a sort of Cambodian-Chinese inspired customization on pho. Hu tieu usually includes rice noodles or egg noodles swimming in broth or completely dry. While pho focuses more on beef, hu tieu leans towards seafood and pork which is perhaps the main difference.

Read more: 10 Other Vietnamese Dishes Besides Pho worth Taking a Bite Out of

When someone thinks pho, they don’t necessarily connect it with something you can drink. Just like soup, someone eating it probably prefers using chopsticks or a spoon to get in and get a bite. Not many North Americans would ever want to drink soup and especially in a cocktail. It just doesn’t sound natural and nice.

A Hanoi bartender is changing the way things are done with pho and has come up with a pho cocktail, or pho-in-a-glass. Believe it or not, it’s become a hit. He works from a Vietnamese beef noodle soup recipe, eliminating the meat though so you’re not getting any bites as you take in a sip. Featuring cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, and coriander, needless to say, this is an amazing cocktail that has to be tasted to be truly appreciated.

Read more: Would you Try a Pho Cocktail? This Hanoi Bartender has Hit Upon a New Recipe!

Pho is a Vietnamese soup with many health benefits, herbs and spices, and ingredients to enjoy. Regardless, a worry that some pregnant women have is whether these sort of soups are safe to eat while pregnant. There’s a lot of misinformation out there on whether it is or it isn’t. Through sharing this information, we hope to clear up the misconceptions about pregnant women and pho.

As to whether it’s safe or not, one must look to what’s in it. Pho is usually made simply from broth, rice noodles, some herbs, and a meat or protein source. Of these, the only real thing that could pose a threat would be the meat and that’s only if it’s uncooked. If you’re experienced with making pho or are at a pho restaurant where the pho has been authentically prepared, you’re not going to run into any trouble as it relates to meat.

Read more: Is Pho Safe to Eat when You’re Pregnant – read here!

A restaurant in St. Paul, Minnesota is offering a challenge to its diners to eat 10 pounds of Vietnamese pho in 45 minutes. The restaurant is known as iPho by Saigon and for competitive eaters in the region, it’s a well-known establishment.

Many people have tried and succeeded in the challenge. In an article for the Minnesota StarTribune, one man who succeeded in the challenge is competitive eater Kai Chan. Having completed numerous food eating challenges around the world, his Instagram @kaieatsworld is popular within the competitive eating community. For those that want to see more about what he’s up to, there you have it.

Read more: Could you Eat 10 Pounds of Vietnamese Pho in 45 Minutes – this Guy Can

Pho is a dish enjoyed by people of all different backgrounds and cultures all over the world. Although it’s a Vietnamese dish, there are several pho restaurants all over Canada, including in cities like Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax. Vietnamese pho is not only filling and well-balanced but also, very affordable. Usually, anyway. Today, we’re not talking about affordable pho though. Instead, we’re highlighting a bowl of what might be the world’s most expensive pho.

Read more: What would you Pay for the World’s Most Expensive Pho – see the number here!