Feb. 08, 2012 - Issue #851: Jon Mick

Mama-mia! Vietnamese-a!?

Curiously-named restaurant transcends the confusion

Brooklyn Tomato
8205 - 83 St, 780.756.6688

If you spend any time at all in the Bonnie Doon area, you've no doubt run into Brooklyn Tomato. Standing near the corner of Whyte Avenue and 83 Street, the restaurant lies at the intersection of two of the neighbourhood's main thoroughfares, its sign rising above the traffic's motion, gleaming its leafy tomato logo into the surrounding area.

A name like "Brooklyn Tomato" and a sign featuring its plump namesake conjures up images of moustachioed pizza cooks spreading corn meal into an ancient New York pan, or at least hipster gardeners banishing aphids by releasing ladybugs. Instead, underneath the sign in small letters lie the intriguing words "Modern Vietnamese Restaurant." Such a curious appellation for a Vietnamese restaurant deserved further inspection.

The restaurant itself consists of a long dining room, bright and impeccably clean. Touristy paddy hats line the walls along with paintings of pastoral Vietnam while a television played the news softly from the corner—somewhat of a comfort for someone taking lunch alone. The décor did suffer from a lost-in-time feel, stepping inside is akin to stepping into a small town diner with the restaurant's wood-paneled walls, vinyl chairs and formica tables.

Having come in well after the lunch rush, I was greeted immediately and service remained swift and attentive throughout the meal, though one gets the impression that such a thing isn't far from the norm. The waitress—later I would find out she's also the owner—was friendly, explaining the menu and offering help where needed. She was happy to bring out water and, with an order for vegetable spring rolls ($5.45) and pineapple tofu ($13.95), whisked the menu away and was straight into the kitchen.
 

Without even enough time to decipher what sort of hologram Wolf Blitzer was playing with now, the spring rolls were out of the kitchen, piping hot to the touch and accompanied by a garnish of pickled carrot placed just so, which I subsisted on while waiting for the rest of the plate to cool. When they did, they were more than satisfactory: crisp outside and chewy inside, with a sweet chili sauce for dipping that didn't go too far into sweet or chili territory.

Not long after—and with a similar rising steam—the pineapple tofu arrived, accompanied by a plate of vermicelli, though rice or noodles are also options. A colourful mélange of deep-fried tofu, red and green pepper, onion, celery and plenty of sweet pineapple, the dish throws a slow heat: it doesn't make you go bolting for the water to cool off, but comes on gradually, making you a bit sniffly but opening up the flavour.

The vermicelli while fine was a little lifeless and spongier than usual. Cut into small bits but sticking together in clumps, it might have worked better to mix the whole dish together in the kitchen instead of serving its composite parts separately at the table.

Brooklyn Tomato—by the way, the name comes from the owner's daughter, named Brooklyn, though I still don't know where the "tomato" part comes from—serves standard Vietnamese fare under an atypical banner. It's set apart by the quality of its food, but especially by the quality of its service. Attentive but not invasive, quick but with no corners cut, Brooklyn Tomato is a restaurant worth returning to even if it doesn't serve pizza. vueweekly.com comments: powered by Disqus