I didn't know what to expect as I walked into Canton. It's a small-stall type of place, a casual-cafeteria kind of set-up serving food that belongs on a banquet-table lazy susan.
The house specials are as special as the internet would proclaim, starting with the Chao Ca. A gently slurry of traditional porridge, comfort carbs given a sea-savor by soft chunks of flaky fish, all steaming hot in a bucket-pot. Do not consume without a side of fried dough to dip.
The Cha Ca Thang Long can be intimidating, a whole production of tender fish filets with a seared crust, sizzling on a cast iron shaped like a fish. Fresh dill and a coat of turmeric are just what this stuff needs, and all the other stuff goes around it. I just grab a piece of lettuce and wrap a little bit of everything inside, and each bite is a heavenly interplay of scents and salts and spices, a mix of soft and firm and crunchy. Play with the combinations and figure out what you like.
Q: how deep fried do you want these egg rolls?
A: Yes.
No meal is complete without the Cha Gio, and these are the most fried of the eggrolls. The outside crunch is thick and intense, and there's a delightfully dense pork filling inside.
Despite being one of so many in what may be the most all-encompassing strip mall I've seen, Canton stands out in the deluge of delicacies from across the sea. Hey Michelin, you missed a Bib Gourmand.
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