Barbara moved to Canada as a child in 1979. She lived in Vancouver until two years ago, but visited Regina often as she has five brothers here. Her visits inspired her to open Quan Ngon — pronounced something like Wang Gnong — even though she had no restaurant background. “I came here to visit them a couple times and I tried other Vietnamese (restaurants), but it’s not authentic. They mix with Thai and other stuff,” she says. “So I said OK, there should be at least one (authentic) Vietnamese restaurant.”

Between 2012 and 2014, Truong travelled across Vietnam, a country that’s geographically about half the size of Saskatchewan but has a population of 92 million.Quan Ngon’s menu reflects the variety she found.Subs and fresh rolls are eaten across Vietnam. Pho is available nationwide, too, but the regional flavours vary. Ginger is a staple in the cold north. Spice is big in central Vietnam. Fish is common in the south, near the ocean.

Barbara’s goal in opening Quan Ngon was to cook for the local Vietnamese community. The food she serves is the food she eats — a bowl of pho every day, she says.

“I like people to give it a try to know what real authentic Vietnamese means to them,” she says.“We just felt that giving good quality, reasonable price, and I can’t think of (a reason) that my customers won’t come back.“I just want every other nationality to give us a try.”Each dish on the menu comes with a different homemade sauce. For fresh rolls, it’s peanut sauce with crushed peanuts, hot sauce and shredded carrots.Unusual in Regina, the fresh rolls are made the traditional Vietnamese way. The open ends save eaters from bites of thick and chewy rice paper.Tables are set with chopsticks, forks, knives and soupspoons in a mug of hot water, which Barbara says keeps them extra clean.Stop in early for a sub and a strong coffee. Sweetened with condensed milk, it tastes like coffee ice cream.

Quan Ngon is open seven days a week at 227 Victoria Ave.

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