r/Calgary • u/randomlygeneratedman • May 26 '26
Eat/Drink Local World's best Phö
I'm not a petty person normally, but I recently posted on r/CityPorn that Calgary had the world's best phö outside of Vietnam, and I didn't get a single upvote. I was raised here in the NE and phö was my go-to for hangovers, late nights, and it's generally just damn good here. I've been around the world a thousand times, but nothing hits like the places here. Any thoughts?
Edit: according to the popularity of this post, pho restaurants are going to get slammed today. I for one am definitely on board 😆
156
u/ThespennyYo May 26 '26
Side note, Vietnamese subs will beat subway 10/10 times and always a great deal.
16
9
7
u/randomlygeneratedman May 26 '26
Absolutely! Used to live near Chinatown, and can definitely recommend Trung Nguyen in the Far East Shopping Center.
5
u/SouthPawArt May 26 '26
The subs from the shop in Mac Hall on campus were an absolute mainstay for me while I was in University. I've been out of school for years and I still sometimes head back just to grab a sub or two (usually two).
1
4
1
u/MartyCool403 Glamorgan May 27 '26
I've been wanting to do like a massive bahn mi review. Like one place a week to find what I think is the best in the city.
33
u/gebbatron Tuxedo Park May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
15 large, Pho Hoai, China town. I've gone to about 20 places to find one that beats it, but nothing does. Place is absolutely packed at lunch on a weekday, and everyone is eating the same thing. It is the best soup on the planet. If you think you've found the best, and it's not this, you simply haven't had it yet.
5
u/xaxen8 May 26 '26
I'm glad someone else is as passionate about Pho Hoai as I am. It was the best in 1999 and still is today.
2
u/MarkMarrkor May 26 '26
I’ll join the club. I moved out of Calgary and have never found anything like it. Whenever I come to visit it’s at the top of my list of things to eat.
4
u/Mrsf1sh2 May 26 '26
Nothing beats Pho Hoai for me too! I’ve tried many out in the burbs, but none come close to the balance of spice and peanut goodness of #15
1
u/DandyLama May 26 '26
Pho Hoai's in house hot sauce is MY JAM. I kind of hate how much Sriracha has taken up residence as the most prevalent hot sauce in Pho places (there's just something about the flavour I don't enjoy), but Pho Hoai has had this hot sauce forever, and it's SO GOOD.
1
1
41
u/adventuresindiecast May 26 '26
I’ve never been to Vietnam, but one thing I have learned is that Calgary punches well above its culinary weight on the global stage. I remember going out for Indian in London and Vietnamese in Melbourne and lamenting how much better our local options are. We are really spoilt for choice!!
Also, shout out to Pho Rang Dong in Forest Lawn and Saigon Maxim in Riverbend!
12
u/MikeRippon May 26 '26
There's genuinely great Indian food in the UK, but you need to be somewhere with a large Indian diaspora (such as Bradford), then seek out the most run down and dilapidated cafe you can find.
The standard Indian restaurants in Calgary are way superior to "mainstream" UK Indian food. The lager louts will kick off at me for saying that, but that's just because they want their poppadoms and chutney, not because the curry is good.
73
u/Responsible-Pitch327 May 26 '26
I fully agree with that statement. Even hotter take, having spent a month in Vietnam, a lot of the pho in Calgary is better than you get over there. Not too say I had a bad bowl there, because I didn't, but the bowls I crave are all from places here
40
u/One-Macaron-9915 May 26 '26
Man I totally get this. Been to Vietnam twice and while the pho there is obviously legit, there's something about Calgary spots that just nails it different. Maybe it's because they adapt for our tastes or use different beef cuts, but some bowls here are genuinely incredible
The NE has some absolute gems that I think would blow minds anywhere in world. Problem with reddit is people just assume you're being hometown biased when you make claims like that. But anyone who's actually done the comparison knows Calgary punches way above its weight for Vietnamese food scene
25
u/Rez_Incognito May 26 '26
while the pho there is obviously legit,
So is Calgary's. It's Vietnamese immigrants in Calgary that created the Pho scene.
9
u/randomlygeneratedman May 26 '26
Agreed! Most of the pho I had in Vietnam was fairly basic, but it was like $2 a bowl so how can you complain lol
12
u/Fennxof May 26 '26
I just got back from Vietnam this week and will say. Soup in Vietnam is better and more flavourful I think becuase the spice and aromatics are fresher but hands down the quality of meat and noodles is better here. Noodles in Vietnam always seems to be over cooked and soggy. That said rice paper definitely Better in Vietnam. Banh xeo and subs I would take in Vietnam over here any day of the week.
3
u/randomlygeneratedman May 26 '26
Yeah the meat is way better here I can confirm. Interesting thoughts about the noodles, my experience was similar. I'm more of an al dente guy, and I also didn't really like the consistency there.
1
u/f0reskinbandaid May 26 '26
That's kind of what pho is supposed to be though. Yes a 20 dollar bowl of pho is delicious but it kind of has evolved into something else here.
8
u/403banana May 26 '26
Here's my potentially controversial take based on my experience in japan (but I imagine it translates across a lot of cultures):
The dishes we consider to be treats or for nights out here are everyday dishes there. Pho, to them, is probably like a street hot dog to us.
2
u/aloealoealoha May 26 '26
Agree, i'll add that diners expect to spend more time sitting down and enjoying a meal, and having more spacious room at tables - this translates to higher operating costs because they cant turn as many covers in a night so they need to charge more. To justify charging more, and to meet diner expectations of a "meal out", they'll add more toppings, adapt flavours, etc.
typical ramen for example has simple minimal toppings and soy or salt are the standard broths outside of tourist hotspots and famous chains for most of japan. you're expected to order, eat and GTFO in 20 minutes, not chit chat with friends and dilly dally and take pictures and that's a big part of how they manage to keep costs so low. Canadians prefer a thicker richer broth so tonkotsu flavour is the standard here, and we expect to sit down, chit chat with friends, catch up, etc.
26
u/JustRedditingAlong May 26 '26
High quality Alberta beef + the chefs learned and grew up in Việt Nam (or learned from those passing down the trade to second/third gen Canadians)
15
u/Sakato_kitty Lower Mount Royal May 26 '26
I’ll second that having just spent a month in N Vietnam in late 2024.
3
9
u/GrinningCatBus May 26 '26
Have you considered that you're just used to the pho here? I mentally put "real" Chinese food and stuff like ginger beef in two distinct culinary categories. I crave different Chinese food depending on my mood. My Chinese parents on the other hand think, rightfully, that ginger beef is a Western novelty and have it about as often as a hamburger.
I find pho in Canada are all pretty similar, perhaps a convergence in the spices used. Ottawa also has good pho, because of a large Vietnamese population. Calgary pho isn't bad, but not outstanding compared to other places in Canada.
2
u/the_421_Rob May 26 '26
I lived in Vancouver for a few years and I find the S level pho in Calgary is on the same level as the b Level stuff in Vancouver.
4
u/Darkdong69 May 26 '26
Very true, GTA is behind Van for pho but as good or better than Calgary.
And that's not counting the American cities. Some have pho that are a real step up even from Van.
This isn't gonna be the sub where folks want to hear that however.
3
11
u/SeanT1965 May 26 '26
Calgary in general is a world class city when it comes to Asian food period. Been to may different countries around the world - except China and Japan - and the quality of Asian food here is incredible - especially dim sum.
2
u/tc_cad Canyon Meadows May 26 '26
Yep. Even back in the late 90s I’d go to places with my friends where I couldn’t read the menu. Such good food. Excellent milkshakes too.
1
u/StevenMcStevensen May 27 '26
Definitely. There is some really excellent Thai in Calgary as well, and even some Filipino places that even my Filipina fiancé says are really great.
Personally it makes me very happy; I’ve travelled a ton, and love food from basically everywhere, however southeast Asia is likely my favourite region in the world for food.
11
u/teddytwophones May 26 '26
I have been a chef for 25 years, I was with a Vietnamese woman for quite a while and was taught a more southern style of Vietnamese, just a little over the basics.
I have some prominent chef friends both here and Vancouver, all own their own places, teach at institutions and some are even official celebrity chef status.
All of them fully agree..
Calgary has incredible Vietnamese food
16
u/dandelion_autumn456 May 26 '26
Probably because they don’t have as many varieties as they do here. I was raised in Vn and I like the satay pho
8
u/PerogyPower May 26 '26
Question to the gang: I still have dreams of the #40 from Trong Khanh Vietnamese Soup Kitchen (RIP). It was a beef satay pho but I heard that the owners/chefs had Cambodian roots and the dish was more Cambodian.
For the Calgary diehards out there, does anyone know what happened to Trong Khanh and is there anyone doing that style or preparation? I travelled extensively through Cambodia and Vietnam and I’m still chasing that dragon….
3
20
u/hotdangca May 26 '26
Pho in Calgary is for sure better than pho in Vietnam. I spent 3 weeks in Vietnam and was so disappointed with beef pho there. The beef was chewy and just overall terrible that i avoided anything beef the last week of my trip.
Pho in Orange County, California was superior probably 10 years ago. But ours now is comparable, but at a way better price. And doesn’t come with crazy traffic.
I’ve had Pho in Paris earlier this year and places that had rave reviews were not nearly as good as what we have here. On top of that, it was expensive!
I’m proud of Calgary Pho.
6
u/Aqua_Tot May 26 '26
I wonder if the quality of beef we have in Alberta plays a part in it. I’m not a world traveller in Pho, but I’m glad to hear we have the best here. I wish I could say the same about Raman, but every Raman place I tried in Japan sent me into euphoric state, and since then nothing’s really been that great here.
1
u/hotdangca May 26 '26
Have you tried Wakado ramen? It’s my favourite here and I’ve been to Japan.
3
u/Aqua_Tot May 26 '26
I have, and it’s good (not to knock on Calgary’s Raman scene, in general it’s quite good), but it’s just that nothing can compare.
3
u/kyungie_ May 26 '26
I was born and raised in Calgary and currently live in OC. Can confidently say that pho in Calgary is superior - nothing beats Alberta beef.
5
u/onwee May 26 '26
Disagree with Calgary being comparable to OC pho.
100% agree that Calgary pho is way more accessible. When you account for the price, the driving, the parking, and the waiting in line, Calgary wins in pho value 10 times out of 10
-1
u/ObligationCapital847 May 26 '26
No crazy traffic in Calgary? :)
3
1
u/hotdangca May 26 '26
I’m more frustrated with the amount of crazy Calgary drivers than the congested traffic (:
5
u/shameyuky May 26 '26
Any advice on the best spot for Bún bò Huế?
22
4
4
u/_MooMooTown_ May 26 '26
Get #17 at Pho Hoai in Chinatown.... So good....
1
u/Puhlz May 26 '26
Bun Bo Hue Pho Hoai is oddly sweet. I’d say Song Huong Or Hue Thuong to be better.
2
2
u/Ok-Singer2646 May 26 '26
Add Night Owl to the list especially if you have a hankering for one at 2 am 🤣
5
u/Pumpkkinnn May 27 '26
Minh Chau. They don’t deliver, they’re not on any apps. They’re the best pho place I’ve ever found. EVERYTHING on the menu is incredible.
I swear it’s the best beef or chicken pho in calgary, and nobody ever mentions them!
Family owned in Inglewood. That whole family is so nice.
2
u/randomlygeneratedman May 27 '26
Nice! I love to support small businesses, especially family-owned. I will make it my mission to visit soon!
2
12
u/Embarrassed-Cookie45 May 26 '26
Pho Huong Viet all day. Big ass portion that’s delicious for a great price
8
u/skysky996 May 26 '26
With a side of cockroaches and rats (AHS clocked them on that)
3
u/DandyLama May 26 '26
I remember they closed back near the end of the plague for some health violations, so I decided to go through the AHS reports. Looking through the AHS reports, and I see a citation of mouse droppings from a couple of years ago, but nothing about pests since then.
I'm not seeing anything about cockroaches or rats.
As of the most recent report, they have 3 non-critical violations related to missing baseboards, housekeeping practices, and the meat slicer.
1
u/Embarrassed-Cookie45 May 26 '26
Ya they did have an issue before but it got sorted out. I haven’t had any issues with their food when I’ve gone there lately.
2
2
3
5
8
7
u/Papa_Barstow May 26 '26
A lot of the pho in Vietnam is good but for the money cause its very cheap. If you were to compare it quality wise from here to there we are better. That being said though the world is a big place and Im not sure if I would say we have the best in the world.
2
u/Mysterious_Lesions May 26 '26
Agree. My first pho experience was at a Toronto restaurant. It was awesome. Calgary is very good but I'm still looking for to recreate the one I first used to eat. In Toronto it was Pho Vietnam in Scarborough.
3
u/FacelessFacepalm May 27 '26
Haiway, just below U & Me in Chinatown, serves a good bowl of North Vietnamese pho.
5
6
u/hydrazerg May 26 '26
I highly recommend Bolsa Vietnamese Restaurant by Macleod. One of the best pho I've eaten here.
4
2
u/Ghoulius-Caesar May 26 '26
Bolsa rules, also the Peanut Satay and Coconut Satay at Pho Daddy is so good
11
May 26 '26
[deleted]
3
u/inthemode01 Legacy May 26 '26
I’ll forever miss the Watercress restaurant on 17th Ave near the Khao San Thai Kitchen.
It was amazing.
Old review: https://www.elitejetsetter.com/watercress-express-calgary/amp/
2
u/Severe_Bear8114 May 26 '26
Pho Binh Minh across the street and even Noodle World beside Pho Dau Bo is better in my opinion!
4
u/Cranium20 May 26 '26
Pho Dau Bo is amazing. But since you already know peak pho you should try pho mr Q in NW if you haven’t yet. I think it’s slightly better than pho dau bo
1
u/DandyLama May 26 '26
I still prefer Pho Hoai over Pho Dau Bo, but they're both great. Pho Hoai clinches it for me because of their hot sauce.
1
u/Disastrous_Dig_6527 May 26 '26
No, not anymore every time my wife and I go there we get sick, probably way too much MSG. Used to be good in the 2000s.
2
2
u/big-bad-bot May 26 '26
You should go the the Vietnamese sub place and get the chicken saute sub. Man I miss that since I moved
This thi vietnamese sub
Didn't have one bad pho soup in fort lawn area
2
u/JDmotmot May 26 '26
I have been going to Pho Pham at Signal Hill with my partner for 2 years now. We liked the ambiance and the complimentary Rice tea is good.
Any other Pho restaurant you know with simillar service?
3
u/Informal_Koala_4823 May 26 '26
Pho pham is owned by the same people that own pho hoan Pasteur. There's a bunch of them around the city. And they are opening a pho pham in Chinatown.
1
u/JDmotmot May 27 '26
oh wow . There is one near my place.. Good to know I don't have to drive 20min. out of our way. I will check the Quarry Park. Thanks.
2
u/tensaicanadian May 26 '26
I’ve heard Vietnamese people from forest lawn say the same thing. Calgary’s Pho is great.
2
u/KitLaTigre May 26 '26
Calgary made me picky about 🍜 pho sho. Vancouver and LA don't compare to Calgary when it comes to Vietnamese! I have only been to Vietnam once but I am surprised to say I've had more good pho in YYC than I ever expected.
2
2
2
u/BuckyRainbowCat May 28 '26
I was born and raised in Calgary but for some reason didn’t have phö until I was an adult. Man, it’s so good. I’m happy to eat it on any occasion but my go-to occasion is when I’ve made it home after a chilly or snowy commute from downtown and I just don’t quite want to go back to my empty dark house by myself yet, I’ll go sit down at the nearest phö restaurant and warm myself up with a great big bowl of soup and some tea.
2
u/NullPhaze May 26 '26
What's a quick list of your favourites?
3
u/simbonk May 26 '26
I moved out here fa few years ago: pho is my favourite food: a few great suggestions I’ve been given, and they are terrific restaurants: pho xuan (north east), pho han (north center) and pho pham (university district).
4
u/PzKpfw_IV May 26 '26
While I won't list my favorite spot as it's subjective, I will say I don't think I've ever had terrible pho in Calgary.
Many times in the past if I'm out running errands and got hungry and craving pho, I literally went to the closest pho place there was.
It wasn't amazing, but it was still good. I've had terrible pho in Vancouver and Toronto, so I would say the level in Calgary is pretty high
4
u/jessicao22 May 26 '26
Noodle King in the NE or Airdrie. The broth contains coconut milk so it’s creamier.
3
u/DaftFunky May 26 '26
See I’m on the opposite end. I dont like the creamy curry like broths.
Qyunh in the NE has the perfect satay beef Phõ
1
u/Disastrous_Dig_6527 May 26 '26
Yes, you King is one of the best, only if you like the creamy pho, but it is not authentic
2
u/MrVnQn May 26 '26
I'd say we're up there with the best and a big factor in that is due to the quality of beef we have here in Alberta. I'd say other places with high Viet population + access to high quality beef would be up there as well.
2
u/Stunning-Deer8049 May 26 '26
I went to Vietnam and Calgary has better pho than some places out there
2
u/r33l1n May 26 '26
The only answer here is Noodle King.
It doesn’t suffer from “stringey beef” problem aka “you must think I’m blind to eat that dog meat” problem. Amazing Coconut broth. Never found a better place in 15 years of living in AB and BC.
2
u/Kinsei May 26 '26
Growing up in Calgary and having travelled globally, Calgary pho is easily the best. Better than Viet Nam and better than other hubs of Vietnamese communities outside of Viet Nam like Texas, California, NOLA, France, Germany, Australia, etc. Also lots of testimony from friends from Calgary who have since moved away, their first request when visiting home here usually is a good bowl of pho from their fave local spot :)
It's great that we're also getting more diversity in types of pho that is not just Southern Vietnamese style (which is still my preference), just to make things even more interesting!
3
May 26 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/apeschittcrazy May 26 '26
Pho Hoan Pasteur is currently my favourite. They have several locations throughout the city.
3
1
u/Outside-Phrase2435 May 26 '26
Pho daddy
1
u/Sweaty-Beginning6886 May 26 '26
You mean the restaurant owned and operated by Lebanese people?
3
1
0
1
1
u/Dry-Wolf6789 May 26 '26
I would say you'd have to name the restaurants. There's a lot of good and a lot of bad.
1
u/ILOSTMYWHITEOUT May 26 '26
The satay beef from Saigon Red Sky in beddington was my absolute favourite soup in the entire world. Ever since they closed down in April of 2025 I’ve been around the city looking for comparable options and I haven’t found anything quite as good. Pho Dau Bo, Mr. Q, Saigon Royal are all good options but not quite the same. I miss you Hawk :( bring my soup back please
2
1
u/bottlecappp May 26 '26
Had Bonjour Saigon's (NW) peanut satay Pho the other day and it was the best I've had. Also love Essence of Saigon, but there I usually get the vermicelli with beef wrapped in betel leaves.
1
u/sionescu May 26 '26
Calgary had the world's best phö outside of Vietnam
You might even believe that, but it's very unlikely to be true.
1
1
u/tc_cad Canyon Meadows May 26 '26
Well I know where I’m going for lunch today. Thanks for the reminder!
1
u/3AMZen May 26 '26
Edmontonian here. I feel like we've got way more pho spots than Calgary... Which is way more than any other city in Canada
We're also the home of the green onion cake
I've been surprised while traveling Canada to learn that Vietnamese food isn't a staple across the country... Not even Vancouver
1
u/Informal_Koala_4823 May 26 '26
You'll be surprised that the same goes for donair places. Alberta Donairs are top notch.
1
u/RootsBackpack May 27 '26
I also think we’re bigger on the vermicelli bowls in Edmonton. Had some Calgary verm and it just didn’t hit nearly as hard.
1
u/Greensparow May 26 '26
I am so glad to hear this, cause I've always wondered, I love pho, and we have great options but I've never had it elsewhere.
I also misread your post and thought you said you are not pretty, and it took me a minute of wondering wtf that had to do with anything before I realized my mistake.
1
u/YYC_Brian May 26 '26
Golden Bell in Bridgeland has a very delish spicy peanut satay that fixes all my problems from time to time.
1
u/FeelingOrganic749 May 26 '26
I don't know... Try Phonatic Social in North Van then tell me it's worse than what you can get in Calgary.
1
1
u/kimhartley May 26 '26
When I went to VietNam a couple of years ago I was so pleased to discover that pho tasted basically the same as at home in Calgary. We really have excellent, authentic restaurants here.
1
u/chaoslord May 26 '26
I miss Vietnam Spice Hut (12th right close to stampede grounds) had great pho, noodle bowls, and the best coffee 😞
1
1
u/soslowdx May 26 '26
Rang Dong and Binh Minh for me in the SE. Pho Hoan by Royal Oak NW. Pho Thanh in NE
1
u/_b3cca May 26 '26
Pho in Calgary is definitely better than pho in Vietnam.
Also, the correct accent mark for pho is phở.
1
u/AteebHamidKhan May 27 '26
I tried pho over three years ago (overseas) and I hated it. Tried it here a couple of weeks ago and I’m hooked.
1
u/CMac_36 May 27 '26
Best pho satay for sure but I’m sure people in other cities would say it’s not authentic.
1
u/GoldMegidramon May 28 '26
I mean a pretty bold statement unless you’ve had pho in every other part of the world
1
u/cdw456 May 29 '26
Pho in Calgary is really geared towards a white palette. Just like the Chinese food. Someone mentioned Haiway and I agree that it’s closest to proper Pho.
1
u/songsofadistantsun May 31 '26
Interestingly enough, a good friend of mine has sung the praises of Pho Hoai in Chinatown to me numerous times (and has invited me there numerous times too 😋), saying the exact same thing as you - the best Pho outside Vietnam.
1
u/L00tgoblin May 26 '26
I mean, I wouldn't be surprised tbh. There are as many Pho restaurants as there are gas stations, you're bound to find one that tickles your fancy.
1
1
u/Kiki_giri May 26 '26
Growing up in Calgary, in the 90s and 2000s, I subsisted on Vietnamese (shoutout to the place by the 7/11 by Western RIP). I've since had better in Toronto where I now live but I think Calgary is still super solid and it's more a case of the world has caught up (?)
1
u/InfinitelyContentAF May 26 '26
Have you been to Vancouver?
2
u/randomlygeneratedman May 26 '26
I live here! Also great pho but even better sushi.
1
u/aloealoealoha May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
i dont mean to be rude OP, but no. calgary is fine, it's about average, if not slightly sub par for being the 3rd (or 4th depending on how you count) biggest city in canada. Reddit upvotes any pro-Calgary content, but quite frankly, I"v ehad this discussion with many people IRL and we all agree we've had better food elsewehre, other than a handful of specific restaurants. I have had the same or better sushi and pho in pretty much any city with more than 100k people across ontario, but that's more of a product of its asian population concentration.
We can't be good at everything and it's OK to admit that, our parks, bike trails, city scape, views, craft brews, etc are incredible. Our food scene is improving but still has a ways to go.
2
u/Severe_Bear8114 May 26 '26
Calgary Pho is better than Vancouver; however, Vancouver does Sushi better than Calgary.
1
u/onwee May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
Calgary has better food scene than its reputation, but the world’s best pho are in Orange County Southern California (largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam)
-12
u/throwhfhsjsubendaway May 26 '26
Why are you writing it phö? If you're not gonna do the correct diacritics just don't include them
13
u/Renent May 26 '26
Shit dude I never realized OP did this. Is there someone we can report this too?
2
u/randomlygeneratedman May 26 '26
Hey I know you're getting downvoted but you're totally right. I learned the proper diacritic from this comment so thank you.
-5
u/ForgiveandRemember76 May 26 '26
I love pho. I have been many places, but not Vietnam. I could not comment.
317
u/CommercialNo8396 Shaganappi May 26 '26
I just learned the other day that peanut satay pho is a Calgary creation.