Comfort food season is upon us, and frankly, nothing hits the spot quite like pho.
The popular Vietnamese noodle soup, made of broth, silky rice noodles, a good sprinkling of herbs and vegetables, and thinly sliced meat, is a cold-weather staple.
Luckily for all those pho fans out there, Calgary has plenty of spots serving up slurp-worthy bowls to enjoy.
From the team behind Pho Dau Bo, this contemporary Vietnamese restaurant features a menu of traditional dishes with modern twists.
The chefs know there is much more to Vietnamese food than classics like pho and vermicelli bowls. This new concept is a chance to be playful and inventive with familiar and traditional dishes.
It also happened to be named one of Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants. It’s without a doubt some of the best pho in Calgary you could hope to find.
Address: 1609 Centre Street NW, Calgary
Pure specializes in Vietnamese street food favourites, and its concise menu allows the First Street Market spot to focus on making each dish to perfection.
With both beef and chicken pho on offer, it’s a must-visit if you’re craving a good, hearty bowlful in downtown Calgary.
Address: 1327 1st Street SW, Calgary
This unassuming neighbourhood staple serves up some truly incredible Vietnamese dishes. Hà Tiên uses fresh ingredients to bring out the flavour in all of its foods, including its pho, which you can get with brisket, tripe, and seafood, along with the usual chicken and beef options.
Address: #10 11225 30th Street SW, Calgary
Bow River Restaurant dishes out huge, steaming hot portions of pho and other delicious creations. Enjoy a bowl in its modern dining room or order a meal for pick-up or delivery.
Address: #102 8408 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary
Tamarind’s dishes originate from many generations of secret family recipes, hard-working restaurateurs, and foodies. It has now opted to focus its menu on vegan Vietnamese food. Try a bowl of Tamarind’s pho ASAP, crafted with house-made tofu and noodles free of preservatives and GMO products.
Address: 908 12th Avenue SW, Calgary
The family behind Van Son is made up of over 50 cousins who own a number of Vietnamese restaurants in Calgary and the surrounding area, as well as in Saskatoon, so you know there’s a lot of experience and love in their meals.
Address: #308 16th Avenue NW, Calgary
Pho Huong’s huge menu is sure to have something for everyone, but we recommend the Medium-Rare Steak and Triple Noodle Soup or Special Sate Beef Noodle Soup if you’re in the mood for some comforting pho.
Address: 3855 17th Avenue SW, Calgary
Nho Saigon
This Marda Loop staple is perfect for a warm bowl of soup on a chilly day (or any day, really). Nho Saigon’s pho options include shrimp and crab meat, medium-rare beef, tiger prawns, beef balls, chicken, and more.
Address: 2111 33rd Avenue SW, Calgary
Pho Sate Ga Hoac Bo Hoac Do Bien is this spot’s famous dish. The broth is cooked for 16 hours and can be ordered with chicken, beef, or seafood and can also be paired with the eatery’s regular beef broth or spicy sate broth.
Address: #110 4909 17th Avenue SE, Calgary
Known for its epic pho (and even more epic pho challenges), LeLa is hard to beat when it comes to a piping hot bowl of noodles in Calgary.
Address: Bay #4, 6624 Centre Street SE, Calgary
A cozy spot to stop into and grab a quality bowl of soup, Pho Thanh has been a local favourite for a while.
Address: 6630 4th Street NE, Calgary
Pho 26 uses 26 ingredients to make its soup (starting with water, beef, bone, salt, pepper, and sugar), so you know it’s got to be good.
Address: 4019 17th Avenue SE, Calgary
This Edmonton-based pho chain has four Calgary locations, including Mahogany Plaza, Royal Oak, Sage Hill, and Quarry Park, where you can get a killer bowl of soup.
Address: #160 7 Mahogany Plaza SE, Calgary
Address: #8108 8650 112th Avenue NW, Calgary
Address: #917 163 Quarry Park Boulevard SE, Calgary
Address: #130 74 Sage Hill Plaza NW, Calgary
This neighbourhood spot is known for pho and spring rolls, so it’s never a bad idea to stop in here when you’re craving those items. The restaurant even appeared on-screen during an episode of the hit HBO series The Last of Us.
Address: 1403 Centre Street NW, Calgary
Pho Pham, the sister restaurant to Pho Hoan Pasteur, now has two Calgary locations with one in Signal Hill and another in the University District. The spot offers a ton of classic Vietnamese dishes, with its specialty being beef pho.
Address: 5683 Signal Hill Centre SW, Calgary
Address: 3908 University Avenue NW, Calgary
This pho spot is popular with locals and has a ton of return customers. One taste of its quality pho and it’s not hard to see why.
Address: Bay #16, 132 3rd Avenue SE, Calgary
With files from Hanna McLean, Elle McLean, and Hogan Short