Review Pho Hoai - Calgary

I’ve been coming to this place for the last couple years, and it’s still as good as the first time i had it. Everything about this restaurant is amazing. The staff, the atmosphere, the service, the food, it’s all so good. And it’s very inexpensive. I always leave this place full and happy. The pho is my favourite, a large number 1 is my go to. The food comes out remarkably fast, so it’s really great when you’re starving and don’t want to wait for slow service!! 10/10, would recommend :))

Haven't been to this place for almost 8 years due to not working in downtown any more. The flavor didn't change much. I found the noodle is little soft compared to what I had before. The broth is almost as flavourful as what it was before. Will come back if I ever happen to visit that area.

We love this place, both for dine in or takeaway. Their Satay Pho is amazing [#15], also the Satay Shrimp on Vermicelli [#33] is outstanding. When you dine in, they offer you complimentary tea. The service is efficient. Located in the Far East Shopping Center, the location can’t be beat.

Had the extra large Pho Sate - excellent as usual. Awesome broth, great noodles and beef... just overall excellence! I'm pleased every time I come here

A nice Vietnamese restaurant in an Asian shopping center in Chinatown. Don’t be fooled by the sketchy appearance of the shopping centre, the food is worth it. The menu features lots of different affordable dishes. The pho is tasty and the portion is HUGE. Like most places in the area, service isn’t very friendly for western standards but it’s indeed very quick, and complimentary tea is served. The pho broth was really aromatic but a little on the sweet side (personal opinion and taste), but the side vegetables were super fresh. I would recommend this place to any pho lover that is willing to be lenient towards the staff’s attitude.

Very delicious pho!! I'm visiting from Toronto and I thought Pho Hoai was really good. The service was so nice. I ordered the Pho Sate and they offered to give me more sate on the side. It was the perfect amount of heat. I loved it. Tasty beef!! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone craving for pho!

Ordered 200$ for group meal uber eats. Long strands black hair on two meals, plus shorter strands inside freshrolls. Please do something!!! Thankfully uber responded, but the restaurant need to be more complaint with hygiene and hair nets.

Great pho with great tasting broth. Service is amazing. Would definitely recommend visiting them. XL bowl is size comparison to my hand which is large.

The best pho in Calgary !<br/>I have tried many pho places but no place like Pho Hoai.,,. The beef broth was so good and the rice noodles was perfect not too soft and broken. We ordered the spring rolls and they were brown crispy and very tasty. The service was very friendly and helpful..... Thank you to all the aunties there who served us every times we come there for pho..... Keep up the great work!!!👍🏼👌🏼😊

Yesterday after experience another cold day in Calgary we decided to try Pho Hoai Vietnamese Restaurant in Chinatown. These guys have been established in Calgary for a while now. Skimming down their menu they offer 3 different bowl sizes from medium to extra large. I ordered a large pho special and spring rolld which was enough for me. The pho broth here I felt was weak (like wonton soup), the noodles broke, but on the bright side they had a good meat to noodle ratio. The spring rolls were okay but not great (inside meat was too fatty). Prices here are around $10 - $15 per pho bowl. Would I recommend this place? Probably not.

This is some of the best pho I've had in the city.  It's kind of hard to find and in a tiny strip mall, which might not appeal to most, but I genuinely love the atmosphere.  Service is kind of meh, but I don't expect much when all I'm getting is soup.  Satay is amazing, the beef is still pink when you get it, and the broth is just... so good.  It's worth the trip from the South for me.

One of my favourite sate broths for sure. The spices are just right. Menu is small but that's a good thing as all the ingredients are fresh.

Yep – I said it….best Pho in Calgary. Nestled in a strip mall in Chinatown, this unassuming restaurant has patio furniture seating for overflow and some of the most turt service I’ve encountered (because their only window of customers is the lunch rush). Satay is sooooooo good here, consistent and definitely made from scratch. Portion sizes are HUGE and the mound of bean sprouts, basil/mint and chili on the side are great to pick off of/dunk into your soup.  Not fishy, not too much lemongrass, just the perfect balance and complexity of flavours everytime.

Pho was hot, delicious and the food came SUPER fast. Our server was moving in high speed! I would give this place 5 stars, but the staff was pretty rude. It might be because we came in as a party of 8 the moment they opened. Constantly standing at the front giving us weird looks throughout our meal, and didn't say a word when we paid (not even a smile.) It might have been an off day since the reviews are so high for this place. Despite that, it was delicious and worth giving a try!

My favourite pho in Calgary. They are always very generous with the thai basil and birds eye chilis. I've been many times and I will go many more times.

Came here with my girlfriend (who is Vietnamese) on a Sunday early afternoon after hearing my coworker talk about it. We ordered the pho dac biet (special) and the bun bo hue (spicy beef soup) And we were very disappointed in both broths. Both were very bland, and had little to no taste. Not to mention the fake Sriracha sauce. Although the service and speed were decent. Pho Pasteur Saigon on the outside on this strip mall us better. <br/><br/>Will not be back. <br/><br/><br/><br/>

My bowl of Pho Sate ($11.99) was delicious. I ordered a medium bowl with no cilantro. There was more rare beef than noodles. The beef slices were tender and not stringy. The noodles were perfectly cooked, with some bounce still to them. The broth was served hot and filled with cloudy bits of peanuts, green onions, lettuce and red spices. It was so spicy I would take turns sputtering, coughing, sneezing, and then dripping in my own perspiration.

Hey guys, so guys I know it's been a few days since my last reveiw but I hope you can all forgive me cause I had a rough time and lost my phone charger. Anyways like I was saying I figured I should go get a new charger so I went to the nearby mall to see if I could get a good one. Low and be hold I happend upon this little pie of heaven when I was their. I grabbed a table for 4 hoping some of my royal followers might come and reconize me (like I always say girls only please) but unfortunately only Chris O'Connor was they're. I didn't know what to get cause I can't read Chinese good but the lady made me get the secret spicy ancient soup and boy was I glad the meat was tinder and juicy just like my other favorite place and they also made me get the floppy rolls which felt really good in my mouth. Anyways so I couldn't check out the bathroom or urinels cause I couldn't climb over the booth but I know it was high quality. So just give me a follow and maybe next time ladies we can meet up and until next time!

This restaurant is always bustling and full of customers! The large servings are definitely worth the extra $2 as the bowls are way bigger than the regular Medium sized bowls. Service is fast, despite always being busy, and the food is good! It's always a good place to drop by.

I have been here numerous times and their food has always been very delicious and spicy! I always get salad rolls and the spicy satay soup with beef. My wife has tried different versions of the soup with beef balls and vermicelli noodles. She liked them all. The portions are more than sufficient. Service is good too. Free tea!

Update Oct 2016: I believe Pho Hoai has changed owners. The menu has changed and prices have gone up. I had a rice dish and enjoyed it. I can't speak for the Pho as R did mention he thought it tasted different, not any better or worse but just different. He preferred how it was before, but did say the bowl still had a lot of noodles and meat. <br/><br/>Awesome pho. Broth is piping hot. Lots of meat. The service was great. And they take debit/credit, which sometimes can be hard to find in Chinatown. Highly recommended!

whole family has been going down for dinner every friday for 15  years or more.  Always fantastic!  Seen lots of changes to the decor I didn't care when it wasn't so pretty it's the best pho in the city in my opinion.  Nothing can compare they have a a very distinct broth.  It's amazing, it's always a big decision.   beef or seafood.

This is a pho place tucked in a strip mall at Chinatown. They have a distinctive broth that's very thick and beefy with lots of fatty goodness. If you're into that then you'll love it, but if you don't like heavier pho then this won't be a pleasant experience. I recommend #15 or #14 with satay.

Been looking for good pho in chinatown and I must give hands down to Pho Hoai. I love their sate and bun bo hue. The service is pretty fast. The servers work hard and the cashier is friendly. Definitely going to be one of my regulars.<br/><br/>I always walk by this Vietnamese restaurant and it's always either steady or packed. My bf and I have been trying to find a "regular" vietnamese spot that's close to home so we decided to give this one a try. The beef satay was surprisingly perfect for me! I always order satay and this broth is not the peanut kind. But it's also not just the chilli oil kind either. I was quite impressed. On top of that the server was an older man who despite his limited english was super helpful, attentive and is a hard worker overall. I think we may have found our regular spot!

Not the cheapest compared to some in the NE but the second best option after Pho Pasteur Saigon. Always ordered the special regular but they only ever give you 1/2 or 1 meatball.

Pho Hoai is definitely a gem in Chinatown. It is located in a stinky Asian mall. This place is always super busy and has long line ups. Service is nearly non-existent here but the food makes up for it. Try the spicy satay beef special. I can assure that you will be pooping fire after.

Went there for the first time after hearing some good comments about it. But it was a TERRIBLE experience today and will never go back there again! The food was ok, not super impressive comparing to other pho places in town. The service was HORRIBLE! My friends were yelled by a male without uniform (assuming to be a supervisor there?) three times during ordering food and paying. The guy wasn't happy that my friend asking him questions during ordering and just made up an order for us! He also told us to buzz off and don't come back anymore. I have never had experienced worse customer service than this. Will never go again for such bad service with only average food. <br/>

I love Pho Hoai, I'm a regular during the week while downtown at work. This place is a hidden gem, the people that work there aren't friendly and the decor is a throwback to the 70's but that's not why this place is always packed... It has the best broth in town. This spot has ruined Pho anywhere else for me.

Why be a waiter or owner if you are going to be a Douche bag. People still continue to come here even after getting poor service, including myself. Not sure if the guy is the owner but he is always there during lunch hour and is always extremely rude. He walks away while you are still ordering. You can't even make adjustments to the food. For example, my friend wanted to add vegetables to her soup. I still come and eat here because I love their noodle soups but don't expect to have great service ever. I still don't get it though, why be a waiter or an owner if you act like you hate everybody?

Only go if you're Asian. One of the worst services we've ever received. Never offered us water or chopsticks. Fake sriracha. Food tasted good, but I asked to have shrimp added to my (vegetarian) pho and apparently they weren't able do that (even though they had shrimp on the menu)...asked for a to-go container, 10 mins later, we had to go to the front to get one

AVOID this pho shop at all cost. The experience my mates and I had was simply gasthly. As a pho master, I am litterally embarassed for them. I declare this verdict because the pho was nothing more than a big bowl of grease, it was also bland beyond belief. On top of that, the red sause was a cheap imitation sauce. The experience was so dreadful that after a single taste, I went to the counter and gave them a $20 and got out of there without getting change. This shop under my discretion is a PHO FAIL.

As suggested by a friend, my boyfriend and I checked out this place. Service lacked, hot sauce was not siracha and no chili oil. The broth was ok and the price was decent. Overall, it was fair but certainly not Calgarys best pho.

You come for the Pho Satay!. Stay for the sheer enjoyment!

Great food. Really like it. Definitly come back again..

Overall, not bad. Don't get me wrong, there are a few things wrong with this place. Super hectic, overcrowded tables, sticky tables, and weird lawn chairs/tables used for outside diners. But if you're looking for a quick, relatively cheap meal, and don't mind what I listed above, then you can find a decent bowl of pho here. Would I take guests here for a meal? No. But this is a decent place for a quick pho fix during a busy work week.

You Want Pho - You Got Pho. This is the best Pho I've ever had. Not even just in Calgary but from other cities as well. The place is definitely not a very spectacularly clean place but who cares have a #15 and you will be in heaven! The broth is just amazing.

Nothing great. Not as much meat in their pho as Pho Pasteur, which is on the same block but facing east. We tried this place, more than once, didn't like it so we'll go back to where we know it's better & cheaper.

Nah. Has good reviews on urbanspoon, but this place not good at all. <br/>Lots of noodles and not enough beef. <br/><br/>The place is dirty, smelly and sticky.

Sit down, Shut up and Enjoy. Best noodle house in town, no questions asked. For those of you who expect brown nosing waiters and and pressed linens please stay away. This place is efficient, fresh and tasty. Its about the food... not the fluff.

Bad service. The food was good but the service was really bad. The young gentlemen has always show his unwelcome face. People come to eat and pay, should be more polite.

Favorite chinatown grits. This place fills up for lunch- sometimes spicy over the top spicy but always good pho.

I was hoping to eat at Great Taste, but they're closed due to the recent flood. This place was on my wish list and closeby, so I thought I'd try it out. Had the number 26- vermicelli noodles with beef. Food was cold and not as appetizing as I'd hoped. Restaurant was busy, so I'm assuming other people are having better experiences than I did. Won't be back.

Awesome pho i would recommend

Best pho in Calgary, period. I've been coming here for over 20 years, and their pho sate beef is out of this world! Family owned and very quaint. No other place to go in Calgary for Vietnamese!

Good lunch, but gruff service. Came here on a Sat. little after 12 pm, and the place wasn't that busy (most of chinatown isn't busy on Sat., due to the fact that parking rates are in affect).<br/><br/>It has been a while since I've been back to Pho Hoai, and from looks of things, remodelling has been done (it could've been done years ago, that is how long it has been). It looks like it can seat more people, with booths that seat maybe 2 or 3 people. The colour scheme looks a tad on the dark side too.<br/><br/>We were seated quickly with menus and tea. However, there was no 'hi' or 'hello', just 'how many people' and that was it. Kinda on the gruff side.<br/><br/>I noticed that the prices are a tad on the pricier side, but we didn't come all this way to turn back so we trudged ahead and ordered.<br/><br/>I had the #23, rice, bbq beef, spring rolls, and soup. Food service was quick, and the food was hot. The soup was pretty good, very flavourful and deep pho taste (I think it was just the pho broth, with onions, parsley, and 2 slices of thinly sliced beef). Nonetheless, I inhaled the soup with a vengeance, that was how good it was - note : it was more on the salty side.<br/><br/>The main course arrived shortly thereafter, and I have to say I enjoyed every bite. The spring rolls were predominantly meat filled, so I was impressed by that (most places just give veggie spring rolls to cut cost). The beef was good, slightly dry but very intense VC bbq flavouring. <br/><br/>Quantity wise, it isn't a big plate, but quality wise, I'd say it is up there. That being said, my meal did satiate my lunch hunger pangs.<br/><br/>I'd definitely come back to Pho Hoai, if you can overlook the gruff service, you'll be treated to a delicious meal.

I go to eat noodles of Pho Hoai on China Town Street today.And I very like this place beause the tastes of the food very delicous.Ill come back again when I come downtown.

Great lunch experience. Good food, fast service, fair price. Show up at 11:30 or you might not get a spot!

Crazy service! Never be back again. Actually in this morning, we ordered 2 beef noodle soup and asked for cooking been sprout. I heard the women who belongs to kitchen part (she made noodle soup) said the bad words because we want to cook bean sprouts. We came to eat and we pay for it. DONT DO THE WAY LIKE THAT!

Excellent pho sate. I've tried dozens and this is the best, bar none.

Worst place I have ever been to my pork chops where a strange orange my wife's lunch was the consistency of card board I would never eat here again services sucked also

Best satay in the city best broth!

Best Vietnamese in Calgary. My wife and I have been going to this restaurant for years, and absolutely love it every single time. The service is quick and efficient, the meals are always hot and tasty, and the prices are reasonable. All in all, you cannot go wrong with this restaurant, whether for a quick lunch meal (although they are extremely busy at lunch time), or for a dinner with your partner. This restaurant offers complimentary pots of tea with your meal, and it is excellent tea. My favorite meal here is #25. The salad rolls are great, and the peanut sauce is amazingly tasty. Give it a try!

Absolutely wonderful pho. Can't have a better bowl anywhere else in Calgary. Quality hasn't changed for years and still top notch

Stinky Mall Treasure - Mmmmmm!. This Pho place is probably the best Vietnamese noodle house within the 10 km radius of the downtown area in Calgary. It's inside a building AKA the "Stinky Mall". The nickname is coined Stinky not because it stinks, but because of all the different smells from Chinese medicinal herbs, to flowers, and raw meat from a butcher shop in addition to the fine smell of the Pho Hoai broth. #17 Extra Large - please and Thank you!

This is my fav Pho house in Calgary. The owner is a sweetheart, gives you yummy free tea. I always get #15 and I order, and eat within 30 minutes. Great portion size for the price, and the basil is always fresh. It's best

The single best pho place I've ever been to. I've been to over 20 different ones and this one takes the cake!

Terrible service. The two owners don't care about their customers when they are busy. They forgot to put onion in my friend's soup. We asked them for the onion so many times so we ended up give up. I purposely didn't give any tips. Thinking the owner would at least apologize but he ended up just throw the receipt to me. I'll never go back for sure. Also, the food wasn't authentic either.

Had the beef and rice noodle. It was awesome. I'm used to cilantro but they use a Chinese basil and gives it a great flavor. Meat was tender and flavorful. Service was super fast. Lots of time to walk back from china town to 9ave.

Best Pho Downtown. In terms of quality of pho, price and speed of service, there isn't a place downtown that can come close. Sate is amazing and the portions will easily fill you up during lunch. I have to admit I'm nervous about writing another positive review for this place because it is already getting harder and harder to find a seat at lunch, but a place this good can't stay a secret forever.

Pho shizzle!. Recently, my cousin introduced me to this hidden but extravagant gem! The immediate seating arrangement was quite pleasant but the swift food service was unbeatable. I've never...EVER had food served to me that quick. I'd say it was a grand total of about 3 min. I got the satay spicy beef. Delicious! Especially with hot sauce, Hoisin sauce and lemon juice!

Best Vietnamese Noodle House Hands Down!. I've been going to Pho Hoai ever since I was a kid and I haven't found another place that even rivals the taste of the pho and the sate's of Pho Hoai. Try the peanut sate. It is amazing! I've introduced all of my friends to this place and all of them love it and refuse to go anywhere else.

Best Pho Downtown. A client had introduced me to Pho Hoai abot a month ago, since then, I 've been there maybe 5 times? It may not seem like a lot of visits but I usually sit at my desk from 7am until 2pm and then head home after that. So breaking away from my deask to have lunch has to be worth my while. <br/><br/>I believe this restaurant rivals Pho Thanh in Hunterhorn plaza which I consider to be the best in the city. This restuarant is located inside mall just west of harry hayes building.

The BEST Pho broth in Calgary. Pho Hoai currently holds the title of best Pho in Calgary for me thanks to their ridiculously great broth.<br/><br/>I've tried 5-10 other Vietnamese restaurants in Calgary and their Pho just doesn't keep up with the quality of flavor provided here. They just don't have that "punch" that PH's broth does.<br/><br/>Unfortunately, the price of each bowl has steadily been rising. I remember when it used to be something like $7.00 for a large, now its $9.50? It's definitely still worth it.

Been going here for 13 years. I have frequented this little treasure for 13 years. Over the years, the prices for a #25 (they've had the same menu number for my favourite item for 13 years too!) has gone from $5.25 to $7.50....but it's still just as good.<br/><br/>Gotta get here early for lunch to get a table.<br/><br/>The same family has been running it for that long too.<br/><br/>Good Vietnamese food here....HUGE bowls of soup. And FAST FAST service.

The pork chops were quite dry and I had to soak them heavily in the fish sauce to tenderize. SG also noted that the noodles were different from the ones he had on his last visit (years prior), but the satay+ broth still reigns supreme.

Having said that, Pho Hoai Vietnamese Noodle House in Chinatown makes our list of best Calgary pho restaurants with its uniquely flavoured and absolutely delicious pho sate beef soup, a dish that I find gives pho lovers like me an idea of just how good a place is.

A good bowl of pho is a work of art. An addictive, delicious work of art, that I crave sometimes with the intensity of a crack addict needing a fix. Maybe that's a hyperbole, but it feels very true nevertheless. Over the holiday break I feasted on plenty of delicious foods including a roast goose, a leg of lamb, homemade egg nog, the best fruit punch in the world, and many other delicacies, and yet by the time this week rolled around I was craving a bowl of restorative pho with a scary intensity. I am not alone in my love, there are many addicts roaming the streets looking for their next fix, so I'd like to tell you about the most amazing pho in Calgary. It's served in a small nondescript restaurant in Chinatown, one of those ones you've been to many times, and the decor looks like a hundred other venerable establishments. It's located in a building that positively reeks of all manner of dried seafood, so you have to bravely cross that barrier before you get there, but never mind, it's