Review Viva Restaurant - Winnipeg

Came here for my first time today! Amazing friendly service. Food came quickly and so fresh! My Husband has always talked about how great it is here and I now fully agree! Cannot wait to be back and try his favorite chicken soup next time. Thank you for the amazing food and service!

Delicious food. Super friendly staff and great atmosphere

Their spices and soups sure Wake you up to what true Health foods are about. These owners are amazing.

The staff is very genuine and extremely friendly. Food is amazing. We will definitely be back thank you very much! Staff taught my girlfriend the art of rice paper wraps. The kitchen staff cooked everything to perfection.

A friend brought me to this hidden gem last week. Can't believe they've been here 29 years and I'd never heard of them! Great price, huge portions and delicious flavors! So good I forgot to take pictures lol. Can't wait to go back!

Good food at a big higher price to other but overall experience is good

My first time there at Viva was awesome. I love the pho and the banh mi. Super delicious and authentic. Best Vietnamese place in Winnipeg. And you can't beat the price, which is very reasonable. Would definitely eat there again.

Best Vietnamese/ Chinese food in town. Always fresh, great menu and great staff. Sometimes service can be slow when extremely busy which is often but still worth the quality food. Vermicelli bowls, spring rolls, rice rolls, lemon chicken, Korean bbq beef, beef and broccoli, spicy sizzling beef, and black bean sauce are all fantastic! Great fresh food!

Our first visit at Viva and enjoyed the experience.  Started with a order of Salad Rolls to share, crisp and fresh and nicely flavoured.  Ordered a order of Lemongrass Chicken and a order of Beef with Ginger, shared both.  Both well prepared and nicely presented.  Flavours from the lemongrass and ginger were not overpowering, just the right level.  Staff friendly and attentive.  Premises clean and much richer than the normal for asian restaurants.  Highly recommended.

Excellent service. Got our food very quick. Got extra peanut sauce with our left overs. I am very pleased with our experience. Will for sure come back. And recommend this anyone who wants amazing Vietnamese food!

Every so often there’s a restaurant that I somehow managed to miss, despite it being in my neighbourhood, and even with people referring to it quite regularly. Viva Restaurant, which specializes in Vietnamese and Chinese food is one such place. I went once last year, and had intended to get back, but for some reason never managed to make it. So, in the last couple of weeks I decided to make visiting a priority.

This place was great! Clean restaurant, excellent and very attentive service. The food came out quickly and well spaced appart. Every plate was delicious, it was evident they used good quality ingredients. Would highly recommend! Prices were good too!

Others with me really enjoyed it but they weren’t very accommodating for me. I’m strict low carb so asked if they could supplement my Kung po with more veggies instead of adding the rice or noodles. I offered to pay more. Pretty sure I got the regular amount of veggies and a huge bowl of rice. Charged me $3 extra !! I had returned the rice. Possible miscommunication between kitchen and front staff? Also, Kung pao chicken should be spicy. This was bland. Needed sriracha. Only spice was three jalapeño rings in with veggies. Pretty disappointed with a $16 lunch. Noodle and rice bowls looked awesome. Wish I could eat it. Way better deal. Salad rollls looked great too. I wish they could have got my order right.

Ordered #21 to go, and it was delicious! Very tasty broth, fresh vegetables and herbs, and nice tender beef. Just the right amount of heat too, it was a great bowl of soup. I can't wait to go back.

The restaurant is small and easy to miss... but when you find it your stomach will thank you! The food is fresh and delicious. The deluxe vermicelli is my favorite. The shrimp and meat is charred with flavour and the spring rolls are great! Very reasonable prices

This place is legit Vietnamese food! I've been many times and there isn't one thing I don't like here. The regular stuff like Pho, spring rolls and Vermicelli are all done very well. Some of the other neat things to try are frog legs and their stir fries. If you're looking for a solid Vietnamese restaurant to try, go to Viva, despite the many competitors nearby, this place still stands out.<br/><br/>The annoying thing about Viva, is there is no parking. It's street parking and during late at night, it's not the best area of town. Also, the kitchen exhaust is under powered, the moment you step in, you will be hit with a wall of bbq smell. During busy times, this gets in your clothes. The service however, is lightning quick and the restaurant is tastefully modern.

I just got back from this restaurant and all I can say is WOW! <br/><br/>We ordered three things. The first was the shrimp+beef wraps which you put together yourself after they bring you the ingredients. This was enjoyable to me and all the ingredients were super fresh and the meat was PERFECT.Next, we ordered the spring roll vermicelli and like others have said, they were the best spring rolls I've ever had. <br/>We also ordered pho which I didn't eat any of but my dinnermate said it was fantastic.<br/><br/>The portions and prices were absolutely ideal, and the wait staff was great and efficient. I can't wait to go back!

Best spring rolls I've ever had. Had the black bean shrimp, special viva fried rice, satay chicken and the ginger beef, and it was all so good. I will definitely be back.

I was very dissatisfied with this restaurant. I've eaten here many times over the years and was very happy with the food. Today was a different story, I ordered the beef vermicelli with spring rolls. When I received it it was a big bowl on noodles with everything barried at the bottom. This is not how I've ever seen it. When I did stir it up there was no carrots, mint or peanuts and very little cucumber. When I called the waitress she said that's the way it's served. BS. And she gave me a side bowl of carrots. The part that really ticked my off was when I went up and paid and asked why a bunch of ingredients were missing and every thing was on the bottom, her and another employee told me that is the way it's always served . I told them I've been here a hundred times and that's not right. The owner was also sitting at a table next to me like a coward and didn't say anything. Bottom line I don't appreciate being lied to and ganged up on when they clearly didn't make my order property. Last time I ever go here . I'll bring my business and my friends and family to Pho Binh Minh on Sargent that place is ran properly and they are very respectfull

Best pho and spring rolls I've ever had. Always awesome when you can get a iced Vietnamese coffee. Can't wait to go back and explore more dishes on the menu.

I usually love eating here but recently the service has been nothing but terrible. There was a woman served us with nothing but attitude. Me and my boyfriend went to pick up 2 rice vermicelli ... I got the spring roll kind and he got the chicken. The vegetables were rotting, the spring rolls were burnt and they left the stems from the Thai basil on. I asked to make sure they had put sriracha in the bag to which they insisted yes. When we got to our destination we didn't have any sauce. Poor poor service. Go to phuong nam. They never let down, foods always fresh & a bonus the staff is friendly and there open late

Today I tried to order takeout from my favourite Vietnamese restaurant in the city. After multiple unanswered phone calls, I was forced to find an alternative. Enter Viva Restaurant. Omg. Soooooo delicious! I had the spring rolls and the deluxe vermicelli. Do yourself a favour and check this place out!

The service is variable -- it can be bad to ok. You'll likely feel ignored. However, the food is EXCEPTIONAL, and you can't beat the prices for what you get! First of all, GET THE SPRING ROLLS. You can thank me later. Second of all, though you will be very very happy with their pho or vermicelli bowls, GET THE DELUXE WONTON SOUP. Seriously. You're welcome. It is the best chicken broth I have ever had anywhere, and when you love soup as much as I do, that is saying something. That would be enough for me to be happy, but then it's choc full of vegetables and dumplings that are done perfectly every time. I would argue this is the best Vietnamese in the city, especially for the price. The service may not be on point and the atmosphere is very casual, but believe me when I say the food is more than worth it.

In my humble opinion , this is the most flavourful pho in Winnipeg . The other dishes are great as well! The service is always friendly , and the food consistent every time !

(please leave a like or comment :D )Wow, talk about a diamond in the rough! Located a couple blocks from isabel, on sargent, this is a place with great food, in a tough neighbourhood. First thing I noticed walking in was that the other customers, were from all walks of life. Retirees, business class, tradesmen (such as myself) etc. Wasnt what I was expecting to see in this area, so I knew it had to be good! I was right! The ladies inside brought the food out very hot, and very quickly! The service isnt amazing, but very good, and all the food was above average to excellent. The sizzling chicken curry was awesome and was litterly... sizzling on the cast iron plate! (notice the bubbles and steam in picture) Havent seen that since i was in the Dominican Republic. Super cool! Highly recommend this place!

Great service. Anytime ive been there the place has always been packed and yet service has been extremely fast. Best vermicelli ive had in a restaurant

The spring rolls are very good! I ordered the vermicelli deluxe dish and it was delicious! The only thing I would complain about was service. After waiting a long time, I had to go up to the front to ask for my food to be packed. I just felt ignored, but other than that everything else was good.

Very small amount of meet on vermicelli - had to order a separate meat order to go with it. Very Tasty but portions disappointing. The Basa fish was also excellent but again, very small portion. Overall I will go back because food is very good, but not when I'm too hungry. Lol

The best Kung Pow chicken in the whole world! Everything I try here is outstanding. Even the wonton soup which is usually a pretty simple dish had layers of complex flavour that I can't believe are in such a simple broth soup.<br/>The curry sizzles are the perfect blend of heat and curry. A must try!

Good and affordable vietnamese food! I love the salad rolls here they were just too lovely! The place looked lovely as well and service was okay.

I would say average. The location was not that great but the interior was clean and organized. The spring rolls were ok. I was so disappointed with the Beef in rice paper rolls. The flavor combination was not pleasant. It came with a fish sauce that made the taste worse and the whole thing soggy and hard to eat.

This was my first time at Viva and it was awesome. Large size Beef soup bowl feeds 2 and is such good value. Jalapeño slice was the hottest I have ever experienced. :)

Best Vietnamese in Winnipeg! All you need to know! Broth soups are fantastic... Clear, not too salty and fresh ingredients (try the deluxe wonton soup). We love that the noodle and stir fry dishes are not covered in starchy sauces... So fresh and delicious.

Horrible service messed my order up. Order pho satay and rice wraps to pick up, they forgot the rice wraps so I went back, when I got home the pho was not satay....... Super disappointed but this is the 3rd or 4th time this has happend to me there, it's a shame cause the food is really good, but the service is bad.

Dine in, not take out!. I have had two experiences with this restaurant. One as a dine in patron and once as pick-up take out. Dining in is an excellent experience! Beautiful presentation, friendly service and lovely atmosphere. Take out, was worse than cheap Chinese take-out... We ordered a large soup, but clearly they don't have take out dishes that size, so they took our money and gave us a regular. We also ordered beef chow mein (which is a very liquidy dish) and they put it on top of the spring rolls. All the liquid poured into our spring rolls making them soggy and un-edible. When we called to let them know, we barely got an appology. So, as a dine-in customer you will feel like a million bucks! But take out will make you feel more like an inconvenience.

This place is one of the best restaurants in Winnipeg. The number one restaurant I go to. Always satisfies. The service is good as well. We are regulars here. And for a reason. It's always so yummy! I'm always craving Viva! I love the Chicken Vermicelli Bowl (no mint leaves + add one deep fried spring roll) and I love the Shrimp and Sour Soup as well (no mint leaves). Delicious. Even their chili hot sauce is delish! And to drink, try the Tsing Tao beer or the Fresh Lemon Juice drink! I'm at Viva as we speak! xD

Delicious! It was great. They actually had REAL food. Everything was fresh, tastey and obviously not pre packaged. The prices are reasonable; the portions were appropriate; and the timing of service was great.

Love the food here!. We love the food her. fish in clay pot is a favorite and a decent pho. wish they included more basil but still yum.

Food was good, service was awful. I'm not one to write reviews but the service was just bad. I've actually been here before and the food was great and service was good. This time around the food was good, but the service was non-existence. I can understand being busy on a Friday and probably short-staffed because maybe someone called in sick-i understand, but to not even be apologetic or sorry about being delayed in inexcusable. We had to find our own seating, we were given a take-out menu instead of a regular menu and overall service was not good. I would have brushed this off and not written this review but seeing all the stuff around me happen, i just had to write this review. People were kept waiting, and the "servers" walked past everyone and didn't offer a sorry for the wait or apologize for being behind. The one girl seemed like she finished crying but the guy cleaning the dishes and bringing the food out was actually nice. <br/><br/>Service = Awful<br/>Food = Still good.<br/><br/>Would I go back? Probably.

Good is always and consistently amazing and delicious...best Vietnamese restaurant in Winnipeg hands down! However if you're looking and expected great service you will be thoroughly disappointed but the great food makes up for it though!

Service Sucks, Food is Good.. Been here several times. Sometimes it's been busy, sometimes there were only 2 other tables. Everytime the service has been excruciatingly slow. Takes 5 minutes to even get a menu. Thankfully I'm patient. And the food is great. Have never been disappointed. <br/><br/>Also I've never seen the waitress smile.Ever. She always looks pissed off.

Great Pho. Went on June 30th for lunch. It was fairly busy so there was a bit of a wait for our food but it wasn't too long. I had the rare beef and beef ball pho and it was delicious. The broth was savory and not over seasoned with cilantro that I find some other establishments tend to do. I will definitely be coming back to try another bowl or two!

Impressed. On the outside this place looks less than impressive. On the inside the decor/atmosphere is beautiful. Service was a bit slow, I had to hunt down the waitress to actually get our order. The menu was large and extensive, interesting dishes that I would like to try sometime, I've never seen them on other Vietnamese restaurant menus in the city. There are usual fares like summer rolls, spring rolls, vermicelli bowls, and pho.<br/><br/>My partner and I opted for the deluxe pho. I asked for satay seasoning on mine and I wasn't really that pleased with it, it wasn't horrible though. Unlike some other places this satay seasoning is garlic-based with no trace of peanuts. It's a plus for my partner who is allergic to nuts, but nuts provide a depth of flavour. I barely tasted any spice that complimented the dish. It was the broth, then a spicy feeling in the mouth. There was a spicy feeling, but taste was absent. Anyway, the broth was delicious and the meat and noodle portions were quite generous. <br/><br/>We would go again. It takes a lot to impress us with pho since there are so many Vietnamese restaurants in the city and we have our favourites for pho. Viva's pho stood out and I would gladly go again (but it does not take the #1 spot but it's an alternative!)

Best Pho. I've tried a few Pho places and this is one of the best. It's very cheap and the food is flavorful. The Vietnamese Spring Rolls with peanut sauce are my favorite. Only downside is the location seems somewhat sketchy at night.

Good food, but catering sucks.. The food is very good. So good, that I decided to order food for a party. AFter our dinner we sat down with 2 staff members (I believe one was the son of the owner) and with their help, chose enough dishes for 50 people. They told us the price, we agreed and all was settled.....<br/><br/>On the evening of the party, my son and husband went to pick up the food. The bill was almost 3 times the agreed price. They had the order, but denied agreeing on the price. After 30 minutes of heated discussion, most of which was conducted between themselves in their language, they started removing some of the trays from our boxes. Another 15 minutes passed, they returned some of the trays to the box and my guys arrived home with cold food; LOTS of rice and 1 tray each of 4 main dishes, not 7.<br/><br/>We will never return or recommend them and our guests left with a very bad impression of Viva Restaurant.

So GOOD!. I am a changed person! I used to hate pho due to a couple bad experiences at other restaurants. NOT ANYMORE!!<br/>Now I was pho for every meal! It was so good, everyone at our table enjoyed it. The restaurant was packed, which is sucha good sign, I can see why.<br/>I also had the charbroiled chicken bun, and spring rolls which were also really good! I have nothing bad to say about this place, so yummy!

Love this place I have been tons of times service is fast and food is fantastic !!! All the rice wraps and vermicelli bowls are delish !!

Delicious!. Amazing little gem in Winnipeg, you must try! The food was amazing and I cant wait to go back!

The food is pretty good here, they have raised prices in the last recent years so the value isn't as good as before.<br/><br/>The food I would give 9/10<br/>The service I would give a 3/10, for a Vietnamese restaurant this is lower than usual, the place seems like its not as good as it was before<br/><br/>Certain menu items (ie chicken mushroom) are no longer on the menu, and/or replaced with lower quality mushrooms.<br/><br/>The food is usually always consistently ok, would just prefer to have orders to go to avoid the weak service

Great Little Place. I'd never ordered from here before when my boyfriend suggested that we go to Viva, and let me say, I was NOT disappointed by my experience here! He ordered the chicken satay, which was slightly spicy and VERY delicious, and I had the beef vegetable chow mein. Both dishes were great. I highly recommend the spring rolls also - fried crispy and filled with a peppery filling. So great, I will be returning.

Great food, positive vibe. The food is always great here. I always order a rice noodle dish, and it never disappoints. The atmosphere is a bit old school, but I can deal with that for the great tasting food. It is always busy here, so while it may have out of date decor, the vibe is always positive. All in all, a very authentic Vietnamese restaurant, giving you exactly what you would expect for the area of the city it is in.

This place is great. Always busy, but I've never had to wait too long.

Great. I love the vermicelli bowls there! good price for good food. the service is usually pretty good, sometimes a little on the slow side. Their pho's are really good there too!

Cheap, great portions and tasty.

Love it!. My husband and myself have ordered and picked up food from Viva twice. Both times it was awesome!<br/><br/>We have ordered the Spring Rolls, Salad Rolls, Beef Chow Mein (soft noodles), Chicken with Sweet Chili Sauce (comes with steamed rice) and the Deluxe Vermicelli.<br/><br/>The Spring Rolls and dipping sauce are delicious. The Salad rolls are great, personally not our favourite but they are so big they are nearly a meal in and of themselves! The Beef Chow Mein is superb, super flavourful sauce and equally as flavourful vegetables with super tender beef. The Deluxe Vermicelli is also amazing, it has pork balls, shrimp, pieces of spring rolls and sliced pork, it has lettuce, bean sprouts and cucumber on the side along with the same fishy sauce that comes with the spring rolls. Very delicate with simple and delightful flavours. The Chicken with Sweet Chili sauce was also good, not extraordinary but still great.<br/><br/> Hands down our favourite Vietnamese / Chinese place in the West End.

Only if you like the beaten path. After hearing about Viva for years I finally ended up there, meeting a friend for lunch. I've been a Nhu Quynh customer since before they moved to Ellice, and have expanded to try Pho Kim Tuong and (now) Coconut Garden Vietnamese, and I can say that Viva doesn't come close to any of these other restaurants, for pho or for service.<br/>Iced Vietnamese coffee is only $3.50 at Coconut Garden, and their one-size pho for $.8.00 would easily serve 2, if not 3 people.<br/>You can do better! Shop around!

Decent, but not the best Vietnamese food in Winnipeg.. I used to believe that Viva was one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Winnipeg. When my friend asked me to take her to the best one, I instantly thought of Viva. <br/>I love rare beef pho and have tried it at many restaurants. At Viva, it wasn't bad, but there was nothing outstanding about it. At worst, I would describe it as just average. My friend had the deluxe vermicelli and it's the first time that I've seen shrimp in any deluxe vermicelli. We also ordered the salad rolls; again not the best, but far from the worst. <br/>Service was okay, but the server brought us our glasses of water with his hands and fingers all over the rim of the cup, rather than near the base. In my glass of water, I had part of a plastic tag floating in it.

I'm a fan!. Viva is actually quite good.<br/>Not 5 Star good as Warhaft would have you believe. Especially when you experience the service. They don't seat you, offer water or even drinks you have to speak up. And they don't quality check. You gotta flag someone down. Thats not a 5 star restaurant Marion!!<br/><br/>That's the negative.<br/><br/>Positive is, the kitchen really delivers! I typically get #2 the salad rolls, best around town. And #24 pork vermicelli. They're both delicious and all i gotta say is try for yourself.<br/>I will keep going back

Food = Amazing!. Food is absolutely delectable here! Their pho is to die for! Their food in general is just delicious!

Best Viet spot in the City. One of my favorites..<br/><br/>A little overpriced, service is a little slow as well.

First time diner. I'll make this short and sweet. The customer service here (as mentioned in other reviews) wasn't necessarily rude. The guy who took our order seemed a little disconnected, maybe disinterested. <br/><br/>The food was really good and

Great food. Alright service.. I have been to Viva 3 times now, and each time I have came to the same conclusion; the food is fantastic, but the menu is vague. There are over 100 choices (literally), and each choice is given a vague description of what to expect. The servers can assist you in your choices, but they shouldn't have to. That being said the restaraunt is all around good. The sweet and sour shrimp is very tasty, and the ginger beef tastes great. A co-worker had the soup (just ask for "the most popular one"), and she still talks about how amazing it was! She says it was the "best soup ever." Not being a soup guy, I wouldn't know, but I take her word for it.

Best in the city. Pretty sure I've been to every viet place in the city. This is one of the best. Can't beat they're broth. It's always worth the trip.

Super salty!!! Service is not that bad but food was too salty... Never come back

Viva is the best Vietnamese resaurant in the city... I've tried them all! The pho is second to none. Clean, quick and delicious.

I LOVE this place! The food is excellent and at a great price. Definitely recommend the spring rolls and salad rolls! Great sandwiches, vermicelli, and curry. The service isn't the greatest (one ex. Watched the server eat his dinner while we sat there with out menus closed ready to order) but worth the wait!!!

Good food , clean and nice ambience ..

Consistently good over the years. This is where I had Vietnamese I think for the first time many years ago. It is always tasty and busy. Last time I was there I had tempura shrimp which were not tempura but were breaded with an interesting dipping sauce (which was probably out of a jar but was good) that kind of tasted Korean. It was not I guess something I should have ordered at a Vietnamese place but it was good. I also had the salad rolls and they were fresh tasting, but think they were missing cilantro or basil/mint or something. The dipping sauce tasted like the one at all the vietnamese places. I also had the deluxe vermecellli bowl and that was good and had a nice dressing/sauce. My husband had the beef satay soup and said he likes the one at Hay Long Bay better. This place is pretty consistently good. Has a very large menu. Brought the kids and didn't feel unwelcome. Our toddler and baby and our friends' toddler and baby were tolerated by patrons and staff. Not a great location though for kids as there is the occasional "rough character" around the street at night. At least it was noisy and loud so we didn't stand out with our noisy bunch. It is better to go during the day with children and park close.

I don't know why ppl like this place...Try Pho Kim Tuong and you'll understand why.

Best in town!!. I absolutely love this restaurant! Always great service, with even better food. The spring rolls are incomparable and the place is definitely child-friendly. It's definitely the best looking asian restaurant around. I've been going there for a while with my whole family and we've always received the same quality of food and service. The jackfruit shake is a definite must-have! As well, if you're looking to try something a little different, the #39 is quite the treat. the deluxe vermicelli and the deluxe pho are the most popular dishes for a reason; unbelievably delicious :)

Food is relatively ok, but very bad service!. I have been there many times (about 10 or so), and majority of the time I got bad service. Food is ok, some friends really like one of their dish with chewy noodle so they often ask to go there, but me personally would much prefer pho no 1 or phuong nam over this place!

Great vermicelli & more. I get to Viva pretty often for an inexpensive delicious meal. I'm a sucker for vermicelli, and Viva has one of the best I've tried - very light and it tastes more fresh than I've had at other restaurants. That being said, their other entrees are very good: the fish stew is a particular favourite of mine.<br/><br/>Service is great unless the restaurant is busy (which is often), in which case you may be waiting a while to get your order in. Don't go in expecting phenomenal service because you may get frustrated. That being said, the owner is very outgoing and we always have a great chat.<br/><br/>The restaurant is warm and friendly and the people I've brought to eat there have always enjoyed it.

The marinade!. My favourite pork in the city. The marinade they use for their pork is absolutely amazing. Whether it be in a vermicelli, on top of rice or in a vietnamese sub, it is really awesome. Everything else I've eaten (banh xeo, pho, fried rice, chow mein, etc.) was average, but their marinade for the pork stands above all. Definitely order anything with charbroiled pork when coming here.

How is it that. I've given this place several chances and always end up with brutal service. <br/><br/>I've had the food and it's good but not good enough to put up with the attitude from both the male and female servers. <br/><br/>Pricing is typical, not bad but I never come here anymore. I've had better Pho and service elsewhere.<br/><br/>Also parking sucks too.<br/><br/>No thanks.

Average. I've been here a handful of occasions, but I can't understand the popularity of the place.<br/><br/>My biggest issues with Viva has to do with their lack of touch with portions:<br/><br/>On my last visit, with a group of 5, we had ordered a bunch of stuff to share. We specifically asked if an x-large pho was enough for 5 of us. The server said yeah it would be.. we are ordering other stuff anyways. Ok, so the pho comes out and it can only be described as a small bowl. Now, I've been to many pho places, and this bowl would not pass as an x-large. Also, the basil and bean sprouts that accompanied it was on a tiny saucer dish that'd probably be suitable for one person, not 5. Ok, fine, we also have other stuff right?<br/><br/>Well, the sweet & sour fish, which we ordered 2 orders of, seemed to have been 1 portion split in two bowls as the contents barely filled the bowl. What a disappointment.<br/><br/>The lemon grass chicken had more vegetables than chicken, and what chicken was there was inconsistent pieces - some shredded bits and some whole pieces, like the pan was scraped every last bit of chicken to be included in the dish because there was so little.<br/><br/>The shrimp with snow peas (which were really sugar snap peas),had tiny shrimps (the lowest grade), the dish was very salty, and the peas were not deveined... I had to destring it as I was eating.<br/><br/>And lastly, what is up with their salad rolls - an order consist of 3 rolls - too much for one person, not enough for 2. And we all know people dine in pairs, so is this a ploy to get us to order two orders?<br/><br/>Service: was nice. But not overly friendly. On one occasion, embarrassingly we witnessed some yelling among the family members (owners?family friends?) behind the counter, and where the female server had to "hush" them because they were in the dining area. Pretty uncomfortable for the dining patrons. <br/><br/>Food: was meh at most. I think I had only one experience where I really liked the food- the Special pnom penh soup, and it was good but was not comparable to some amazing ones I had elsewhere.<br/><br/>Decor/table/chairs seem recently upgraded. <br/><br/>Doubt I'd return though - because I can get better food for value at many other pho places, food wasn't stellar, and that lack of touch with portion and guest needs really irks me.

The standard that I compare all other vietnamese restaurants to.The deluxe vermicelli (#28 - burned into my memory) is awesome. Salad rolls come with what may be my favorite peanut sauce. Pho is good in all it's various forms. Service is spotty and sometimes there is a bit of a language barrier, but overall well worth the effort.

Excellent Food. Not the friendliest service, but excellent food! Especially the seafood soup with crispy patty.

Excellent!. I went to Viva last night and had the deluxe pho (#14). For once I'm satisfied with the proportion of carbs to protein. Most places in the city have an excess of noodles and little meat. The pho tasted great and you can't go wrong with the low price! <br/><br/>My friends had a few Chinese dishes and they recommended the hot and sour soup.<br/><br/>Definately recommend this place!

Lemon grass beef is amazing!!!! I will admit I have really enjoyed every plate ordered! I must suggest capping your meal off eith a Vietnamese iced coffee :)

My favourite viet restaurant in the city. Been going there for the past ten years. Great family owned restaurant.

Awesome!. Their vermicelli dishes here are wonderful, especially with grilled chicken. They also have a delicious curry dish with big chunks of chicken and potato, yum! Highly recommended.

The simple stuff's the best. Best wonton soup I've ever had.

One of the best.. One of my all around favourite restaurants in the city. I have a hard time going to other Vietnamese restaurants in the city as the price is so reasonable and the food is always sensational. Unfortunately, we tend to order the same thing every time we go. Though this is done as it is so good. Get the deluxe vermicelli and you won't be disappointed!

Good price for good food!. Get the rice platters! Very flavorful and filling. My favorite! You will be satisfied. I admit, its hard for me to finish the entire platter but I always try because it's so good. <br/><br/>I have also had the vermicelli dishes as well and never complained. Right balance of noodles, vegetables and meat. Yummy!

Too pricy and can't cook beef. I think they are a bit too costly and they can't cook beef as good as Nhu Quyn or Pho #1.<br/><br/>I like there soups though, but a good viet... soup is easily done anywhere.

Delicious pho and the best spring rolls ive had in winnipeg so far. vermicelli is very good as well! definitely recommended.

Good Stuff !!. I ended up here at the recommendation of a co-worker tonight...<br/>I started with a bowl of Crab & Shrimp Vermicelli Soup which tasted just fine but the crab was imitation; there was plenty of shrimp in it though. I had the Sizzling Shrimp Satay after that and it said it was a spicy dish but it absolutely was not. It tasted just fine despite the lack of heat and I added my own with the chili sauce that's provided at each table. I liked the fact the dish was not swimming in oil like some places serve it. Will definitely go back to try some more as everything going by looked very good !

Great but pricey. Best spring rolls in town! The food here is delicious but it is one the priciest vietnamese places in town. I don't go here very often because there are so many great choices for less

10 out of 10. Have eaten there about 10 times now and have been 100% satisfied every time. The quality and quantity is always great! Keep up the great work!

Overrated!!. This place used to be pretty good but quality is slipping. You can only ride your 5 star from Warhaft for so long.<br/><br/>You can get better tasting Pho elsewhere, although I do favor their spring rolls.

Best Pho & Ice Coffee!. They have a great pho here - just order the pho tai and ice Vietnamese coffee and you're set!

Viva Restaurant does not disappoint for quality pho in Winnipeg. Good for those in the area of the hospital or on Sargent it should be included for anyone with some Vietnamese cravings.

It must seem as if I go out for lunch an awful lot but the truth is that I do not. Because I work from home, I'm able to grab some left overs or heat up some soup and so I likely go out for lunch, less often than someone who works downtown. When I have lunch out though, I make sure that I get somewhere that I have never been before (or not lately at least). Such is the case with Viva Vietnamese Restaurant at the corner or Sargent and Spence Street. I've enjoyed dining at Viva for what seems like decades but I have never gotten to go for lunch. On this day, when I arrived at 11:45 the dining room was already full of business and trades people who obviously know of Viva's popularity with the lunch crowd. When my lunch dates arrived, they were craning their necks to see what was in all of the steaming bowls that were being whizzed past our table. I led the way by ordering a large ($1.50 more) grilled pork vermicelli bowl. I was followed by an order of the same with grilled pork and shrimp