Pho Pasteur Saigon Restaurant

Ehh, probably one of the worst phở broths I’ve had. Maybe I caught them on a bad day but I had high hopes.
Also didn’t enjoy the honey lemon drink I had. Tasted very artificial and strange.

Quite possibly the best Vietnamese place in downtown, and maybe the best I’ve ate at in Calgary. Lightspeed service, an extensive but affordable menu (sub $ 10 prices on most items), and lots of flavour. Excellent spring rolls. Note that this place accepts cash only. Also note that to pay, you’ll need to go up. They won’t bring the bill to your table.

First of all this place gets extra points for it’s pricing (their phos are all around $ 9 for medium and $ 10 for large) and the fact that they gave me a free cup of tea while I waited for my takeout order. Plus it’s one of the few places I’ve come across where you can tell that their spring rolls are made from scratch (Do it! You’re already getting phở which is super healthy!). And if you’re worried they serve the spring rolls in those foam containers with the pieces cut out to keep it fresh and crispy for takeout.
I got the large size beefy satay phở which I found big enough for two dinners, and it comes with the usual suspects: rice noodles (with spring onions), bean shoots, beef (some of which was rare), onion, hoisin sauce, and a tiny chilli pepper (adorable). Plus a small tub of satay sauce.
I’ve recently become addicted to phở since discovering Phở Phuong Vi Noodle House on 16 Ave NW and… this place just doesn’t quite have the same quality. The beef in my soup was served very thinly sliced and just isn’t quite the same ‘phở’ me. Having said that, it’s still tasty and great for your budget.
PS The restaurant is bigger than I imagined, with the ‘cheap and cheerful’ décor you probably expect in Chinatown.

Homey feel with average phở.
Well you’ll think you’re in for a treat stepping into this very minimal and basic Vietnamese restaurant, but really it’s as special as it looks. Sure the prices of the food match the décor but really that’s not appealing. If you want a quick lunch that’s cheap and don’t care that much about quality you’re in the right place. You get three stars because it was a huge serving and I didn’t really need service even though it wasn’t really there.
Inexpensive food matches poor service and taste.

By far the best Spicy Beef Phở I have ever had. Their spicy sate sauce is so good and makes the dish. Unfortunately they are not open Sundays anymore so we have tried to find a replacement, after many Sundays and many Vietnamese Restaurants later (at least 8) we can not find one that can even come close. Needless to say Saturdays are now our soup days!

One of my casual Phở joints when I’m working and feel the need to get some hot soup in my belly. As usual with my restaurant downtown I usually come here around 11:30am to ensure there is plenty of seating for my co-​workers and I to gobble on that delicious phở.
I love the taste of the broth here and a regular size should suffice for most people. If you feel like you haven’t eaten in ages then I would recommend the larger size but be warned, don’t order appetizers as the size of the large is… well large. If you do get the regular size I would also recommend getting a side order of spring rolls as well. I love their spring rolls!
My only gripe with this place is the kind of beef they use in their phở as I like the usual kind and this is more like a brisket or something. It doesn’t take away from the taste but it does make it seem «not like home».

If I were lucky enough to have a Vietnamese grandma, she would roll her spring rolls this way. They’re not even my favourite spring rolls, but they do feel more homemade than the ones at other places.
That’s what I like about Phở Pasteur. It feels real.

Phở is not bad. I’ve only been in Calgary for a couple of months and have had phở at 3 different places – can’t go wrong with Phở Pasteur the broth is hot, not too salty, but still enough flavour to taste home made (unlike some places that just drop a packet of artificial flavoured/​MSG-​boosted phở).

A hole-​in-​the-​wall, or as we call it «PhO» in the wall … yes, I realize it’s pronounced ‘PhaAa” but in this case, make an exception! =D
Up the set of stairs and into the Wooden looking shack, there is a theme of even more wood from decades ago, resembling a little shack in saigon? — haha I wouldn’t go that far, but you get the point. All this doesn’t matter cuz all we really care about is the food.
Ordering system is on a sheet (like a sushi list) which makes it casual and quick. They offer the usual Vietnamese fare, so give it a go! Soup or dry noodles, whatever you feel like… Make sure you order the fried spring rolls, I love them here, it looks and taste different from other places. I suspect they use the rice paper and not the spring roll paper to wrap it… whatever works!
p. s. they have ‘kid’ size portions here too.

Since I am on this phở roll, as opposed to California … (waiting for laugh track)
I will mention a place that my cousin and her husband have taken me time after time again, they have gone here with their parents since the 90s because I remember them treating me to Phở here when I used to come and visit Calgary.
This is like a little secret hideaway restaurant nestled on the edge of Chinatown and near the river. It is dark inside and has awful wood panelling and very old 70s furniture and plastic plants but I must admit it is one of the best places in the city to get Phở. My cousins swears by it.
I was soon reminded about how good it is here because a piping huge Phở was placed before me, the tender beef so juicy and spicy, the broth so hot and a little sweet.
Another time we came to visit, I decided on the pork, spring roll and vermicelli and it too was a large portion and the spring rolls were so crispy and delicious.
The long line ups can attest to the great food here and the extremely friendly service; since my cousins eat here often they are treated like family so although I don’t like to be favoured, I think our portions have a little extra… or perhaps my eyes are just way too big when eating.

This is my favourite place for Phở. I just love the flavour of their broth. Very few places can even close to matching it. I like the fact that the phở comes out steaming hot. I like putting in the raw sprouts when it’s steaming hot and by the time I’m half done my bowl, the sprouts are just perfectly blanched in the soup.
I agree that the décor leaves a lot to be desired. but really, I’d rather go to a place that has phenomenal food and so-​so décor than a place with phenomenal décor and so-​so food. If I wanted phenomenal décor, I’d go for fine dining.
Phở Pasteur is very consistent. I’m most impressed that their broth tastes the same time after time. In the summer time, I tend to stay away from phở because the weather is warm outside. So instead, I ordered their charbroil pork and spring rolls with vermicelli. Again, time after time, the pork is perfectly seasoned and grilled. I’m always so impressed at how flavourful and tender their charbroiled pork is. The spring rolls there are also my favourite. The wrapper they use is different than most places. They actually use the soaked rice paper instead of traditional egg roll wrappers. This gives the spring rolls a little bit of chewiness while being crisp.
This place is always busy during lunch, lined up out the door. However, I’m most impressed at how quick their service is. Once seated and the order put it, the food is usually out in less than 10 mins. I’m usually done lunch in half hour there.