Pho So 1 Calgary Restaurant Review

November 18, 2013
By Cody Battershill

Pho So 1 Calgary Restaurant Review

Decent Vietnamese restaurants are a dime-a-dozen, but the ones that really catch your attention with excellent cuisine are few.

The other day I stopped in at Pho So 1, an old favourite of mine I frequented many years ago and was surprised that their dishes are just as good as I remember!

Atmosphere – 6.5

Service – 8.5

Food – 9.0

Atmosphere and Service

It seems as if nothing has changed at Pho So 1; the floors, walls, tables, décor and even fish tank seem to have remained the same as they were several years ago. Then and again, it’s not the interiors that attract pho loving customers like me – it’s the food!

Our server was very friendly and pointed us towards what we asked for on the menu. Absolutely no complaints!

Our Food

18A – meat & shrimp spring rolls (4 rolls) - $5.70 – deep fried, crunchy spring rolls served with a light fish sauce with shredded carrots for dipping, how can you not start off a Vietnamese meal with one of these?

01 – Pho So 1 Special – Pho Dac Biet - $9.45 (XL) – well done beef, rare beef, beef ball, tendon and tripe, except with a custom sate broth. Definitely a must try for those who love sate soups or have a taste for spicy foods, although I would substitute more beef for the tendon and tripe as these are two items I am not accustomed to eating. Other than that small detail, this dish was very, very good; so good in fact I slurped down the entire soup broth!

Still Good...

To determine if a particular pho restaurant is good, I usually order the Pho Dac Biet, a.k.a. the house special soup except with sate broth if it isn’t spicy already. I must say, this was some of the best sate broth I’ve had for a while... Pho So 1, you pass with flying colours even 10 years later.

If you love authentic Vietnamese cuisine, definitely stop in at this restaurant when you get the chance. For more great Vietnamese restaurants, be sure to check out our Best Calgary Pho Restaurants today!