Pho in Vancouver: where to find good Vietnamese food and what to order

On a grey, rainy Vancouver day, a lot of the city ends up in front of a steaming bowl of pho. Vietnamese restaurants are everywhere in Metro Vancouver, from little family-run noodle houses to modern cafés, and pho is one of the city's most reliable comfort foods. It is also good value, quick, and easy for almost any diet.

Here is where to find it and how to order like a regular.

Where is the best area for pho in Vancouver?

Pho shops are scattered across the region, but a few streets have unusually high concentrations:

• Kingsway, the long diagonal road through East Vancouver and into Burnaby, is best known for its many Vietnamese restaurants, especially between Main Street and the Burnaby border.
• Fraser Street, in South Vancouver, has long-running Vietnamese noodle houses and a mix of other Asian restaurants.
• Victoria Drive and the Killarney area have neighbourhood pho spots.
• Downtown and the West End have plenty of pho shops serving office workers and students.
• Richmond and Burnaby add many more, often in strip malls.

The best pho is often found in the plainest rooms.

Why are there so many pho restaurants in Vancouver?

Vancouver's Vietnamese community grew quickly from the late 1970s, when many refugees from Vietnam settled in Canada, and again in the years that followed as families joined them. Many opened small restaurants and groceries, and pho, the beef noodle soup that is cheap to serve, filling and good on a rainy day, became one of the most popular meals in the city.

The result is that pho is everywhere, from family-run shops on Kingsway and Fraser Street in East Vancouver to strip-mall restaurants in Burnaby, Richmond and Surrey. Many of the most loved places are plain rooms with laminated menus and numbered dishes. In a pho shop, that is a good sign rather than a warning.

How do you order pho?

Most pho menus are numbered and look long, but the logic is simple. You choose the meat, the size and any extras:

On the menu	What it means
Tai	Rare beef, sliced thin, cooking in the hot broth
Chin	Well-done brisket
Nam	Flank
Gan	Tendon
Sach	Tripe
Bo vien	Beef balls
Dac biet	The house special, usually a mix of everything
Pho ga	Chicken pho

If you are new to it, rare beef and brisket is a safe and classic order. Many places also offer a vegetarian or tofu pho with vegetable broth; ask whether the broth is really meat-free.

What do you put in your pho?

Pho usually arrives with a plate of fresh additions: bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime wedges and sliced chilies. On the table you will find hoisin sauce and sriracha. Add herbs and lime to the bowl, and taste the broth before adding sauces. Many regulars put the sauces in a small dish for dipping meat, so the broth stays clean.

What other Vietnamese dishes should you try in Vancouver?

Pho is only the start. Look for:

• Bun bo Hue, a spicy, lemongrass-heavy beef noodle soup from central Vietnam.
• Bun, rice vermicelli bowls topped with grilled meat, spring rolls, herbs and fish sauce dressing.
• Com tam, broken rice with grilled pork chop, often with a fried egg.
• Banh mi, the Vietnamese sandwich on a crisp baguette, sold at bakeries and sandwich shops.
• Goi cuon, fresh salad rolls with shrimp, pork and herbs.
• Vietnamese iced coffee, strong coffee with sweetened condensed milk.

Is pho cheap in Vancouver?

It is one of the better-value sit-down meals in the city, though prices have risen like everything else. A bowl of pho is filling on its own, and banh mi is one of the cheapest good lunches around. Remember that BC menu prices do not include tax: 5 percent GST is added to food. At a sit-down restaurant, a tip of 15 to 20 percent of the pre-tax amount is normal, even at a casual noodle house.

Is pho gluten-free?

Pho noodles are made from rice, and the broth is usually based on beef or chicken bones and spices, so pho is often a good choice for people avoiding gluten. But hoisin sauce, some soy-based sauces and certain toppings can contain wheat, and kitchens are rarely certified gluten-free. If you have celiac disease, ask about the broth and sauces, and skip the hoisin unless the restaurant can confirm it.

When is the best time to go for pho?

Pho is traditionally a breakfast dish in Vietnam, and some Vancouver pho shops open early enough for that. Lunch is busiest, especially near offices. On a cold, wet evening in November, expect a short wait at popular places. Many pho shops close earlier than other restaurants, so check hours before a late visit.

Every Vancouverite has a favourite pho shop, and they rarely agree. On Mosey you can rate the places you ate at and the bowl you ordered, see what friends ordered and where, and keep a list of noodle houses to work through on the next rainy day.

More guides to read next:

• Holiday dining in Vancouver: the Christmas Market, festive menus and booking tips
• Summer food events in Vancouver: the PNE, night markets and street festivals
• What to eat in Vancouver on a rainy day: comfort food and indoor food trips

More in the Canadian food guides and the ranked lists of places.