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Hai Phong Vietnamese Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
1242 KingswayVancouver, BC V5V
Neighbourhood: Kensington-Cedar Cottage
(604) 872-3828
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
43 reviews for Hai Phong Vietnamese Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"great spring rolls , and the #11 and #8 soup is great." In 12 reviews -
"Ordered the rare beef and enjoyed watching the broth work..." In 14 reviews -
"They have the best lemongrass chicken." In 4 reviews
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43 reviews in English
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Review from Jasmine O.
Vancouver, BC
4/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Smells good in there! It was a new experience for the wife, getting Pho I mean, and she was weary at first. I knew whatever vegetarian concoction I ordered would suit me just fine.
After looking around in the area we checked on yelp and saw nothing but really good news about this place so I pushed the idea and in we went.
You absolutely HAVE TO try the tofu salad rolls with Peanut sauce. I actually had to order seconds.
The Pho my princess ordered was HUGE and she barely made a dent so come hungry yelpers, and eat your faces off!Listed in: Where you'll find me
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Review from Clara S.
Burnaby, BC
3/21/2012 1 photo
I am a big fan of Pho and I usually have my regular places I frequent whenever I get a feening for a lovely bowl of meaty brothy goodness. However, there are times when a girl wants to mix it up a bit. Thanks to Yelp, I found Hai Phong.
It's kind of in the middle of nothing, and most of the businesses in the area were either closed or dimly lit. Hai Phong, however, is like an oasis in the middle of a desert. It's in a nice lil business complex, brightly lit, with LOTS of parking. Decor is very clean, bright, and new. There are some larger round tables, similar to what you'd find at most chinese restaurants, and longer rows of tables in the middle.
It seems that this restaurant is not just known for it's pho. In fact, many of the patrons there were ordering various other dishes. I spied the Tilapia, Crab, and other goodies mentioned by other Yelpers on tables nearby.
I was extremely tempted to stray into the non-pho side of Vietnamese cuisine. However, I was here for the noodles! So I tried the bun bo hue. I think Wendy Y. mentioned the small was extremely small. I totally agree... but this plus the extremely delicious spring rolls more than made an ample meal.
I've also had their regular pho too. I guess I would say their broth is not as, I don't know how to explain it properly, but not as "meaty" as other pho broths that I have had in Vancouver. Not that this is a bad thing. Hai Phong's broth is very light, less fatty, and clean tasting in general. I found I missed the meatiness in the broth when I had the Bun Bo Hue, but it was actually quite refreshing for the regular pho dishes they had on the menu.
I'm definitely adding this restaurant to my rotation of Vietnamese places to go to when I have a craving for pho. And, I'm going to have to return with a group of 4 so I could taste this tamarind crab everyone has been raving about! :) -
Review from Amy T.
2/27/2012
I almost order the regular #1 or #2 on the menu in every Pho restaurant. Those are the basics and can give you an idea what quality to expect. However, I felt like going for something more interesting and I'm glad I did.
I ordered the egg noodles with beef briskets and carrots in soup. It was flavorful and made me feel all warm inside. The beef briskets were a little fatty and I didn't eat all of it. I generally like the leaner parts of the beef brisket.
Thanks Wendy Y for suggesting this place!Listed in: Pho-nomenal!
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Review from Wendy Y.
2/15/2012
When they say "small", they really mean "small".
I was here with Amy T. for a quick dinner last night. We were supposed to go to Simon K's highly raved Cuu Long (Knight St. and Kingsway) but it was closed. Boo. We settled for Hai Phong, which is just a block away.
When I ordered my Bun Bo Hue, I was asked if I wanted small or large. I went with small because usually the small portion is just right for me.
When my order came I couldn't help but gasp! My order was (really) "small". It's like of a regular small bowl. Where's the other ? Despite the size, I was still happy with my order. It tasted everything I imagine a Bun Bo Hue should be - pig feet, pork blood, beef slices, some sort of meat balls. Temperature wise the soup wasn't too hot so the pre semi-cooked bean sprouts worked out even though I always prefer my soups piping hot. Flavor wise, the soup was a tad too salty but overall, it was good. I'd come here again, but large will need to be my choice of size.
Amy T. ordered a bowl of egg noodles with beef briskets and carrots. Her order looked real good. She said the beef briskets were on the oily side but overall, she enjoyed it. I must make a note here. Amy's order looked bigger than mine and she ordered a small too.
The bill came to $15 or $7.50 each before taxes and tips, which I think it's on the pricy side.
Would I come back?
I would say yes.Listed in: Malaysian/Singaporean/Vie…
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Review from Ellen L.
1/10/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Thank you Mr. Marc D. for the personal recommendation to bring me out of my sheltered cocoon that is Pho Tam (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...).
Got the Pho with Rare Beef and Tendon. First slurp of broth...and first word out of both my and my companion's mouth? Different. It's hard to judge who's better. Pho Tam's broth is more "meaty" and feels like the Mount Everest of comfort food. Hai Phong's is much lighter, more fragrant (from herbs/spices?!), and a tad sweeter. Delicious nonetheless and can easily share the crown of top pho in Vancouver with my beloved Pho Tam.
Noodles were cooked perfectly. Rare beef was tender. Some tendon pieces were hard and chewy though. Also I don't think there's MSG - I didn't get thirsty at all.
And OH, did I mention that they have THREE kinds of spicy condiments here: chilli oil, sriracha, and garlic chilli sauce. My taste buds were in euphoria! I'll be back for you, my pretties!!! Lol.
Unfortunately ending the review on a less-than-positive note: Hai Phone cannot share the crown of top Spring Roll with Pho Tam - not even a worthy contender. -
Review from win l.
Vancouver, BC
3/26/2012
Food here is good & tastes in line with what is expected of V food. Nothing here really to be critical. Restaurant is pretty clean. Menu offers items not found at all Viet restaurants. Pricing is also in line with other V food places. Parking is convenient. Good place to dine.
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Review from Kenneth E.
Vancouver, BC
1/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
A very favourable yet unfair rating, simply b/c my friend knows the owner there, so we had the advantage of 'family-style' Vietnamese cooked food, with some dishes not even on the menu!
She bought talipia and brought them in to be cooked in a deep fried way, which was pretty tasty. very good. nice and crunchy.
but the best was the crab, which they cooked in a sweet and sour (tammeron? some type of fruit...) but not the chinese style, it's their way, whatever it is, it's pretty tasty, kinda like a tangy flavour... i think i did ask if others could order this too, and the answer is yes if you call ahead...
so good, that our group ordered a 2nd dish after it was devoured by our table.
Lemongrass chicken is also very tasty, quite tender. a different way of eating it: put a piece of chicken on the many lettuce leaves they provide, rip off a bit so you can share, then also add the 'toasted' vermicelli noodles, and it's quite the punch.
Deep fried wings were good, though i still prefer Phom Phen's...
since i've been all iced coffee'd out this week, tried the mango w/ condensed milk, just ok, not sweet enough... -
Review from Charles K.
Vancouver, BC
12/2/2011
I moved to Vancouver a year ago, and I've been on the hunt for a decent pho place ever since. I moved from the inner west of Sydney, Australia where there is a vibrant Vietnamese community. Having tried half a dozen Vietnamese restaurants around the area, Hai Phong has quickly become my favourite.
The pho is decent here. The food has always been consistent, which means I now eat here regularly. I've been here at all sorts of times, and the service has always been prompt.
These are the dishes that my partner and I have tried:
Pho tai - decent dry noodle pho ****
Pho tai nam - ****
Pho tai sach - ****
Pho tai nam gan sach - ****
Duck & bamboo shoot with vermicelli - had this with the optional duck salad. I gave it ***, my partner ****
Spring rolls - *****
Garlic butter chicken wings - *****
Grilled pork chop & lemon grass chicken with fried egg and rice - the ultimate carnivore's meal ***** -
Review from Cathy S.
7/24/2011
We were craving hot soup in July, not too much of a surprise to those spending the "summer" in Vancouver!
A free parking lot in front of Hai Phong - aces. The place was packed, including several really large parties, but the 3 ladies who were seating people, taking orders, keeping tea cups full, delivering food, bussing tables and cashiering managed to do it all pleasantly and efficiently.
I ordered a pho ga with the grilled chicken option. My husband ordered the prawn, pork and fish cake specialty soup. With it, they delivered the largest heaped plate of garnishes that we have ever received - scallions, bean sprouts, thai basil, bird's eye chili, lime wedges and a tasty mystery vegetable which I suspect may have been daikon.
Instead of having some rather pale looking, bland chicken at the bottom of my soup bowl, they served the grilled chicken on a side plate for me to add to the pho myself. Genius business development on their part because my husband stole one of my chicken pieces because it looked so delicious and promptly ordered two extra side dishes of the stuff at $3.50 per. I'm not sure what they marinade the chicken in besides lemongrass (crack?) before they grill it but it is fabulous and addictive!
The pho broth was clear, and loaded with flavour, and given my lack of the tell-tale headache later in the evening, was gained without the benefit of excessive msg. It wasn't overly salty either. The noodles had the perfect amount of chew.
If you are expecting a spotlessly clean space with finely appointed decor then I know that you have never eaten in most Vietnamese restaurants before. In the sliding scale of Vietnamese restaurants this place rates pretty highly in cleanliness but into the stratosphere in terms of food quality. I love this place. -
Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 4/24/2011 1 photo
* Not just for pho *
This is my favourite pho house in Vancouver, but every now and then you just have to branch out. So I ordered the grilled pork and shrimp ball bun.
They did a wonderful job on this:
- Noodles were perfectly cooked and not clumpy at all.
- Shrimp balls had a strong shrimp flavour and were cooked just right.
- Grilled pork had a nice char yet was still extremely tender.
- Veggies were very fresh, and included both basil and mint to give a nice flavour punch.
- Pickled daikon and carrots had a slight crunch and provided a nice counter balance.
- Nicely presented as well: http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
Complimentary tea (iced or hot) like usual (I like the offering of iced - nice touch).
Service was very friendly (as always), and I was reminded why I keep coming back.Listed in: Vanoodle, Vancouver Vietnamese/Cambodian…
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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6/12/2009
* There're Baaaack! Hooray!!!!!! Never give up on a good thing! *
I'm so happy that I gave them… Read more »
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Review from Gina I.
7/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Just when I thought I've tried the best Viet food - I was wrong! This place is awesome. Their menu is pretty extensive and has a huge variety of things (which is what I like, even if I do order the same thing!)
The beef sashimi was not in slices, but it was still really good, as was the spicy and crispy tofu, yum! My grilled pork and noodles was tasty as well. I love this place. -
Review from Edward L.
Heard a lot about this place and decided to give it a try with some friends.
Parking is ample as the venue is inside a strip mall.
Service is friendly. They give you the option of hot and cold tea. No way?? My friend wanted to try their "special sauce" before buying their signature noodle dish, and they gladly obliged. He told me it was quite good.
I had my benchmark dish - beef steak and beef ball pho. The beef ball had a nice "homemade" texture, but I remember crunching my teeth on a piece of gristle. The noodles were not mushy, and the soup was good as expected.
For toppings, they had the typical pho leaves, limes, and this vegetable I don't know the name of. But it's authentic as I remember having it in Vietnam.
The arrangement of tables is quite nice, as it can be easily modified to fit a large group (up to 12 people) without much difficulty. Also, the interior is somewhat less ghetto than the competition. -
Review from Kari C.
Updated - 4/14/2011
Today was blustery and chilly. Nonetheless, I needed a pedicure really badly (see Orchid Beauty Center), and prancing around in flip flops in the cold was a perfect excuse to venture around the corner and order a bowl of pho soup.
I ordered the tai gan (rare beef with tendon) again, and it was spot-on. Chewy rice noodles, tender beef, sweet broth, simple and delicious. This time I ate the tendon last, to let them relax in the hot broth, and noticed that this bowl had tendon that was sliced across the grain. It was gelatinous, melty, and slightly chewy, just the way I love it.
This place is great, and I'm forever foodily indebted to Marc, Derek and Cyndi for recommending it. The service is quick but friendly, and the food is a bargain. I'm done with pho shops where flies buzz all over the squeeze bottles and the staff will shoot you with The Death Stare for daring to ask for a glass of water, as if they'd rather be anywhere else.
The gentleman whom I mentioned in my last review of Hai Phong (with the fauxhawk) recognized me because his friends read what I wrote and laughed. I hope he wasn't embarrassed, but he's awesome, so do say hello if you visit HP! I will be back for sure.
Hooray for Hai Phong!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/23/2011
I am ridiculously downtrodden with a sudden cold, and went pho-foraging in my neighborhood, in the… Read more »
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Review from Emily-Anne P.
Vancouver, BC
6/16/2011
I popped in here after the game to grab a bite and I have to say I was pretty impressed. We shared the spring rolls which were big and tasty and then I had the small rare beef pho. It was great, there was a lot of meat which was nice because I was super hungry but I can see how it might be daunting if you weren't super hungry.
The noodles and soup were really good too, not too salty, good flavour.
Pretty big place with lots of seats and it was slowly filling up after the game. They had a couple TVs so I bet if we'd thought about we could have even watched here.
Good food, decent prices. -
Review from Johnson C.
Vancouver, BC
9/27/2010
Telltale signs that you're in a bad Vietnamese restaurant:
- the place is spotlessly clean and lacks gaudy decorations
- the place accepts payment other than CASH
- none of the staff have the slightest hint of a Vietnamese accent
- there isn't a crusty, constantly re-used Srichacha bottle in sight (Hai Phong uses clean 'ketchup' bottles)
Hai Phong violates all of my rules and if it wasn't for the positive Yelp reviews, I probably would have passed on this place in search of somewhere more 'authentic'. Although the private parking lot is a definite plus.
However, the menu was extensive. While most Vietnamese places only offer your typical pho, spring rolls, coffee, and rice combo dishes, Hai Phong adds a plethora of Vietnamese beverages (i.e. sinh to/shakes, fruit juices), non-pho soups, bun/vermicelli dishes, congee & hot pot.
I tried their banh xeo for an appetizer for about $9. Banh xeo is a thin, crispy pan-fried 'crepe' stuffed with bean sprouts, fatty pork and shrimp -- eaten while wrapped in veggie and dipped in the typical fish sauce. This is a dish incredibly easy to screw up since the crepe can easily be too thick and you'll end up with a funky-tasting omelette. However, the banh xeo was crispy, light and delicious.
The pho broth was flavourful - however, I was guzzling their ice tea at end of my meal so I think it's pretty heavily MSG-assisted. But that's all good with me - MSG = Mmm So Good! I ordered the large pho dac biet (house special) at $7.95 and it was mounded up with rare beef and beef balls - however, I wished there was more tripe and tendon. Methinks, it's a wee bit sanitized for Western patrons - but at least the bean sprouts and flanks were raw.
The springs rolls were small and much closer to Chinese spring rolls. While decent, they don't hold a candle to the flaky, gooey, jam-packed jumbo spring rolls that can be had at Bao Chau. I would recommend passing on this.
Overall, pretty good value at only a slight premium for the clean, modern decor and friendly service. By golly, they accept credit/debit cards! I probably won't be frequenting Hai Phong as I still prefer my usual Viet haunts. But I'm impressed by the selection (I recommend the banh xeo) and the pho is pretty good.
Even though it violates every rule in my book, Hai Phong is a solid restaurant. In fact, I would recommend it to those that enjoy Vietnamese cuisine, but have yet to learn to enjoy the intracacies of the grimy, gaudy, cash-only eatery and the subtle aromas imparted only from unwashed Srichacha bottles.Listed in: East Van Eateries, Nam-couver
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Review from Brendan C.
12/4/2010
There's nothing like a piping hot bowl of pho when it's cold outside, and I mean REALLY cold. My fiance and I were in Vancouver on vacation and we knew we wanted a little comfort food during the trip. I Yelped pho restaurants in Vancouver and this one came back with the highest marks. We were staying in downtown so we took a $20 cab ride to get to this place... yes, we really wanted good pho. The place wasn't open when we got there so we waited the 10 minutes or so for the restaurant to open up.
After we were seated, we told the the owner that we found her place on Yelp and we were looking forward to having a great bowl of pho. The menu was surprisingly extensive and everything looked good, but we were on a mission and we knew we had to have some pho.
We both ordered the Pho Dac Biet and when it came out 5 minutes later, we were not disappointed. The broth was tasty and the meat was tender. It was very reminiscent of any good pho restaurant in Little Saigon (Westminster, CA). We finished our bowl, leaned back and sighed with content. We were not ready to battle the cold weather outside.
If you're traveling to Vancouver and like pho then check this place out. If you live in Vancouver then you should definitely give it a go. This is authentic Vietnamese food at its best. -
Review from Joyce P.
Vancouver, BC
10/25/2010
Fantastical meal tonight. Sticky icky tamarind crab was oh so delicious, a hint of tang and curiously spicy. What the heck is a tamarind anyways?
We also had some raw beef salad that was really refreshing and tasty, the chicken salad was really good too, although I'd like to try the duck version next time.
The Bo Luc Lac was also very fresh on a bed of crisp watercress.
I'm in serious food coma but I have an urge to visit this place again sometime this week to try more vietnamese home dishes. Yummy yummy yummy.Listed in: Best Cheapy East Van Quick…
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Review from Nikki W.
Vancouver, BC
1/17/2011
3.5 Stars
At Marc D's suggestion, I tried Hai Phong to compare it to my pho stand-by, Thai Son (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...). So this may be an unusual review, since I'll be making direct comparisons to Thai Son.
I ordered a small pho with rare beef, brisket, tendon and tripe. I think it was a #17? (At TS, I get the similar rare beef, beef shank, tendon and tripe.)
LOCATION: Since I live in Cambie village, TS is much more convenient to get to.
DECOR: HP is clean, bright and tastefully decorated. Umm, is this a real Vietnamese restaurant? The lack of hole-in-the-wall-ness almost makes me wary. Oh, and guess what? HP accepts credit cards. What the what?! What kind of Asian restaurant is this? (Thai Son is cash only.)
PRICE: At $6.95 for a small here at Hai Phong, this is pretty great value. However, a small at Thai Son runs for $5.65 and it's more filling.
BROTH: Although I like TS's broth a lot, HP's has a slightly more complex flavour. HP wins here, but not by much.
NOODLES: Noodles at HP were a little overcooked, definitely lacking that al dente quality. Maybe this was a one-time mistake, but I've eaten at TS often enough to know that they consistently cook their noodles well, plus they're more generous with their noodles. TS wins here.
MEAT: Holy meat balls, is that ever a lot of meat! My rare beef, brisket, tendon and tripe was mainly beef, but it was cooked to perfection, so no complaints there. My one minor issue was that I enjoy my beef sliced as thin as it can be sliced, and HP's was cut a little thick for my taste. TS has thinner cuts of meat (albeit less), and are more generous with the other toppings ie tripe and tendon. I'd call this a tie.
GARNISHES: Both (oddly) serve lemons instead of limes. Both are generous with the basil. But HP serves their beansprouts raw, for which I have to love them. HP wins this round.
PS: My mom had the bun bowl with spring rolls and lemongrass chicken. She said it was kind of bland, and the spring rolls were quite small and more like Chinese spring rolls. She was not impressed.
PPS: They had an interesting assortment of music playing (at least for a Vietnamese restaurant), which ranged from Destiny's Child (playing as I sat down - nice!) to some sort of sappy Phil Colins-esque song.
FINAL VERDICT: It's always great to try new restaurants, and Hai Phong was fairly good. It was a close competition, but I'm staying loyal to Thai Son. Any other challengers? -
Review from Katie F.
7/26/2009 ROTD 10/2/2009
One of my old friends was in town visiting from the island and totally missing Vietnamese food since it's totally lacking there. We randomly ended up here because parking looked easy (it has a lot) after driving through Kingsway's huge Vietnamese selection along this stretch!
Great find! Spring rolls to start, with each of us getting a bowl for dinner. I went with the vermicelli with spring rolls, grilled pork and shredded pork. Mmmmm - tasty, filling and spring rolls are wondefully crispy and everything is super fresh.
Restaurant is quite large, clean and with basic decor. Food comes quickly but service is typical of an Asian restaurant.
The best part was a total bill of under $20 before tip for both and a nicely stuffed belly afterwards! Gotta love it when a random stop works out this well. -
Review from Crystal H.
Vancouver, BC
9/23/2009
The goods:
Solid broth with loads of flavour. A pile of bean sprouts and two full sprigs of basil. Plus 2 lime wedges and a chili. These pho-ers know their stuff! Ordered the rare beef and enjoyed watching the broth work it's magic in cooking. Just like a good fondue the way mom used to make!
The parking lot is a total score! As is the fact that it's decently clean and the staff are friendly!
Want the funny part of the story that has nothing to do with the food?
I'm on my way to an event in Burnaby, on route from a meeting. I find Hai Phong thanks to the yelping goodness on my Blackberry App (woo hoo!). I sit, I order, I watch the somewhat questionable youths congregating around me. They are all wearing a lot of bling. I cook my beef to perfect doneness, slurp my noodles and my broth...
And then I realize it - oh for pho-king cripes - I don't have my wallet. It's in my gym bag, at home.
I finish my food in a panic - what should I do? How will I pay? I scan the room--maybe Marc D or Katie F will happen to be here... they could lend me $7--no one! Where is another yelper when you need em most? :p
I get up, explain my story. Hand over my Blackberry as collateral (pretty sure it's worth at least a few bowls of pho), and start the trek back to the West End for my wallet. In the end, the girls working found some humour in the circumstance--seems like it happens many times before-- and I, red faced, hurried along to the event I was on my way to. -
Review from Raymond O.
Vancouver, BC
What a sweet and soothing spot to nurse a nasty cold on a rainy afternoon. The place was hopping at an odd time that we visited, must be the weather or it's that good! Clean, bright and airy. One of the best pho joints I've been to - interior, ambiance, and parking wise. Service was very straight forward, although it takes a minute or two to call their attention for some water or the check.
Started off with some spring rolls, a little smaller than I expected, but great crunch to it, crispy and not greasy. I had my staple order of the charbroiled pork and shrimp on vermicelli noodles. This was pretty good, a delight to my taste buds. I got to sample the chicken pho as well, and the broth was clear, flavourful and fragrant, a tad too salty perhaps and could lessen on the MSG, but well, it's a personal preference. I liked that the rice noodles were not clumping nor overcooked too, but still retained a chewy bite to it. And the servings are nuts here as with other pho places, a small is enough to satisfy a hungry belly. Nice ending of red bean on iced coconut milk - it had huge chunks of fresh, uncanned red beans, and a generous serving of cendol in it. Very sweet, just the way I like it!
On my list of good budget eats, this spot is tops. Slurp on! -
Review from Nam N.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 10/24/2010
Okay just had the Tamarind crab, and its the bomb. $32.50! Its so delicious, nice and tangy orange flavor due to the tamarind...drool. Finger lickin' omg eat my hand yummy.
Also had the Goi Ga (Chicken Salad) dip it in fish sauce, yum, remember to mix in some hot pepper sauce in your nuoc mam.
And the Bo Luc Lac (Shaking Beef) was awesome. Juicy cubes of fresh marinated beef.
Oh and the Raw Beef Lemon Salad, definitely a must if you don't mind raw meat, the lemon and onions really brings out the taste of the beef..
All four dishes is about $100 incl. 4 drinks. Great amount for 4 hungry hungry ppl.Listed in: My Fav Vietnamese Dishes and…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/21/2010
The Beef Pho here is great! Lots of taste, nice rare beef cuts and a very clean broth. Lots of fresh… Read more »
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Review from Rich B.
10/18/2009
Having been rescued from another wet bike ride home by my wonderful wife and family, we decided an impromptu visit here for dinner was in order. It had been on my list of places to go since reading some of the other reviews here and we were not disappointed. I went for the Pho, my wife had the Chicken version and my 6 year old had their 'Kids soup'. I was assured that unlike the chicken and beef soup, this latter item was named for its intended consumers rather than its contents. We also had a couple of pork and shrimp salad rolls.
The rolls were great - fresh, crunchy salad with tasty meat and lots of roasted peanut chunks in the dipping sauce. The soups were very fragrant and flavorful with generous helpings of all the trimmings, although a touch saltier than might really be necessary. The whole experience was clean, efficient and welcoming and I am sure we will be back there again. -
Review from Q B.
Vancouver, BC
10/9/2010
They have the best lemongrass chicken.
Can't really get much better than this place for pho. -
Review from Annie M.
Vancouver, BC
Vietnamese restaurants are all over the place. I found Hai Phong is one of the best Vietnamese restaurant in Vancouver. They have good soup base and vermicelli.
At least, I didn't feel thirsty after I had rare beef noodle in soup. However, I found the spring roll was that good coz they're not using rice wrap paper to roll it. -
Review from Geoff D.
Vancouver, BC
2/6/2010
Very good. We just played it safe with the Pho for first visit, and it tasty, fresh, good value. A guy in line at Cedar Cottage Cold Beer & Wine recommended Hai and he was absolutely right. This is a gem.
Oh, and come hungry! -
Review from Derek W.
6/14/2010
I'm a vermicelli man, and this place does it right. The lemongrass chicken and spring rolls over vermicelli was almost perfect; the only improvement would have been a more substantial spring roll. Unfortunately, the spring roll I got resembled something you get at a cheap Chinese buffet. But the chicken was delicious, and they were generous with the sprouts and greens.
The service was efficient, attentive, and not over-friendly. I came at about 2pm on a Tuesday, and WWE Monday Night Raw played from a TV, which didn't create the most appetizing ambiance, but the food more than made up for it, and I don't expect much ambiance from a pho place.
This also happens to be one of the cleanest pho restaurants I've been to in Vancouver. I'd recommend it for good vermicelli. -
Review from Joe L.
Vancouver, BC
6/12/2010 3 Check-ins Here
The noodle soup at Hai Phong is much much better than Phnom Penh. It reminds me of some of the better noodle soup I had when I was living in San Jose with a vibrant Vietnamese community.
My large mixed beef noodle soup had a good portion and variety of beef slices, briskets, tendon, tripes and beef balls; and the soup was flavourful. My coffee was also creamy and strong. The dining area is clean and the wait staff was prompt in attending to customers and straightening up the tables.
It's definitely a place that I will return to try their rice plates and rice vermicelli dishes.
P.S. I think Hai Phong is the first Vietnamese noodle soup restaurant I've visited in Vancouver that gives you the option of uncooked bean sprouts. Yes, I'm fan of having crunchy (not soggy) bean sprouts in my noodle soup. -
Review from Tyrone Y.
Vancouver, BC
3/26/2011
get the beef sashi. two dishes even!! so-so-def
wings were not bad as it had a chinese salt n pepper kick to it.
skip the duck salad.
they were out of the tamarind crab wut duh eff!! oh well, save money.
it's not cash only - definite PLUS!Listed in: PHO MY GAWD!
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Review from Tony M.
Belleville, ON
12/1/2011
# 51 is a delight. Delicious! One of the best vietnamese restaurants in Vancouver area. Wish they would open another location downtown.
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Review from Melissa B.
Vancouver, BC
12/16/2010
Located on Kingsway ... it has absolutely delicious Vietnamese food. Try the chicken wings ... they are my favorite.
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Review from Kathy K.
West Vancouver, BC
11/10/2011
My favorite vietnamese restaurant. Their lemongrass chicken is amazingly delicious and their Bho Ko (Vietnamese Beef Stew) are the best in Vancouver! It's also the only Pho restaurant that gives you a little jar of pickled daikon, carrots and jalapenos on the side.
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Review from Joyce D.
Burnaby, BC
1/24/2010
Burnaby has always been my choice when it comes to getting some Pho for the night, but despite this, being in the Vancouver area and after not eating since yesterday I stopped in for a quick small bowl of rare beef pho and 1 spring roll.
I've tried spring rolls in various forms with fillings of all meat to those will mainly cabbage but I have to say I have never quite seen such a small spring roll in my life. 1.50 each and crispy enough but I couldn't quite figure out what was in the filling???
When it came to the Pho it was ok tasting but I found the broth not as rich as other places I have tried. When it came to the shaved beef, there wasn't a whole lot of it. Of course the standard lime, bean sprouts and basil accompanied the dish.
Price was good 7.50 for a small bowl of pho and that 1 tiny spring roll.
On a positive note, staff was eager to please and friendly.
I didn't dislike it but didn't like it enough to leave Burnaby for it again that is for sure. -
Review from Adelina W.
Richmond, BC
Updated - 10/24/2010 2 Check-ins Here
I've been back a number of times since my original review and they have converted me into a fan. I cannot get enough of their Fried Tofu and Vegetable with Rice Noodles. So simple and yet so good.
Listed in: My Haunts
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/28/2010
I came here twice within the past week. First was for take out - I was in the area and was really… Read more »
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Review from Judy H.
Vancouver, BC
10/1/2009
Second visit today, better than the first time (last year). Cleaner decor, better service, and the food was great. Had a large bowl of pho with rare beef, brisket & tendon, which was more than plenty. Great, fresh ingredients and nice, deeply flavored broth. Definitely coming back.
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Review from thuy h.
9/13/2011
thanks to yelp reviews, we also check this place out.
this place was packed and i'm not sure why. maybe we didn't order the right thing? we ordered the half order of garlic chicken appetizer. the chicken was on a diet because it was really small and definitely not something you would write home about.
i had the com tam suon bi cha...this was mediocre. the only good thing was the complimentary pork bone soup that comes with the rice. it would have been nice if we didn't have to flag down the server for it.
the egg soda was bland. =/ -
Review from Hanna C.
Vancouver, BC
5/12/2010
i second Marc D., this is one of the best Vietnamese joints in town! (well, in my universe. ;)
Beyond the excellent pho, crepes, and spring rolls, they have wonderful hotpot, braised pork, sliced duck salad, and (not that i've been able to try, just drooled over in passing), spicy crab.
and can i add that the servers are super nice. super clean. accepts credit cards (for the perpetually plastic-reliant species such as myself, this is awesome). -
Review from Michael C.
Vancouver, BC
9/30/2009 5 Check-ins Here
Yes that is one of the best Pho beef I have had but the spring roll was half the size of my usual place Thai Son but they were tasty too.All in all great Pho place.
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Review from John H.
Vancouver, BC
5/3/2010 9 Check-ins Here
I thought I reviewed this place a long time ago.. during my search for Phoa!
It really has become my goto place... Clean... Very kid friendly (They have a kid sized noodle menu item)... awesome menu.
With their noodles... they have some additional vegitable threads in additional to the usual bean sprouts... no idea what they are... but they are delicious in the broth!
My favorites? Number 30... and the avacado shake. The sliced rare beef is also a top favorite "when I want a little more"!Listed in: My Favs for Pho!
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Review from kirk s.
Vancouver, BC
9/27/2010
good serviec good food I tend to eat here when my wife is a way since their is not much that is vegan in veitnamese food, their is a few vegi options but its realy a meat lovers type of plece
great spring rolls , and the #11 and #8 soup is great
