Oriental Phoenix Vietnamese Restaurant — Restaurant in Calgary

Ahhh-maaa-ZING! Same tall wooden chairs with brass inlay of caricatures’S of some language I don’t speak or read, same font on the sign outside, same amount of parking, and of course, the same welcoming smiles, but they were wearing things started to change from what I remembered…. Yes, they were the same smiles, but they were very sincere and warm and welcoming. More than what I recall from my memory of loss being there far too long ago. And from that incredible, welcoming smile, that was so sincere and heartwarming, I felt like I was home again….was the cue that prepared me for everything that I was about to experience, had changed visually…. and as I was soon to find out, not just visually had oriental phoenix changed, but my taste buds were going to get one heck of a surprise an amazingly welcoming experience of a beautiful surprise!! I used to visit OP at least once a week but as with everything & everyone, when “IT”-who’s name shan’t be spoken, turned our world upside down, life changed. Well, SO DID ORIENTAL PHOENIX! WOW! What have I missed? Pretty much THE BEST Salad Rolls EVER! One might think that a Salad Roll is a Salad Roll…NOT SO once you taste these particularly flavorFULL delicacies! I’ve ordered Salad Rolls as a “go to” safe bet when I couldn’t decide what I wanted after being handed the standard 43 Page Menu at most Vietnamese restaurants….while I was NOT (Thankfully 🙏🏻) handed a Novella Menu at OP, I remembered they were still a safe bet and my BFF already knew what she wanted so I buckled and figured my ‘usual’ would do the trick and satiate my appetite as well as carry me through to what I REALLY WANTED which was ice cream for dessert! Ohhhh yes, you couldn’t miss that glorious glass encased plethora of beautiful muted colors like a watercolour painting that highlighted my favorite colors like a pale lavender, yellow, a soft green & a pink all in the shades one might find in the range of candy floss colors….until your expert eye for chocolate draws you to the RICHEST & GLOSSIEST chocolate ice cream you’ve ever seen but your eye can’t get past that in front of every flavor offered, sits a small scoop sized ice cream expertly dipped in delicious high quality chocolate and expertly drizzled in flavourful syrups that are a jewel tone of rubies, citrine and emeralds that make the plating almost too pretty to eat! ALMOST! Of course I forgot to mention that every flavor from Pistachio to Mango to Matcha and even the Strawberry & Chocolate flavors are handmade so there is nothing “average” about this ice cream! I didn’t finish the “standard go to” Salad Rolls that were ANYTHING BUT STANDARD! I’m not sure what glorious marinade the meat (your choice of Pork, chicken or of course, Shrimp) was bathed in or for how long because there was NO way I was wasting a second of those flavors rolling on my tongue, to ask those questions because in the long run, who cares? I’m not going to attempt to make these at home!? Why would I when I can come “home” to my regular haunt that’s been totally renovated, updated aesthetically, as well as a menu that follows the “KISS” train of thought vs a Novella of selections that are truly all the same just with different sauces or over rice or your favorite noodles. I APPRECIATED the menu having the BEST of the BEST from the old Novella Menu of days gone by, however I am confident that if there is something you are craving, no one is going to say no to you! Oriental Phoenix has ALWAYS been a “Yes” place to go no matter your craving. I don’t believe that has changed even though everything else seems to have! For the...

We’ve been loyal fans of Oriental Phoenix since way back in 2004—that was actually the first time my wife and I ever tried Vietnamese food. They were still at their original downtown spot on 9th Ave, and let me tell you, it was love at first bite… and sip. Their jasmine tea was unforgettable, and the food instantly became one of our go-tos.

Since then, this place has been part of so many great memories—birthdays, anniversaries, even hosting out-of-town guests. It’s just that kind of spot. I’m hooked on the Stir-Fried Lemongrass Chicken with rice (I’ve probably ordered it a hundred times), and my wife swears by the Pork with Spring Rolls on Vermicelli. We still visit their Chinook location, and all these years later, they still haven’t missed a beat. Every meal is top-notch.

If you’re looking for a consistently awesome Vietnamese restaurant with warm staff and seriously tasty food, this is it....

I used to love this restaurant, went there every week, however my last visit was not so great. I ordered a beef noodle soup, about 10 bites in I noticed a fly in my soup. When I called the waitress over and mentioned the fly she looked at me for a long time then finally grabbed the soup and walked away. No "I'm sorry", nothing. I waited for about 30 minutes and she finally returned with another bowl of soup, placed it down and once again walked away without a word. She didn't come out of the kitchen again until the end of my meal, I sat with an empty water glass and without the basil/sprouts I ordered to go with the soup. At the end she handed me the bill, when I asked her why there wasn't any discount on my bill she said "this is fly season, we open the lid on the pot and they always fall in" :-O I definetly won't be eating here again. Guess it's time to find a new...