Pho Binh Minh Restaurant — Restaurant in Calgary

I came here for Vietnamese vegetarian food. I will not return.

General: Westernized Asian cooking at moderate prices - if $47 for two non-alcoholic drinks, two entries and a side dish is normal. I do not know what is fair value as I eat out in Canada only twice per year.

Context: For eight years I lived in Sai Gon and Can Tho in Southern Vietnam as well as frequented Vietnamese restaurants in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I did not recognize the cuisine at Pho Binh as being Vietnamese. It appeared to be mostly ethnic-Chinese Vietnamese, possibly even Cantonese to me. I did not try the soup or sandwiches.

Pluses... clean and well-lit frankness of server: when I asked for no MSG she told me 'everything here has MSG in it' huge marble-like tables photo menus (last page about twenty veg dishes) One side of restaurant has a bit loud music Vietnamese drip coffee ('cafe fin') available though not on menu. Server frankly advised against it, "it takes a long time" cauliflower was slightly undercooked, a nice change more and many real vegetables rather than fake meat free tea, albeit with almost no aroma sugar cane juice had one tiny lime halved and squeezed (which improves flavour)

Minuses... I asked for cilantro and basil but could not taste or see any server told me they would make the fresh sugar cane juice 'now' but the extractor is a loud machine and she didn't turn it on, so it must have been pre-made with a couple of exceptions all the veg dishes looked fundamentally the same co-diner's dish rice was low-grade everything was bland garlic was low-grade commercial fried dried garlic, not fresh black bean sauce was very sweet salad rolls had no mint leaves bill not itemized Cashier made several comments about my not adding any tip onto bill (I left 6% in cash at table) like most Vietnamese and Chinese vegetarian meals not really health-oriented ingredients - white rice, no mushrooms, tofu, one fake-meat processed food

Oddities... While I saw no evidence that there are two separate kitchens with separate pots, utensils etc (as in pure veg eateries in India) there were two dining areas, separated by two passageways, and technically having different names ('Sunrise' for the veg part). I found this arrangement bizarre and disingenuous. However, this neighbourhood has multiple Vietnamese and Taiwanese Buddhist and synthetic sect Temples, and maybe there is some religious mentality being catered to. Many more chopsticks than forks indicating clientele is ethnic-Chinese as is normal in Vietnam, ice coffee is more ice than coffee

Warning: cane juice w/o ice is half a glass...

I eat a lot of Vietnamese in the city and throughout the country. I've been eating it for more than tow decades. I've come to really love the flank beef I just prefer a little bit of fat on my beef and the odd piece of soft tendon. Today I ventured into the southeast of Calgary on 17th Avenue where there is very ethnic population, and you tend to find really good home made food here.

I know my soups because growing up in a family that lives soups, my native country has more than enough recipes of various soups and they're very similar to the Vietnamese.

I keep finding more and more gems within the city. Different recipes some sweet some tangy some salty different brats different fat concentrations. But I've settled on a couple that really make you feel good no matter what especially during a chinook I don't know whenever I there's a chinook in town I get a headache and I always think to myself I'm going to get that Vietnamese soup and it'll just make me feel better.

today is one of those days where I just feel like I need something to warm up my bones. Venturing into this new restaurant and I have my hopes up about it.

Order my favorite type of soup. This is my favorite soup in the city of Calgary right now I'm for so many good reasons. To break it down the beef as chunks versus strips. I love the texture and to taste and just the idea of this cut of beef in a soup.

The noodles are just perfect I mean it's just noodles right if there is a definitive difference when you pee feel or taste fresh that's just how it feels could be the same noodles to me if they prepared it the way they prepared it I have to say it's enjoyable to the max.

The broth it's just beautiful there's no other way to describe it. I can't believe I'm saying this but I like this suit better than my all-time favorite in the city which is Thanh on 64th.

In terms of the restaurants cleanliness and layout very nice inside how to say I'm kind of surprised being in the area considered by some to be the "hood" at just how comfortable this place is. this area has gone through a lot of renovation as of late with a better infrastructure for Transit and they're trying to clean it up and I think they're on their way to doing a good job if they keep doing what you're doing more business as one best year perhaps I'll be more real estate development compliment a very diverse region of Calgary. Myself I grew up in regions like this and I don't mind it at all.

The staff are exceptional. Very polite very professional.

If you like soup I'm going to recommend you come...

I've never eaten here and never wanted to, but I, along with everyone else in the entire row of fourplexes directly across the street, have the absolute PLEASURE of hearing this restaurant's obnoxious security system screaming every single night from 50 feet away.

Every evening and throughout the night without fail, their back alley "surveillance system" lights up and blasts, in a grating New Zealand accent (???), "YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE. THIS AREA IS UNDER SURVEILLANCE". Who asked for this? Who is it even for? Because it sure doesn't stop the homeless folks who still camp out there. Anyone walking beside the store or even across the street on the sidewalk thirty feet away gets barked at. Wind blows? It goes off. I step outside my gate? It goes off. I hear it from inside my home. Every. Single. Night. From 9 PM until sunrise.

It doesn't deter anyone. It doesn't improve safety. If anything, it draws unnecessary attention to our homes and makes us LESS safe. No warning. No communication. No courtesy. And this kind of repeated noise, especially at night and right beside a residential area, isn't just annoying. It's a nuisance. Speaking of which, this place routinely gets its dumpsters picked up for garbage or deliveries at 3 AM. Multiple times, I've woken up to loud crashes and beeping from the trucks taking their garbage. I'm now looking into what local noise or property-use bylaws have to say about businesses that disrupt the peace of nearby homes for hours on end.

Maybe it's just the Forest Lawn mentality, where you slap something loud and stupid somewhere and call it a day because you don't care. I hope that the noodles are at least good to make up for the pure annoyance the place causes the people who live nearby.

EDIT: On August 13th, 2025, I was woken up yet again at 3:30 AM by loud crashes outside. This time, I saw the company name on the truck hauling away this restaurant's dumpsters: T and T Disposal Services. Since these dumpsters already attract illegal household garbage from people all over the neighbourhood, the "solution" appears to be servicing them in the middle of the night - directly beside a residential block and a busy four way intersection. My thanks to the disposal company for the regular middle of the night pickups, and to this restaurant for continuing to ignore the...