Van Son Vietnamese Cuisine CALGARY LOCATION — Restaurant in Calgary

Van Son is an excellent option for Vietnamese, with locations in northwest Calgary and Chestermere. Their peanut sate pho is in my list of the top three in Calgary.

If you are looking for a huge, comforting bowl of goodness, look no further. The broth is incredibly flavourful and quite unique from many other vietnamese restaurants in that it is a creamy coconut base. There are loads of peanut chunks added to the broth, with a very generous portion of beef and noodles. While they do not typically give a large plate of sprouts and basil, they are very accommodating if you request more.

I typically order the beef & beef ball pho while my husband orders the special, and we request to have the peanut sate added. The regular size is huge, while the large size is unbelievably massive - order at your own risk!

As an appetizer, we have tried the pork spring rolls, which we found to be quite greasy.

To switch it up from pho, I have also ordered the mixed vermicelli bowl (pork, chicken and shrimp). It was a very delicious option and the meat was very tender and flavourful. While it is a huge portion, my one critique is that there is a disproportionate amount of vermicelli in comparison to the protein and veggies.

There are loads of booths available, in addition to standard tables and chairs. They appear to be consistently busy with takeout orders as well.

It's usually a very busy little parking lot, however there is street parking available; just watch for the residential and school parking restrictions...

It started as a nice experience until we had a group of 12 including 4 yelling kids sit behind us half way through our meal. I told the waitress that we were very unhappy that we could not hear each other to have a conversation and that we had to leave because we were upset that our pleasant calm evening was ruined. All the other customers were looking at these families and DVDs released waitresses kept looking over but wouldn't say anything. Our waitress didn't nothing to dress a concern. She did not see the manager nor did she offer other place to sit snore any kind of compensation whatsoever. I told the manager and he just made excuses. He asked why we didn't say anything and we said we told the waitress. Then he said he couldn't do anything. I mentioned that he could let them know that they were disturbing the whole restaurant and needed to be respectful or find another venue. "Oh no, (he) couldn't do that". I asked what he was going to do to make up for this poor experience as there were 50 other Vietnamese places between home and them we could have chosen and he said nothing. NOTHING! That's what his customers are worth - nothing. That's Van Son Vietnamese restaurant for you - customer service equals NOTHING! Last time I will EVER eat there and ensure that I let everybody I know what Van Son thinks of their customers. I let him know that I was a foodie and blogger and that I would surely let people know about this experience. Nothing...easy his reply....

Good Vietnamese in the NW! There is not a lot of selection for pho but the broth is quite flavourful. And does not seem to be full of msg as I was not thirsty afterwards. The standard rare beef pho is a good choice here. If you want more different toppings I’m sure they could adjust but it is not on the menu (although their special beef noodle soup has all the different toppings available). Another favorite is getting their house special wraps (#64 on the menu) which is shrimp, pork and beef rolls with fried vermicelli, lettuce, basil, carrots and cucumber with fish sauce. It’s a DIY roll your own wraps. Not all Vietnamese restaurants serve this so I always get this if it is on the menu. Toppings and portions are very generous and can easily fill two people (an extra 2 or 3 rice paper wraps would make it perfect as there is always some toppings left over but not enough wraps!) Pricing is average and match other pho places in the area. Not as cheap as NE/SE and reflects NW pricing. Service is quick and great and they are very attentive to your needs. Atmosphere is a standard Vietnamese restaurant and seats are spaced out so you get a little more privacy. No complaints...