Pho Maniac — Restaurant in Halifax

This place is great, definitely worth trying. They take credit card. Service was friendly and fast. Despite any criticisms/observations, there's no reason I wouldn't support this restaurant. They're also Vietnamese run from what I can tell - at least, the server I ran into was Viet. I was there late afternoon, just before any dinner rush, on a weekday.

Whenever I try a new Viet restaurant, I make sure to try the pho and cha gio (spring rolls) as it gives me a baseline of how they do two common dishes they often sell a lot of.

I had the rare beef (pho tai) soup, large. The portion size was disappointing - a single soup container, and a small (packed) square styrofoam container, with a little baggie of the sprouts, mint, hoisin sauce and a lime. The noodles were cooked and put into the container immediately, and then the rare beef put on top - which cooked them by the time I opened the container. It's ok, but not what I was hoping for - or perhaps they gave me the wrong one. At other places I've been, they'd lay a piece of foil to reflect the heat and put the beef in a little baggie to help with any raw beef run off. The star of the show for any pho is the broth, and this one was good. No complaints. It was not oily, and it also wasn't so "clean" feeling that it lacked the richness. Comparable to any good pho I've had anywhere, including major cities with large Vietnamese populations, and Vietnam.

I also ordered a plate of the rice, and one of the bun (vermicelli). Both identical except for the carb of choice. It had grilled chicken, beef, pork, and a spring roll. The rice was properly cooked, as was the bun. I would've preferred broken rice, but nothing wrong with this one - just didn't feel "right" with regular rice.

The meats were well seasoned, not salty, not heavy handed, just good. Of all them, we preferred the beef most. The chicken in this pounded down sheet just didn't seem as good. The pork seemed like they used loin, but not much of the fatty part. Our preference would've definitely been for a fattier chop cut, or like we'll often use when we make 'em, shoulder/butt.

And for me, the star of any show at every Viet restaurant has to be the cha gio. To me, it's like our representation of the snack dish that hooks people - especially the non-Viet folks. Their cha gio is small, maybe the appetizer portion is different (but I doubt it). The filling is mostly filler, feels like they're heavy on clear noodles, taro and carrot, and not enough meat - which would firm up the texture. For me, the balance wasn't there, but hey, I didn't eat 20+ of them as I would if I were making them at home. They use the typical spring roll wrapper sold in Asian supermarkets, as opposed to rice paper (that some use, which is just different - not better/worse). Fried well, and no smell of old oil being used. Definitely a good representation, just not my personal favourite.

The fish sauce was also good - they do put some chilly in it, but it was by no means spicy. Well balanced - not too salty, sweet, fishy (from too much "fish sauce"). I might prefer a bit of minced garlic and squeeze a bit of lime in there depending on what you've ordered.

Lastly, we had an order of fresh rolls. This was done quite well, especially by take out standards, as they took the time to wrap them in plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out or sticking to each other. The sauce was also good, but could've used a little crushed peanuts on the side.

Thank you! We'll be back! It's a shame prices have gone up so much this past while. That's one area I think this place could improve upon, the value for money is not as good as...

First things first, the broth for the pho is great. Really good. So at the end of the day, this place is starting on target. I had the rare beef pho, the meat was good, tender, etc. The ingredients in the soup were good.

I think this place could do a lot better. When I walked in, there was only one other family there, the place was deserted and I think I know why. The price to volume of food is just not right. I had the smaller sized pho, and from the look of the bowl, it should be the right size, but they did not fill it! It was a tapered bowl, and the last inch and a quarter was empty. The top part for a $16 bowl, should have been nearly full. Just fill it up guys! More people will come!

I also ordered the deep-fried spring rolls. They were good. Three of them for Seven dollars. I think for a small bowl of pho and spring rolls and 15% tax and a tip notching out at about $29… The price is just too high.

Would I go back? Yes! But I would ask them to fill the bowl up! Gimme more! And if not, I’d go somewhere else.

In my hometown, which has an absolutely amazing pho, you just get a lot more and you pay less. That matters! And the place is constantly filled with people, it’s ridiculous. Sometimes they don’t answer the phone because they’re too busy and you have to walk in to order a takeout instead of phoning ahead. They got that perfect little intersection between price quantity and quality. This restaurant here has the quality, so they don’t have to fix that! Fix the rest and there’ll be 50 people in there...

After days of lobster rolls and lobster everything, I was ready to throw myself into the ocean just to feel something spicy. Halifax is beautiful, no doubt—but if you’re someone who needs a kick of chili in your food (and your soul), the city can feel like a spice desert.

Enter Pho Maniac.

We spotted it thanks to the red chili-laced photos plastered on the window. That alone was enough to pull us in. And thank god we did—because this place delivers on heat. Not the mild, tamed-down-for-tourists kind either. Real spice. Actual flavor.

The food scene in Halifax is trying to grow, but let’s be honest—it’s mostly tailored for white folks and cruise ship passersby. If your palate grew up on sambal, Sichuan, or scotch bonnets, most of this city will leave you unbothered and unsalted.

But Pho Maniac? A mirage turned real. The place was packed with Asian diners and the one off-white wanderer who knew what’s up. That’s always a good sign. The broth? Deep, rich, and fiery. It hits the spot you forgot Halifax had.

I still couldn’t see myself living here long-term—because spicy food is non-negotiable—but at least Pho Maniac made the week feel less bland. In a city of boiled lobster and beige seasoning, this little joint reminded me my taste buds were...