Pho Kim Restaurant
• 1511 Centre Street NW | Calgary, AB | T2M 2R5
Average User Rating:
6.63/10
6.63/10
Recommended by:
44%
44%
Sort Reviews by:
"Ok"
Mar
April 2012 — "I love a good pho place and figured this would probably be a good one as it's right in the uptown Chinatown along Centre street near 16th Avenue. I'll be honest -- it wasn't my favourite pho place. It was ok, but kind of meh.
I ordered a vermicelli dish with chicken and my partner ordered a big bowl of Satay soup. The soup was quite good and perfectly spicy, but my vermicelli left something to be desired. It also has some sort of funny-tasting stringy material on the top which I couldn't figure out -- my partner thought it might be some sort of tendon or animal inard, which kind of put me off my meal (or at least that part of it.) The prices were a bit expensive for a pho place but it didn't break the bank or anything.
The service was fast but not overly friendly. The restaurant has a warm decor but the inside looks a bit dated. "
User Rating
6.33/10
6.33/10
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"Not as Good as I Remember "
Mary
January 2012 — "It's been a while since I went back to Pho Kim and during the evenings, I must say it is rather convenient that there is loads of free street parking available. I ordered the Beef stew noodle soup, in hopes of some "Special House sauce" that was satay like and full of vibrant taste, but instead, the special sauce they talked of was the house name for Spicy, and hot. The one spicy pepper was not good enough description as my soup was very spicy and full of oil. And as soon as I saw the dish come out, I wish I had a warning of such and had ordered something else on it's own. Anyway, I did have it, but it was only so-so. I also ordered some spring rolls for take away, 4 for $6.00! That's crazy if you ask me. I don't think it was quite that much a year ago. I realize this place has been around for years when you see the dishes and some of the dishes chipped, but they need to get this consistency thing down.
"
User Rating
6.83/10
6.83/10
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"very flavorful"
Mary
December 2009 — "My boyfriend and I came here after a cold wintery storm made us too lazy to cook and also craving something hot. I ordered the rice noodles with beef balls, tripe and tendon. I ordered a small size for around $7 dollars. It came very quickly and was very good to taste. It really satisfied my craving for a hot bowl of soup and was also very flavorful and filling. The service, while not exactly the chatty type is very prompt and efficient. To drink, I had the Vietnamese iced coffee on ice with condensed milk, something I would recommend if you have never tried. Its like a iced expresso. I was quite pleased with my meal and will definitely be back the next time I have another craving. I’ll probably try the other dishes as well since they have so much variety. A few things that caught my eye for next time would be the pork chops on rice and fried noodles. "
User Rating
7.67/10
7.67/10
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"Great, even late."
Albert
December 2009 — "This restaurant is open 10am to 10pm daily, so my friends and I decided to grab a late 9:30 meal at Pho Kim during a weekday evening. Pho Kim is a very ordinary looking Vietnamese restaurant with tile flooring and blank white walls. There were still quite a few tables filled when we arrived. I didn't know what to expect from the food since we came at such a late hour. I ordered the beef stew with noodles. The service was quite fast and the noodles were really good. As a matter of fact, this was probably my best Pho Kim experience ever. The stewed beef was tender and the soup was piping hot. Best of all, this place is open a little later than most places in Calgary, so it's a good choice for a late night snack or meal. I would definitely come back again and recommend Pho Kim to anyone looking for a decent Vietnamese meal. "
User Rating
7.17/10
7.17/10
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"Great Beef Stew"
Jason
December 2009 — "It’s a little hard to find, if you don’t know what you are looking for, but Pho Kim is located behind New Asia Mall and in a building that resembles an old house. I’ve come here so many times throughout the years and this is the first time reviewing it. Not much as changed since I came here the first time. The noodles are decent and speed is relatively quick, but something is lacking in the taste that I just cant put my finger on. The most recent visit I ordered the 17A, which is the Beef Stew Rice Noodle Soup. I’ve never ordered this dish before and was pleasantly surprised how good it was. The meat was large, very tender and not fatty. The soup was hot and had a mild spice to it. I really enjoyed this bowl of noodles and after eating it, actually made me want to come back the next day. Price is less than $10 per bowl, so it is good value. Maybe, I’ll start giving the other menu items a try here."
User Rating
7.17/10
7.17/10
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"Umm...maybe fix the AC..."Keith
July 2009 — "Okay, so my friends and I have been coming here for a long time. The food isn't great, although the menu is ample compared to smaller Vietnamese restaurants. The last time I went here, it was a 30 degree day out. I felt like something cold for lunch so I headed to Pho Kim with some friends. When we got there we were seated at a booth which was under the restaurant's air conditioning unit. When we were seated we noticed a large pool of water beside us. The owner quickly wiped up the water and then took our order. As we waited for our meal, my friend who was sitting under the unit, felt water hit his shoulder. We looked up and saw the ac-unit was sweating profusely and was the cause of the pool of water. We got the owner's attention, told him about the problem and asked to be reseated. He complied. We get out meals. I had the vermicelli with spring rolls and grilled pork. Which was acceptable, if not spectacular. Although on a hot day it is pretty refreshing!"
User Rating
4/10
4/10
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"Decent food, Rotten drink"Susan
July 2009 — "Pho Kim has maintained the same standards over the years. I think any dish I get today is about the same as when I first started coming here at least 7 years ago. It’s like a franchise in this way, you always know what you’re going to get. I went there with a group of friends on a Friday evening and the restaurant was a little busy as usual. I ordered the broken rice dish that came with pork, spring rolls and some kind of egg on the side. I also ordered the three colored bean/jelly drink. The food was acceptable as per usual. It was decent and a good size. The drink however was rotten. One of the ingredients had definitely gone bad in there. They really should check on this kind of stuff before serving it. I don’t think I’ll ever order another drink from this place but the food is decent so I would recommend it to anyone in the area to give it a try. "
User Rating
6.17/10
6.17/10
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"Passable Fare "
gary
January 2009 — "The Pho Kim is tucked away south of 16th Ave. NW and a bit west of Centre Street. We went because the restaurant had been recommended to us by a friend. There are many tables and a number of sections, and if this place fills up for lunch, it must really be busy! That evening, there were perhaps 20 people spread out through all the sections, the majority being Asian, which is usually a good sign. The menu was extensive and offered soups, meat and vegetable plates, and combination dinners. I spotted the Lemon Grass Chicken and my mind was taken back to a meal I once had in Malaysia. I was somewhat disappointed, as it was a steak-like slab of chicken with passable flavor. It also came with a mound of unflavored rice and a little bowl of somewhat tangy sauce. All in all, it was a totally forgettable meal. I must also say that the servers were efficient, but aloof to the point that they seemed almost unfriendly. I haven't written this place off, though, as I know others have been happy with their dining experiences. I suppose that some of the dishes on their extensive menu are more delicious than others. "
User Rating
5.83/10
5.83/10
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"Simply Satisfying "agnes
September 2008 — "The decor at Pho Kim is sparse at best, but the simple atmosphere is ideal for tucking into a hearty soup or plate of piping hot vermicelli.
On a recent visit, I order the barbecued chicken vermicelli and spring rolls. Since I was getting take-out, my server pushed my order through quickly and I waited for less than ten minutes. The restaurant was nearly full at 6 pm on a Monday night.
The noodles were prepared to the ideal texture, and the sprinkles of crunchy peanuts complemented the smoky and slightly sweet chicken perfectly. The spring rolls were crisp yet tender, and not remotely greasy.
They supply fresh basil and mint as a garnish, but I usually order a little extra to pep up the food.
It's nothing fancy, but the food and efficient service more than makes up for its strip mall austerity.
"
User Rating
8.50/10
8.50/10
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DescriptionSituated on Centre Street, Pho Kim is a Vietnamese restaurant featuring over 40 items for guests to choose from. Specialties on the menu here include the deep fried quail, the beef noodle soup and the seafood on fried noodles.
Location Information1511 Centre Street NW
Calgary
AB
T2M 2R5
