Pho Dau Bo
Pho Dau Bo on International Avenue is a traditional pho house with modern touches. The family-run business excels at the holy trinity of casual Vietnamese fare — pho noodle soup, bánh mì subs and bún vermicelli bowls — and also offers specialty dishes like savoury “doughnut” sticks as a side and a steak-and-egg rice entree.
110, 4909 17 Ave. S.E., 403-272-5160, phodaubovietnamese.com
Pure Kitchen & Bar
Taking traditional Vietnamese dishes to the next level, Pure offers refreshing and slightly fancier versions of classics like char siu pulled-pork spring rolls, open faced bahn mi sandwiches and lemongrass vermicelli.
815 8 Ave. S.W., 403-475-1899, purekitchenbar.com
Tamarind Vietnamese Grill and Noodle House
This tiny-but-vibrant restaurant at the eastern boundary of Downtown West serves an all-vegan menu of Vietnamese food with a dash of pan-Asian flair. If you like your pho or vermicelli bowl meat-driven, fear not, as Tamarind makes mock “beef” and “ham” in house that offers the requisite blast of umami. Beyond pho, Tamarind serves an electric mix of dishes like a sizzling crepe, mango salad and curry soup.
106, 1111 6 Ave. S.W., 403-262-6644
*Listed in alphabetical order.