Chef Hiep Vu prepares a chicken stir-fry with vegetables at Basil.

Find It...

Basil Ultimate Pho & Fine Vietnamese Cuisine

We’re fortunate to live in a city that has such a vast selection of Vietnamese restaurants. Standing out in the sea of phở is Basil Ultimate Phở & Fine Vietnamese Cuisine, located on 32nd Avenue in Calgary’s northeast.

Run by the family that owned the popular Phở Dau Bo restaurant on International Avenue, Basil offers a pleasing esthetic and above-par dishes. When we arrive on a cold, rainy Thursday night, we are warmly greeted and immediately seated.

Sipping on jasmine tea, we scan the hospitable room. It features a lovely post-and-beam wood ceiling, lush photos of Vietnam and rich, chocolate walls. The menu is loaded with a vast selection of appetizers, phở and bánh mì. Diners will likely be surprised by an entire page of vegetarian options, including vegetarian phở, subs and vermicelli stir-frys.

Deciding to skip appetizers, we opt for three inviting entrees. First is the beef sate phở ($9.50). Served in a deep, heavy white bowl, the soup is accompanied by a plate piled high with bean sprouts, fresh Asian basil, lime and a bird pepper.

I take the liberty of tearing the pepper into tiny pieces and dropping it into the broth for a solid dose of heat. It goes well with the ample serving of rice noodles and delectable, thinly sliced beef — tender and cooked to a perfect medium rare. The fragrance and flavour of this fantastic phở is alive with sweet, spicy and citrusy notes.

For my main, I order the lemon grass chicken and pork spring rolls ($10.25). It’s not much to look at, but this dish is big on flavour. Topped with tender chicken bursting with fresh lemon grass gusto, the dish features the usual suspects — julienned carrots and cucumber, bean sprouts, lettuce, chopped peanuts and a healthy wad of vermicelli noodles. Pouring in the accompanying fish sauce, I dig in. To my surprise, the best part of this dish is the pork spring roll. Meaty, fresh and not at all greasy, these rolls have a wonderful crunch.

My chopsticks don’t stop until I’m done.

For his main, my boyfriend has the bánh mì síu mại ($6.25), the traditional Vietnamese sub with pork meatballs. The baguette is the right balance of crispy and soft and topped with a dollop of whipped mayo, pickled cucumbers, carrots and cilantro. The homemade meatballs are savoury gems marinated in tomato sauce and assorted spices. They are packed with flavour.

For dessert we try a lychee bubble tea ($4.25) with floral chunks of real lychee replacing the traditional tapioca bubbles. Smooth and vibrant, the drink sums up our great experience at Basil — fresh, flavourful and exotic. This is a new Vietnamese hot spot.