Coi and Lan Pham didn’t arrive in Calgary with a restaurant plan. In 1989 they were among the Vietnamese boat people who fled war and poverty, eventually landing in a Malaysian refugee camp before being accepted to Canada in 1992. They worked in Vietnamese restaurants, saved, and in 2005 opened their first location.
Twenty years later, Pho Pham is opening its third.
The new location is coming to Chinatown, and the space reflects where this family came from. The design features an interior garden and skylight meant to bring tropical Vietnamese greenery into a Calgary winter, with warm woods and lush plants throughout.
The food that built the reputation is all there too, including their peanut beef sate pho, which has become something of a signature.
No opening date yet. Follow them on Instagram for updates.