Pho Tay Ho specializes in traditional Vietnamese soups crafted through slow-simmered bone broths and high-quality ingredients. Each bowl features aromatic herbs, fresh bean sprouts, and authentic spice profiles that highlight the depth of Northern Vietnamese culinary heritage. The menu offers a focused selection of rice noodle dishes and grilled meat plates alongside the signature pho offerings. Guests find a functional, straightforward environment designed for quick service and authentic flavor delivery. Texture-rich components like tender beef slices, crunchy onions, and delicate rice noodles define the core dining experience. The kitchen maintains consistent preparation methods to ensure every order meets specific technical standards. This establishment provides a direct culinary focus on the essential flavors found throughout Southeast Asia for those seeking genuine, unpretentious noodle preparations.
Pho Tay Ho is widely celebrated as a premier destination in Montreal for authentic Vietnamese cuisine, particularly earning praise for its flavorful, generous bowls of chicken pho and high-quality beef tartare. Many patrons appreciate the fast, reliable service and the welcoming atmosphere, noting that the restaurant maintains a focused menu to ensure fresh, consistent ingredients. While some long-time visitors have expressed concerns regarding recent inconsistencies in food quality, portion sizes, or occasional service lapses during peak hours, the majority of customers view it as a staple for affordable, traditional meals. Despite the compact dining space that can feel crowded, the overall consensus remains that it offers an excellent, reliable experience that frequently draws diners back over many years.
I got the pho number 7(rare beef & flank) & it tasted like nothing & was very oily. The flank was just half fat & the noodles were very overcooked. Would not recommend.
The very best Chicken PHO in town. The one with Chiken & Giblets is simply amazing. As good as the best ones found in Vietnam.
Be aware that Chicken Pho is a delicacy. The broth has to be flavorful but also super light & Chicken has to be tasty (mostly the broth has to be made with chicken bones/carcasses, the chicken meat is pour in just to be cooked).
Because Chicken Pho is far less in demand & it is so difficult to make it right, than even in Vietnam, only few Pho restaurants has Chicken Pho on their menu.
For more standard taste & heavier flavors, Beef Pho is the way to go.
Their Vietnamese beef tartare is also best in town. It is tasty, fresh & smooth. I only took it to share the dish around a table of 3-4
The menu is not large. You won't have much choice, but each dish is tasty & fresh !
People want more & more choices, but that tendency has a strong & wrong impact on quality. To have fresh meal dishes, it would request a lot of manpower, fresh raw products ready & waste (none fresh items discarded).
But with price spiking all over the place, price has to be increase dramatically or products has to be lower quality, or even frozen (frozen products reduce waste, cooking time & cooking staff).
At Pho Tay Ho, fresh & flavorful ingredients are highly valued, so they keep their menu relatively tiny.
All in all, it's a nice small place which deliver high quality, fresh & authentic dishes at the friendly price. Don't have to take the plane to Vietnam for an amazing Chicken Pho, just go there.
The very best Chicken PHO in town. The one with Chiken & Giblets is simply amazing.
Their Vietnamese beef tartare is also best in town. It is tasty, fresh & smooth. I only took it to share the dish around the table of 3-4
The menu is not large. You won't have much choice ! But each dish is tasty & fresh.
People want more & more choice, but that tendency has a strong & wrong impact on quality. To have fresh meal dishes, it would request a lot of manpower & raw products ready.
But with price spiking all over the place, other price has to be increase dramatically or products has to be lower quality, or even frozen.
All in all, it's a nice small place which deliver high quality, fresh & authentic dishes at the friendly price. Don't take the plane to Vietnam for an amazing Chicken Pho, just go there.
Jan 11, 2026
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Though the broth was FANTASTIC, I think I ordered the wrong thing. I got #14 with beef & was disappointed. Low quantity & quality of beef & overloaded with freezer bag veggies. My girlfriend's chicken version had the same problems.
Still glad I went to experience the broth, but I would get something else. I look forward to going back to try their vermicelli.
Good service (fast as balls) & cute ambiance.
As it stands, Pho Nguyen downtown is still my fave!
Usually pretty good but today the chicken was extremely overcooked & very dry, like shoe leather. 3 years later & the beef is dry & tough. Broth is good, & LOTS of veggies!
