5 Vietnamese restaurants in Ottawa: a local guide

How to read this list: a local guide, not a blind ranking

The phrase “top five” is useful when you are looking for a short list, but a numbered list can imply a level of testing that did not happen. We have not visited and scored all five restaurants, run a blind tasting, surveyed diners, or compared review totals. This page does not publish star ratings, awards, or claims that one restaurant is objectively better than another.

Pho By Night appears in position one because it is this site’s disclosed featured partner. That commercial relationship affects its placement. The four additional entries are selected to give readers a useful spread of Ottawa locations and published menu styles; positions two through five are not a quality ranking. The number is a reading order, not a score.

For each entry, we checked the restaurant’s public website for its location and a concrete description of its current food offering. Where an operator publishes a menu, we link to it. When a page says it is under development or that details may be incomplete, we say so rather than treating every detail as settled. The restaurant remains the best source for current hours, available dishes, ingredients, reservation policies, and accessibility details.

This shortlist is not an exhaustive directory of Vietnamese cooking in Ottawa. It is a starting point for a reader comparing a central pho stop, a broad Chinatown menu, a Glebe restaurant with different menu cues, and a south-end address. The useful question is not “Which number wins?” but “Which location and menu fit the meal I want today?”

1. Pho By Night — ByWard Market

Pho By Night is the first stop in this guide and the featured restaurant already profiled on this site. Its official website places it at 309 Dalhousie Street in Ottawa’s ByWard Market and says the restaurant has served the area since 2000. This is a central location for someone already spending time around the Market; the restaurant’s own directions link is the safest way to confirm the entrance and route before setting out.

The current menu gives more than one way to order beyond a standard beef bowl. It lists chicken and seafood pho, a vegan pho with tofu and vegetables, vermicelli, rice plates, appetizers and bánh mì. One distinctive menu example is the “Supreme Soup Bowl”: the restaurant describes it as rare sirloin, brisket, tendon and house-made beef balls in its bone broth. That is the restaurant’s own menu description, not a universal definition of a combination pho.

If you are going with people who want different kinds of Vietnamese food, the published menu’s mix of noodle soup, sandwich and rice formats gives you categories to compare before you arrive. A curious pho orderer could ask about the different cuts in the Supreme Soup Bowl; someone who prefers a handheld meal can look at bánh mì; a diner seeking a plant-based option can check the vegan listing. Confirm ingredients and cross-contact directly with staff if allergies or dietary restrictions are important.

The important context is the placement. Pho By Night is number one here because the publication has a disclosed featured-partner relationship with the restaurant. We have not compared it in person against the other four, and the listing is not an independent award. Use the live menu and the restaurant’s own contact information for current offerings, hours and ordering.

2. Vietnam Palace — Chinatown

Vietnam Palace sits on Somerset Street West in Ottawa’s Chinatown. Its official site describes the restaurant as family-run since 1989 and links to a full menu with many categories, including pho, other noodle soups, vermicelli, rice dishes, salads, seafood, vegetarian items and desserts. That breadth makes it a practical option when a table wants to compare several Vietnamese meal formats rather than settle on one type of noodle soup.

The public menu offers concrete ideas for a first visit: pho with rare beef, northern Vietnam-style pho, crispy egg noodles and Hanoi rice vermicelli with grilled pork patties. It also lists turmeric fish with dill, a more specific dish to look for if you want to move past the familiar soup-and-roll order. The restaurant marks some dishes as weekend-only; check the menu on the day you plan to go instead of assuming a special is available every service.

A large menu can be helpful for a mixed group, but it also makes a small plan useful. One person can choose a broth-based bowl, another a rice or vermicelli plate, and the table can share an appetizer such as fresh rolls. If you are new to a dish name, use the Vietnamese and English menu descriptions together, then ask the server what is currently available. Do not infer that every kitchen uses an identical recipe simply because two menus share the same Vietnamese name.

For location planning, this is one of the Chinatown entries on the guide’s Somerset Street corridor. The listing order does not place it ahead of or behind another Chinatown restaurant on food quality. It is here because its published menu gives readers a noticeably broad set of categories and several named dishes that can help a group choose. Check the linked official menu for current ingredients, prices and opening information; the site lists the phone number above if you need to confirm a detail.

3. Co Oi Kitchen — The Glebe

Co Oi Kitchen brings the list away from the two central corridors and into the Glebe. Its own ordering site lists the restaurant at 103 Fourth Avenue. That neighbourhood context matters for a practical shortlist: if your afternoon or evening is already in the Glebe, this is a nearby Vietnamese option to investigate rather than making a special trip across the city for a particular bowl.

The restaurant is worth checking when you are looking for a menu cue beyond the most familiar beef pho. Its published online menu has included Phở Nấm Chay, described as a vegan and gluten-free broth, alongside other pho preparations with more unusual ingredient combinations. The restaurant’s current page also describes a braised-beef pho with flat rice noodles and herbs. These are the operator’s menu descriptions; availability, ingredient handling and substitutions should be confirmed at the time of ordering.

That mix gives a first-time visitor a few useful questions to ask. Is the plant-based broth still available today? Which dishes are served at lunch or dinner? Does a specific bowl contain fish sauce, seafood, dairy or another ingredient you need to avoid? A dish label alone cannot answer those questions, and “vegan” or “gluten-free” wording on a web menu should not replace a direct conversation about allergies or cross-contact.

Co Oi Kitchen appears as an unranked guide entry after the featured partner. We did not taste-test it, and we are not assigning it a score. Its distinct contribution to this list is its Glebe address and the menu descriptions available through its own site. Before travelling, use the restaurant’s current order page to confirm its location, service mode, opening times and dishes. The website is the authoritative place to check rather than a copied third-party menu.

4. Saigon Boy Noodle House — Chinatown

Saigon Boy Noodle House is another Chinatown address, at 648 Somerset Street West. Its official site calls the offering Vietnamese and Asian cuisine, a useful detail to keep in mind if you are choosing specifically for a broad Vietnamese meal rather than expecting a menu restricted to one cuisine. The site gives a phone number and links to its current menu PDF and pickup ordering page.

The official site highlights four familiar Vietnamese menu families: phở, chả giò, cơm and bún. In plain terms, that points a reader toward soup, fried rolls, rice plates and vermicelli dishes. Rather than guessing which dish is the house standout, browse the linked menu and use the restaurant’s own descriptions. If you want something specific, call before you go to check that the dish is still listed and available.

Somerset Street West gives diners a chance to compare several restaurant names in the same wider Chinatown area, but proximity is not evidence that two places serve the same food or experience. Saigon Boy’s own menu and service information are the relevant source for this address. Its site currently lists daily business hours, but schedules can change for holidays or other reasons; check the live page or phone the restaurant before timing a trip around a particular closing time.

This entry is not intended as a verdict against the other Chinatown listing. Vietnam Palace publishes a wider set of menu categories, while Saigon Boy’s front page makes its phở, chả giò, cơm and bún categories easy to spot. That is a useful difference for someone scanning online before deciding. Use the PDF menu for dish names and the restaurant’s own contact details for questions about ingredients, takeout or current availability.

5. Pho Kam Long — South Ottawa

Pho Kam Long adds a south-end option to a list that would otherwise cluster around downtown. The restaurant’s official site gives the address as 3635 Rivergate Way and publishes its phone number, directions and a location page. It describes itself as family-run in Ottawa since 2010 and says it serves dine-in, takeout and delivery. Its directions page also lists a free parking lot outside, which is a practical detail for a visitor arriving by car.

The current menu is not limited to pho. The restaurant lists rare-beef pho, shrimp summer rolls, papaya salad and other Vietnamese staples, while its home page shows vermicelli bowls and grilled-pork dishes among the meal formats. If you are visiting with a group, that provides several categories to discuss before ordering: soup, a fresh roll, a salad or a noodle bowl. Check the live menu for the exact dish names and details rather than relying on a remembered order.

There is an important source note: the restaurant’s current website labels itself as a work in progress and warns that some items, prices and features may be wrong or missing. It currently publishes dine-in, takeout and delivery, hours, an address and a menu, but we treat those details as provisional because of the site’s own warning. Call ahead if you are making a trip for a specific dish, need a dietary accommodation, or want to confirm service hours.

Choose this entry because the south Ottawa location is convenient for where you are going, not because it sits at number five in a quality score. The list is ordered with Pho By Night’s disclosed partner placement first, then grouped as a reader-friendly sample of different local areas and menu cues. Pho Kam Long fills the south-end gap. Its official directions link opens the restaurant’s map listing; the restaurant itself can confirm today’s hours, parking conditions and menu availability.

Chinatown Vietnamese restaurants on Somerset Street: compare the published menus

Two entries in this guide are listed on Somerset Street West: Vietnam Palace at 819 Somerset Street West and Saigon Boy Noodle House at 648 Somerset Street West. Their current official pages offer different menu cues, so compare the dishes and service details that each restaurant actually publishes rather than assuming the menus or dining experience are interchangeable.

• Vietnam Palace publishes a broad menu with pho, noodle soups, rice and vermicelli dishes, seafood and vegetarian options; it also lists dine-in, takeout and online ordering.
• Saigon Boy highlights phở, chả giò, cơm and bún, links a downloadable menu and pickup ordering, and describes dine-in and takeout service.
• Both official websites publish their address and contact details. Open the linked directions for your exact route and check each restaurant’s current menu and hours before leaving.

This is a menu-and-location comparison, not a claim that one Chinatown restaurant is better. See the Vietnam Palace official menu and Saigon Boy official menu PDF for current dish listings. Official pages were checked October 26, 2026; confirm any detail that matters to your visit with the restaurant.

Choose by neighbourhood, meal format and the group at your table

A good Ottawa restaurant choice starts with the day’s route. If you are already near the ByWard Market, Pho By Night is the listed address in that neighbourhood. If your plans are on Somerset Street West, Vietnam Palace and Saigon Boy Noodle House both have Chinatown locations, and their official menus can help you decide which list of dishes fits. If you are spending time in the Glebe, look at Co Oi Kitchen’s current ordering page. For a south-end meal, check Pho Kam Long’s Rivergate Way details.

The format you want is another useful filter. Pho is a clear fit when you want a warming broth with rice noodles and toppings. Bún and vermicelli dishes offer noodles with different preparations; rice plates are easier to share with a table that wants a more substantial composed meal; bánh mì is a handheld option; fresh rolls and salads can add a cooler or lighter element. These are broad dish descriptions, not promises that every listed restaurant serves every option.

• Want to compare several meal formats at one address? Start with a restaurant whose official menu shows pho alongside rice, vermicelli or bánh mì.
• Looking for a dish outside the standard pho order? Search the current menus for the exact Vietnamese name, then confirm availability with the restaurant.
• Choosing for a mixed group? Check the current menu first and call about substitutions, spice, allergens and vegetarian or vegan preparations.
• Driving from outside central Ottawa? Compare the actual address and route before choosing; a restaurant in the south end may be more convenient than one downtown.
• Planning around a particular hour? Confirm opening times directly on the day, especially before a holiday or a late arrival.

The featured position should not decide your dinner for you. Pho By Night is first here because of the site relationship, but readers can choose any of the other four based on location or menu. A recommendation is more helpful when it tells you why a place is included and what information still needs checking. That is why the cards link to each restaurant’s own site or menu rather than copying a fixed set of prices and hours into an article that could go stale.

A quick ordering plan for a first visit

Before you leave, open the official menu and identify one dish you already recognize plus one new dish you want to ask about. At the restaurant, ask what the Vietnamese name means in that kitchen and whether the dish is available today. Taste broth before adding sauces; add herbs, lime or chilli in small amounts; and ask staff about ingredients rather than relying on a translation or a menu label when a dietary need is involved. These small steps make an unfamiliar menu easier to navigate without assuming every restaurant prepares a dish the same way.

A practical checklist before you head out

Restaurant details change more quickly than an article can. A number in a list is not a guarantee that the kitchen is open, a menu item is still served, a dish is suitable for an allergy, or a room can accommodate a particular group. The linked business site is the starting point; a direct call is the better check when the question affects travel, timing or health.

1. Confirm the street address and use the directions link in the listing that matches your destination.
2. Check today’s hours and whether the restaurant is offering dine-in, pickup or delivery at the time you need.
3. Open the current menu instead of relying on a search snippet or older screenshot; seasonal dishes and online menus can change.
4. If you have an allergy or dietary restriction, tell the restaurant directly and ask about ingredients and cross-contact.
5. For a large party, accessibility request or special occasion, contact the restaurant before arriving.

This guide was updated October 26, 2026 after rechecking the restaurants’ public websites, menus and ordering pages. It is an editorial snapshot, not a continuously monitored directory. If a restaurant moves, changes its menu or closes, its website and phone line should take precedence over this article. The partner disclosure explains why Pho By Night appears first; it is not an independent quality verdict.

For more background before you order, continue to the Ottawa Vietnamese food guide, read the guide to pho in Ottawa, or use the Vietnamese menu decoder to understand common dish words. Those guides explain the food; the links on this page help you confirm what a particular Ottawa restaurant currently publishes.

Ottawa Vietnamese restaurants FAQs