Pho Big Bowl

We’ve been coming here for many years. It was a favourite of ours, then they changed cooks and we stopped coming for a few years. We gave it another chance a few years ago and it was good again.
Our last couple of visits have been disappointing again. The phở is ALWAYS good, so no worries if that’s what you’re ordering. The broth is so tasty and the prices are good.
The vermicelli is hit or miss. During this visit it was obvious the grilled pork had been pre-​cooked and reheated at least once. It was tough and very dry. The shrimp on a sugarcane was the same story, extremely dry. The spring roll was good.
Spice level is another unpredictable factor here. I used to order the satay soup and it was spicy, but delicious. Last couple of visits, it’s been so spicy it’s almost inedible. We are big fans of very spicy food, so it says a lot when we find it that hot.
Service is fine, but definitely not what I’d call friendly. Not unfriendly, just expressionless.
If you like phở with tender (a bit fatty) meat, definitely get #18. It’s my favourite. The hue style soup is very spicy, but has a huge amount of meat and is tasty. No blood cubes in it, which is what I prefer.
The restaurant is generally clean and so are the washrooms.
I’m sticking with a 3-​star review as it seems to waver between 2-​star and 4-​star quality.

Was here a year ago, but it’s gone downhill. I came here with my son tonight and was really disappointed with the service and the food. Because my son doesn’t eat much I asked for two bowls to split the food and was basically given a look by the waitress. And when the food came I was shocked and how little beef there was in the phở. Even the tea was hardly tinted– I looked in the tea pot and there was only a few leaves in there. Won’t be coming back

Nothing wrong with this place at all. Today was the PERFECT day for a Big Bowl of Phở… or a Phở Big Bowl. I was so glad that Unilocal directed me to this place as I couldn’t do another calorie laden Gastronomic food fiesta (much as I love them).
I’m not sure if it’s a sign of popularity or a sign of bad tidings but this was my first time to a Phở joint and it wasn’t packed with a predominately Asian demographic, in fact quite the contrary — caucasians abound! I thought it had snowed INSIDE for a moment!
Enough about StatsCan figures, back to the Phở. It was hot, tasty, soothing and at $ 7.50 for a large with an option to add extra steak and meat balls for $ 2 and $ 1 respectively, I was in Phở-​king heaven!
Service was a tad slow off the hop but only because it was busy. Pro-​tip, if you’re traveling east or west on Dundas, there is NO entrance off of Dundas, the only entrance is off of Liruma, so make sure you’re in your turning lane if following your GPS.
Feeling all warm and full now and that means HAPPY!
Eatcrest Out!

Food is mediocre, especially the phở. Biggest let down is that their café sua da (viet iced coffee) is not from a filter but from some instant coffee mix.

Only complaint is that if you are doing take out and ask for hot sauce, you better check to make sure they give it to you (or enough of it). Too often they forget/​neglect to add any.

Food isn’t bad at all. Pretty good. Horrible customer service. Never ever looks up at the customers, very under maned.

I rated this a two out of five stars mainly because I am very picky with viet food after living with parents that make home made authentic Vietnamese food (they worked in Vietnamese restaurants in Vietnam). I’m also trained to make Vietnamese food too. Anyways, the phở is obviously not the best. The base doesn’t have enough flavor. The spring rolls are terrible (tastes like its frozen and they heat it up compared to making it fresh at home) and the summer rolls (transparent rice paper with usually noodles, greens and meat are rolled is not pre rolled (you roll it yourself which I find them so lazy for not rolling it up for you and it honestly isn’t even that hard to roll it up). If have to drizzle a lot of sauce on the food I get from here so it tastes better. I’m not sure why many of my friends are absolutely obsessed with this place (most likely because its the most closest) but its not that great.

I’ve had to update this review a few times now cause it’s on of my fave places .
Over the last year I’ve loved this place to then not really wanted to Come cause they changed cooks .to going to back to quality… if they keep the current cooks I recommend the phở and vermicelli bowls, there fantastic period ! Prices are great and food is good I recommend trying vermicelli bowl #48 or any of the phở bowls but my fave is 22
Enjoy !

One of my favourite Phở place in Mississauga. The satay phở is cooked perfectly. Quick service, with ample seating. Parking is a little cramped up. Price is just right! Perfect for a winter weather.

Rare beef noodle bowl with hot sauce always hits the spot and this place is no exception! The pork and shrimp cold rice paper wraps and fried pork wontons were yummy too. Very fresh and tasty.

Food is decent, wait staff adequate… When the owners are in its much nicer to dine in

Really enjoyed the beef brisket phở. The noodles are not too soft which is perfect for me and there was a lot of beef in it! I got a small bowl for ~$ 6 which was enough for me for lunch.
Great portions, great brisket phở.

This place is just not right. The soup was decent but the meat was just wrong. Maybe i had a bad part of the cow but the meat was just not right for phở.
We also ordered curry goat and that was wrong as well. Taste and meat was wrong.
It actually got worst. The spring rolls tasted like a large veggie roll that you normally get at a Chinese restaurant for Canadians (if you know what i mean). Lol
Ok, maybe not as bad as I’m describing. But i drove over 1.5 hrs from Markham to there during rush hour on a Friday night and i was hungry. I don’t know what led me to that place but i ended up in that parking lot.
Will i come back… sorry.

We come here pretty regularly because it’s in our general area and my Dad really likes this place. What I would say about it is it’s a great Phở place to go to and not get Phở. Sounds a little contradictory but I’ll explain. I don’t think their phở is exceptional. It is basic and simple but my parents seem to enjoy it very much. We’ve been to other phở places but they seem to like it the best (possibly out of convenience, I’m not really sure). While they often order phở, I will opt for other dishes. My current personal favorite is the Spicy Stir Fried Tofu with rice but I will often get the Spicy Stir Fried Chicken with Rice, the Pork Chop/​Grilled Chicken with rice, or the vermicelli (with various toppings depending on my mood). If you want something very spicy, get the goat curry. It will make the manliest of men cry. You can always ask for less spicy or mild on their dishes and they are very accommodating to that. Service is always friendly. We come here often enough that they recognize us and strike up mild small talk which shows good service. The overall feel is very homey and cozy.
I don’t necessarily think anything about this restaurant is necessarily exceptional, but it is convenient, the food comes out fast, and it is pretty cheap. They also have dishes I love that I can’t get anywhere else so it does keep me coming back. I don’t necessarily get excited to come here, but I am never disappointed leaving.
(Just a tip, get the Vietnamese Iced Drip Coffee with condensed milk. It is super sweet but if you really want to feel a kick in your heart beat, it’ll definitely give you that.)

I’ve been ordering from here for a few years. Usually 2 to 3 times a month. #44 with chicken (BBQ chicken, springroll sprouts and vermicelli) is my favorite. Portions are generous, spring roll is always perfectly fried never burnt and the oil they use is fresh. BBQ chicken is well seasoned. Honestly, never been disappointed with any of my meals from there. I’ve never eaten in side but restaurant appears to be clean and well maintained. Staff are polite and friendly.

Went to Big Bowl for lunch and the experience was just ok. We got the typical pork on rice, phở noodle soup and deep fried squid hoping that it would be as good if not better than most. It took a bit of time till we got our food but we eventually got it. The food tasted ok, was average at best my pork chop was seasoned well but overcooked and the deep fried squid looked like it was store bought and lacked some flavour. There are room for improvements and I see this place becoming a foodie spot but till then I would rate this place as average.

My Dad raves about this place. Apparently, if you are into spicy, the goat meat dish is to die for. I’m more of a «order some phở» kind of girl, and it’s not that great. Pricier than the usual $ 5 for small, I paid about $ 7-​$ 8 for a small phở during lunch. Not expensive at all, but I guess I was expecting it to be loaded with meat. So, it was disappointing when my beef phở came with very little meat.
I will note, though, that this restaurant is an upgrade from the usual Phở shacks in Mississauga. It definitely is a place you can come with family. The décor is welcoming and the atmosphere cozy. The staff didn’t speak a lot of English; but there was a lot of nodding and smiling, so it didn’t feel too awkward.
All said, I’d probably go back if I was in the area and craving phở. But it’s really not worth a long drive down.

Really wanted phở during the winter storm and this one was the closest one we could find to my friends house. Extremely happy we didn’t drive the distance to our usually spot because this phở is the way to go. It’s a small joint with traditional décor (nicer than a lot of other phở places) The staff seems a bit shy but they are friendly. The phở broth is so flavourful and the portions are big. What more can you ask for?

Not the best phở at all. Meat pieces are too thick. Broth is on the bland-​only chicken and cloves tastes. No saw leaf. Long to come out of the kitchen.
Staff lost notion of smile and customer care.
Cha gio is not meaty enough.
Roasted quails are on the skinniest quail side I ever had.
Not an Asian customer in the place (except my gf who likes bland phở soup more than me and forced me to give 3 stars instead of 2 to this place).

I’d have to agree with the other reviewers about this Phở joint, they have all the elements of a classic Vietnamese restaurant, but flavour intensity is lacking the punch that you’d expect from this unique asian cuisine. I came in on my own on my lunch hour and was greeted by a guy wearing a baseball cap who appeared to be the owner. He winced when he realized I was on my own, and after the place filled up and a lineup formed I knew why he preferred full tables, this place is popular!
I would consider this more like Vietnamese fast food. I ordered the beef Phở along with some greasy spring rolls. I didn’t ask for hot chill oil, but they did have a squirt bottle of Sriracha sauce on the table, good enough I suppose.
The beef Phở was ok, but after eating at Phở Hung on Spadina I realize that making this type of food delicious must be more difficult than it appears.
I’m still on a search for a Vietnamese restaurant that offers a couple of unique items that I’ve only had out West, lemon pepper shrimp and wings, and bread rolls, along with cheap pre made ice coffees that you can drown yourself in. I’ll keep searching!