Song Han

Fast Service, delicious and one biggest things for me is that I can enjoy traditional soup on vegetable broth.
Highly recommend this place. The owner always remembers I enjoy my soup spicy :)

I really don’t know how this restaurant stays open with the mediocre quality of food. Nothing was appetizing whatsoever. Ordered ph and it was tasteless. The noodle dish I ordered wasn’t made with the proper noodles; they used ph noodles. The rice and pork chop dish ordered was dry. It wasn’t good in general. Very disappointed.

Great location to enjoy Vietnamese on a relaxed afternoon.
The service at Song Han may not be swift for a vietnamese restaurant, yet that doesn’t stop me from coming back.
If you’re in a rush, this may not be your most suitable lunch destination. Rather this is a great location to enjoy some Vietnamese at a leisurely pace with a friend. The sunken patio let’s you soak up some sun while still enjoying the Kensington atmosphere.
Free parking at rear is a plus in this neighbourhood.

*vegetarian review*
I had the vegetarian noodle soup and it was ok. The veg broth was decent; didn’t just taste like a heavy dose of MSG. This is an ok option if it’s cold outside and you just want a hearty veg noodle soup.
You know what could have improved the noodle soup? Some serrano peppers.

VERY DISAPPOINTING.
Rubbery rice wraps and a disgusting flavor from over-​used oil in everything deep fried couldn’t be compensated for by the large portion of average Phở noodles.
The shrimp paste wrapped sugar cane I ordered was so disgusting I very nearly ran to the bathroom to spit out my first bite. Just the memory of it makes me want to rinse my taste buds.
We found it odd that most of the lights were turned off and ¾ of the restaurant was in the shadows — I should have seen it as a warning of cost cutting measures everywhere.
I don’t have expectations of décor or service from this kind of restaurant and neither were appealing, but the fresh ingredients and a light flavor I have enjoyed at every other Phở house was not present here.
We waited a very long time to receive our bill when there were only two other tables as the waiter watched TV and wandered around eating buns. Finally I went and asked to pay so we could go.
With so many great options there is no need to settle for mediocre. We won’t be back and can’t recommend it to Unilocal users.

So far, so good!
Grilled Pork Salad Rolls…3 stars. FINALLY found a Vietnamese place in Calgary that offers grilled pork salad rolls! Unfortunately, it’s not the best. Song Han’s version juliennes the pork but you can still taste all its goodness… the lemongrass-​based marinade easily shines through the mundane vermicelli noodles and leafy lettuce. The usual hoisin dipping sauce is kicked up a notch with a sprinkle of crushed peanuts and sambal. What keeps this dish from gaining 5 stars is having bigger (or more) pieces of pork, a more tightly rolled unit, and red or green leaf lettuce in place of iceberg (more flavorful and less water retention in the leaves).
#21, Special Beef Noodle Soup…4.5 stars. Definitely one of the best bowl of phở in the downtown area. The broth is well seasoned and served hot. The meatballs they use are one of the best you’ll ever have, very tender and flavorful! Usually when you see such a bare offering of condiments on the table, it’s a sign that the restaurant has watered-​down its food to Western palates… thankfully this place is an exception!
Jack Fruit Shake…3 stars. Unfortunately, like most places in Calgary, they tend to skimp on the most important ingredient, jackfruit. It’s easy to tell cause the shake will have a creamy yellow color… you’ll taste mostly cream and sugar with only a hint of jackfruit. The best shakes will have a brighter and fuller yellow tint, in turn, a stronger jackfruit presence. At least Song Han has the level sweetness just right.

Good place to pop in for some quick Vietnamese in Kensington. As others have mentioned, this place is quite large so it’s likely you’ll have no problem getting a table.
We ordered spring rolls to share and each had a small rare beef noodle soup. The spring rolls came out in a snap and were crunchy and hot. Accompanying the soup was a generous amount of sprouts, lime, and lots of basil — which is great as I love basil! No chili pepper, but the siracha is free flowing. The broth was good, and the soup had lots of onion, loads of noodles and tender beef — delicious and perfect for a cold day.
Prices are comparable to other Vietnamese places in Calgary and I found the portions generous.

It is an okey restaurant, I ordered fried rice with sea food. I wouldn’t recommend it.

Got delivery within 30 minutes. Delicious beef phở with fresh basil. Still hot when it arrived and would order from there again.

The service here is great. Very friendly owners who go out of their way for you. The food is cheap, incredibly tasty and you never have to wait long for it. While it isn’t the best Vietnamese restaurant I have been to, it is the best one in Calgary. Definitely worth a try

It is too bad that some people have had bad experiences here. I’m not entirely sure what time of the day they had come to this establishment but I came here at 11:45AM just a few minutes before the lunch rush came in and I had really excellent service.
When I walked into Song Han I was immediately greeted by a gentleman who I assume is the owner of the restaurant. He quickly gave us a booth to sit in but I opted to change to another booth on my own accord and he did not seem displeased at all — bonus (because I am picky where I want to sit.)
I like the fact that there are lunch specials because usually when you split Spring Rolls you are only eating 2 of them anyway so it makes total sense to pair up either 2 Spring Rolls or 2 Salad Rolls with your bowl of soup.
I try to never speak English at a Vietnamese restaurant so after my co-​worker ordered in English I ordered myself in VIetnamese. I didn’t see what I wanted as a special so I just ordered the Phở Tai Bo Vien (I’m not even sure what it is on the menu cause the menu is in English and I don’t know what everything is in English.)
The owner asked me if I wanted to take this item and make it into the lunch special. BONUS again. Thank you for suggesting that and allowing me to choose a different soup bowl than the ones listed on that lunch special page.
Spring Rolls came out first — they were nice and crispy but I thought they lacked a little bit — I’m not sure if there wasn’t enough meat or something but I can’t pin point it — I didn’t dislike it I just didn’t LOVE it. I also wish they had chili paste with the other condiments because I notice Vietnamese restaurants catered to non-​Vietnamese never have enough chili paste in their fish sauce (nuoc mam).
Anyway, to the good stuff — Phở Tai Bo Vien. Before I put any condiments in it (hoi sin and hot sauce) I opted to take a few spoonfuls of broth to give it my usual taste test. Ahhh… excellent — light — not too rich — still lots of flavor without having anything in the soup.
I really have to commend them on how much beef balls and rare beef that came with my soup. Usually in Vietnamese restaurants you have more noodle than actual meat but here you have more meat than actual noodle — awesome.
I do however wish Song Han had different sized bowls — I for one usually order a small with a side of 2 to 3 Spring Rolls. That is the perfect size lunch meal for me but what the hey I can’t complain too much.
Oh yes and I also had the Vietnamese Iced Coffee and they leave it with you to drip so you know it’s fresh and usually ¾ way through your meal it is ready for the tasting. I didn’t mind the Vietnamese Iced Coffee I have had better but it wasn’t bad either.
When paying the owner asked me where I parked and I told him I parked on the street and he said next time park in the back there are 10 parking stalls in the back. Thank you!
I don’t know when I will be back again cause my lunches are usually home-​made and super boring/​healthy but if I have a chance I wouldn’t mind going back here to grab a bowl of Phở again.

Can only comment on a vermicelli take out… I was met by the friendly owner (I believe) who was nice enough to circle their very best selling dishes as I had not been before. #44 (spring roll and BBQ pork) it was and it was ready in 10 min as promised. I noted the restaurant was clean and that there was an outdoor patio. Not busy at all on a weeknight at dinnertime but I imagine on weekends this place would be crazy. The food was packaged well for take home so that all components were separate — love this as nothing gets soggy and can be reassembled whenever. Portion size — good. I would come back in a heartbeat to try the phở.
Under $ 10 — me likes!

What makes Sunday’s better you ask? (Besides the obvious brunch answer) I will tell you… Vietnamese for lunch!
So with that in mind, my friend and I wandered down Kensington in search of some vermicelli bowls, phở and rolls that have the words salad and spring in front of them.
We stumbled upon Song Han in our quest and since I have previously bookmarked this venue to try, that’s what we did!
Upon walking in the scent of food hit me and it was a delicious tease to my growling stomach. We were seated promptly and looked over the menu.
We already knew what we wanted pretty much based on us being frequent Vietnamese diners so we also got our orders in fast. I ordered a vermicelli rice bowl with pork and spring rolls and my friend ordered satay beef phở. We also had ordered a side of salad rolls and two Vietnamese iced coffees.
I was a bit disappointed that we didn’t receive our coffees and we had to ask our server twice for them which I found a bit odd since it wasn’t too busy in the restaurant. They arrived with our main dishes but didn’t finish percolating until we were pretty much done eating.
Other than this mishap, I enjoyed everything that was placed in front of me. I found the salad rolls to be fresh and nicely sized and our main meal portions were big and delightful. (I was only able to eat half) I was happy with the end price as well since it came in under 40 for everything including tip.
I will come back if I am in the area but my search will still continue for the best Vietnamese in Calgary.

We stop by this place at least once a week for phở or bun. The phở smells amazing — not too much meat, and the usual basil, sprouts, and lime. I appreciate how much care they put into takeout orders. For example, when we order phở to go, each component (noodles, broth, vegetables) are put in seperate containers. When we order springrolls, they always remember to cut the lid so it doesn’t get soggy. My favourite dish is bun with chicken (spicy, aromatic) and springrolls. If you eat in, Grasshopper is only $ 4.00. It’s actually a pretty large restaurant — I had no idea from the outside.

Want a GIANT bowl of phở? This is the place to go! You won’t want any mo’!
It’s a great sign when a Vietnamese restaurant offer sizes on their soups. It’s even better when of of those sizes is an extra large. I ordered the extra large spicy beef bowl and wasn’t disappointed! A massive amount of soup was delivered to my table. The aroma was terrific and the flavor was excellent. There is a perfect broth to noodles ratio. By the time I reached the bottom of the bowl there was still beef left. At $ 10.75 is was great value and the service was fast and friendly.
The décor is clean, simple and the non-​intrusive. There was more than enough seating. I liked the fish tank beside the kitchen. When I told the server that I would be back he informed me that they are open 365 days a year.
This is probably as good as it gets when it comes to phở dining in Calgary!

I ordered delivery from this restraunt last tuesday evening and was disappointed in the utmost. I have had Song han before and was relatively pleased with the quality of the food. As they are one of the only vietnamese restraunts that delivers in my area and I was feeling particularly lazy that night I called them up.
The Problem: I ordered 6 spring rolls and 2 noodle bowls with pork and spring rolls (I love the deep fried pork spring rolls). One I received the food I noticed a powerful foul smell coming from the bag. It was akin to dirty grease and burned meat. The best I can deduce is that they have not cleaned their fryer oil for quite sometime and the food bore the contamination of the poor kitchen controls. As eveything I ordered was contaminated with the smell and foul taste it rendered my entire meal inedible and beyond salvagable.
The price would have been reasonable had it been edible (34 $). I will be seeking recompense for my ruined meal but will never choose to be a patron again.
The saturation of vietnames restraunts in my area makes it very easy to write this one off as a loss.

Vietnamese joints are everywhere and a place like Kensington, where every door you walk into offers some form of unique food, is no exception. Song Han is right in the middle of all this and I finally decided to try them out on a snowy Sunday afternoon.
Song Han presents a neat atmosphere that welcomes you from the street. Their service was ok, attentive but slightly passive. Befitting of the Kensington’s hipster vibe: P
I ordered their Bun and rice noodle rolls. Their food was great but doesn’t blow my usual V resto haunts. Still the price was fair and the meal didn’t exceed the $ 15 I had in my wallet.

When my bf and I went here, we were just desperate for something to eat. We wanted something at 9:30pm at night that’s not burger, pizza, or Chinese, so we stumbled upon this little place upon Kensington. We had no expectation, the moment we walked in, we could smell the spices in the air — the aroma is a good sign. We were quickly greeted and seated. I’ll go straight into the food:
Sugar cane wrapped in ground shrimp — My bf have had this before and he really wanted to have this again because his previous experiences with the appetizer have been good. The dish came out piping hot — a good sign. But the shrimp that’s suppose to be grounded tasted more like seafood byproduct mixed with gelatin so it was a bit rubbery, and didn’t really taste like shrimp. I’ll let your imagination run with that.
Chicken phở — the broth was great. The soup came out almost boiling hot, if I didn’t wait a little bit, I would have burned my mouth. I’ve had phở in many different places and in different countries, even the most authentic places doesn’t serve it this hot :(But other than the burning your mouth off for the first 15mins if you try to eat it — the broth was good. The chicken was tenderized — the kind that they serve in a stir-​fry, not the kind I am use to in regular chicken broth — which was a different texture. But again, broth was good, noodles were good, the medium bowl was $ 8.75, and was good size serving but definitely leaning towards the smaller end.
Grilled beef and egg roll vermicelli — the noodles were good, the beef was spicer than expected, but the eggroll were fresh and hot. It was okay — taste wasn’t exceptional, but passable.
For Kensington st, this place is okay, but definitely not the best I’ve had. The quality of the broth as well as good service will make me consider coming this again — if i am in the area, and if i am desperate.

We just had the best vietnamese shrimp soup in Calgary! It has a fresh taste that can’t be faked. The older vietnamese lady that cooks knows her stuff. Will recommend all day long. The place is not the most appetizing but who cares it makes the whole experience more authentic.

Before I start my review, I should put this out there: I’m not a big adventurer of Vietnamese cuisine. I love westernized Vietnamese; vermicelli bowls with grilled pork, satay beef soup, spring rolls, salad rolls and chicken wings. The most adventurous I’ve ever gotten at a Vietnamese restaurant was to try a satay vegetable noodle soup.
Song Han is the newest restaurant under Swimco on Kensington Road. I was really hoping it would be great because it is the closest Vietnamese restaurant to my house.
The restaurant has been renovated, there are lots of booths and an outdoor patio area below street level. The service was painfully slow… My date and I shared chicken wings and I tried my standard pork vermicelli spring roll bowl. The chicken wings were great. But can you really make bad deep fried chicken wings? The pork vermicelli bowl had lots of veggies, and basil, which I love but my date did not. The spring rolls were average, but they seemed like they had been sitting in a warming tray all day. Not very crispy on the outside.
Sigh, my seach must continue for good Viet near my house…