Calibasil

Loved the veggie broth! Unfortunately they had to close permanently. «Hey calibasil let me know if your able to pass on your veggie broth recipe». Thank for the wonderful food and great service. Maybe we will meet again.

So yesterday I have time to roam around the neighborhood of my new job. Just drove into the plaza with a staff… while walking through the plaza, I’d like to open up my staff’s taste bud to Vietnamese cuisine.
We both ordered the Vermicelli (buon) noodles with option of chicken, beef, pork or egg roll. So we ordered chicken and the employee said it will take 10mins, so I suggested pork for my staff and beef for me since we don’t want to wait. Then we sit and wait, the employee comes over and said the beef will take 5−10mins and I was in awwweee that I ended up staring at the employee «like huh?» She came back with 2 cups for us to get free drinks. I got our drinks and thanked her.
We got our food, which I had asked which one is beef and which is pork as they looked similar… After staring at my staff’s bowl, I noticed her bowl was beef and she said yes it was!!! I mixed the fish sauce to the bowl, I had to ask for more as the containers were half filled only! I mixed the bowl of vermicelli, beef, peanuts and a mixture of veggies with the sauce and noticed the vermicelli was cold looking… Like it has been left in the refrigerator for a few hours. I went ahead and tried it and had to ask the employee to microwave it. I never ate vermicelli at a restaurant that was cold. She came back to explain that the noodles are served cold plus they don’t have a microwave but can warm up the noodles in hot water. I looked at her and was like… ahhh no!
I can get good Vietnamese food out in SG Valley and OC but I thought I’ll just give it a try in Riverside… I guess I won’t be going back but my staff may as she actually enjoyed it!!!

Sooooo good! Service was amazing today at lunch it was my first time there and the how to’ in ordering were readily explained! Will be back soon! I had the beef phở with basically all the toppings!

Came to try some phở. It was good, meat tastes great too. I recommend getting the steak! And my girlfriend says get LIGHT cilantro. We will be back for sandwiches next time! The customer service was great too! COME TRY THIS PLACE.

This place is okay. It is clean, quiet, the employees are friendly and professional. The cafeteria style ordering makes it fast, and there is a nice updated aesthetic. Perfect restaurant for the college scene.
The prices are perfectly reasonable, 3 of us ate a full meal for $ 30 after tip.
Unfortunately, there are some notable pitfalls.
The Phở had fresh ingredients and plenty of options suchj as thai basil instead of European, mint, oyster mushrooms, etc. but I also felt the absence of some staples, Tripe, chiles, soy sauce, any kind of seafood options, and fish sauce at the top of the list. All in all, the raw steak, the beef briscuit, and the perfectly dense Vietnamese meatballs were perfectly executed. Before the broth was poured on, this looked to be a perfect soup. Alas, that broth.
Maybe their chicken and vegetable broths are better done, but the beef was utterly lacking the distinct Vietnamese spicing one expects with phở. No clove, no anise, not nearly enough beef flavor (so probably lacking in oxtail), and utterly lacking in sweetness (so they likely didn’t use any sugar in it). The broth is the soul of a phở, so this soup was lacking its soul.
The banh mi can be argued to have had the exact same problem. They have pâté listed on the menu, so I have to assume its unavailability was a temporary issue, but the rest of the typical meats one expects are there. The vegetables one expects to find were there too, with very fresh and crisp cucumber, basil, cilantro, and jalepeno. The mayo was properly applied and tasted home-​made. The Maggi flavor was a little light, but present. The Do Chua was crisp and flavorful. Not overly developed but the right balance of sweet and tart, with the perfect carrot to daikon ratios. Internally, this was a top notch sandwich.
And it was all wrapped in a petit Italian baguette. Yep. Italian. The bread was chewy, and slightly tough on the exterior, but relatively light and buttery inside. Which ould be great if I was eating a cubano or a subway spicy Italian, but again the soul of banh mi is the bread. And the distinct crunch of a French baguette is utterly tied to the experience of eating a proper banh mi.
I got what I paid for. I had a full belly, and none of the food was bad. Would I refuse to eat here again? No. Would I be unhappy to eat that sandwich again? No. The soup? No. Would I call it Banh Mi or Phở? No. No I would not.
I can’t judge their noodle salad or rice dishes, and I lacked the presence of mind to order their summer rolls, but what I tasted left me with a solid enough taste of the standards to draw my own conclusions for this restaurant. An Vietnamese-​esque sandwich and soup shop that is lacking a soul.

Very reasonable prices and friendly staff! I got the special which is half a sandwhich and half phở. Next time I’m definitely getting a regular sandwhich

The food is amazing and the prices are very reasonable:)
Love the ambiance and the people are really nice.
Very clean taste and flavors. You don’t leave with a hurt stomach lol you feel full but ready to hit the road too:)
My new favorite place to eat.. Plus they have very awesome $ 5 deals between 2−5pm
I couldn’t recommend this place more:)
Stop reading this review and go get some damn food or be hungry on your phone lol

(Vegetarian review)
The good: The staff is great; very friendly and offer very good service. They always help in any way you need. Mostly students from UCR but still work in a very professional manner.
The Phõ is great. Yes, it’s a bit pricey, but you can get all the veggies you want with no extra cost. I usually put tons of tofu in mine. It may not be the traditional dish but let’s be real here, it’s the reason why we go to places like «chipotle» and we know it’s not real mexican food.
The Thai tea and the vietnamese coffee are really good! Everything is clean, the music is nice, the design of the restaurant is cool and it’s a good place to have a meal.
The bad: the price is a bit expensive but they give 10% off if you bring your receipt.
Will come back again.

I used to love this place but after today, I’ll probably never go back.
As I was waiting for my banhmi, I watched how they prepared a bowl of phở to-​go for another customer. There was cross contamination with the raw meat and everything else on the counter ie spoon handles, other foods, etc. I’m no health inspector but that’s pretty unsanitary.
Soon after, an Asian man wearing a red/​plaid shirt went into the food station acting like the boss saying inaudible things. I assumed he was telling them they were being dirty but then he proved me wrong. He picked up a piece of vermicelli that was left on the counter next to the water boiler, sniffed it several times, put it in his mouth, chewed a couple times then spat it onto the floor.
During this ~30 minute time frame, not one employee sanitized the countertops after having already prepared food for 5+ customers.
As for my banhmi, the bread was stale and they put a lot less ingredients into it than they used to back when it first opened. Overall, it was was an experience I wouldn’t want to go through again.

This is my go-​to place when I’m sick, need a healthy ‘cleanse’, or just can’t decide on what to eat. I definitely prefer this Phở location over the one across street. You can’t beat their price! They provide more quantity for less mula. I love their Subway-​style garnish line, where you can ask for a little more leafy greens and only a couple of mushroom pieces. They will let you try their broths to taste before choosing one (or two to mix half and half). If you’re getting it to go, I’d ask them to cook the rice noodles just a little bit longer since the broth doesn’t soften it quite the same at home. The reason I’m giving them 4 stars is because their chicken isn’t as soft, succulent, and wholesome as I’d like them to be. If anyone knows a Phở place with great chicken, please let me know!

I can be quite picky (or snobbish) when it comes to ordering Vietnamese bun. I assumed that the bun salad at Calibasil would be watered down (i.e., Americanized) but I was feeling a bit adventurous. So, I order the CB buns salad which usually comes with pork but I asked for chicken instead.
I must’ve waited 20 – 30 minutes for my order and the place was empty (as it was 2pm on a Sunday). They had to grill the chicken to order. I was getting nervous about this…
My order finally arrived and the egg roll threw me off. Where’s the egg roll, I asked. Right there, the waitress pointed at the odd piece of fried something.
The bun salad, despite all the minor hurdles to get it, was actually quite tasty. They don’t put bean sprouts in it (which I think is just for filler) and add a nice touch of fresh herbs (mint or basil) that most places don’t do. The fish sauce, although it’s a small serving, is packed with flavor. The egg roll is something I could do without but the rest of the ingredients work quite well together. This dish was a pleasant surprise!

Overpriced for what you get… tiny amount of meat… broth isn’t that great
There are other phở places in the area so they should be more competitive with their pricing, etc.

The best phở out there! Addicted — lol
Make sure you ask for the toasted onions to add your broth — yummy…

I’ve been dying to try phở here!
A great alternative to phở vinam and Saigon. Hands down the prettiest of all locations and more modernized. There’s an assembly line similar to chipotle where you order what you want and how you want it! Menu has more variety with foods like sandwiches salads spring rolls and fried rice options!
It’s so pretty and clean! The interior reminds me of VeggieGrill in LA. It’s open and perfect for college students in need of an Asian craving for lunch real quick! House fried rice is served during happy hour 2 – 5 and it’s booomb! I’m stoked to try their sandwiches and phở here next time!

I’ve been waiting for this place to open in the UV since they started their construction. I was excited to see a new Vietnamese restaurant open that offered banh mi because there is no banh mi place nearby. Alas, the restaurant finally opened and I was surprised that they also offered phở, and not only banh mi. For some reason I was really craving phở (and did not want to go to Phở Vinam) so I called up a couple of my close friends and decided to have a little bonding day at Calibasil.
THE DETAILS: The restaurant is very cute and hip with a lot of modern looking décor like the lights and chairs. The restaurant is small but offers plenty of seating. I like how clean it looks with the white furniture. The employees are mainly UCR students and they are very friendly. The banh mi is ordered using an iPad and the phở is ordered Chipotle/​Subway style.
THE FOOD: Honestly, the food was mediocre. I ordered the phở; so first, you start with noodles, then you pick your meat (I chose beef brisket), then you pick your toppings like basil, bean sprouts, and so on and lastly, the broth (I chose beef). I think I was really disappointed because they were very stingy with EVERYTHING (noodles, meat, garnishes) and I paid like $ 9 for a huge bowl with small contents inside. I barely got any meat and I literally got like 2 pieces of basil… like come on it’s basil! I came back a second time a couple of weeks later and ordered a banh mi dac biet (which is a combination). The baguette was so hard it hurt the roof of my mouth, but the contents like the meat and stuff were okay. It satisfied the craving for banh mi but I’d rather drive to Westminster to get Banh Mi Che Cali.
THE END? I don’t know if it was the fact that I’m Vietnamese and have had authentic Vietnamese food but I wouldn’t come back here unless I was really desperate and craving my people’s food. Sorry for being a Vietnamese snob.
FYI: This was my experience around the time when it first opened, I’m not sure if they’ve changed.

This place is okay, but it definitely didn’t impress me. As much as I love the idea of having all organic ingredients, Calibasil just didn’t do it for me in terms of taste. I found the phở to be quite bland and it didn’t have the distinct taste that phở should have from all those spices. The food was just mediocre, but with all the hype, I really expected much more. I’ll come back to try the banh mi, but I’m definitely not getting the phở again.

I’ve had bahn mi before, but this was by far the best I have had. Mine came with grilled beef, and it had a slightly charred flavor, which wasn’t at all overpowered by the vegetables like a bahn mi sometimes can be. There was a generous amount of the tender, delicious meat accompanied by a fresh, crunchy roll.
The phở had solid flavors and there was plenty of it. My only complaint was that there was just a tiny amount of meat, unlike the sandwich. There was a sign that said you could get extra meat for $ 1, so on my next visit, I did get the extra meat, and that gave me a solid meat to soup ratio. I recommend the beef tenderloin. In response to some other comments from Unilocal,they will add hot water to your broth if you would like it a little less salty.
The total for the soup, which made 3 bowls, and the sandwich was just over $ 11 plus tax ($ 12 with extra meat), but after cutting the sandwich into thirds, it easily fed 3 people, so to me, a good value for the money. Admittedly, it was me and my parents who are seniors, so it probably wouldn’t feed 3 college kids with raging hormones and overactive metabolisms, but it really was a good amount of really good quality food.
On my next visit, I had trouble getting grilled beef, but after complaining, the owner contacted me and assured me that beef would always be available. He even met me at the restaurant and I talked him into having some grilled beef spring rolls made. They were awesome, but they’re not on the menu (yet), but I’m thinking of starting a petition to get them added. I also had a sample of their new green tea snow ice thing which was quite tasty. It’s kind of a cross between a shaved ice and ice cream, topped with a hazelnut syrup.
My Vietnamese neighbor and her family went by and they seemed to enjoy the food also. They didn’t get to try the beef, but what they did try they liked, and she eats mainly Vietnamese either at home or when she dines out. I’m not one to seek out «authentic» cuisine, just food that tastes good, whatever the origin. So is this authentic Vietnamese? I have no idea. Is it delicious? Yes. She also eats mainly vegetarian and really enjoyed their vegetarian phở broth, made with onions and ginger. Apparently most places don’t offer that as an option.
After going here several times, I’ve better learned how to park in University Village, and it isn’t as bad as I thought it was, so I can no longer find any fault with this restaurant. I wish Calibasil was closer to me. Note to the owner, there are retail spaces open in Mission Grove. I have Vietnamese neighbors. Calibasil 2?
To the person who has since reviewed Calibasil and complained about it being too American, I can only say, why trust anyone who hates America? The all too familiar American feel makes it destined for failure, really? Guess what, Dan O? This is America, and we’re happy to welcome all foreign cultures, but if you think a restaurant will fail in America because it’s too American, well then, I’ll censor myself, blank you!

Was looking for a different place to eat Phở around the UV since usually frequent Phở Vinam very often. I decided to give Calibasil a try as it had decent reviews on Unilocal.I imagined this place to be full service but it turned out to be more of an Vietnamese Subway or Chipotle instead of Subs and Burritos you make your own Phở and Banh Mi. I got their new menu item which was the noodle salad, I really liked it when it came to the Grilled Pork and Egg Rolls as they were cooked just right. The service here is also very good as I was greeted right when I opened the door the staff here also makes sure you feel welcome in their business which was nice. Service here is also prompt where they make your order fast and right in front of you. Definitely will return later on.

Finally some Banh Mi in Riverside and healthy Vietnamese dinging options!
I came here recently with a friend of mine. I am a somewhat picky eater because I am gluten intolerant and I try to be as healthy as possible. I absolutely love spring rolls and surprisingly this place does them just right. Instead of filling them up with phở they use greens which makes me a happy camper. I have hear a lot of complaints about the proportions, prices, and authenticity. Yes this may not be the most authentic place but it definitely is delicious and better for you!

They just opened up less than a week ago but I think they are a great new addition to University Village already!
Walking in the girl behind the counter was very friendly and accommodating. She explained how to order the sandwiches and walked my boyfriend through the phở.
The phở is made «subway» style and you pick and choose what you want in your bowl with the ingredients laid out in front of you. The sandwiches were made to order separately by filling out a sheet of paper.
All in all, both items I tried were good and fairly priced. I am a native to Orange County with the best Viet food, so I wasn’t expecting much but I came out pleasantly surprised! I would recommend this place to others and eat here again.