watercress express

tried this place after reading all the great reviews online, but not sure if i visited on an off day or maybe the new management for the restaurant has changed the menu a bit. i didn't see some of the recommended dishes i read on previous reviews, so i'm assuming they tweaked the menu after new management. salad rolls were good and presented really nicely, but i thought it was so overpriced for the portion. satay pho was good but more tangy than the spicy taste i was expecting. service was really great here and the food was good, but not sure if i'll be going back any time soon with so many good options i have for vietnamese food.

been here a few times but seems to be under new management now. most of what i considered their modern viet food is gone. the baos they had were exceptional and unique. now most of the menu is typical vietnamese food you can find most places such as subs, vermicelli and pho. there isn't much competition nearby but i am disappointed it still calls itself modern viet foos

just moved to 17th ave and i walked past this place. it was pretty busy which was a good sign. the menu has some variation and is just the right size for a place like this. i ordered the korean beef boa and it was awesome. great flavour. the thing i like about here is you can order, pay, and eat a great meal all within a 20 minute time frame. i'm looking forward to trying the rest of the menu!

yum yum yum! i love this place! this is the best addition to upper 17th in ages! i eat here weekly and have never been disappointed. everything i've tried is a fresh modern take on your typical vietnamese food. meat is high quality, just the right amount of noodles and the addition of fresh mint in certain dishes is amazing! i now have a new standard in vietnamese cuisine! staff is friendly and there is consistency in the product. i tell everyone about this place. not only is this place delicious, clean, well staffed, it is also really reasonably priced. watercress express.....don't ever leave me!,

not being vietnamese, i cannot comment about what this restaurant does that makes it "fusion". this restaurant is clean. it is cafeteria style where you order up front. the sate pho was truly fragrant with lemongrass. the food was beautifully plated. the portion size was limited. there is an eastern religion statuette thing mounted in a conspicuous location.

i've been wanting to try this cute little vietnamese restaurant for a while. you go up and order then take a number to your table where the server will come deliver your food. our server who was also the girl at the counter was really helpful when i asked for her suggestions. we had the pho sate which was filled with lemongrass flavours. the broth was quite spicier than others. the chicken wings were pretty good and crisp. i wouldn't mind coming back to try the kimchi fried rice she said is one of the most popular dishes!

stumbled upon this place because the thai spot next door was closed. we got the kimchi fried rice and sate pho. we love spicy food, and this was finally spicy enough for us! the food looked just like the pictures, was made quickly and you could taste the freshness and quality of the ingredients. the flavours were authentic. the best vietnamese i have had in canada. can't wait to go back and try out the new menu items.

another place in the calgary where you get a great bang for your buck. highly recommend the salad rolls, chicken wings and vermicelli! they also have pho but it's not one of their standout dishes (in my opinion) so i'd stick more to the others. i hear their kimchi fried rice is some of the best in the city! definitely ordering that next time.

tess and albert go to watercress express

everyone loves vietnamese food, so it's always nice to go somewhere with a fresh take on this popular cuisine. 

it's an easy going "fast food" type atmosphere, but the food is much higher quality! 

they have all different types of salad wraps and the few that we tried were great. not just your average shrimp and veggie salad rolls, all different kinds with different fillings and sauces. 

the korean kalbi beef chuck bao was sweet with bbq flavour and slightly messy, which is not a complaint, it just made it more fun to eat. 

we finished off with the chicken lemongrass vermicelli which was bright with flavour and not soggy or heavy at all!

i highly recommend this place for quick delicious high quality vietnamese! 

go.

while they offer the standard pho (beef noodle soups), they have done a fantastic job offering up other creative options that are tasty and unique. located on the busy 17th ave, watercress express is the perfect place to grab a bite to eat to-go or in our case, a sit down family meal with our baby.  although seating is limited, many patrons were ordering food to-go so we didn't have any difficulty getting our table of choice. the menu is clearly visible above the ordering counter, with descriptions of each dish. we were tempted by many dishes and ordered a variety of appetizers and mains, forgoing our usual bowls of pho. â the dishes were unique and flavourful and demonstrated a great balance of flavours and careful presentation. the attention to detail was evident and we were impressed by our experience.

watercress express opened early this year and we fell in love with it right away.  we finally made it to w week so now we can provide a review for this lovely joint.   . tamarind beef- tamarind nuoc cham-watercress-vermicelli-cucumber-herbs-fried shallots. the roll was fresh and the beef was packed full of flavour.  the beef is so delicious and tender.  delightful crunch provided by pieces of fried garlic.  there's an amazing assortment of flavours that blend perfectly together.

update

it's been a while! haven't been back since it renovated. i decided to try the banh mi (sate beef sub). i was craving subs and the picture looked appealing. it wasn't bad! however, i was expecting something spicy but it was more sweet. the beef was tender and i found there was too much mayo. the bed of hickory stick like potatoes were an awesome addition. we also got the lemon grass beef it was delightful. the punch of lemon grass and basil, just a mouthful of freshness. john got the shrimp and chicken fried rice again. and this time around, it was a lot less greasy! t'was a delicious meal.

love, love this place! delicious, inexpensive, clean, great service and location.

the flavours and attention to detail here are wonderful and were a pleasant surprise. we went here on a monday when our usual fav pho places were closed, and the excellent service and amazing cuisine for the inexpensive price was fabulous. highly recommend the pork fried dumpling appetizer and lemongrass vermicelli dish (great take on standard fare). we will definitely be back when they start full table service in august!

i stopped in here today for a quick lunch after a job interview. i have eaten at many vietnamese restaurants in calgary and consider myself a bit of a connoisseur of vietnamese cuisine being a foodie and all. let me tell you...this place blew me away! it was clean and inviting. i was greeted with a big smile and i told the gentleman behind the counter it was my first time there. i ordered the bun with charbroiled pork and spring rolls. i asked if i could get a side of broth and that was no problem. i then decided i'd also like a bubble tea to take away since i had an orientation to attend in the afternoon. he offered me his suggestion to try the taro flavour and let me smell the powder. yum. i'll go with that i said. then he asked if i would like pearls or jelly. i hadn't had jelly before and asked what that was. he proceeded with providing me a sample of the mango, green apple and lychee jelly. i chose the mango. 

i was brought my bubble tea very quickly even though there were other customers arriving. my food was brought to my table quickly as well and the presentation was beautiful....first time i had ever had bun with the veggies piled up to one side and the peanuts (a generous portion) and the meat sliced up over the vermicelli so wonderfully. even the fish sauce came in a really pretty dish. the spring rolls were crunchy and not greasy. the broth was to die for...fresh green onion and little bits of fried onion and cracked pepper was speckled throughout the broth. this meal was amazing!! tasty and not salty. i think they had mint in the veggies instead of cilantro. this meal cost me about $17.00 and i tipped $5. it was so so worth it and i will definitely go back. oh, and the bathroom was spotless and smelled nice...rare!

at first glance this place has a mall food ordering atmosphere but don't be fooled as watercress express kicks out some fantastic and original vietnamese dishes. this is a great spot for a quick dinner after exploring calgary's 17th ave.

there is no shortage of vietnamese restaurants in calgary. however , most that i have been to are virtually the same .........as if the meals were coming out of one kitchen .......and many of these are ok and get a 3 star rating from me.
yesterday i decided to do some research on vietnamese restaurants in calgary.......poring through reviews on yelp and zomato.........watercress express caught my eye with its high rating and consistent great reviews........not one negative review. decision made......
picked up our fellow foodies, val and lou and off we went to 17th avenue to watercress express.......where we had a 7 pm reservation.......
i am probably the only person that ever called for a reservation as this is a walk in , order at the front, grab a table, and wait for your meal to arrive place, lots of take out orders were happening as well.
lam.....one of the owner/operators .....took our orders ........the menu was not the usual vietnamese found at oriental phoenix or bagolac.........
our meals were superb......the pho and chicken noodle soups were very tasty.... beautifully served.....a step above any of the others i have had in calgary ......carols lemongrass vermicelli with chicken was absolutely head and shoulders above any served elsewhere.
sate grilled shrimp wraps were simply delicious........as were the spring rolls. ........we all agreed that we had to come back and try other items on the menu.
this is vietnamese gourmet .......in a cafe.......new items are planned for the menu over the next several weeks.......if you are bored with the same old vietnamese that most serve try watercress express.