Qieu Café is a small family-run Vietnamese cafe in the Crosstown area near International Village. As one of thew few Vietnamese restaurants in the area (the other is Hai Phong in the T&T cul-de-sac), it is a fitting ‘quick-eats’ addition to the already ethnically diverse area.
Given the small hole-in-the-wall space, seating is pretty limited – perhaps no more than 15 – don’t expect anything fancy about its interior. Qieu Cafe is a good option for a quick, convenient “in-and-out” Vietnamese lunch or dinner before attending stadium events at Rogers Arena and BC Place. There are a few bar seats spanning the front window and a couple of patio sets outside. On non-event nights, it is visited by nearby residents who are craving a steaming bowl of pho. The café was renovated earlier this year and is now under new management.
The menu items are what would be expected from any Vietnamese joint – banh mi sandwiches, pho noodle soups, salad rolls and spring rolls, vermicelli, and the traditional Vietnamese hot/iced coffees. Lemongrass chicken and pork patty vermicelli bowls are claimed to be their most popular items. To cater to the healthier folks, they also make avocado and berry smoothies, as well as a coconut slush.
For pho that ‘hits the spot’ for residents of downtown Vancouver, this is a good option for those in the Stadium-Chinatown area who don’t want to venture much further.
Qieu Café is located at 628 Abbott Street and is open daily from 11:30am to 10:00pm. You can also order online for takeout or delivery.
