Five Elements Cafe

I started with the shrimp «fresh» rolls, they were decent sized and fresh, I’ve definitely had better salad rolls before but they pass.
The beef ball phở was medicore, not a bad flavour but not enough of it for my liking so I layered on the thick fish sauce and sriacha (there was no fish oil or crushed chili paste on the side there…).
The saving grace were the subs. They make them really good here, and offer them for low prices too! $ 4 before 3pm I think, and $ 5 after. I had the grilled pork sub, which the cashier told me was her favourite. Good choice!
Also, the person I went with had the pad thai — it was very different from any other pad thai I had ever tried… but from the couple bites I got it seemed pretty good. Lots of veggies.
No table service.

This place doesnt have table service, you order first then sit yourself where you like. I had the grilled pork and lemongrass chicken on rice, it was average compared to other places. Spring rolls weren’t anything special either, their fish sauce isn’t very fishy and more on the vinegar side. What was exceptionally different was the grilled pork submarine. There’s something about the sauce they use for it, really brings out the flavor. They have lunch specials for the submarines so I’ll be most likely coming back for those mainly.

I’ve been here a lot in recent times. Their large menu and great tasting food is what keeps me coming back. I’ve enjoyed almost everything I’ve had, and I’ve ordered all over the menu!
This place does have a few cons: A lot of times they get my order wrong. For example, I’ll end up with rare beef instead of beef balls, or I’ll order a garden roll with pork but end up with shrimp. Also the service can be pretty slow depending on how busy they are.
But regardless, the selection is large, and almost every single thing they serve hits a home-​run. One of my favourites being the garlic pork vermicelli. They definitely aren’t shy with the portions, and the pork is always juicy and flavourful. I love how they cook their pork /​chicken: I think they do it on a flame because it always has that hint of black char that I like. Not burnt, just lightly charred.
It’s important to note that this is a café. They aren’t trying to be some high-​end, fancy Vietnamese restaurant. So if you’re looking for 5-​star dining then this isn’t the place. However if you’re looking for something that is cheap, [usually] quick and guaranteed to have good freshness and flavour — this place is right for you. The menu is so big, even if you don’t know what you want, you’ll still find something you crave.

I’ve had their bahn mi (Vietnamese subs) many times and they are really delicious and super good value. On a cold, wet day, I stopped in for a little warm up and ordered the wonton soup — wow! So tasty, so many wontons, and such good value for $ 4. It was absolutely glorious and might be the best wonton soup I’ve had. I’ll be back to try more items on the menu. I’m a fan.

This has to be my new favourite restaurant as I’ve been here about five times over past couple of weeks. Fresh, tasty and fast. I haven’t tried a sandwich yet but the soups are fantastic. Plenty of vegetables & a really good broth. Perfect on those cold wet rainy days.

Had the Phở.
Great amount of noodles and beef. Little light on on broth flavour, but other then that very very tasty and would come here again!
I went with the combo beef Phở!

Five Elements is very reasonable with a wide selection of vegetarian and vegan options. The owner Victoria is super helpful and polite. The Bahm Mi subs and the Coconut soup with Tofu are my go to.
Be aware it gets busy at lunch time so you might have to wait a little bit, but trust me the food is worth the wait!

This has been my go to quick lunch since it had been open. It’s a family owned business. Very friendly staff. Thai/​Viet influenced. It’s very nice and clean inside. Like a hipstery-​vibe. It’s like a shack where you order first and then you sit down to eat. I love to Vietnamese subs they serve and the beef phở noodle soup is delicious. Their gelato/​frozen yogurt treats are very nice as well. All in all. No complaints. its a good Asian restaurant.

Let me preface this by saying that I’m really excited to try the food here!
I came by Five Elements to meet someone and grab a drink. The server who greeted me was a little abrupt, immediately asking if I was there for takeout — I was worried that maybe they were closing soon but nope! Unilocal told me they were open for many more hours!
I grabbed a table and perused the giant menu above the bar — it’s pretty extensive and everything looks delicious. It’s an interesting mix of Thai and Vietnamese so I’d be interested to chat with the owners and see what their story is! I ended up choosing the Thai Iced Tea, which I’d never had before — it was WAY sweeter than anticipated and very milky, but an interesting taste. I quite liked it, but had to take it home because I couldn’t finish it (I don’t have a super sweet tooth!)
The inside of the restaurant is large and spacious and seems like it’s decorated like a typical Vietnamese style restaurant. The food looks really tasty so I can’t wait to come back and try it! Stay tuned for an update :)

–Love this place and the people.
–Recommend the bahn mi’s, pumpkin soup, or vermicelli bowls.
— Generous portions, except for gelato (3 dollars for a small scoop, meh).
–Everything made fresh.
–Great price and always packed during the lunch hours.
I’m a loyal customer and would always recommend for grub on the drive.

The best for place for banh mi if you are vegetarian. At least it used to be for me before I turned back to meat. Casual, filling, and a fairly wide selection (I still haven’t tried their gelatos but I like that I can get my bubble tea fix here.) All the soups I’ve had here have been really great, and Vancouver usually keeps me in the mood for warm soups.

Small but solid Vietnamese restaurant. Spacious operation with super high ceilings and lots of for-​four tables.
$ 8 phở is delicious, fresh, generous sizing, range of basic options. $ 4 banh mi subs are incredible value, also a range of options, fresh ingredients, terrific flavour. If there is a more worthwhile snack under five bucks in this city, I have yet to find it, and I am looking CONSTANTLY. If I were rating just the subs this would be a ⁵⁄₅.
Pro tip: For two, share an $ 8 phở and a $ 4 sub for a quick light/​healthy fast meal, or 1 phở + 2 subs (be sure to get different ones!) for more food but still a broad selection of these excellent flavours.

Met a friend here for an early dinner (my favourite kind!) on a sunny Saturday. You order at the counter, and the food comes out. We both had the pad thai with chicken — can’t beat a delicious plate of food for $ 9! It’s good — tasted a bit different from pad thai I’d had in the past (I think it’s a slightly different mix of spices), but good different. It’s a casual spot, in a great part of the city (good for a walk around afterwards). We followed up dinner with some gelato — a nice surprise and though a small portion, was just right. I parked on a side street nearby for free (ya!), though there is metered parking nearby as well.

This is the best phở and spring roll in vancouver I have tried them all …
The lady here is nice to :) Chinese not Vietnamese but she pulls it off good .
The Salad rolls could be better

I frequent Five Elements regularly with my boyfriend. We absolutely LOVE the food! And the family who run the business are so genuinely friendly. They always remember us and make a point to share small conversation. I recommend Five Elements to everyone and anyone who is looking for something flavorful and nutritious with fair pricing and generous portions. Some of my favorites from the menu are the sizzling hot plate with coconut curry, rare beef phở, lemongrass chicken salad rolls, or vegetarian spring rolls. To top it all off, I have never had to wait for seating or for my food to arrive. Awesome perk for people like us who are ready to eat the moment we walk through the door. A++!

Came here to try one of their sandwiches.
Parking is available on the side streets, unless you like parking meters.
The place is pretty barren — it definitely is more like a café than a restaurant. There are plenty of tables here, but each one seats no more than 4 or so people.
There is free water here. Yay! The tank is located on the counter, next to where one orders.
The mixed Vietnamese ham sandwich I had was a bit different from other places. Mainly it was that giant long chunk of cucumber that took up half the filling. Tasted decent, but I was hoping for a bit more pickled turnip and other goodies.
I will be back to try the phở one day.

This place seems pretty great. It’s clean, spacious and comfortable. The staff are nice and the food is fresh. I had vegetarian phở, and it was pretty good. Next time I go, I will try something more complex, and maybe I’ll change my rating to 5 if it concurs with or betters my first good experience.
Update. Peanut satay soup and chicken skewers are great.

Good, solid Vietnamese restaurant. Large space, casual, order at the counter place.
I’m not the biggest fan of Vietnamese, but hubby is, so we have tried plenty. This place is definitely one of the better ones I’ve tried. Bonus — lots of vege/​vegan options.
Big selection & variety, reasonable prices and good portions & quality. Amongst us we tried:
Deep fried spring rolls –vegan ones were awesome!
Phở — really tasty broth
Red vegan curry — sooo flavourful, really yummy but super spicy!!!
Mango smoothie — kids loved it
Pork sub — hubby approved
Fast & friendly service. Definitely recommend if you have a hankering for Vietnamese. Also has lots of yummy looking ice cream/​gelato that we didn’t try, but were tempting.

So far the best vegetarian phở out there! Love it. Whenever I’m in the area… that’s where I’m having lunch :)

This place was definitely more of a café than a restaurant.
Things to note:
— You order and pay first at the counter, then find a seat.
— Wifi is available.
— They take cards.
— And water (lime water! no free tea) is self serve at the counter.
When my bowl of BBH came, it looked and smelled delicious. I don’t know what it was, but the soup for the BBH was delicious, I kept slurping it up! However, there were a few things I didn’t like. The noodles were so overcooked they literally fell apart as soon as I picked it up with my chopsticks. In the end, I found myself eating the noodles with a spoon because the noodles were in pieces. I also noticed that the bowl seemed deceptively shallow! I wanted more meat! A lot more meat. Other than that, the flavour was good. I just wanted more.
Side note: You need to request for bean sprouts (or maybe they just forgot that one time I was there).
Another side note: When I went they had a creamy pumpkin coconut soup that seemed interesting! Not sure if it was seasonal. There were also a lot of veggie Phở options. Oh and they also serve gelato/​ice cream.