Chorney-Booth: Pure Saigonese Kitchen moves in with Diner Deluxe
Sitting in a modern-retro brunch restaurant isn't exactly where I'd expect to find one of the most delicious bowls of pho I've ever had the pleasure of slurping. But one rainy day a few weeks ago, I found myself tucked into a booth at the Marda Loop location of Diner Deluxe, tucking into a steaming hot bowl of Vietnamese soup.
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No, Diner Deluxe has not switched from egg bennies to banh mi sandwiches. Rather, the popular daytime-only restaurant opened up its space to a new concept called Pure Saigonese Kitchen, now operating from the diner from 5 p.m. onwards, five nights a week.
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Pure Saigonese is the latest project from celebrated chef Lam Pham, who gained attention a decade ago for his modern Vietnamese fare at Watercress Express and, perhaps most notably, the extremely well-regarded Pure Modern Asian Kitchen. A tricky location with parking problems and the challenges of the pandemic led to Pure Modern's closure in 2023, although by that point, Pham was also running the Pure Street Food kiosk in First Street Market, so he wasn't left completely empty-handed. Frustrated by the pitfalls of operating a standalone restaurant, Pham decided his successful business within the market was enough to satisfy his drive to make delicious Vietnamese food. But then, as it so often does, opportunity came knocking.
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Diner Deluxe Marda Loop is also home to Side Hustle, a clandestine little cocktail bar tucked in the back of the building, and the owners asked Pham if he wanted to do a pop-up in that space. The chef demurred, but the offer led to a conversation about how the two businesses could collaborate. Open daily until mid-afternoon, the diner was sitting empty in the evening hours. Taking cues from other restaurateurs who have set up nighttime service in daytime-only spaces like the downtown Meat and Bread sandwich shop, Pham struck a deal with Diner Deluxe and launched Pure Saigonese earlier this spring.
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While there is some overlap, Pham is adamant that Pure Saigonese is not Pure Modern Asian 2.0, a shift that is partially a response to the times but also the confines of its location. While Diner Deluxe has a hip interior design, it is intentionally casual, so Pham has gone with a more relaxed and approachable take on contemporary Vietnamese food. The cooking equipment also provides some limitations – he is working with a borrowed kitchen specifically designed for Western brunch service – but in general, he's put together a menu he describes as 'rich, bold, and fresh,' celebrating shareable dishes, including a few Pure classics. Pham named the restaurant after Saigon, known as the hub of Vietnamese cuisine.
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'I wanted them to be similar, but different concepts,' Pham says. 'This one is not upscale Vietnamese. It's not supposed to be a fancy restaurant. It's meant to be casual, fun, energetic, comfortable food.
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Since Calgary is a city that loves its Vietnamese cuisine, there are plenty of dishes that will be familiar to anyone who's been in a neighbourhood pho shop, but Pham adds an extra special something to everything on the menu. My aforementioned pho experience consisted of the AAA tenderloin steak pot au pho ($32) augmented with thick slices of beef to fortify the broth and add a touch of luxury and heft (you can also get a more standard pho or a chicken pho, both priced at $20).
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