Phở Đặc Biệt Ottawa — The Ultimate Special Combo Phở at Vietnam Palace

If you’ve ever looked at a phở menu and thought “I want everything,” Phở Đặc Biệt was made for you. The “special combination” phở — Đặc Biệt literally means “special” in Vietnamese — is the most loaded bowl on the menu, and at Vietnam Palace Restaurant in Ottawa’s Chinatown, our Phở Đặc Biệt has been the house benchmark for over 35 years.

What Is Phở Đặc Biệt?

Phở Đặc Biệt is the premium, fully-loaded version of beef phở. While simpler versions offer just one or two protein options (like Phở Tái for rare beef, or Phở Chín for well-done brisket), Phở Đặc Biệt combines every major beef cut in a single bowl:

• Tái: Thinly sliced raw beef that cooks gently in the hot broth as you eat — silky and tender
• Chín: Well-cooked beef brisket, braised to tenderness with rich, beefy flavour
• Vè Dòn: Crunchy flank — a unique cut with a satisfying chew and firm texture
• Gân: Beef tendon — soft, gelatinous, and deeply flavourful after hours of simmering
• Sách: Tripe — cleaned, sliced, and cooked until tender, with a delicate flavour
• Bò Viên: Beef meatballs — springy, densely packed, and seasoned with fish sauce

Together, these six elements create a bowl that offers a complete tour of Vietnamese beef cookery in a single serving. Each bite is different — the silky rare beef, the yielding brisket, the gelatinous tendon, the chewy tripe, the bouncy meatball.

The Broth: Where It All Starts

None of it matters without the broth. Phở Đặc Biệt’s broth is the same deeply simmered bone broth that underpins all of our phở — beef bones roasted until caramelized, then simmered for many hours with charred onion and ginger, star anise, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods, and coriander seeds.

The result is a broth that’s simultaneously clear and intensely flavourful — a feat that requires patience, skill, and quality ingredients. At Vietnam Palace, we’ve been building this broth the same way since 1989. It’s the foundation of everything we do, and it’s why our Phở Đặc Biệt is the standard by which our regulars judge us.

How to Eat Phở Đặc Biệt Like a Pro

Your Phở Đặc Biệt arrives with the noodles and protein in the bowl and a large plate of accompaniments. Here’s how to build your perfect bowl:

1. Add your herbs first: Tear basil leaves and add them to the broth — they’ll wilt slightly and release their aroma
2. Squeeze lime: A squeeze of lime brightens the whole bowl
3. Add bean sprouts: They keep a pleasant crunch even in hot broth
4. Adjust heat: Sliced chilies go directly into the broth; sriracha goes on the side for dipping meat
5. Hoisin strategy: Squirt hoisin into the broth and stir — or use it as a dipping sauce for the beef meatballs
6. Eat promptly: The rare beef cooks in the broth — the sooner you eat, the more control you have over doneness

Phở Đặc Biệt vs. Regular Phở

If you’re ordering phở for the first time, Phở Đặc Biệt gives you the full experience. You get to taste every cut and discover your favourites. Many regulars who started with the special combination eventually narrow down to their preferred simpler orders — but the Đặc Biệt is always the education.

Explore our full phở guide for Ottawa and our Vietnamese noodle soup overview to understand where Phở Đặc Biệt sits in the broader landscape of Vietnamese soups.

Visit Vietnam Palace in Ottawa’s Chinatown

We’re at 819 Somerset St W — family-owned and operated since 1989. Over 35 years, 671 Google reviews, a 4.3-star rating, and an unwavering commitment to the kind of phở that earned this restaurant its reputation.

Hours: Monday 11am–10pm | Tuesday CLOSED | Wednesday–Friday 11am–10pm | Saturday 10am–10pm | Sunday 11am–10pm
Phone: (613) 238-6758

Also explore: Affordable Phở Ottawa | Bún Bò Huế Ottawa | Authentic Vietnamese Restaurant Ottawa