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Banh Xeo Dinh Cong Trang
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
Grand Century Shopping Mall Food Court1111 Story Rd
San Jose, CA 95122
(408) 280-1152
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 9 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
34 reviews for Banh Xeo Dinh Cong Trang
Review Highlights
"The Banh Xeo tasted great dipped in the fish sauce, too."
(in 8 reviews)
"Banh xeo is a savory Vietnamese crepe, usually stuffed to..."
(in 3 reviews)
"...has a ton of juicy bean sprouts bursting with flavor."
(in 11 reviews)
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34 reviews in English
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Review from Glenn L.
San Jose, CA
12/21/2011
My sister and I were debating on what to have for lunch one afternoon, and she recommended this place to me after telling her I wanted banh xeo, and because she was craving Thai food. Where else can you go and kill two birds with one stone?! Grand Century Mall food court!
I have been to another banh xeo restaurant in Milpitas a long time ago, and I remember how shady they were with the meat, bean sprouts, and etc. This place is a different story! They put a good amount of meat, shrimp, and bean sprouts in your banh xeo! The only downfall was that we ordered it to-go, and decided to order Thai food three stalls down (which took so long to come out), so by the time I got home, my banh xeo wasn't crispy anymore!
Overall, This place has some pretty good banh xeo! Not too sure about their other dishes, but I will definitely be back for my favorite Viet dish! -
Review from Kim n.
Milpitas, CA
9/19/2011
Banh Xeo here is good! It's very big and you get to chose what kind of meat you want in there (Squid, Chicken, Beef, Pork, or Shrimp). If you want 3 then its about $7.50 per order, if you want 2 then its $6.50 per order. When I went I ordered Chicken, Pork, and Shrimp with my Banh Xeo. The chicken was sooo dry!! The Pork & Shrimp was good! Next time I will try the squid, pork, and shrimp.
Service here is alright. The place is kind of small so dont bring a large group! -
Review from Janet O.
A surprise meeting with Dan B. This place was a surprise too. Wow! The #8 came with like mountain of greens. It was quite unusual to see macaroni with the dish as well.
The orange sauce was weak. Thats really what I was looking forward to. The meat was bleh- the rice was meh!
Fun lunch just really confusing. Didn't know what to make of it. I sorta pushed Dan B to have lunch here instead of the airport. Now he's scarred for life. Lol! I am too! -
Review from Jacqueline N.
Morgan Hill, CA
9/6/2011
I would suggest getting the bun bo luc lac (the stir fried beef with veggies) and get it over the little vermecili noodles. it's much better than with the rice!
the banh xeo is very crispy. If it's burnt, you can tell them and they wil remake it for you! -
Review from Anny P.
San Jose, CA
6/9/2011
"Quit being an American fatty!" I tell myself.
I've been here several times over the last few years (its a little out of the way) and I've enjoyed the food each time, even when I ordered the banh xeo chay (vegetarian) with a coworker it was satisfying, but usually I order it with the works! The thin eggy crepe had a wonderful crisp to it and the filling of pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, and mung bean has a great toasty flavor to it that's accented with the fish sauce dip.
Make sure to wrap it in the veggies 'cause its healthy for you! Sadly, it only fills me up about 75%, and I feel too guilty to order another entree because it would be too much. Portion control!!
Luckily a green Vietnamese waffle from the bakery around the corner and Viet Iced Coffee usually fills the void quite nicely. -
Review from Tommie V.
San Jose, CA
10/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Do not eat canh bun here, you will definitely regret it. The soup tasted like Campbell tomato soup, the tomatoes are soggy, and you get crappy out of the can crab paste (gach cua), and there is no gau muon.
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Review from Lien T.
San Jose, CA
12/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
Aside from banh bot loc (http://www.mientrungti...) and pho, banh xeo has got to be one of my all-time favorite Vietnamese dishes. It's essentially a savory crepe/pancake made out of flour, water, and coconut milk stuffed with fresh bean sprouts, shrimp, and slices of fatty pork. I've seen a few variations where squid is added too, but I like my banh xeo with lots of pork and shrimp only. It's served with fresh mustard leaves or lettuce, mint leaves, and a variety of other fresh herbs. A piece of the crepe/pancake is broken off and wrapped with the mustard leaves or lettuce and herbs into sort of a spring roll, then it's dipped into a mixture of fish sauce and lemon. YUMMY!
So yeah, the banh xeo here is pretty delicious. The servings are huge and they provide plenty of very fresh mustard leaves and herbs with each order. I especially like how they aren't skimpy with the slices of fatty pork and shrimp here and the banh xeo always comes out crispy and chewy at the same time--exactly how good banh xeo should be made.
It's in the middle of the Grand Century food court, so don't expect anything fancy schmancy. I recommend coming here for a quick and very casual lunch. The food is great and it's super inexpensive. -
Review from Rita V.
3/7/2011
This place makes really good Banh Xeo (Vietnamese crepes)!!
Its definitely the most popular dish for only $7.5. It comes with a plate full of veggies (lettuce, basil, etc), too. The crepe is nice and cripsy on the top. There is a lot of bean sprouts inside, but its not cooked all the way. There is a decent amount of shrimp, too. I like how the crepe was thin and not too oily.
When you eat Banh Xeo, you definitely have to use your hands to make your own lettuce wrap. The Banh Xeo tasted great dipped in the fish sauce, too.
Overall, this place ise located inside Grand Century mall. After you order and pay, you'll have to wait a few minutes for your number to get called. It can be as fast as 5 minutes if there are no other customers in front of you. Otherwise, expect to wait at least 15 minutes for your Banh Xeo. Its definitely worth the wait!! -
Review from Tien N.
10/11/2010
The Banh Xeo here is kind of a joke...a joke that isnt funny...and cost 7.50...and leaves you feeling empty inside...
The price is high and the portion is small. Filling material consisted of mostly mung bean sprouts, think there were 2 or 3 shrimps. The pieces of pork look like scrap pieces that fell off when cutting premium slices.
The plate of accommodating veggies is very VERY robust but that's not the point...Come on the place is called BANH XEO Dinh Cong Trang not Huge Plate of Rau Dinh Cong Trang
Would be better if they either heavily reduce the price of the banh xeo and reduce the portion size but make them come in sets of 3 similar to what you get in Vietnam
OR
Use the same measuring utensil they used for the mung bean sprouts for everything else.
Over all the money to food ratio is just very VERY sad... -
Review from Stephanie J.
Fremont, CA
As I walk through the Grand Century Mall food court slowly deciding what I want to eat for dinner. My attention was gravitating towards couple of folks with this huge plate of vegetable with some sort of wrap. O, how I love Vietnamese veggie wraps! So immediately I start my search to find the restaurant that offer this dish. Luckily, it was not that hard to spot this restaurant since they already had the platters of vegetable prepared.
As I walk closely to examine the menu, the lady next to the cashier speak to me in Vietnamese as if I understand what she is saying. Gosh!!! This is my thing with vietnamese people! Why do they just assume that I am vietnamese and I understand their language? Do I really look that vietnamese? Seriously? Grrr~ Pretend to understand what she is saying, I just nodded my head.
Ha~ And trying to be goofy, I told my bf here is what I think she has say to me, "Lady, order #1, trust me it's GOOD! That is the one that come with the plate of vegetable!" hahahahaaa~
Anyway... that is exactly what I end up ordering in English. Not because she told me to (I did not even understand a word she said to me in Vietnamese) I ordered it because I had it before and I know it's good and plus I was craving something healthy.
I was happy that I had I ordered that. It was indeed healthy! At least I felt very healthy afterward. The menu name is in Vietnamese so I do not have a clue what it mean, but I can exactly tell you what is in it. So #1, for $7.50 (no tax, nice!) you get a plate vegetable ( with lot of lettuce, mint, basil etc), a crispy fried egg crepe of some sort that is fold in half, inside is filled with cook bean spout and shrimp and fish sauce like sauce for dipping. here is a pic of #1 http://www.yelp.com/bi...
If this is your first time, your probably do not how to eat it (as for the people who came with), so the way to eat is tear of piece of the egg crepe and wrap it with piece of lettuce and whatever Vietnamese herbs you like and then dripped it in to fish sauce and -wala- off it goes into your mouth. nomnomnom.....Yum... yum... yum!
What was very delicious! I absolutely enjoy my meal thoroughly. My only complain is that they barely give you much stuff inside the egg crepe filling. =( So minus 1 star.... -
Review from Bunny H.
San Jose, CA
8/9/2010
I really enjoy this particular little area in the food pavilion in Grand Century Mall when I come here.....I said 'WHEN". I do not come here often, and I wouldn't, just for this place but when I do, this is where I like to hit when I am hungry and craving.
The Banh Xeo...moon crepe..to those who don't understand, is so crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. So fragrant. Filled with bean sprouts, pork , and shrimp. It comes with mustard greens, herbs, and dipping sauce. YEEEEEE-UMMMMMM!
The only downfall is, parking. It's a friggin' beach, especially on the weekends. I think people go to Grand Century just to be seen!!! LOL!!!
Happy Eating!! -
Review from James N.
Updated - 5/10/2010
It's been a while, since I had banh xeo from here. On mother's day me and my family went around the food court Grand Century Mall. I settled for the Banh Xeo at the joint here. The lady behind the counter was recommending me try the beef dish with rice but I didn't wanted that. I went with Banh Xeo. The nice lady look my order and I went with the food.
Everything was great until I saw the banh xeo. The I quite rarely update my reviews to a lower score but this is what's happening for the joint here. What happened for the Banh Xeo? The Banh Xeo shell wasn't horrible, it remembered me from what I ate while I was in Vietnam. On the other hand, the stuffings in the crepes was so least and bad that I found myself still hungry and very, very disappointed with the dish. It has 2 shrimps, some sliced pork, and then a few bean sprouts and a tea spoon worth of yellow beans. It was mother's day and they were skimming in the food or almost ran out. Either way, they should just have told me to not order the dish.
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+ Pro: Nice service.
- Con: Stuffings was skim so much that it made the dish worse.
(-_- ) Overall: Disappointing crepes. I would get something else.Listed in: It's Pronounced Ph-uh! Pho!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/17/2009
Located in the Vietnamese Mall, Grand Century, Food Court. This place isn't hard to miss especially… Read more »
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Review from Emmie L.
5/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
$7.50 for a measly half-moon crepe that didn't leave me hungry for more, even though I wasn't even half-way full? No thanks. Though herbs&veggies are plentiful, the main dish was sparse in its fillings - they definitely skimped on the shrimp&pork. I like how crisp&thin the crepe itself was, but... the whole thing tasted too bland for my liking. If you're looking for the real deal, try the Banh Xeo at Nha Trang Restaurant or Pho 909 in Milpitas. My go-tos for these Vietnamese crepes!
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Review from Ken K.
8/11/2009
Some of you know who Anthony Bourdain is. Quite a few of you probably saw the 2nd time he went back to Vietnam on No Reservations, and got all "miso hawny" over the great delicious finger licking food off the street he ate that was nothing but Pornolicious (hence my nickname for him, Porndain).
Luckily if you should oh so crave that Banh Xeo savory crepe goodness he had in the early segment of Vietnam: There's No Place Like Home, then the to go place for that would be Banh Xeo Dinh Cong Trang (BXDCT), right inside the food court of the Grand Century Mall. Whoa MALL FOOD you say? But wait it's actually GOOD!
This is arguably the most popular stall. 85% of mall court patrons are likely munching and nomming on banh xeo's right from here.
It's not cheap anymore thanks to trickle up poverty and 1% increase in $ale$ taxe$. The latest price for this crispy snackeroo is $7.50 and roughly $1 more on average for other offerings. But at least you're not paying for some shortcut rendition at a fu$ion place.
You pay first at the counter, then they give you a number. They prestash a load of lettuce and herbs (mint leaf and a few others I cannot identify) on a separate plate, a bowl of nuoc mam for your dipping pleasure, while they start to make the BX in the back.
And when it arrives, it strangely looks almost exactly like what Tony had in Vietnam. A crispy golden thin exterior and the interior has a ton of juicy bean sprouts bursting with flavor. A sadly miniscule portion of shrimp and fatty pork (belly??) slices. You may want to request additional napkins because it will get messy.
Honestly I have no idea how to eat this properly, but my guess is that you tear off a portion of the banh xeo, put it on a slice o' lettuce, add some mint leaves and herbs, wrap n' roll, dunk in nuoc mam. If you want to kick it up a notch, there is self help chili sauce from a squeeze bottle by the cashier.
BXDCT occasionally sprays their plates of Banh Xeo veg with water to keep them moist, so as a result of man handling this crepey burrito like hand mix, your hands will get wetty wetty.
Although the BX is the best seller here, they have at least 8 other offerings.
One thing I've found that is even more pornolicious than the BX (gasp! blasphemy, gasphemy!) is their Cha Gio, and I have to thank Long from a San Jose talk thread for recommending that one.
Cha Gio = spring rolls. I've had so many pseudo versions from the yucky frozen kind at shops, to the moo shoo poo poo H2O downed PF Express Mofo type joints, and random pho places that unfortunately for the most part do fugly quickfix renditions.
But this Cha Gio....it's a bit pricey, as a plate of these is $7.50 as well. But they give you a side plate of lettuce and herbs (like for Banh Xeo), some clumpy rice noodles (bun), vinegared carrot and cucumber slices, and of course the obligatory nguoc mam. There are about 13 pieces of spring rolls, each delicately wrapped and no bigger than the size of an adult's thumb, but packed with so much flavor and juices (veg, finely minced pork and perhaps fat, and I spotted a woodear funghi shred in there), sexcellent crunch factor, that even by itself, was amazing. Yes even better than homemade fresh Lumpia by a bit. Sorry folks.
4 stars for Banh Xeo
5 stars for the Cha Gio
Ca$h only -
Review from Cherryl D.
San Jose, CA
3/31/2010
My Ratings:
Quantity: 4 - alot
Quality: 3 - tasty but some of the leaves are not as fresh
Price: 4 - affordable
Location: 3 - clean but small space
Parking: 3 - depends on the day
Service: 3 - ok
Speed: 3 - ok
My Opinion/Story:
Hungry yet I wanted something different. Stopped by at Sunday at 7p wishing the food court is still open and lucky for us, it is! Ordered myself my first banh xeo.
What I got was a plateful of leafy vegetables, a plate of crispy fried omelette with shrimp, and fish sauce. They also gave us hot tea to drink.
So to eat this: you take one of the lettuce leaves and place some omelette inside and roll it like a burrito. Dip in the fish sauce and eat it as cleanly as you can. Do not attempt unless you're ready to get messy!!!
It was fine but after a few bites, I got tired! Some of the leaves/mints made the taste weird and some mints had holes in them. The taste was bland unless you pour in the fish sauce. I was actually eyeing my hubby's rice plate because there's more flavor to it.
Overall: It was an interesting experience which I will not do again. -
Review from Minh V.
San Jose, CA
11/26/2008
I've been here a couple of times, and went again this past weekend. This place makes some really delicious & filling banh xeo. They've got some other really good dishes on the menu, but if you go to this restaurant, you gotta first try their banh xeo before you try any of the other dishes. The banh xeo is made really large and crunchy, and they're not stingy on the meat and fresh green veggies. Cost is like $7.50 - totally reasonable.
Went here this past Sunday w/ 3 of my buddies and treated them out. All these guys eat like pigs, so we all ordered the banh xeo for each person, and they also had iced-coffee, some che, and some other drinks to jack up the bill since I was paying - thanks guys - bastards. Anyhoo, when the final bill came to me, it was only $31 before tip.. so for under $40 to feed/fill up 4 dudes.. that's afreakin' bargain in my opinion. Give it a shot sometime. -
Review from Nizaria D.
San Francisco, CA
11/12/2007
"Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck" - His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama
Due to a variety of circumstances I was unable to make it to Nam Tien, the elusive hole-in-the-wall pho place I had so looked forward to reviewing this weekend. Instead I ended up in the Vietnamese food bonanza that is the Grand Century Shopping Mall Food Court in San Jose. It is here that I happened upon Banh Xeo Dinh Cong Trang and what a lucky little find it was.
It was hard to decide which food counter would be most ceremonious for my official Grand Century devirginizing but I picked this one for the alluring abundance of fresh lettuces and herbs adorning their humble counter space and the friendly enthusiam of the counterperson in charge, a glowing gal with a happy, toothsome smile all the more accentuated by dark crimson lipstick. I could not resist her grin over the more dour and disinterested competitors at each side, despite their suspiciously similar menus. We did not try her namesake Banh Xeo (though they looked appetizing, even with bay-size shrimp) but instead went for the following:
#3 Cha Gio Man Chay - a dozen vienna sausage size deep fried spring rolls stuffed with shrimp & ground pork, served with fish sauce, pickled carrot, cold rice noodles and a mountain of crazy exotic herbs & lettuces to wrap them in
#6 Mien Ga - aromatic chicken soup with white onion, herbs and cellophane noodles in a delicious clear broth with lots of cracked black pepper, accompanied by two different chili dipping sauces, garnished with finely chopped ngo gai
#7 Com Ga Roti Opla - fried marinated chicken with broken rice, sunny side up egg, pickled bok choy and a side of chicken broth
Our dishes were called out in Vietnamese as they were ready and served up on plastic cafeteria trays with disposable cutlery. All was good and filling, nothing was super duper amazing, except for maybe the herb plate, which was the size of Mount Everest and had stuff on it I've never tasted anywhere, including some kind of wierd bitter vine-like leaf, a ton of mint, a ton of romaine lettuce, basil and purple shiso leaves); and my Mien Ga, which was so delicious I broke my own "no take out" policy and spirited home the leftovers for dinner, which were just as good reheated and extremely comforting to my still flu-suffering sinuses. My friend devoured his fried chicken and egg but was not so into the rice, and he liked the cha gio pretty well, though I found them a little too strong on the shrimp flavor and the fish sauce weak... but overall they were fair to middling.
Conclusion: I don't think you can go wrong with ANY of the purveyors at the Grand Century Mall Food Court, though some do look cleaner than others, and some probably make better cha gio or broken rice, so choose wisely.
Not sure if I would come here for pho since the neighborhood is saturated already with nicer spots, but there are a couple of sit-down pho joints inside the mall if that is really what you want. I found it was more fun to take our chances and try out some authentic viet dishes that are hard to find elsewhere.
3.5 hot cocks for the food and value, 4 hot cocks for the overall experience of a Vietnamese-only food court -
Review from D.J. T.
San Jose, CA
1/21/2009
Hey not bad! My mom rarely makes banh xeo so when I get cravings, I usually go here.
They make them super large and crispy and you get a fresh plate of greens (green lettuce leaves, mint leaves, basil, etc.). I like the batter here, and it's not oily so that's a plus in my book.
Negatives? Yeah the crepe is large, but it's mostly filled with bean sprouts and white onions. Maybe I came on a bad day, but they really skimped out on the meat and the shrimp.
And also, the thing cost $7.50. which in my eyes is EXPENSIVE, considering how banh xeo costs almost nothing to make if you were to make it at home.
They also offer Vietnames rice dishes, soups, and bun. Those also ranged between $6-$8 as well. -
Review from Janet N.
2/1/2010
Surprisingly I am not reviewing the Banh Xeo here, which is usually really good and filling.
I had the Bun Rieu here, I feel like they're cutting back on their dishes or something. Possibly due to the rent of what? 5k for a food court front? Anyways my Bun was lacking in flavor ... bland almost, the fried tofu was tender and so were the noodles as they should be. The bowl had way too many pieces of lettuce and green onions, where are my quartered tomatoes?! The pieces of minced crab meat was dry, uhh sadlife much.
Banh Xeo's specialty is Banh Xeo ... however their Bo Luc Lac is not too bad though. Ha! -
Review from Willard L.
San Francisco, CA
12/10/2009 1 photo
This is what the south bay does best. Malls and Vietnamese food. The food alone isn't worth a trip but if your in the area and can't decide on anything, it's worth a try. I think the fact that it's in the mall that makes it interesting because it's better than typical mall food. The beef cubes I had were tender and tasty without the overuse of MSG that makes you thirsty later. I have been here before for their namesake dish but don't remember how it was. Overall it was a good experience that left me satisfied.
I would go again if I were in the area to try the banh xeo. -
Review from Thuy N.
Fremont, CA
6/10/2008
First of all, keep in mind that you are eating in a friggin mall/shopping center at the FOOD COURT.
There. Expectations should be lowered half way by now.
I was craving something I definitely was missing, either banh xeo or banh khot while waiting for coworkers arrive so they can try the Thai Lovers place. Anyhow, banh xeo won my stomach's desire and so I proceeded over to the counter.
One banh xeo or #1 please! $7.00 is a pretty decent price b/c what they skimp in terms of proteins (shrimp and pork) they give you a crap load of veggies...tons of bean sprouts in the crepe to make up for the lack of proteins and a huge plate of fresh greens - leaf lettuce, perilla leaves, mint...etc.
My favorite part of the banh xeo is the the top half b/c it is CRISPY and not touching any other part of the inner goods, therefore not getting soggy.
Their nuoc mam is fairly decent, most places couldn't make an edible one, much less decent! Theirs was spicy, I like!
For $7, damn it's huge! I could barely finish it! Ohhhh yeah. Pretty good stuff.
And if the kids don't want any of this good food stuff, they have a ton of quickie icecream single serve options...nice!
Just remember: you are in a MALL FOOD COURT and you should be fine! -
Review from precious c.
San Jose, CA
8/13/2006
I see this place in the food court of Grand Century Shopping Mall. Even though Banh Xeo ($6) is in their name, it's not that good. The crepe is too thin & the color is not vibrant enough. The shrimp is way too small so it become overcooked. I like it better when I make it at home, the crust is thick & crunchy around the perimeter. Fortunately, their Com Ga Hai Nam ($6.5), # 2 on the menu is so good. It's the vietnamese version of Hainese Chicken. It's the best out of the other places that I've tried. However if you get it to go the meat they give you is not that great. I even had to pay for the to go box ($.25) & it had 2 big holes in it. Recently, my friend bought it & they didn't charge him for the to go box & he got better chicken too. So it's kinda inconsistent.
**Banh Xeo
****Com Ga Hai Nam -
Review from BrasilPo P.
Oakland, CA
11/10/2008 3 photos
This place was --- decent. It wasn't THE BEST banh xeo under the sun, but it was MUCH better than some of the fancier establishments found north of San Jose.
The shell was light and crispy. NOT soggy, chewy or rubbery. THAT is a plus. The greens provided were VERY fresh AND clean. Another huge plus --- since this place IS a food court find.
Lastly --- the nuoc mam (fish sauce) was not too watery, not too salty and not too sweet. There. Gotta give them credit for that.
As for not being filling enough? Those other critics are NUTS to expect to be filled up on banh xeo from ANYWHERE. It's not really considered a main dish --- more like an appetizer of sorts.
Again, it's FOOD COURT fare, people. -
Review from Star'leigh A.
San Jose, CA
2/25/2009 2 photos
I was not expecting anything like this or did I know what it was. I'm not Vietnamese, so this is all new to me... (I only know and have eaten the 'typical' vietnamese dishes)
Honestly, I didn't even know how to eat the thing because they give you this crepe type dish filled with bean sprouts, shrimp, and pork (I think) with a side of lettuce leaves, mint, and cilantro.. Best way to descirbe it is a Vietnamese version of a lettuce wrap.
I wish my coworker never introduced me to it because I'll be craving this all the time now! Dish is pretty healthy, CHEAP (it's $7.50), and best of all YUMMY! -
Review from Diana L.
Fairview, OR
4/13/2010
A couple of my friends and I stopped by Grand Century for lunch .. I ordered Banh Xeo and one of the girls got Ga Roti .. My Banh Xeo was a pleasant surprise. It was big, fried to the perfect crunch and the dish of greens was AMAZING .. The abundance of basil, mints, cilantro, etc. was alone worth ordering Banh Xeo. Sure, there were probably only 5 or so pieces of pork and 3 shrimps .. But I'll take it.
However, my friend was a little more unlucky. She went for the Ga Roti .. Where it was served with some strange rice and came with a side of pasta? Everything was bland .. And nothing stood out as outstanding in that dish.
So, if you go to Banh Xeo Dinh Cong Trang, then settle for getting a Banh Xeo bigger than your face and don't waste your time or money on ordering anything else. -
Review from jazzy l.
San Francisco, CA
10/3/2008
Every single time I come to this food court, I tell myself I should try something else but I always end up eating the "banh xeo" here. When Grand Century opened a few years ago, the BX was only $5.50. Now it is $7. Sheesh! The veggies are fresh and they give an abundance of it. I like the crepe b/c it's crispy and fresh.
I am sure it is easy to make, I just dont know how to make it .
A lot of neat Vietnamese shops in this mall with a lot of fake name brand whores too =P -
Review from X L.
San Jose, CA
6/14/2009
Good place to stop by for some banh xeo next time you are in the Grand Century Mall.
Pros
- Tasty food, plenty of greens
- not too greasy.
- Fast service
Cons
- $7.50 for 1x banh xeo seems pricey. I've had better ones with more meats (shrimp & pork).
- messy to eat if you roll it & dip. I always ask for bowl & make a salad.
- Food court can be crowded during eating time
Return Visit
- Yes -
Review from Thuy Tien T.
San Jose, CA
11/29/2008
I come here for their banh khot because it seems like no where else in San Jose that I'm able to find a good tasting banh khot. I have not tried their banh xeo so I wouldn't be able to make my comment on that, but the banh khot is definitely something worth trying and so far it's the best around here.
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Review from Jen L.
Millbrae, CA
8/12/2010
This is still my go-to place for banh xeo until I find something better. I used to be a huge fan because they manage to make the shell crispy, thin, and not greasy. However, they're quickly upping their prices, and the portion seems to be getting smaller (less filling). It's a nice snack, but banh xeo is really supposed to be a meal unto itself.
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Review from Anita L.
5/14/2005
This place is called something else now, but for the longest time I've seen it listed in the San Francisco magazine's list of great cheap eats. When a food writer friend of mine suggested we give this place a try, I was more than happy to oblige. When I got there, I couldn't find the place even though the name was still at the entryway, but the restaurant itself had changed its name. After asking several people, they pointed me towards the restaurant. There was no menu in English, so we asked the manager for suggestions. We tried several dishes, but none of which were THAT impressive. The strictly Vietnamese clientele came in, ordered in their own language and got their food. We weren't sure if what the manager suggested was what he thought non-Vietnamese people would be more open to, but it definitely wasn't something my SF dwelling friend would drive to San Jose again for she quipped.
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Review from Jan P.
3/8/2008
Banh xeo is a savory Vietnamese crepe, usually stuffed to the brim with fresh veggies, shrimp, and beef/pork. "Usually" is the key word as this place skimps on everything! The crepe is super thin (but delicious), the shrimp a minority amongst the sprouts, and pork pretty much nonexistent. Ugh, not to mention that it costs like $7 for one. Anyway, since my mom doesn't really ever make it at home anymore since we've all flown the nest, this is an okay place to satiate my infrequent cravings.
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Review from S R.
San Francisco, CA
4/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
biggest banh xeo ive ever seen, but not very thick. too thin and crispy. contents were a little skimpy. shrimp was pretty fresh. pork was not ground, but tender. veggies were crisp and fresh.
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Review from old c.
Santa Clara, CA
7/17/2008
Visited this place for the first time because of an article in Metro.
We ordered the banh xeo w/ shrimp and one w/ shrimp and pork. We were quite disappointed. Although the vegetables were plentiful and of high quality, the quantity of shrimp/pork/bean sprouts was very meager and the shell, although crisp, was very thin so we left hungry. Our only previous experience with banh xeo is at Pho 909 in Milpitas........the product there is cheaper and the quantity of shrimp/chicken/bean sprouts is a lot more than here and the shell is thicker and crispier. The product in the Food Court suffers greatly in comparison to Pho 909. -
Review from Thao T.
3/9/2007
I dont know any other places that sells this. Banh Xeo is one of my favorite dishes to eat, and usually you can only get it homemade. This place is in the food court at grand century too and this dish is like a vietnamese crepe filled with beansprouts, beef, onion, and shrimp. I guess it doesnt sound that good, but it actually does taste good. They make it huge here, usually at home i eat three of them, and its grilled in a 10 inch pan. But here is more like a 16 in pan so its big, probably two is more than enough for a hungry person. The taste is alright and it's not super crispy (key ingredient is beer) or yellow (the coloring of the seasons makes it that yellow color). They also use minimal meat but they do give you a lot of lettuce, herbs and dipping sauce (fish sauce). I think its pretty expensive bc you can get the ingredients for pretty cheap so its unfortunate that being one of the few places to serve this, it isnt better.
