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Category: Vietnamese [Edit]
Neighborhood: EastwoodMon-Sat. 10:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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We went here on a rainy night, and even on a night such as that, the restaurant managed to have a crowd so that was a good sign. The restaurant decor also surprised me as it doesn't look like the typical Vietnamese restaurant with cheap furniture, plastic spoons, chopsticks and the obligatory jar of chili oil. The restaurant's decoration was more of the upper-scale American restaurant. The ambiance with mood-candle lighting was another plus. Definitely take your date here if you want to introduce her to Vietnamese cuisine.
The "Bánh uot" or known to Northern Vietnamese as "Pho cuon" was delicious. I ordered the normal "Wonton-charsiu-noodle" and that was OK, nothing to rave about. However, the one item that surprised me was the "Cafe-sua-dá" or Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk was really good, much more flavorful than any from any other Vietnamese restaurants that I've been through (and believe me, I've been through a lot). Now that I'm writing about it, I'm craving for some.
So next time when I'm in Houston, I'll be sure to drop by for more ""Bánh uot" and "Cafe-sua-dá" .
Definitely recommended.
In the shadow on the George R Brown convention center is a yummy little Vietnamese eatery named Huynh. We happened to be at the Yelp EaDo party just down the street. Huynh was a sponsor of the event, and after eating the yummy fried rice we had to go get a real meal there. Especially after Linh H mentioned how much she really liked the restaurant!
We drove to Huynh and were glad we had seen the inside on a flyer at the party. The outside is old strip mall, but as soon as you walk in you find a sleek minimalist restaurant. It is clean and modern. We were seated immediately by a very pleasant young man. We ordered some sodas (came in a can with a glass of ice). We ordered Vietnamese egg rolls which come in a pair. They were very good and lighter than the typical egg rolls. I ordered the char grilled pork over rice vermicelli. It was very good and the pork was high quality. There were little pieces of crunchy coated onion on top of the pork.
My husband got the pan fried noodles with chicken and veggies. The noodles are made into triangular noodle crispy cakes and the whole thing is covered in a sightly sweet brown sauce. It was very good, but you have to like veggies!
Our waiter was very attentive and asked us if we knew how to use chop sticks. I thought that was odd. Just bring me some chop sticks and a fork and I'll make the decision, but don't ask me about my ability to use chop sticks.
The restaurant was clean and the service was good. The food was good. Why not 4 stars? Well, it was almost $24 for our meal. Maybe I've been spoiled by cheap Vietnamese food, but I didn't expect to spend over $20 on the meal, especially when the egg rolls only come with 2 in the order.
I'd go back for sure, but I wouldn't make a special trip. If I lived nearby I'd probably drop by regularly.
Some family came in today to visit (parents, sister+husband+my niece) and none of them had ever had Vietnamese food (and my Dad is a Vietnam Vet). Since Huynh is such a nice place (this being a concern since my family are used to the fancy 'burb style eatin' places), and it is just a block away/walking distance, my GF and I figured Huynh's was a perfect choice.
The great girls that work there quickly pulled some tables together to seat our crew.
I was a little nervous as they all browsed the menu, but my Dad was on the same page as me...and told me to order some appetizers...as I was about to suggest the spring rolls.
The server was great...asked if it was our first time and if we might want to order family style. I didn't think so, since I wanted everyone to try something different. Everyone ordered what they wanted, and to make a long review slightly short(er)....after we munched up all the various spring rolls and got our main dishes...there was a few minutes of silence as everyone sampled their food. That is a good thing.
I got the #55...which is pork, more pork, a slice of what is basically sausage/egg quiche, rice, veges, and the mandatory option "why the hell not"...a fried egg on top of it all. (Thankfully my Mom checked my blood pressure when I got home.)
GF got an awesome-looking dish of fried noodles and shrimp and veges. And after hearing our stories of Bun Bliss my mom got the staple of vermecelli w/pork and egg rolls (awesome), and the rest got some stir fry combo plates.
I think everyone was more than happy...and conversation picked up after they all realized how wonderful it was. I breathed a little sigh of relief.
I still say that the food was not way "better" than the average Vietnamese cafe here in old Chinatown where we chow, and the prices are higher. But the nice atmosphere, cleanliness, and service more than makes the tiny price difference worth it. It's the food I like.
Service was above excellent. Our first trip here the service was almost overbearing...but this time it was just super excellent...couldn't have been better. And when you're bringing family in...this meant the world to me!
As far as price...it's a couple bucks more than the typical places we frequent, but my Dad picked up the bill (gotta love Dads), and they all put it in perspective for us....it's still WAY cheaper than what you pay out in the 'burbs (or in the city for other types of food)...my GF and I have just become spoiled by having such great food like this at such low prices.
Super-excellent service...friendly staff....great food...made my Vietnamese-food-virgin-burb-family happy...I'm bumping Huynh up a notch! Thanks Huynh!
This was pretty nice for a vietnamese joint, but I think you pay a little more for the atmosphere.… Read more »
We, too, tried out this sleek restaurant after EaDo (after trying the garlicky shrimp fried rice & Korean spare ribs). The food was delicious! We ordered the egg rolls with the lettuce, carrots, mung beans and dipping sauce. Yum! I ordered the Korean spare ribs, because when I like something I eat it again, I'm repetitious like that. The SO ordered Com Bo Luc Lac (Shaken Beef) and it was soo devoured by the picky eater. The restaurant was clean, staff was pleasant and our cashier happened to be one of the watier's mom. Fabulous! (love family-owned!)
Not your average Vietnamese restaurant!
Huynh isn't quite like any other Vietnamese restaurant that I've been to. I'm not talking about the clean, chic modern decor and serving ware (which is very nice).
What is really stands out is the food.
My first glance at the menu leads me to believe that I'm looking at a very standard, not necessarily imaginative Vietnamese menu with its phos, rice combination dishes, appetizers and various noodle dishes. What they seem to have left off are the elaborate Chinese/Vietnamese dishes you find at Mai's & Kim Son.
Thankfully, less is more at Huynh.
In my last couple of visits, I have always ordered the Chargrilled pork spring rolls (Banh uot Thit Nuong) which comes in the standard rice wrapper, but more importantly, the rice wrapper is either steamed or boiled. This gives this dainty appetizer a very tasty, almost noodle like tender wrap filled with delicious grilled pork.
My second standard dish is any of the pan fried rice noodle dishes (Mi hoac Hu Tieu Xao). Tasty seafood or standard meat stir frys are served on a crispy "disc" of wide rice noodles. Man, this is delicious, and the principle reason I keep coming back to Huynh.
The prices seem to end up being about 15 % more expensive than some of the more "fast food" Vietnamese restaurants, but there is definitely an upgrade in the level of quality in the dishes I've tried. And the presentation is excellent.
I did dock a star for the Stir-fry Combinations on the back of the menu. The Beef with Tofu was a little disappointing in it's toughness. The broth that came with it was overly salty (must be the same stuff they use on some of the noodle bowls where it would have been more appropriate).
Read the other reviews for more about their pho and rice dishes.
I do recommend this place. It's an oasis in the declining Old Chinatown that is well worth the visit.
My tip: Order the soft spring rolls & absolutely order the pan fried noodle dishes. Also, at this writing they appear to be BYOB, a plus for me!
People normally associate Vietnamese cuisine with pho. Huynh doesn't have the best pho in town, but they make a great Mi Quang. My critical Vietnamese mother who is a great cook gave compliments to their Mi Quang. This somewhat soupy noodle dish has a combination of seafood, pork, noodles, veggies, and crunchy shrimp chips to make a great party in the mouth.
I also enjoy their Banh Uot Thit Nuong, an affordable and tasty appetizer. It's char grilled pork, bean sprouts, and lettuce stuffed in a steamed rice paper, complimented by a side of hoisin/peanut sauce.
My friends and I used to go here regularly when it was located in Midtown (where Post Oak Grille is currently). Other popular dishes include the Phoenix Chicken and Pan Friend noodles. They've moved to the Eastside, but it's worth the detour for the spacier, cleaner, and more chic dining space.
One of my friend casually invited me to meet up w/ him and his friends for lunch. He said it was close to where I was working. Seeing that the distance was short, I decided to join them and asked what the place was called. He said "Huynh Restaurant". I thought to myself "man this sounds a lot like Pho Huynh, the restaurant that close down in midtown. Oh I miss that place". When I got to the restaurant, I began to see some familiar faces. The hostess and waitresses looked familiar. That's when it hit, IT WAS THE SAME PLACE!
Once I came to that realization, my mouth automatically began to water! Why you ask? Because their phoenix chicken is out of this world! The best I've had around town! I can't say much about the other items on the menu, but this particular item itself is great.
The employees are great. The place is clean. The only downside to this place is the location. Eastside of downtown has never really been all that great.
Huynh has me saying "hmmmm." At first I was really impressed because when I walked in, I was expecting another hole-in-the-wall. The decor is actually really nice and modern, and well thought out, with warm-colored walls and contemporary hanging lamps over each table. It's not often that restaurants like this serve up good food and offer a pleasant dining environment--but I was disappointed that this wasn't the case. When I got down to business, I got the overwhelming feeling that Huynh is a lot like the rest of the Warehouse District's evolution: all style and very little substance to speak of.
The boyfriend and I went out for Vietnamese last night, and though our regular haunt of choice is Van Loc thanks to their varied menu and rock-bottom prices, we thought we'd try Huynh since it was closer to him on the East End and we're always on the hunt for new places. We were seated promptly and set to looking through the menu to find something yummy. Alcohol is BYOB with a $5 corkage fee, and the vietnamese standards like bun and pho are here. I chose a simple veggie and tofu stir fry to gauge the food, as well as an order of spring rolls to split with the boy.
We received the spring rolls in good time and each came with our own small bowl of peanut sauce for dipping. The spring rolls came with both pork and shrimp inside the same rice paper covering. Unfortunately they were an absolute dud. I love the interaction between the sweetness of the peanut sauce and the relatively blank canvas of the spring rolls, but Huynh's version of the peanut sauce was bland and tasteless. As a result, it coagulated into one hot mess of blah, which was not a good sign for the rest of our meal.
My stir fry came with a lump of fried rice (which I thought was plain brown rice until halfway through, it was so unremarkable), an egg roll, and a bowl of soup. My veggies and tofu were tasty, but not outstanding. The egg roll was comprised mostly of its fried exterior, and my "soup" was broth with green onions floating on top--not even a shred of beef or any other pho accoutrements. Boy's tofu dish was pronounced just ok. Dinner ran us over $20, which was slightly disappointing for the food we received. Though service was pleasant, the portions are small and the prices are high compared to our other favorite Vietnamese places.
As we were leaving, I noticed a framed Houston Chronicle review on the wall in the foyer. The headline: "Finally, Houston has authentic Vietnamese food". This was written within the last two years. What rock has the author been living under? There are ten authentic Vietnamese restaurants within spitting distance in Midtown, not to mention the New Chinatown area down Bellaire Boulevard, and it's been that way for years. Huynh may well be authentic Vietnamese. But it's by far not the only choice, and for that I'm thankful.
Van Loc, sorry for cheating on you...BF and I will be back soon, promise.
i love this place. the food is incredible, and the quality is better than most of the competition. and the discrepancy between the exterior and interior of the restaurant is staggering. its really nice inside, with lots of space and interesting lighting. the pulled duck and cabbage with mint appetizer is a must try. everything else ive ordered has been great, from the pho, to the chargrilled pork wrapped in rice paper. also, their iced coffee is far superior to any i've ever had. the owner told me she roasts the beans in house, and there is an obvious and almost shocking difference in taste. huynh is well worth the trip downtown.
Pretty solid pho option in the downtown Minute Maid Park / GBR area.
Situated in the old Chinatown area of Houston, this is a surprisingly modern Vietnamese restaurant. With nice contemporary decor, we walked in uncertain if we were in for good Vietnamese food... or if we were in for pricey trendy "Vietnamese food for non-Vietnamese." Fortunately, we like Huynh enough to say it is simply good reasonably priced Vietnamese food for everyone... asians n non-asians alike.
I opted for a large bowl of Mi Won Ton (I think its spelled Hoanh Thanh or something on the menu)... an egg noodle soup bowl with bbq pork and... wontons. It was a solid bowl and I was very satisfied. Although I'm Vietnamese, I prefer the egg noodle bowls over the rice noodle bowls... just my preference...
While there are many options for Pho in new Chinatown (Bellaire/Bltway 8), sometimes driving out there isn't an option. Huynh meets that need quite nicely like a hearty bowl of pho.
This place is a bit out of the way, but worth an extra few minutes drive. The rice paper with pork, topped with fried shallots and onions, is exceptional and a bit different. The soups are good, especially the Bo Bun Huy and the various Pho. Do try the house made chili sauce and the Cafe Su Da, which is deeper and richer than most.
The service is casual, but the family is proud of what the offer.
I was happy to learn about this place, and to see all the positive reviews about the pho. So I convinced the BF that we had to try it, since it was too late in the day for our usual pho places.
True, this place is more nicely decorated than the average vietnamese restaurant. But I'll be damned if there pho is better. We both got the smaller size at a hefty $6.25. The larger size was $7.50. The pho was good and all, but for the price it sure as hell doesn't beat pho saigon in midtown.
That being said, we also got the lettuce wrap spring rolls, which were very good.
Sorry to be debbie downer in what seems a constant flow of 5 stars, but I feel strongly about overpriced, underwhelming pho.
Oh yeah and the booths are really awkward and uncomfortable. So be sure and sit at a table.
I went here once before because a classmate of mine said it was her family's spot. So I went back today because I like supporting my people.
And I can honestly say that I was VERY surprised. I mean, the last time I went I had the vermicelli bowl w/ chargrilled chicken. Good- but nothing to write home about. Today was about to order pho, but I was scared because once you've had pho at Pho Saigon, the rest just don't stack up.
But this place is nicer that Pho Saigon inside, and the prices are just a TAD higher. I asked my waiter what he suggested: pho vs vermicelli. And he made another suggestion, a different soup called Hu Tieu Thap Cam. It's rice noodle soup w/ pork, shrimp, chicken, and fish balls. And it was fantastic after I added the spicey chili paste. It was as good as the pho at Pho Saigon, and it was less than $10 after tax. The clear broth went down easy, and there's no doubt about it- I'm coming back.
Miss Peaches and I kicked Van Loc to the curb and tried out Huynh Friday, based on the raves of Linh N, Agustin S, and Becky P. Linh especially sold me on the fact that the cooking reminds her of her mom's cooking. High praise indeed. The place did not disappoint - and surprised us in good ways, too.
Set behind the George R Brown (GRB) convention center in Old Chinatown, the place jostles for parking with the eatery at the other end of the strip center. The exterior is nothing glam to look at but don't let it dissuade you from going in; you'll be pleasantly surprised by the stained concrete floors and cool modern Zen look interior.
Also, don't let the modern clean look fool you into thinking this will be watered-down Vietnamese food. Quite the contrary, flavors are full-on fantastic.
We started with Linh's suggested Banh u'ot tom chay ($2.95) and it was a nice light item to share between us. The crushed shrimp with the soft rice paper and the shreds of fried onion made for a refreshing opener now that May is really feeling like summer.
Miss Peaches had the regular-sized Bun Bo Hue ($6.50): listed as "spicy" and a Huynh favorite, it is a vermicelli soup with pork ,beef, and lemongrass, made in the style of the old imperial city of Hue. Our waitress warned him that it would be spicy - and that was no lie. Miss Peaches is no stranger to sizzling stuff but this soup singed his speaking source [aka his tongue]. Very tasty and filling but a sweat starter.
Opted for the regular-sized Mi Quang ($6.50): special yellow rice noodles with pork, shrimp, fish cake, and vegetables. Also listed as a Huynh favorite, I was informed that it was more of a noodle dish with a small amount of broth and that it was medium spicy. Slight kick and perfect amount of broth at the end. Delectable blend of shredded cabbage and mint to go with the other factors. The fish cake reminded me favorably of those shrimp chips, the pork was nicely cooked, and the four shrimp were plump and in the right proportion. Overall, a filling satisfying melange of flavors - I'd love to have this again.
We ended our meal by having the Cafe Sua Da ($3 each): individual drip imported coffee with a big blob of condensed sweetened milk at the bottom of the brew cup. Mix up the percolated coffee with the blob and pour over the flanking glass of ice. As a coffee fiend, I've loved this drink and were told that the beans were imported from Vietnam for authenticity. Their version has a deep chocolate note and was a great ending to our meals.
Service: Prompt, cheery, and eager to explain finer details. At several points, our waitress (owner?) was almost too eager for her own good; she would overreach by talking to us as total Vietnamese noobies. And, almost took my chopsticks out of my hand to mix the Mi Quang as she noted that it was a traditional prep way before eating.
In Thailand, it is rude to touch the head of another person; with me, it is rude to touch my utensils while eating. But, she and the runners were attentive and available when needed. I'd just ask her to turn down the zeal from a 9.92 to a more mundane 7.5 - it is okay to leave my utensils alone. Seriously.
You don't have to be surnamed Nguyen to win at Huynh. Just be prepared to defend your chopsticks from manhandling, enjoy the options suggested, and let the flavors wash over you.
I went this weekend, and I was surprised by how much I liked this place. the outside matches the rest of the St. Emanuel's decor, but on the inside the decor was very modern and it looks like the owners put in a lot of effort into the place. Also, fyi-the bathrooms are clean and nice. I'm always apprehensive about going into restaurant bathrooms.
It was a group of 3 of us and we were hungry, but not hungry enough to violate one of the deadly sins (gluttony...duh). We each settled on a bowl of noodles (not pho, but from their other noodles). One of us was kind enough to order some spring rolls. The rolls were good, but nothing to write home about. I did like the sauce, however. It was on the sweeter side of tangy. The tang was so slight, it was almost an afterthought. I liked it a lot (if you read my other posts, my disdain for tanginess is well documented).
Noodles...ok so this is the part where I fail as a commentator. I forgot what the noodles my two eating buddies ordered. I will however, describe it to you. It was in the noodles section, and the very last thing in that category. The description says "yellow rice noodles." One of my friends (hi, Claire!) had it before, and she wanted to order something else, but was in a noodle mood and it was so good, she got it again. The noodles were unlike something I've seen before...yellow rice noodles...anyway they were delicious and I wish I had ordered them. They were yellow noodles stir fried with vegetables, fish cake, and those shrimp chips. Not too greasy, and perfectly done. I wish I has just followed the crowd and gotten the yellow noodles too.
However, this is not to say that I didn't like my food. I had the egg noodles with dumplings and vegetables. The dumplings were delicious. You can tell they were homemade by the way the pork falls apart in your mouth when you bite into it. The soup was sooo good. It was warm, comforting, and makes you want to take a nap because you're full, like my parents used to make it. There's really no way to describe authentic soup other than to experience it. The noodles were also perfectly done. Egg noodles, when left in the pot get mushy, or if they're underdone are slightly chewy. The were obviously kept separate from the broth until it was time to serve it. Then the noodles were warmed in the broth.
I'll definitely be back to the place to try some of their other stuff. Also, I'm used to Chinatown prices, so at $7 something for noodles, this was a bit steeper than I'm used to, but you don't really mind when you're satisfied.
Negatives: $10 minimums on the credit card. Especially annoying when your food is $7. Sometimes the customers. There was another patron in there who was especially rude to the waiters. Maybe I shouldn't hold this against the place, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for the waiter.
The food here reminds me of my mother's cooking. That's probably because the matron of the family oversees, if not cooks it all herself, every day, just as my mother would. Everything is fresh, from the greens to the broth to the rice paper used in the banh u'ot or banh cuon dishes.
The first time we ate at Huynh's, we brought along our guest from San Antonio. We tried banh u'ot tom chay (crushed shrimp wrapped in soft rice paper), dau hu xao lan (tofu stir-fried with curry, coconut milk, and peanuts), dau hu xao xa ot ( tofu stir-fried with hot chilis and lemon grass), and bun mang vit (noodle soup with duck and bamboo shoots). All of this came out at less than $45, including drinks and tip.
Just recently I went back because I was c r a v i n g that ban u'ot. They were near closing time, but were still accommodating and busy. Their dining room is modern, but not trendy. This place, will not, thankfully, offer you a trendy meal time experience. What they will offer is excellent service and a superb meal at a great value. My only complaint is that they are located in Old Chinatown, on the other side of GRB Convention Center. Regardless, this is the place I go to if I'm craving/nostalgic for a home-cooked Vietnamese meal and I can't haul my sorry butt home to Ma.
I knew that Yvette (Sis-in-law) would pick a nice place to eat (thanks!). We were given directions to this place and we met them here for dinner.
We were a total of 8 of us including the adorable/cute niece of mine.
The service was ok, one server would say a dish is available and the other would negate it. The intentions were good but they were not talking to each other. Dishes are available Family style, if you ask for them.
We went with Phoenix Chicken (fried chicken), Luc-Lac (came with a special salt/oil dipping sauce, Spare Ribs (korean ones but Vietnamese style with its own special dipping sauce), Cha Gio. We went with whatever they recommended including water crest greens with garlic.
The cafe-sua-da was tasteeee. The food was worth the 20+ mile trip one way to this place. I think the prices were right for the quantity/quality/ambiance and service.
Recommend: Yes
Will i go back: Yes, I will go back to try a different set of dishes.
Romantic: Yes, this place can be quite charming and can save you a bundle.
Dessert: Did not try any
-1 STAR for not having Ban Xeo. Hmmmm!
I am offended, where is a Vietnamese supposed to go to get some Ban Xeo in Houston?
First of all the decor is surprisingly nice! The colors match, there's nothing really gaudy and the atmosphere is peaceful.
This, of course, raises red flags. How authentic or delicious could this place be? Would it be Americanized? Had the Blogger been to Trailer Pho before? It didn't help that there were a lot of yuppies inside.
I ordered Pho with all the fixings (tripe, fatty brisket, eye round beef, etc) and the husband ordered the Bun Bo Hue as suggested by the blogpost. We also ordered the Cha Giao with the special house sauce. The egg rolls weren't all that great but the sauce was pretty fantastic. I couldn't tell exactly what was in it but it looked like it had 2 or 3 things mixed in it with a bit of a kick. If I REALLY had to pick, I think I might pick it over Bodard's sauce. *Gasp* I know, that's huge.
And then something absolutely wonderful happened, the waitress brought out our plates. The middle plate with the Pho fixings was smaller than usual but the ingredients were fresh and the leaves were nicely pre-plucked for us so that was nice. The leaf shaped plate was a nice trendy touch but the miracle was the little square dish. It's been a long, long time since I've been to a Pho restaurant where they give you a little dish to put sauces in so that you can dip your meat. Most Pho restaurants skip this and people just load up their soup with Hoisin and Sriracha sauce. I usually use a soup spoon in lieu of the little sauce dish. I don't even remember where I learned to eat Pho like that. It's pointless if the place is serving boring Pho broth, but if a place is proud of their broth, they don't want you to mess with it.
Our noodle soups arrived in surprisingly small bowls (I'd probably be tempted to order the large next time) but the broth and contents more than made up for it. The presentation was a nice touch with the eye round beef slices artistically placed in the middle of the bowl with the pink parts giving a normally drab looking dish a bright splash of color. The husband's Bun Bo Hue was pretty amazing. He graciously gave me a slice of pig's feet and it was so flavorful and tender. The broth is what really impressed me. Flavorful, complex, and almost perfumed.
I will be back!!
Oh, also, try the shredded duck salad appetizer! Fresh, tangy, and delicious!
I was running a high fever (hard to tell when it's 90F+ outside & muggy) & feeling nauseous and despite that, I still thought the food was good....which means it's probably normally really great.
I ordered the pho (small bowl - which, under normal circumstances I probably would've crushed) with steak, tendon, tripe & flank. The broth was really good & didn't seem to be full of MSG. I think I was chugging water like an island castaway because I was sick.
I think pre-plucking the leaves took too long because they no longer do that (as posted by Becky L). No biggie, I can pluck my own :)
The staff was really friendly & I didn't get the pushy vibe from anyone there. I ended up waiting ~30 min for my friend to arrive & they would periodically check on me to make sure I didn't want anything while I was waiting.
I'll definitely try this place again when I'm not on the verge of fainting in public. The decor is really nice (despite the janky exterior) and the food seems very fresh.
First, let me say that i'm not Vietnamese, thus, i am not an expert on this. However, my picky tongue agreed with me that the dishes we tried were above par from the thousands of Vietnamese restaurants around Houston.
I tried the yellow noodle thingy (Mie Quanh or something), it was pretty amazing, lots of flavors. My friend had the Phoenix (deep fried chicken), very crispy & tasty! Though the restaurant need a little lighting but apart from that, i will definitely come back to try the pho (noodle in slow cooked beef broth)!
I have strong opinions about Vietnamese food, since I grew up eating my mom's Vietnamese dishes and my husband and I spent a month eating our way through Vietnam last summer. Huynh is the real deal! Some of the dishes rival versions I had in Vietnam.
Favorite dishes: the banh cuon with grilled pork. the duck salad. #5 appetizer, the crispy noodles with seafood and vegetables, the lemongrass-chili tofu or shrimp, the phoenix chicken w garlic rice and kim chee, and the mango smoothie. I've never had their pho because I think their other dishes are so outstanding, but I did like their version of bun bo hue.
I just think everything here is so well done, the quality of the ingredients is high, and the flavors are authentic. Also, I love the fact that this is a family-owned business -- everyone, especially Brian and Anh, is so friendly, always willing to stop and chat and recommend their favorite dishes. I love telling people about this place -- in fact, my husband and I have gotten everyone we take here addicted!
Only one con: lunch on weekdays is absolutely crazy, which is sad because what weekday isn't improved by phoenix chicken and a mango smoothie? The weekends and weeknight dinners are much more relaxed.
Ummm... seriously?!
Alright so the manager (i think she was the manager) here just needs to chill out... she is the definition of pushy!
She was pushing the duck hardcore -- I told her I wanted a soup dish (possibly pho or mi quang) but wasn't sure which one i wanted just yet. I swear she was not listening or something and continued to push her fabulous duck salad, etc. Umm lady, back off! I dont want your duck! SOUP! I SAID SOUP! She continues to rave about how everyone loves the duck, and how californians even fly out to houston to have her duck. AHHH! One more time, I want either pho or mi quang.
Then she went on to push her appetizer -- shrimp on top of steamed rice noodles. That came out with the fish sauce. I happen to like to keep the fish sauce on the side so I can dip as I please. She goes up to our table and says we're eating it wrong. Then goes to pours the fish sauce all over our steamed rice noodles! What if i didnt' like fish sauce all that much?!?! Ummmm, yeah.
Next is the iced coffee. "my ice coffee is great! I import the coffee here..." blah blah blah. I want the Soda Chanh! "you must try ice coffee, everyone love.." I want the Soda Chanh!! She must be hard of hearing or something, bc I WANT THE SODA CHANH! Yeah, that didnt happen, I ended up with the iced coffee due to the pressure. Tried her iced coffee which was a bit stronger than i'm used to but i didnt complain. She comes over and says, I want to add more milk to your coffee. I said it's okay. She says "more milk, will be better, you'll see..." She takes my coffee... oy.
Then comes my main entree. I went with the Mi Quang. She tells me I'm eating it wrong and that I need to stir it up. Umm, what if i like the way I'm eating it? I swear she was going to take my chopsticks and stir it up herself, as noted by Cynthia B's review.
Gosh, touch my food one more time lady, and i will kill you! I'm Vietnamese, I think I know what i'm doing! Who are they to tell me what i should be eating and how i should be eating it?!?!
I guess go here if you dont know what Viet food to eat, cause she'll choose for you. Oh wait, even if you knew what you wanted, she'll choose for you!
This place is located in the old chinatown of houston. The pho here is one of the best in the area. Good service and very clean restaurant.
I visited Huynh tonight while on business in Houston. After reading the Yelp reviews, my expectations were high.
I started with the summer rolls with chargrilled pork that were excellent. On to the Pho w/ beef and a side of Vietnamese meatballs. The broth was excellent but it suffered badly from a lack of meat! There were 3 small meatballs cut in half and two rather small pieces of beef round - the rest was all noodles. What I got was very good but definitely felt shortchanged at the end of the meal.
I don't have Vietnamese very often so I am glad I went but it definitely did not live up to my Yelp expectations.
I was lured to Huynh's after reading a fine google-shared blog post by Becky L. I have been trying to find a great pho restaurant to get my two-times-a-month fix. If I am to function in this society, I need that warm broth flowing through my veins. Huynh did not disappoint. This is probably the cleanest Vietnamese restaurant I have ever been to. Everything from the tables, chairs, plates, to the presentation of the food made me believe I was in a higher class restaurant. Even the table next to me had a bottle of wine, but I did not see that on the menu.
What did I order? Two staples in any Vietnamese restaurant. Spring rolls and a bowl of pho. The spring rolls were different from what I tasted at other vietnamese establishments. It had an extra ingredient that I could not pinpoint but it was good. The pho was probably the best bowl of pho I have had in a long time. I usually never drink the soup, but I drank a lot of this. The meat was flavorful and tender.
At most asian restaurants you would be lucky if they refilled your beverage once. The service at Hyunh's was great. All the patrons of the restaurant seemed to be having a good time and chatting it up with the waiter and waitresses. They were attentive and genuine.
A couple of negatives about the place:
Huynh is not in the most well-lit nor well-paved neighborhood.
$6.50 for a regular and $7.95 for a large pho is overpriced, but you pay for the ambiance.
The hours are limited. Monday - Saturday: 10:30am - 9pm. Closed on Sundays.
The good outweighs the bad by a two ton elephant to justify Huynh's five star rating,
WOW! I gotta say the food is good! My friends took us here and I think it is definitely better than the midtown Pho places (the only caveat is that I have not yet made it to Thein An due to their short hours).
We've been there a couple times and everything - the duck soup, pho w/ brisket, hue style pho, and rice paper pancakes - has been very good. The pho noodles - not something I would expect to be noticable - were just great and the broth was quite good also.
Nice service and we'll definitely be going back!
For what its worth, they only their stuff fresh for the day, so if they run out of an item, they run out. So if you have a choice, err on the earlier side.
Delicious! Waited a while after the Alison Cook review for the business to die down. Still pretty full when I went for lunch today. Had pork spring rolls, bo luc lac, and pork/eggroll bun. All were A+!
The service was also super, duper nice and helpful. I might even say too much so...the waitress took my chopsticks to help me stir my bun, kinda weird but nice...still, it's hard for me to knock kindness.
Definitely recommend for all peoples!
I used to eat here when they used to be off of Milam st. many yrs ago. So I came to their new location about 2 months ago......wow....the place is clean, food is still good, and service is alot better. Phoneix Chicken is a must try dish.........I can't wait to go back
This place is amazing, it is clean and decorated beautifully inside. They have a wide assortment of pho, rice dishes, noodles soups, and stir fry. They also have great "rice wraps" freaking awesome.
This place is cheaper and better then Mai's. unless its midnight. :)
Bottom Line: Good, but far from great.
My gf and I went there due to all of the 5-star reviews. We got a vermicelli dish and a rice dish, both of which were reasonably tasty. But considering all of the amazing Vietnamese food in Houston, not to mention the places within walking distance of Huynh, there is absolutely no reason to eat here.
Don't believe the hype.
I am really excited to have found Huynh. The food is fantastic and this will become my go-to Vietnamese restaurant.
I was craving pho, so I ordered a large bowl to share with my boyfriend and he ordered the steamed rice paper wrapped around chargrilled pork. We also each got a ca phe sua da.
My pho was delicious. The broth was perfect and the noodles were very fresh. My biggest issue with some of the pho I've tried elsewhere has been overcooked noodles, but these were just right! Also, it seemed that the amount of meat they put in their pho is significantly more than most places I've tried.
The steamed rice paper wrapped around chargrilled pork was a wonderful surprise. I love chargrilled pork and this was no exception! The rice paper itself was probably the best I've ever eaten and the dipping sauce was so good I could drink it.
The coffee was good, but completely overshadowed by everything else. I don't consider that a bad thing, though :)
We met one of the owners when she came to our table to say she liked the walrus teeth my boyfriend made with his chopsticks. She was extremely nice and offered suggestions for our next visit (duck!).
The service was excellent, water glasses were filled regularly and everyone was very attentive.
Highly recommended.
yummy spring rolls with charbroiled pork.
even yummier vermicelli noodles with grilled shrimp and veggies.
The wife came here with some co workers and couldn't stop raving about it. That is typically good news for any restaurant in Houston. If the wife likes it, we will make multiple visits. I have always felt that this part of town is prime for reinvesting. It's a great location, the ball park, Lucky's Pub, and Warehouse Live, and finally a decent restaurant. Huynh is located in an old, dated shopping center with not much in retail. There is a really bad Chinese buffet restaurant on one end and Huynh on the other end, the south end of the center.
We started with an order char-grilled pork spring rolls, now I use the term spring roll loosely because that's the only way I can begin to describe this deliciousness. Char-grilled crispy pork with mint, cilantro, and green lettuce wrapped in this delicate pearly rice paper, just the most dainty and appetizing roll you have ever seen. The roll melts in your mouth not on your chopsticks. I then moved on to my Pho, I wish I could remember the name of it, but I did remember the number, #35 with Eye Round and char-grilled flank steak. The flavor of the broth I thought was outstanding and all the condiments were plentiful and fresh. The eye round steak cooking in the broth was very good and the char-grilled flank steak was crispy despite sitting in the broth. What I thought was great about the Pho's is that you can order a half order. That's useful when your on a budget or if you have other menu items you would like to try. The wife had Shrimp vermicelli salad and the shrimp was perfect, tender yet crispy on the outside and seasoned the way it should be. I also had a Vietnamese Coffee and I thought it was great. I was wired for the next few hours, what more could you ask for. It was a great mix of strong coffee and sweetened condensed milk... yum!
I will be back to Huynh and I hope they are prepared because I will be coming with as many people I can get to come with me.
I am lucky enough to know the owners of this very nice and affordable family owned and operated restaurant. Brian and Ahn will make recommendations if you don't know much about Vietnamese food, but you know they are legit by the number of Vietnamese immigrants eating there.
We agree with all those who gave this place 5 stars! It's the best Vietnamese restaurant we've found in the U.S. Also, you get really authentic and different dishes, such as the banh cuon, and appetizers # 5 and #6 that you just don't get in any other American Vietnamese restaurants. We are from out of town and don't get to Houston very often, but we might just have to make a special trip down to eat there. We love it!
I love this place. I eat here at least once a week and drag anyone who hasn't tried there with me. Its in the same shopping center as Hung Kee, in the strip catty corner from Warehouse Live.
It used to be on Milam about 2 years ago,(Pho Huynh) but they had to close down due to the building being sold. Anyway, on to the food.
The food tastes great, excellent Pho, Bun bo hue, rice dishes, and Phoenix Chicken!! The food is consistently good, never too salty, or greasy. It's a brand new joint so the spoons are ceramic and CLEAN. If you have ever been to a good viet restaurant in this town, you usually let a few dirty glasses, spoons or the occasional roach skittering about slide because the food is so good. Well here you can have it ALL. Cleanliness, friendly prompt service and great food! Business is picking up so if you go for lunch i recommend going early (11:30). For dinner it's pretty quiet. So to recap: Clean place, GOOD food, Friendly staff. Great for both pho and rice plates.
Very fresh food, snazzy decor, and friendly service. And if you need to shop, you can walk over to the ghetto asian grocery store across the street for motor oil, lemon grass, and toilet paper.
The chargrilled pork summer rolls wrapped in FRESH rice wrapping was a first for me. The rice paper is soft, and the flavor of the pork combined with their fantastic dipping sauce (peanuts and chili but not overly sweet) won me over. A rice plate (#56?) includes grilled high quality beef, onions, and pepper, rice with egg, and a tasty black pepper/lemon dipping sauce. The #16 Bun Bo Hue is clean tasting and spicy improved with a little fish sauce. The meat is cartilaginous but my meat-eater friend enjoyed it. The cafe sua da is really near perfect (at least for me) because the condensed milk is not overly sweet. The coffee is imported from Vietnam so supposedly not bitter. Whatever, it was excellent. $24 for the whole lot (and a Sprite for my partner). This is a farang friendly place if you've never had Vietnamese food. If you have, you have to just be pleasant as your coffee is stirred for you, your soup is garnished for you, and the duck is recommended highly.
Don't be fooled by the exterior of this restaurant, inside is clean and trendy. This is the old Pho Huynh that used to be on Milam, closed about 2 years ago. Seems like they kept they're old menu which is nice since I really liked it!! Excellent food and friendly waitstaff. I'm glad to see them back in business again.
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