On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Loading...
Beautiful decor, great service and good food!
I had the Mi Quang which was good, but nothing too spectacular than what I'm used to in the Bay and at my Mom's. The BF had a rice plate, but it was the oddest rice plate I've ever seen! The rice was rolled like hash brown sticks like those at Jack in the Box and lightly fried on each side to get a crispy shell. That was pretty weird, but I liked the crispiness so I gotta give it an A-OK.
What really stood out to me is the banh beo. Usually they come topped with chopped dried shrimp, but Quan Hy tops theirs with shredded fresh shrimps. Their nuoc mam was perfectly concocted with the right amount of sweet, sour, spice and savor. The big chunks of shrimps really make a difference in the quality of the banh beo. The presentation was also a plus.
I will only come back here for the Banh's (beo, uoc, bot loc, etc). I'm still on the lookout for a place that does Banh Beo like Mom does, with a wet topping (nhan uoc). She purees fresh shrimps, mixes in different spices and cooks it until it becomes sort of gelatinous. I believe it's origin is in Central Vietnam. If you know of a place, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!
People thought this was:
After often hearing about superior quality Vietnamese food on the West Coast, it was quite exciting to actually get a chance to try it. It definitely does not disappoint. The banh beo was tasty and loaded with dried shrimp on top. The appetizer The spring (summer in the East Coast) rolls has a crispy wafer in the middle that added a crunchy yet refreshing texture. So the food was great so far, but that begs the question, Why would a Vietnamese restaurant not have Pho? The menu wasn't too extensive to begin with, therefore small number of noodle (bun) options was quite disappointing.
Another thing that boggles the mind was the service. The wait staff was very unresponsive to repeated requests for water and the check, not to mention appearing very distracted when inquiring about the food choices. That coupled with the disappearing acts they pulled made it a very forgettable experience. There are definitely better options in this area, perhaps Quan Hop next time?
People thought this was:
Definitely one of the best Vietnamese restaurants I have ever been to in my life. Forget slanted door, ana mandara, crustacean, wild ginger or any overly priced Vietnamese restaurant. Quan hy is the best Vietnamese restaurant I have ever been to in my life. I may be courageous enough to say that it is better than my mother's cooking. :( It is definitely that good, and it is ok to say that because the owners are hue and that is the part where my family is from. I can be bias in our cuisine and I will be. Hue cooking is spicier and tastier because all of the different influences from the Chinese and french. Anything that mixes with those two are amazing :)
Things to try -
- banh beo
- banh canh
- mi quang hy
- hu tieu kho
- bun bo hue
don't get the egg rolls, they aren't that good
if you have ever dined with me you won't even have to ask what these dishes are, and you will be in utter bliss; my palette is that amazing. If you are worried I would recommend starting from the top to the bottom. Top being more safe, and sweeter, and bottom being spicier with robust flavors
People thought this was:
My parents actually introduced me to this restaurant and took me here about a month ago. Recently I've been wanting to go back but forgot the name and location, so today, I drove back and forth on Bolsa until I spotted a restaurant which looked familiar, and sure enough, it was exactly what I was looking for!
I forgot the name of what I wanted to order but I tried to describe it to the waiter -- "It's an appetizer and it comes with--" "You are talking about THIS ONE!!" and he pointed at Number 1, otherwise known as the banh beo. I also ordered some vegetables and tofu wrapped in rice paper which was under the vegetarian dishes, while my bf ordered a rice dish with pork. All of the above were super delicious, and I ended up eating 5 banh beos and even fought with my bf who could eat the last one. SOO good, I'm definitely gonna come back again and again and again just for banh beo. I LOVE BANH BEO!!!
People thought this was:
The Clam salad (Goi Hen) is to die for. As my friend described, "I've never had anything like this!" And he devoured the whole thing!
Quan Hy is a great date place with a cute atmosphere and well prepared food.
The Banh It Ram is also a must have.
Vietnamese food is more than just Pho!
I would travel from north LA for this stuff
This place is pretty trendy and had a nice atmosphere. The staff was very good and the banh beo was good too. However, for some reason, I wasn't thrilled by the place. It was pretty, but for some reason didn't stand out. Maybe another visit will change my mind
they got 3 starts for the food but minus 1 for the bad service.
The only thing that is gud here nowaday is Banh Beo like other folks have said. I dun like any of their noodle soups simply because it was supposed to be served HOT, but whenever i order any of them, it's NOT hot at all, so i gave up after a 3rd try.
And their waiters, hmm... RUDE!!!!
Damn!!! I was so thirsty, could someone please get me a glass of water!!!.....please.....anyone....?!?!....ple...a. .s.e.
Aah, nothing like a change of pace from the many, many, many standard vietnamese joints (minus the non-existent service of course -that's apparently standard, sorry, but it's mostly true). Ok, I'll throw a life line out there to the many friendly hard working waiters and waiteress, it's really more about being understaff apparently, yep it's not entirely their fault, and they really do get the short end of the stick (double whammy!!) whammy #1, they are overworked, due to short staff whammy #2, they get crappy tips, due to substandard service due to the short staff...Result? pissed off waiters who really now don't give a crap if you are happy!!!....ok I digressed...my bad...back to the food.
I really liked the food here!!! although I can never remember the dishes I ordered, but it's usually beef soup with something beef. I'm a huge fan of the appetizers, rice paper with grill beef, crab and shrimp egg rolls and rice paper with shrimp (not #1 one from the menu, the other one), AWESOME!!!
I would give this place a 4: b/c it is nicely decorated and relatively clean (althouth it's started to lose ground over the last couple of years) and the food is pretty good, however the service is usually way under par. The last time I ate here, I was enjoying a nice lunch with the gf, but damn I was soooo thirsty,...I couldn't get a glass a water for the entire meal!!!
It's like, can you really enjoy eating a nice peanut butter sandwhich without a nice cold beverage near by? I didn't think so,.. and also how many time can one trip over the @%#$%% bridge?!?! cool but a bit of a hazard:-)
Try it! Enjoy!
People thought this was:
There are a few things here I like...
- Banh Beo (Steamed rice/flour cakes?) served with shredded dried shrimp and fried onions
- Com Ga Roti (steamed rice w/ grilled/fried chicken served w/ a small side of salad)
- Bun Bo Hue - delicious!
The service is like any other asian restaurant where they rarely stop by the table and they want to take your order the instant you sit down. It's what I'm use to though at any asian restaurant....
I'll come back because the food is delicious...
This place does NOT specialize in popularized Vietnamese cuisine such as Pho. They specialize in dishes such as Mi Quang and Banh Beo.
The service is typical of a Vietnamese restaurant - I recommend going with someone Vietnamese because don't expect to just wait around and be served - you have to hail down waiters/waitresses to take your order.
This I've tried here:
Mi Quang - Probably the best Mi Quang around - though the portion-to-money ratio might not be as good as some Vietnamese restaurants, it's still pretty darn good quality. There are plenty of veggies to go around and I usually get the vegetarian. The sauce isn't overwhelming so I can still taste the individual components of the dish without being drowned in salty-ness. I love that they give you the right about of fried rice cake to give the dish a good contrasting texture - excellent!
Banh Beo - Though it's not the best banh beo, and certainly one of the more expensive ones in Westminster, it's also one of the more gourmet yet traditional ways to get Banh Beo in Westminster. They serve them on individual mini-plates just like in Viet Nam. The nuoc mam, however, is probably one of the best I've had in Westminster - it's got a nice kick due to the chili peppers that have been soaking in the sauce(Warning to people who can't handle spicy!).
Bun Thit Nuong - The first few times I came here, I made the mistake of ordering Bun Thit Nuon. This place does NOT specialize in these kinds of dishes and therefore I don't hold it against this place. It's not that great and you can definitely get better Bun Thit Nuong elsewhere.
Yes, this place is CASH ONLY like many Vietnamese restaurants in Westminster. Once again, I don't hold it against this place - locals all know to have cash on hand - we're less addicted to plastic than the outside world.
Great place to go for Central Vietnamese cuisine - but also make an effort to beat lunch rush - it gets really crowded.
People thought this was:
This place is pretty crowed on the weekend and there are normally long lines waiting outside of the door. The food is alright to me and they have a wide selection from bun bo hue to banh beo but personally I think the food is only ok. Nothing the best vietnamese food you can get but everytime when I have guests that live far away then normally they hear about this place so once in a while I alway have to go here just to take my guest's so they can experience it for themselves.
Compared to most Vietnamese restaurants, this place is almost too clean.
Portions here are a little small. I guess that's the trade off to eat in a clean Vietnamese restaurant.
The best dishes here is the mi quang and bun bo hue. The bun bo hue is not as good as Ngu Binh Restaurant, but getting a table here is much easier.
People thought this was:
Food is reasonable, but I have to agree with most of the reviews about the customer service. Wouldn't hurt to put a smile, or even a smirk, on the waiters and or waitresses face.
So after being disappointed by Quan Minh Ky's changed menu, we decided to hop over to Quan Hy which I've been wanting to try forever! The food was mighty tasty! I ordered the jackfruit salad with pork and shrimp which was served with crispy fried "rice" crackers similar to shrimp chips. The banh beo was a nice starter (there were 7 of us and there are 8 little rice cakes in one order so the birthday boy got the extra). This restaurant also specializes in bun bo hue (spicy beef soup) and this is the first place I've had this soup where the broth was actually spicy as it should be. They also serve it with a side of spicy sauce so you can adjust the heat. We also ordered the yellow noodle dish with jellyfish, pork, and shrimp--apparently this dish is hard to find and I know I've never seen it in all the places I've been to. I'm not sure how it's supposed to taste, but this one was on the bland side. It was decent, but not awesome.. and I much prefer awesome.
All in all, a pleasant dining experience. I would definitely come back again for the soup and jackfruit salad (mmm that thing was fantastic!) Their credit card machine was conveniently broken, so be prepared to pay in cash.
People thought this was:
I am not Vietnamese so a lot of the dishes here are pretty new to me. Other than Pho I'm pretty lost. I had the Banh Beo appetizer which was great just like the other reviews said. It's a small soft rice patty topped with shrimp bits that you fold and eat like a taco. Very tasty.
I also had the Royal Noodle Soup which was also quite tasty and spicy. Kind of reminded me of Tom Yum soup base. The meat in the soup was mediocre. I felt like they could have given me better slices of meat. The pork was a huge piece of fat with just a little meat on it. I also tried another dish which was like a crab stew. Also very tasty.
The staff still needs work.
And the banh beo is not as good or fresh like I once had them, so Quan Hy has been downgraded to 3 stars.
Ordered the bun thit nuong with egg rolls again and it was decent, but not amazing as I hope it would be.
Place is clean, modern, and the greens are always fresh.
But like I have said before, service needs massive improvement. We had to ask for chopsticks, spoons, tea, etc. after being neglected for several minutes.
Not sure if there will be a next time unless I am craving for their banh beo again.
People thought this was:
I want to have Quan Hy's children.
We ordered the following:
(1) Banh Beo - the best in the west.…
Read more »
bon bo hue comes with a pig foot. consider yourself warned. nevertheless, it was quite tasty.
also had the dumplings on top of the crispy rice cakes, these were good but not as good as the ban beo, which is what you MUST get if you come here. they are like the one and only fix for the unknowingly ban beo fiends.
also had the chicken with potato cakes- also rather bland and flavorless.
had the baby ribs- these are very good, consider ordering if you are into eating some ribs!
stay away from the salmon, since it was not well flavored given that it was cooked in "butter" but yet did not really taste like butter, plus salmon is such an ugly fish it doesnt really deserve to be fried ( it loses its flavor)
the iced coffee is not recommended. be careful about spilled water on the floor, on two separate occassions someone spilled water under the table which wasnt wiped up leading me to slip while attempting to get up.
Trendy vietnamese place in the middle of westminster next to an asian grocery store? huh?? It even has a koi pond inside??
Ok, the decor is a little jarring for the so cal kid who is used to B or C rated deliciousness out of westminster but looks aside this place isnt half bad. Considering the decor cost a few bucks the prices are quite low. I dont recall seeing a dinner entree over 10 bucks, and the portions are decent sized. The banh beo is as good as anywhere and the beef vermicelli are good. Speedy service, though nothing amazing, but decent for viet food. Anyways, I'd give it another shot. Tasted good, had good vibe. And cheap...which still has me confused but im good for it!
I Cam here to eat
Banh Beo & Bun Bo Hue
in hopes to find somewhere in Lil Saigon that tastes Good!
I think this place bun bo hue tasted a little better than Ngu Binh because it had a little more lemongrass flavor but i can also sense that its the msg that may make it taste good. The vegetables are a little lacking also than ngu binh. they don't have banana blossom or give you a whole plate of it instead they g ive you a side of shredded veggies. mostly lettuce ...
Their banh beo was good but i like ngu binhs better .
This place is nice if you want somewhere with ambience i guess..
Like others say, the service isnt attentive but thats fine with me. I don't want anyone bothering me while eating anyways lol~
and in the end, you still get what you want as long as you ask the servers.
I would come back here for the bunbohue until i find somewhere better ..
People thought this was:
COme here for their bun bo hue-- sooo good! THe Banh beo is pretty bomb and the banh it ram is among my faves. The price is a little high for the amount of food you get, but it is well worth it.
People thought this was:
Com Ga Ro Ti!
One of the best prepared Com Ga dishes I have ever had! The chicken was prepared..PERFECTLY! The presentation was simple and clean, but full of flavor. My five stars is based only on this dish at the time I had it!
I came here with two of my coworkers. One ordered the appetizer spring rolls and Banh Canh Tom Cua (Crab and Shrimp Soup) and liked it. This was her first time ever eating Vietnamese. I tasted the soup and can vouch for its taste!
My other coworker ordered the mi quang (yellow egg noodle) specialty dishes and did not care much for it.
~~My Favorite!
Now, my dish..well, lets say I was impressed! A very simple dish. I am not sure if it is prepared like this consistently, but.......
***on this particular day the sun shined just a little bit brighter on me and
my plate than on anyone else or their food. It was my time, this time and all about me and this dish!
I was skeptical when it arrived. The grilled chicken on one side of the plate, rice on another side, simply prepared veggies on the other third portion of the dish. None of the elements touched one another. I tasted a small piece of the chicken without any fish sauce, veggies, or rice. It was grilled to absolute perfection! Next the veggies..fantastic! Then it began.. Combining the chicken with the rice, veggies and sauce a little at a time. It was true perfection! This simple dish happened to have been one of my best Vietnamese meals I have had in a long long time. The perfection of the chicken reminded me of how Seafood Cove use to prepare the duck I love so much..but this was chicken. Succulent inside with a slightly crispy outside! Guess what?? Not a single bone and my love affair began!
~~Ambiance!
Ambiance feels fresh and relaxing. Lights are dimmed just right. The setup is nice. Yes, I saw the fish pond, but no one fell in it. The bathrooms were clean.
~~Service
Service was bad, but I don't care. They brought our food and left us alone. Fine! Leave me to my first perfectly grilled, succulent, beautiful piece of heaven that I have had in years! We had to call the waiter to get the bill. That's fine.
~~Price
Yeah well I am getting old. The price issue needs to be explained. I use to go to Bolsa 3-5 times a week regularly for years, up until about 8 years ago. Yeah, things change. I passed by Song Long Bakery.. Yes Song Long for all you young kids used to be the spot for the best ice coffee and Bahn Mi around. I remember buy 3 and get 2 free! It always had at least a half a dozen workers and a line of people. Yeah, that changed over the years. When we drove by today it looked like they even closed down. All the memories at Song Long Gone!
Well times change and the 3.75 lunch specials ,I guess, do not exist anymore. My Com Ga was 8.25!! I was mad at first. Then I saw the "To Go" menu where it is listed 0.75 cheaper. I guess this is a recent increase in price? Yeah times are different. If I had a guarentee that my dish would be prepared like this again, I would pay 20!
I have to remind everyone to not take Bolsa for granted. Yes, there are so many restaurants. But, we are so lucky to have them!
~~Request
If anyone has had com ga ro ti (I think it was menu item 36 or 37) and it was terrible, please let me know. If you had it and it was just this way, let me know please! If I was lucky this one particular day, I do not wish to ruin the special memory I have by returning for a sucky meal.
I will browse the rest of the Yelp reviews and check them also.
During lunch on this exact day that I post, my com ga was perfect!
People thought this was:
I've been coming to this Northern Vietnamese food place since they were at their brookhurst location. I just really enjoy the fact that from the front entrance, I have to walk over a mini indoor bridge to the inside of the place.
Their banh beo is amazing. I think the best way to describe banh beo is Vietnamese mini rice cakes that taste like nothing. It is completely bland with no favors, but it is the little savory shrimp treats in the middle that makes it worth while. Regardless of how much I order, there is always room for banh beo as starters of my meal at this place. I also enjoy their bun thit nuong (Vietnamese rice noodles with bbq pork and vegetables).
A very good place for an introduction to Vietnamese food if you've never had the pleasure of such yumminess.
People thought this was:
Presentation appears to be top priority for this trendy-looking Vietnamese restaurant: clean contemporary decor, and carefully arranged and garnished plates.
I ordered soybean drink and a plate of bbq ribs with rice which came with soup of the day. The drink tasted freshly-made but was watered down by an overload of ice. The short ribs tasted great but was tough to chew and portions were too small for the price. The soup was fragrant with its fresh cilantro and herbs but a bite into the cooked cabbage reveals notes of bitterness. There seem to be a "but" in every turn.
I forgot what the waiter looked like, he only came to the table once to take my order. Someone else served food and then vanished...for good.
Would I come back? Yes, I would hesitantly say...if I happen to be in the area...in a happy mood.
People thought this was:
Bánh bèo FTW!
What the pho!? No pho? but...
The place is decorated nicely with salt water fish tanks and koi death pond ( i heard lots of koi died here.)
I ordered Bun Bo Cha Tom & Cha Hue...in translation it's "shrimp patty & Beef spam patty with noodle in chili spicy soup!" I expected it to sort of taste like pho, but boy, is it different! Once I got used to the fact that it's not pho i am eating, I found new love for the hot and spicy soup which left me sweating profusely...
But then again...Bánh bèo FTW!!!
They are delicious grind up dry shrimps, fried onions, and green onions on rice cakes~ With a tad of chili fish sauce, you will have food orgasm in your mouth and also bad breath for hours...
Bánh bèo FTW! If I haven't mentioned it already...
People thought this was:
My favorite foods are foods that have any of the following:
a) beef
b) spiciness
c) noodles.
So when I heard about bun bo hue, I knew I had to try it. It combines all three of my favorite things - how can it be bad?
I'm sure that somewhere out there, I can find a delicious bowl of bun bo hue, but I don't think it's here. I like the soup in theory, and there were times where I was eating it that I thought "hm...yes, this has something going for it." But it was just missing...something.
The meaty bits that were in here (beef and pork) were intermittently tender and tough; when the meat was tender, I was happy. When it was tough, I cried.
Also, though it's supposed to be spicy, I really didn't detect any heat at all, not even after I added two cups of the spicy shrimp paste that was brought to our table.
I've noticed a lot of reviews on here commenting on the poor service, and that wonderful trend continued during my group's visit. Everyone working there is apparently a zombie; they movie at a zombie-like pace, barely grunting or acknowledging your existence. We ordered an appetizer (rice cake with shrimp and fried onions) that they dropped off after we had already finished our noodles. They never once offered to fill our waters, either.
People thought this was:
it's my first time to try a Vietnamese restaurant that serves only northern Vietname food. I've heard so many good things about it and it does turn out pretty good!
The decoration for this place is just to my surprise, very modern and clean!
The service is pretty good too though they speak very limited English... they forgot our first round of coffee and two different servers bring us two different orders - and charge us only once! Can't complain! :)
People thought this was:
I'm surprised that the ratings for this place was so low! It's definitely one of my go-to spots in Bolsa.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is wonderful! It is surprisingly modern and clean in comparison to many restaurants nearby. The customer service is also surprisingly good, since it seems as though many asian restaurants don't seem to care much for it.
My favorite dishes are the banh beo and bun bo hue! Despite my relatively small appetite, I never fail to order these two dishes!
People thought this was:
This is probably my favorite Vietnamese restaurant anywhere. It was the first Vietnamese place I know that tried to work on its decor and they did a pretty good job. I usually order the bun bo hue, which I love here, and an order of two of the banh beo (steamed rice cakes with toppings and nuoc mam - a DEFINITE winner). People I know have ordered other things and they have said it was delicious as well. Good food, good ambiance, and more than reasonable prices, this place is a winner! Eat there now! You can do it!
People thought this was:
I love when a Vietnamese restaurant like Quan Hy makes an earnest attempt to be an uber-cool, ultra-classy spot to eat. But anyone that frequents the Bolsa area knows that such a thing is a myth and that its all just a silly facade. You ain't foolin' nobody, son!
Nevertheless, the food, albeit quite overpriced is good and I tend to enjoy most of the things on the menu. The banh beo here is renowned, and I order it every time I come, not because I love it but because everyone else has it on their table. I mean let's face it, we all want to appear like we're part of the "in" crowd once in awhile.
This place specializes in Hue (a region in Vietnam) food, which I have grown to crave. Food from this area tends to be spicy, greasy and hearty...the holy trinity of goodness. The bun bo hue is spot on as well and I believe it's their signature dish. Those with an untrained palate should beware as the spiciness can be a bit alarming at first.
Hiding beneath a disguise of mood lightning, a koi pond, faux bamboo embellishments and an oversized fish tank, Quan Hy is still sadly just another Vietnamese restaurant. Why? You ask? The service absolutely sucks. An all-male wait staff with identical wispy, pop-star haircuts couldn't be more disinterested in what you want. It's just to be expected though.
However, on the bright side, this is definitely THEE primo date spot for guys that wanna impress girls straight fresh from the motherland. I know it's where I'm taking my girl for Valentines Day.
People thought this was:
I'd been here before, ages ago. I remember the bahn beo vividly. There were 7 of us and the host of the dinner only ordered one tray at first...um, it only comes with 8!! He reluctantly ordered a 2nd tray when he saw that everyone loved it. Little did he know...Quan Hy had me on the first bite. Fast forward 3 years, countless restaurants later, I finally figured out the name of the place and made plans to visit it again soon, to fulfull my bahn beo glut.
As luck would have it, my father was visiting from out of town and had never had this kind of food before. Vietnamese food to him was...pho.
I went hog wild. Well, kind of. The three of us started our meal out with the bahn beo (just as I remembered it - sooooo delicious, I can have several trays by myself), the bahn quai vac (almost just as good, noted the sauce had the addition of garlic) and the bahn uot thit nuong (YUMMY...I love shiso leaves).
Our entrees came - dad went with a noodle soup which spiced the heck out of him. I went with a traditional bowl of bun (vermicelli w/ lettuce), topped with grilled pork and shrimp patties. The pork was very flavorful and more delicious than it looked. Hubby went with a yellow noodle dish topped with a shrimp paste. More exotic than all of our other dishes but yummy nonetheless.
Still, the memory of the bahn beo only 10 minutes old lingered in our midst. I casually mentioned ordering another tray of it but neither of my dining companions were too eager. Finally, I made an executive decision and ordered another tray too quickly for anyone to object. I threw in an order of the bahn uot tom chay.
Both were quickly brought. I abandoned my bun and started working on the new arrivals. Stuffed to the gills, I reached deep within me to find the will to go on. The bahn beo didn't stand a chance!! The bahn uot tom chay was the only (small) disappointment. It lacked the flavor of its beef counterpart so we actually did leave a few pieces of that dish behind.
This place is affordable and if you go early enough (we ate at 11:45am), there is almost no people. After 12:30pm (Saturday) however, be prepared for a small wait.
Interestingly enough, people who look like they may be regulars, stayed away from the "Rice Cakes" section of the menu and went with noodles straightaway. Maybe they've had their fill of bahn beo but not me - I hope to be back soon!
People thought this was:
The food is delicious and service is acceptable.
When we go out for vietnamese, I normally eat Banh Mi, Pho, or Bun. I'm pretty pedestrian when it comes to my experience with Vietnamese food, but eating here is a great treat because they have something different.
It's been a little while since I've been here but I still crave about the dumplings on fried sticky rice cakes.
People thought this was:
According to my gf
"no one makes banh beo like quan hy. i drive from san diego to have it. nuff said."
I'll have to agree with her.
People thought this was:
Okay in my last review for Quan Hy, I had no idea it was under the wrong location, in other words, that location does not exist and will lead you to a business plaza; nonexistent eateries!
I also gave them a 4-5 star rating for their food. And the fact that I've been deprived of Vietnamese food, my rating could have been a bias one. My second visit clarified a lot of things.
I came back here with my aunt and uncle, thinking I'd impress them. The biggest turn off of the afternoon was the service. The staff needs to be better organized, attentive, and a lot more polite. I don't care if you know I'm Vietnamese or not, all customers should be treated the same. So if my table is getting crappy service, there better be a good reason why other tables are being attended to hand and foot. Unbelievable.
We ordered and waiters walked past our table, ignoring my uncle when he asked them to come to our table for water or my aunt when she wanted more napkins. It was rude. Tables right by us were being highly attended to and we were ignored. Our food came out and we had 4 dishes. Three out of the four came out and waiter totally dismissed it as our table was fully served. My aunt told at least 3 waiters that her food hasn't come out yet. The waiters come and hover by that stupid bar in the back, chatting. No one goes to the kitchen and check or even apologizes for the delay. It's just common courtesy to do so.
It takes at least another half hour for my aunt to get her food. So once everyone is served, the food was okay. Portions are uneven since my aunt and I ordered the mi quang. My uncle's vermicelli noodle dish was fine. The banh beo was good, too except for the oily dishes. Presentation was about average and it was made to serve rather than to also impress.
I'm sorry, but when I first came here, I had a really good first impression but now I see that the restaurant is highly unorganized and needs to hire some more humble staff members. If I ever do come back here, I'll just order the food to go. It gets 2 stars for the service, but not 1 because the food saved its rating.
People thought this was:
The first time I came here, I almost fell into the koi pond in the front. Speaking of koi, every now and then, the pond is empty and at that point, there seems to be an influx of shiny pennies. Now, I'm no expert, but I think these two coinside. Pennies are kind of toxic for koi fish. So, quit throwing your damn pennies in there, people. These fish are dying. And, I really don't think it's because they become part of your dinner.
Anywho, I took the bf there to try these little shrimp plate things. They're shredded shrimp on rice in a tiny bowl and they are sooo good. Most of the menu is great, but these shrimp-n-a-bowl things are by far, the one main reason I go there.
The inside of the restaurant is really modern and decorated really nice. And there is a huge aquarium in the middle of the restaurant. I like to poke the glass when the puffer fish swims by. Sometimes, the poke gets him...Sometimes, it doesn't....
People thought this was:
BEST banh beo and banh cahn cua ever!!! i tried to find a place that makes it better than here but have yet to find.
this isn't your typical vietnamese restaurant in that you won't find the stereotypical pho or com tam. here, i think the food is more central vietnamese (like the hue region) so it's a little different from the southern vietnamese cuisine most of So Cal is blessed with.
the prices are a little more than your average vietnamese restaurant but it's because the place is very clean and modern looking and the dishes have great presentation and i would gladly pay even more for their banh beo. sooo delicious.
Rule of thumb. You do not go to any Vietnamese restaurant for any kind of Vietnamese food. You go to one certain restaurant for one type of dish. Quan Hy = Banh Beo PERIOD.
People thought this was:
As usual, there was a line on this weekend day for lunch but the wait was only about 15 minutes or so. The service here fluctuates from pretty good to standard Vietnamese non-service. Not sure who mentioned it before, but I believe this is a Central Vietnamese food restaurant, not a Northern.
Pros: I'm glad that the decor/ambiance/cleanliness was better than the usual Vietnamese restaurants. The Banh Beo (mini rice paste cups) was as good as I've had it before but I guess times have changed since you only get to choose one side meat now. The Banh Uot Thit Nuong (bbq pork wrapped in large rice noodles) was normal and like you could get at any of the to-go places. Their Banh Canh (udon style soup) was great as usual. The crab broth is what sets it apart from other places.
Cons: The Goi Ngheu (clam salad) was too briny but at least they gave an abundance of Banh Trang (rice chips) to scoop up all the food.
The first time I came, I thought it was different, in a good way. I really liked the Banh Beo, so I brought the whole family here again. Only this time, it was sort of disastrous. Most of the food were left untouched.
The only thing we liked here was the Banh Beo. The Bun Bo Hue looked good, but the beef was very tough and chewing. I didn't care for the Goi Mit salad at all. It was crunchy and that was all. Banh It Ram was OK. I usually like anything made of sticky rice flour but in combination with the rice cracker, it just didn't go well for me.
Normally I would have packed the left over, but in this case, I didn't bother. As my fiance said, if we didn't like it here, who was going to eat the left over?
This place does get rave reviews, so take my review with a grain of salt. Perhaps Central Vietnamese cuisine is not my bowl of noodle, I mean, cup of tea!
P. S. Oh, you do get some amusement here watching people fall (step) off into the little pond inside the restaurant. I have no idea how it ever passed the safety inspection.
People thought this was:
I recommend a lot of my friends who aren't familiar with Vietnamese Cuisine to this restaurant. and they all love it. I mean, its one of the more cleaner places in Little Saigon so I guess they appreciate that. not to mention i tell them that the first fast and furious was filmed in the plaza it's in and they're they're in a bit of awe over that too.
Anyhow, this is like THE Yuppie place to hit of Little Saigon. The decor is very beautiful with a cute little Koi Pond at the entrance (always wondered if anyone ever accidently steps in?) and two ginormous fish tanks further in. with bamboo and other garnish randomly scattered.
My absolute favorite item that I simply ALWAYS have to order is the Banh Beo. The Banh Beo (rice cakes with dried shrimp with fishsauce) is just better than other restaurants. The Mi Quang is also another regular item I order, the Salmon rice is interesting and not worth the price, but the Pork Rice dish has the most delicious tender meat ever!
I'm a fan as this is one of the restaurant on my Garden Grove rotations, but I couldn't give them four stars cause they're pricey,the service is not-so-great, also on weekends its too crowded. ugh.
People thought this was:
I loveee the banh beo.. that shit is the bomb~ but that would only be the reason why I would even eat at this restaurant. The other food are at high price for such low quality on the food. Well, that is my opinion at least. But if you must go here, banh beo would be the shizznizz xD
Westminster, CA
Category: Vietnamese
Garden Grove, CA
Category: Vietnamese
Garden Grove, CA
Category: Vietnamese
Westminster, CA
Category: Vietnamese
Westminster, CA
Category: Vietnamese
We might wreck on the way there and will smoke…
places i frequent to satiate my cravings for nuoc…
Here are some places in which I have to go to…
Other soup noodle bowls. They're not called Pho or…
Adventures in my quest for finding the perfect…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Great places to eat at good prices (Food, Cafe Sua…
Tired of Lee's Sandwiches? Want more than just Pho…
