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I really like how this plaza has several places to eat so you aren't that interested in one place you can just hop a few times and land into another.
This was the first time I ate at VH Noodle House. As soon as I walked in, I first noticed that the ventilation in the place must be pretty terrible. It was a good 3-4 degrees warmer then the courtyard and air was stuffy. i wouldn't necessarily say it smelled bad, but the overwhelming nature of so smells from so many plates was a bit off putting. I next noticed that the offered Avocado milk shakes. Didn't order, the combination isn't my thing but I was surprised something like that existed.
I ordered their noodle soup house special with wontons. It didn't look to be that much, but was rather fulfilling. I appreciated that their meat to noodle ratio was more even then most noodle places that try to just pass off a giant bowl of noodles with a sliver of meat. I didn't sample the rest of my parties' dishes so can't really comment other then my one bowl. I didn't think it was anything special but it wasn't greasy or bland. I'd come back again since the price was reasonable.
Service though was pretty nonexistent. They didn't come around at all to check up or refill anything.
Food: eh...
Service: pretty friendly
atmosphere: very "chinese"
price: reasonable I guess....
I've eaten here a bunch of times and I wasn't really ever "wow-ed" with their food. It's just a place to grab a quick bite after shopping at Ranch 99.
It's very neutral to me. I don't feel like giving this place a bad review, but I can't really give it a good review either. It's nothing special, but it's not like it's bad. I have mixed feelings about this place.
Try it if you happen to be pretty hungry after shopping at Ranch 99, but otherwise, it's not really worth the trip or your money.
I decided to try VH Noodle House after our hike on Sun 9/13/09. It's in the Pacific East Mall where lots of Asian restaurants are & 99 Ranch.
It's mainly a noodle place but you can get other stuff too. Cantonese food w/ English/Chinese menu.
I got Oxtail Chow Fun on the Special menu outside. $8.95. I thought the meat was nice, could be more tender, but tender enough. Not enough rice noodles for me & too much gravy, celery, carrots, onions, bean sprouts. I did like the American broccoli spears - ate those. On the small side.
Friends got:
shrimp & egg chow fun - A. liked his dish. It looked small too.
I. got seafood rice noodle soup $6.50 - she didn't like it, but she tried it.
V. got chicken fried rice. He liked it, he even got a huge pile of food so he had leftovers.
CASH ONLY
Bathrooms: Outside the restaurant, men's then women's down the hall.
I was overwhelmed and underwhelmed simultaneously. Overwhelmed by the 1 cm thick grease layer floating atop my noodle soup, thus leaving me underwhelmed by the food. The beef brisket ["gnao lam"] was dry although the beef tendons ["gnao gun"] were pretty good. But the oil!
I took my leftovers home and strained them under running water. The next day I dry-fried them to heat them up again; believe it or not it just felt healthier this way than to accidentally ingest a litre of cooking oils.
My friends had the satay beef noodle (soup), which was more of a sauce than a soup. It had quite a lot of sauce actually...
We stared at the "Chow Jew" on the menu for a while before realizing they meant ChiuChow fried noodles/rice. Might try it next time, but I'm not in any hurry to come back.
6/10.
Located inside el cerrito's pacific mall (by ranch 99) VH noodle house is a good spot for authentic chinese noodle soups. I tried the sparerib ho fun noodle soup which was very hearty for those frosty evenings. Friendly staff and the food came out promptly. Would definitely come back. Remember to bring cash!
My dad used to take me to the Vien Huong over in Oakland every Sunday when I was a wee child so it will always hold a special place in my heart regardless of the grimy interior and even grimier employees. I drop by the Oakland spot time to time when I'm nearby but have since relocated to VH (crack) House since it's closer to where I currently reside.
The only thing I ever order is the Chew Jow Ho Fun with yellow squid. They cook it with the quickness because it usually comes out in 5 minutes TOPS.. 8 if they're busy. After I've received my bowl of hot deliciousness, I proceed to drown that shizz in some hoisin and sriracha with a buttload of pickled jalapenos. It can do bad all on its own but trust.. adding the extra stuff takes it to a whole nother level of yum!
But not to hate, this location is actually better not only because it is conveniently located next to where I live and work, but also for 3 other factors:
1. The location is much cleaner. I no longer have to order the soup on the side for fears that I will taste the waiters thumbs in my soup and overall, the place is just much more sanitary, at least looks-wise it is.
2. They are open later. Like about 9-9:30pm as oppose to 6pm at the location in Oakland. So if I'm hungover and I can't get out of bed til 5:30, I'll still be able to get my VH noodle fix.
3. They are more consistent with their noodles. Sometimes the Oakland location will deliver mediocre/soggy noodles. I've been to this location 8 trillion times and have not once encountered a soggy noodle.
Both locations have a credit card limit of 20$ so remember to bring cash if you're not paying for everyone!
I loved going to the og Vien Hoang in Oakland when I was little, but I go here now because of its convenient location. The soups are always good, but the broth sometimes is oily. The noodle dishes are soooo good! My favorite is the chow jew chow mein with gravy. Mmmmm...afternoon delight. I also love the fish cakes with pickled veggies (I can eat those all day). Prices are reasonable ($7-10), but the restaurant is always crowded and stuffy. The tables are hella close together and servers are always bumping into you. I love the noodles, so I'll deal with it!
Eat it. Really Like it. Repeat.
There's a certain "je ne sais quoi" factor when it comes to good Asian noodle soups. No matter if I eat Vietnamese pho or Hong Kong style wonton noodle soups or a steamy bowl of shiyo based cha su ramen or Taiwanese beef noodle soup or Singaporean curry laksa, the mystery behind the combination of what goes into a good noodle soup to make it GOOD is still elusive (thanks, Tien!).
It's never simply one element. Perhaps it's the marriage of broth, fresh noodles and spices that determine the penultimate in the bowl. Or, it may be as simple as just the right sprinkling of spices and the ever present MSG that is dominant in Asian cuisine. OR, it may be the time taken to extract the flavor from the beef or pork or chicken bones for the broth, the lovely savory broth that makes me cry happy tears.
My quest for the perfect bowl brought me to VH last weekend, when the bf and I found ourselves hungry, with little time to spare, and a freshly killed whole red snapper in rigor mortis, warming in the trunk of our car awaiting its fate in the deep fryer for a proper supper later in the evening.
I looked into the neighboring pho restaurant with only a few diners scattered through their large dining room and made a bee line for VH, which was still crowded at 3pm. Now, as a child following around my mother on weekends in Oakland's Chinatown, I've eaten many many bowls of the teo chew style rice noodle soups at their original location. In fact, this is the ONLY place my mother will order stir-fried pork kidneys with ginger and scallions. Chaozhou people have settled in various parts of China and Southeast Asia and their cuisine has influenced various cultures throughout. I grew up with the flavors from my maternal Chaozhou side of the family, and it reminds me of home.
VH cooks the kidneys to perfection, with a slight snap, never overcooking (which can make it lifeless and rubbery) and never tasting like an iron supplement just melted in your mouth before you could get some water to flush it down. Bleurgh. We still haven't figured out how they get the kidneys so tasty, but it may be the amount of heat and cooking time that you can only replicate on a chef's grade stove.
The restaurant in Richmond provides better ambiance and the staff are friendlier than the original establishment in Oakland's Chinatown. Diners are also given the option of what type of noodles to order for their soup, which is a nice step up.
The bf ordered a pork meatball rice noodle soup with round rice noodles. I ordered the traditional teo chew noodle soup with small flat rice noodles. Both were heaven in a bowl. The broth was incredibly flavorful and clear, and I scooped heaping spoonfuls of my favorite ingredients like ground pork, lean pork, chicken, pork meatballs and the famed kidneys into my soup spoon.
We ate in silence, with only the slurping of noodles and a few "yums" and "wows" interspersed in our psychic conversation of agreement that this noodle house is now in the top 10 of our favorite go-to places for a cheap meal in a bowl.
Our server forgot to bring a thai iced tea until the end of the meal, but by then, we could forgive a lot more than a dinky beverage.
Went here on a whim on a late Sunday night. Got some noodle soup with the spicy beef broth. A bit greasy, but it was VERY flavorful. I enjoyed it a lot.
We used to come here at least once and twice a month. Everything we've had was tasty and inexpensive. We especially liked the egg noodles they use in their noodle soups. The service was efficient. We always got our food and check very quickly.
So why don't we go any more? A while ago, we went there at 8:35pm and were turned away even though they were supposed to open till 9pm. I guess the lesson was, get there earlier, but we just never got over the bad experience.
I love the noodles here. I always get the veggie ho fun with soup. The soup flavoring is really good. Me and my sister always craves this noodle, if I lived close by I might be seen there everyday.
The service is decent, not the best. Sometimes they can seem kind of moody and forgetful other times. Last time me and my sis had to ask them 4 times to bring my little brother a bowl and fork. It's kind of pricey, but the food is good.
Yum, this place is one of my favorite places to come to when I have a craving for noodles. If it wasn't so far away I would probably go there once a week. Though their food is good, the service isn't what you would call friendly. In addition, they would tend to forget you, I remember the last time I went there, I asked for a small bowl and a fork for my brother and after 10min I had to go ask again only for them to forget it. What made me a little upset is the second time I went to ask, the guy very rudely told me to sit down. I went up for the third time to ask for it, that's when they went and got it, but I had to go up and get it myself.
Other then that, the place was good. They only accept cash though, so be sure you have cash on you, otherwise you'll be running to the ATM---which I've done. I love the Ho Fun, it is deeeeelicious! Try it out, it comes in a big bowl, should be able to fill you up pretty good.
Sum up, if it wasn't for the mood swings of the workers, this place would be perfect---Sorry, I just can't look pass rude service. So it's going to be four stars for me.
DISGUSTING DISGUSTING! i dont care if the sticker on the door says "yelp loves us " or whatever this yelp member will neverrr go back! the food was overly greasy and oily. the place was very small and stuffy. ive had better chinese food in an american resturant, aka panda express . sad right?
Pretty mediocre across the board. Didn't love it. Didn't hate it. Not cheap or expensive. Service wasn't terrible or impressive. Food wasn't too spicy or bland. Did both get a bit of a headache afterwards from it, wondered if MSG is on the menu. We didn't ask.
I'd go back if I were right there, but nothing wow'ed me.
Not my cup of tea, this place. Decided to try it out since it always seemed crowded, and we were able to find seats at the counter. I only tried the noodle soup, and I like how you can choose what kind of noodles you want (i.e. vermicelli, egg noodle, etc.). But my soup was so oily, I couldn't stomach finishing it. I don't mind some fat in my soup (so long as it adds umami), but this was just straight grease. I can see how some people might like what this place offers, but again it's just not for me.
Dear VH Noodle House,
http://www.flickr.com/...
Today I was fondly remembering all the precious hours we spent together devouring succulent bowls of ox tail soup, and beef satay noodles. Oh how those were the days. When I was an omnivore, you were a three star restaurant in my loving eyes.
However, today when I asked you to make me vegetarian Singapore Noodles, you only half heartily performed the task. You didn't put any thought or consideration into it. The curry was listless upon my tongue, and no longer did you speak love letters to me with your cooking. The vegetables tasted beige, when I have become accustomed to receiving bold flavors of red and orange; a constant Valentine upon my palette.
http://www.flickr.com/...
VH, I fear that you will always have a carnal love of the flesh, whereas I now need more from you.
I know, I know... you tried your best to make me happy. It isn't your fault, VH. It isn't you who has changed. It is me.
Dr. Phil says, "The couple that stays together is the couple who grows together." Clearly we have grown in two different directions.
Farewell, VH Noodle House.
"Here's looking at you, kid."
I used to go to the original Vien Hong in oakland ALL the time. But my friend told me about this new place that opened up in El Cerrito, I had to go check it out! I got what I used to always order..the Chew Chow Mein - with the soup on the side and it was delicious! My bf ordered the oxtail and it was not bad..but I've had better. Another friend of ours had the fried combination needle noodle - that was pretty good!
I was a little surprised that the prices has gone up so much since the last time I came here. Kinda expensive for chinese food if you ask me. Dishes were rannging from $7-$10...which is not terribly expensive...but pretty expensive for some fried rice or chow fun. It's still good though, but I wouldnt purposely make my way just to eat here. But if I was around the area, I'd stop by again.
I like the Pho place next door. And with a name like VH Noodle House you'd think that this place might have something like it too. It doesn't. But seems like a good option if you want soup but want to change it up.
I went to Ranch 99 today, sadly without cash, so I couldn't go to the Pho place. My bf and I were looking for another restaurant that would take a card. When I asked the man in front whether he was cash only he replied "no" and promptly ushered us to sit down. It's definitely cash only. I get it if you don't speak English, we are at East Village mall or whatever, but please don't answer like you understood my question next time. Needless to say, we had to eat at a back up restaurant and STILL had to make a trip to the atm.
Looked like they might have some decent stuff here judging by what everyone else was eating but my dish was just okay. Oh, they also don't have those vietnamese spring rolls, which I was really craving. We got a different appetizer - crispy pork belly instead. Have to say these were pretty darn good and dirt cheap at $7.25.
I've been here a few times now and still haven't figured out the menu to order noodles. I usually refer to the loose Vietnamese translations to help me order.
I've had the beef chow fun (dry style) and combination fried rice and they've always been delicious. Not too greasy but just the perfect amount so you don't have that heavy or sick feeling afterward. The portions are hearty and the quality is great for the cheap prices; under $20 for 2 people.
The service is good since usually they have so many people working, it's easy to flag someone down. Love that they have Vietnamese 33 beer and I'm looking forward to coming back and trying the noodle soups next time.
I dont know why i keep coming back...its probably because my coworkers insist/suggest we come here. Ive found hair in my food two times now. This place always makes me take a dump at work a few hours later too!.
The chow jew noodles are not very jewish at all. You get ground meat, shrimp, chicken and meatballs. I usually order mine with soup on the side.
Fast and rude service...what else would you expect from china town? Its like Wham bam thank you mam.
I just thought the food was alright. Nothing really out of the ordinary...maybe it's because I didn't know what to order?
The service however was great. The waiter came by and asked us if we had any questions about the menu and he catered to us very well.
Ordered fresh coconut juice in the young coconut itself but the coconut wasn't tender enough to eat which disappointed me. I ordered a fresh beef soup with thin rice noodles but I thought the flavor was bland. Like I said before, nothing out of the ordinary.
Decor was nice and modern with two flat screen tvs showing some options from the menu.
I personally like the Pho place next door as well.
My experience here is limited to one dish during one lunch, but throughout the afternoon I rubbed my tummy and smiled, so I think it warrants a review. Serving up oodles of noodles from Vietnamese to Chinese, this place is all about getting people slurping in and out as quickly as possible. It seemed the line never ended. And as two of us ate for less than a twenty spot, it's not surprising.
I sucked down #13, a bowl of the house beef noodle soup with egg noodles expecting a niao ro mien. The flavor was similar, but instead of yummy greens there were chunks of iceberg lettuce. Surprisingly, they were sweet and tasty. I walked away without MSG burn, and a hole in my pocket, ready to be lured by the neon of the surrounding stores in the mall. Good stuff!
When I lived in El Cerrito and feening noodles but not Pho... VH was the spot to eat at... I've tried almost all of their noodle soups, both meats and seafoods, and also the beef stew soup --- all were excellent and delicious. This place is tiny and can get a bit crowded but their service was always quick and friendly. I have never had a bad experience here.
Favorite things to order include:
Fried Rice (with our without the duck)
Beef stew soup
Cornish hen over fried rice
I have yet to buy their satay sauce!
A few weeks ago I would've given them 4 or ven 5 stars when I went with some co workers, but sadly when I went back there today with my hubby, it wasn't the case.
Last time I got the shrimp pork with vegetable with thin egg noodles and absolutely loved it! I couldn't even finish and had to take more than half the dish home. Today we ordered something similar but the egg noodles were so so ... it looked like an amateur noodle maker made it and it wasn't as thin as the last time I was here. :(
Nevertheless it was good - there was two of us and we still didn't finish the dish (more always means good to me - unless the food wasn't then it''d be a waste!) the beef balls in soup was just ok too.
Would still come back though -
3.5 stars...I don't think it justifies a 4, but not a 3..so I'll give it a right smack dab in the middle 3.5. Busy place with lots of asians = GOOD. I can't remember the "official" name of my dish but it was basically beef chow fun. Hubby had a chow mein noodle dish with gravy and veggies and chicken..his was mmmmmmm good, I liked it better than mine. But I think the things I appreciated the most here is their hot sauce and the little peppers in vinegar. Overall, a good place to come to if you're craving some kind of noodle dish but don't want pho or a typical hong kong style chow mein. AND it's right next to the cute little shop with all the hello kitty stuff!
I don't like the fact that it's cash only, so save yourself an ATM fee and bring cash beforehand.
EWWW. Its simply disgusting here.
My Boyfriend and i got sick after eating here.
And service sucks
Wrote a review for this place a while back, but for some reason it disappeared.
Anyway, I took my elderly dad grocery shopping like I do every weekend and we ended up here for lunch on a Sunday. Ordered a beef and vegetable dish as well as a stir-fried noodle dish. From a culinary standpoint, he's lead a very sheltered existence (it's a long story), but to my surprise, he was really happy with the food.
The guy that was our waiter was always smiling, very patient (I had to figure out what my dad could eat), and really great. He seemed way better than the girls that were working the other tables so I made sure to overtip him.
I wouldn't go out of my way to dine here, but if you're in the Pacific East Mall, it's not a bad choice for a quick lunch.
The food is decent, not bad, but way WAY overpriced. My beef chow fun was $8.50, and it was a smaller portion and tasted the same as chow fun I've had elsewhere priced under $6. And by elsewhere, I mean in multiple other places. Same experience for the people I came with.
Overall, 3-star for the food, minus 1 star for the price.
I grew up going to the VH noodle house in Oakland and now come to this one located inside the ranch 99 mall. I love ordering their fishball rice noodle (ho fun) soup.
It's a light meal, the broth is tasty, and the fishball doesn't have the annoying fish bone particles that you tend to get at many chinese noodle shops when you order the fish ball ho fun soup.
It's a good cheap lunch, but tends to get crowded here.
Yay! I'm a fan.
Another one of my feel good bowl of hot noodle place.
I used to come here monthly to get my VH noodle fix. I always get the #21 the noodle with all the fish balls, shrimp, mince pork/beef, kidney all on a hot savory soup. YUM!
I love it here because
-service is fast
-its always packed
-Fresh faire (except on sunday cuz i suspect they cook or buy the ingredient for Sat then sunday gets the left over)
-Cheap (my bowl is only about $6)
-Tasty!
Oh its cash only here.
This place is one of my reasons to come down to the bay & drive 80 miles from stockton.. ever heard of "u never know what u had until u loose it"? that special someone/thing well yea it goes for this noodle house!.. I order #18.. I use to live like 15 minutes away from it & now I live like 45-1 hour away.. *fawk* just thinking about it makes me wanna burn my house down & move back down to the bay.. but maybe in a year or 2... but yea back to how good it is.. fresh noodles (the greasy ones were if u rub some of the grease on the floor someone would seriously trip off of it) & I don't kno I just can't emphasize it enough just try it out for urself if u don't like it then u might of gotten ur taste buds burned from a previous meal or ur in a bad mood & u didn't enjoy it like u were suppose to & ur an asshole for blaming it on the noodles itself & if u did this before ur going to hell....
So I freaking love this place, it's the best place to eat when you're craving noodles, get number 21. Actually everything on this menu is the best. My husband and I drive here all the time just to get their noodles. My daughter loves their food, and she is kinda picky. They are always busy, but the service is pretty fast so you don't have to wait long. One thing I do not like is all they accept is CASH, so if you have ATM, Credit Card they do not accept those. Other then that, I love all their food! Oh yeah, and they are very inexpensive.
Totally reminds me of a noodle house in Asia. They have a wide variety of noodles and I love noodles. Today I ordered the Chew Jeow Ho Fun, which is the wide rice noodle with pork shrimp, sprouts, fish balls, and fish cakes in a clear broth. The broth tasted totally healthy yet very flavorful. I also ordered the fried tofu with special garlic sauce. The garlic sauce is more like a garlic oil. I don't think I'd order the tofu again.
BF had the rice plate with mince meat and egg. It wasn't what he was expecting but I think he'd give it a 4/5. The service is nothing spectacular. It's actually exactly what you'd expect it to be. You look to spend about $10 including tax and gratuity for a meal here. It's definitely a trusty place to go get your noodle fix.
Had a craving for some pho and did a quick stop over since my friend and I wanted to roam around EB. He suggested this place, since he's been here before. Plus, he added that their #20 Cambodian/Thai Pho soup is good! I followed his suggestion along with the hot sauce he kept raving about. Wow! Not bad for a spicy soup. The hot sauce really helped out the flavoring a lot more too since the broth and seasoning didn't quite soak into the chicken, liver, shrimp, fishballs, etc. Around ESSJ, I can't think of a Pho place that serves this type of soup. Would I come back for another bowl? Heck yeah if I were in the area! Too far of a drive to come all the way here for soup, but I give this place a thumbs up.
I am just a noodle fan. My family never really eats in this plaza much for lunch but one time we did because we were in a hurry to go to our eye appointment. So here we go:
Best egg noodles I have ever had. They are fresh and Delicious and take it from a noodle fan. Maybe that's why I seem to be packing on the pounds since I've been eating all these noodle carbs. hehe. Plus my mom say's that the noodles they make here are famous in Taiwan I think? I can't remember but overall, I've had the noodle in soup or Dry and both times it was delicious. I just can't wait until I get to go again. Sadly now that I live in San Jose, its a long way's drive.
Came here to try their version of the Pan Fried Noodle and compare it with their sister restaurant in Oakland Chinatown. Here, the dining room is more modern, you don't have that "Noodle Nazi" feeling like the Chinatown branch and I'd say the one time I've been here, I feel like the Oakland Chinatown branch did it just a bit better.
Not sure if it's all in my head but I did feel that there was a slight difference. I'd certainly still come back here cause it's still very good but in Oakland Chinatown you can say they are one of the very best in Chiu Chow style eats.....
I used to always go here with my local friends before they went to work and we would always get the Chow jew noodles which is the only thing I usually get because it's so good.
The service here is really fast and considerate even when it gets really busy during the weekend hours. I always tip them pretty high because they are really impressive in service. I've only experienced bad service here once but the server was new.
Other than that I rather go here than to the pho place right next to it because the quality and quantity is top notch here.
I am such a fan of their pan fried noodle dishes! Presentation is breathtaking and the portions are enough to get me through dinner and a midnight snack! Every time the hubbs and I come here I always order the Combination Pan Fried noodle dish and he orders the seafood dish. It's always packed which tells you one thing... everyone else is just as in love with their food as we are!
It's surprising how fast they get their food out. What's great is despite getting your food 5-8 mins after you order it truly tastes like someone's momma has been back there slaving away all day for your lunch/dinner.
With such a generous portion of rice noodles, various meats (pork, shrimp and fish cake in lieu of pork kidney) and broth, I was definitely stuffed.
As an appetizer, we got fish cake and I was happy. If you're like me and enjoy ground up fish paste formed into patties and fried, I recommend theirs.
The slide show of their featured menu items on HDTV was amusing too.
It is all about #12! This place is the bomb. I love Chau Jou noodle. So, I've been eating this type of noodle up and down the west coast. From LA China Town, San Gabriel Valley and SF China Town. And trust me the great people at VH Noodle House knows noodles! I guessing it NOT their first time at the rodeo....... noodle rodeo that is! The service is SUPER fast and friendly. Also the price is just right.
p.s. I would give a five star but the community restroom isn't working out.
ENJOY!
Richmond, CA
Category: Vietnamese
Richmond, CA
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Oakland Chinatown
Category: Chinese
Richmond, CA
Category: Vietnamese
Richmond, CA
Category: Chinese
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