AK Kitchen is located very close to the Villages in SE San Jose. We decided to try some food in the area, and I'm always down to try some Thai food. We ordered takeout and they were prompt and had everything ready to go when we walked in. We ordered Pad See Ew chicken and Spicy Basil Fried rice(spicy). Our immediate first reactions, were that it looked nothing like the online menu images or Thai food we've had elsewhere in the Bay Area. The pad see we usually had this thicker brown sauce that it's cooked in, but this version had a watery soup. The basil fried rice also.. didn't look fried. The taste was better than it looked but still very different from what we expected it to be. I wouldn't say it tasted bad, but I didn't taste like pad see ew or basil fried rice. I'm glad I asked for spicy fried rice because the actual spice levels I received were 2/5. read more

AK Kitchen - Pad Denver - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

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It's not really my favorite, maybe a 2.5/5 but would eventually like to try their other options. First I do want to say that I recommend calling them before making a trek if you are outside of the Evergreen Area. I've tried to come here about 4 times, and was only able to dine here once (which they did let us know they were going to close earlier than stated hours as well) 1 - They were renovating 2 - Closed w/o a holiday/no real reason 3 - Closed for a "private party" This really sucks at least in a restaurant perspective, so if you aren't nearby definitely double check that they're open as my group didn't know each time until we got there and saw a paper sign in front. To the food itself. I got a chicken pad thai, asked for it to be spicy and honestly, this was maybe a 1.5/5. Chicken - Extremely overcooked; very rubbery; probably the most rubbery I've ever had, I stopped eating them and just left it on the plate. I did hear a microwave that went for a few minutes and then repeated, so maybe it was frozen and they weren't prepared for this? Rest of the Pad Thai - Kind of extremely basic, with limited flavor. They do provide the sauce on the side, which I think is weird, which also makes the yelp pictures weird as well. Spice level - It was spicy I guess, but it wasn't the normal flavorful spice that you'd usually get from thai places (or maybe it was just entirely lacking in flavor whatsoever). Tried their catfish curry and that was around a ~3.5/5. The main downsides were some of the potatoes weren't entirely cooked, being fairly firm still. However, flavor of the curry was good and the other stuff like the carrots were fine. Difficult to say I'd want to come back but they do have a fairly big range of menu and average prices while also being a bit close to me. read more

AK Kitchen - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

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This restaurant is a quiet little spot tucked away in a village area. I personally like AK Kitchen, especially their udone soup it's something between a Vietnamese pho and a Japanese udon, but with more of a Vietnamese flavor. Overall, it's not bad. If you're craving really good pho or authentic Thai dishes, I'd recommend going elsewhere, but if you just want something with a nice Asian flavor, this place is a good choice. Place is clean & staff are pleasant. I recently visited, and it looks like they've changed the menu, no more udon read more

This is a one-man show. The owner is also the cook and the waiter. We're all impressed how he got it all done by himself. The restaurant is spacious and clean. It wasn't crowded when we came. Service was good. We ordered many different dishes. - Our favorite was the scrispy rice paper combo ($5.5 each), crap and asparagus soup ($12.5) and chicken wings. I also liked my flan coffee. - The grilled sate squid was cooked well (not over cooked), the char was nice but we didn't like the squid texture (it's not his fault, I don't think, it's just the squid itself). - The street corns was decent but it needs a bit more fish sauce and maybe sugar. Overall, we were happy with our visit and liked our food. read more

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- stopped by here on my way home from my home matchmaking job - dinner time - parking plenty in plaza - not busy at all midweek Food - coconut water was definitely just the frozen stuff dethawed , I am a little spoiled cuz I buy fresh coconuts - grilled vermicelli pork: enjoyed this, plenty of food and veggies If I were in the area prob would come again just not for the coconut water :) read more

AK Kitchen - M6. Grilled Pork Vermicelli with eggroll - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

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Favorite place to get a tasty bowl of pho. And no msg in any of the dishes (I'm allergic). Favorite drink is egg coffee (must try). Pho+egg coffee from AK kitchen heal my spirit on difficult days. read more

I was very disappointed with this place. I had high expectations after reading the reviews. The menu has a lot of options. Sadly the food that we ordered lacked flavor especially for Asian fusion. It was a hot day and there was no AC. Lots of seating for large parties but there were no other diners. Will not be a place I return to. read more

Excellent, fresh coocked meals, attractive honer, he is really talented shef, the menu includes lots of traditional Asian dishes, prices reasonable. The Villages are just around the corner and most of residents don't even know about such a wonderful restaurant right behind the gateway. We highly recommend this restaurant for everyone who appreciates Asian food: Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai. read more

This place was alright, locates in a pretty quiet and small shopping mall. If you don't want to cook and want to grab a quick dinner nearby, then this is where you go. I can see it's a popular place near the neighborhood. Service was good, only tho there's only one guy but he acts fast. Food was mediocre, curry is actually spicy which I like. read more

AK Kitchen - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

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We met the humble, kind, and thoughtful owner and chef (Lam) upon arriving. He kindly let us know that there may be a bit of a wait since a few big tables arrived just before us. We hardly noticed since he brought some pre-meal snacks (homemade) for us to enjoy while we waited. Then came the food... there were 5 of us, and we each ordered something different. We eat a LOT of Vietnamese food and each of us thought it was among the best we've tried... and we've had a lot. Super delicious!!! Highly recommend. Give AK Kitchen a try, and enjoy some really great Vietnamese food. read more

The chicken pho soup, popcorn chicken and spring rolls are delicious. Customer service is great!! Mr. Lam is a great owner and great host, chef, he takes pride in his food he serves. Thank you Sandra and David! read more

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Great neighborhood restaurant! Have had catering/take out but not the opportunity to dine in until recently. Lam really took into consideration my family's specific (dietary) needs and followed-up to make sure they enjoyed it (clean plates, so I'd say so!) Really is a one-man show (read up on AK kitchen and Lam in the recent SF Eater article) We will be back, especially to try the specialty coffees. read more

We used to live in the Villages and were happy when a restaurant (right outside the Villages) opened up so we could go to someplace different - diferent food, ambiance, and service. So when we lived there and different resaurants opened up (in place of the one before). we were happy to try it out. Forward - 10 years, and our friends still live in the villages and we don't. They suggested AK Kitchen, so we met them there. The place was kind of empty, which was just fine for us (we can hear each other and that's a great feeling) and the ambiance is similar to the its predecessor. But... the food was delicious and different. We ordered the lambchops which were delicious. Our friends ate the crab cakes, which they said was fabulous; his wife ate this coconut fish soup (and usually orders that when we go to Thai food in other places.) AK was the winner of all the places she has gone. The owner is the sole owner and cook, so if you have no patience, this will affect you. If you just want a pleasant evening, go about 4:30-5:00 and you will have plenty of time to wait for his fabulously prepared food and to relax. The kitchen, we are told, closes at 7:00-. For a tasting experience you won't want to miss and which you'll talk about to your friends, spend the time at AL. The owner is a very pleasant young man, who will want to please you. read more

WOW! This was absolutely wonderful! The food was perfect, and the person working there was an absolute pleasure to see. He was really kind! The place didn't feel like it pushed you away, but it felt COMFORTABLE! It was amazing, I loved the ambiance, food, service, and everything! PLEASE visit! read more

AK Kitchen - The Furikake Chex Mix you can buy - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

I have heard of this restaurant through a friend who shared that their Vietnamese Egg Coffee is delish. I decided get a snack for lunch today trying the popcorn chicken and the Vietnamese Egg Coffee. I ordered for pick up via doordash and waited a few minutes upon arrival to the restaurant at designated time of pickup. The staff was friendly and gave me accurate status of my order. The restaurant is pretty roomy and looks very clean. There are about 8 booths, 4 on each side with tables for 4 in the middle on one side of the restaurant. There were 2 sets of long tables (several small tables put together to form the long tables) to the other side of the room. I got my food and immediately started eating in the car as I got hungry. And here's my thoughts. 1. The popcorn chicken better is very crispy but there is no salt & pepper seasoning so it tastes very bland. The description of the popcorn chicken says it includes green onions and garlic but as you can see in the picture, there is nothing. The sauce that came with it was decent as it's a combo of savory sweet which I prefer over sweetness only. Some pieces were dried and chewey while other pieces were moist. 2. The iced Vietnamese egg coffee is delish! For Vietnamese coffee, it wasn't as strong so I did not hesitate to slurp it. To taste the egg cream, I pull the straw from up top and pushing it down as sip up the coffee to get both the egg cream and coffee together. I couldnt believed that I finished it before getting home, about 7 mins away. My impression of the food so far is not great as its based only on the popcorn snack only. I would like to try other foods from the menu in future and will update my review as appropriate. The extra star is based on the delish ice coffee and customer service. read more

AK Kitchen - Popcorn chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

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AK Kitchen is nestled deep in the Evergreen/San Felipe area, so it's not easy to spot driving compared to a main street. Their staff is friendly and seated us right away. We ordered the salt & pepper calamari and the crab fried rice and it was enough to share between two people. Everything tasted great and was pleased with the service as well. read more

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Good food. The pho is good as. Is the beef stew. Went with 2 coworkers and was happy with my meal and the prices we paid

The food is excellent! I've had the spring roll and that makes a delicious light lunch and shrimp pad Thai - another winner. Got my food to go. read more

This was our first time and definitelynot last. Wr had Thai red curry with fish and Pad Thai with prawns. Both were very good, fresh and yummy. Service was perfect read more

Nice staff, fast service, clean restaurant, and delicious drinks! Ordered two drinks; the Mashing Milo and Lemongrass Orange Peach Tea. The hostess was super nice and gave us the drink menu right away when we said we only wanted drinks. When we ordered our drinks, he said it should be about a 10 minute wait, however, the drinks were ready in under 5! The mashing Milo was had a whole piece of flan in it! I'm a fan of Milo so I heavily enjoyed this drink. The lemon grass orange peach tea was super refreshing, the boba and added fruit added a lot of flavor as well! The restaurant was super clean which is a huge plus! I am not giving this place 5 starts, YET, because I have not tried the food here. The menu looks great though and I am super excited to try the rice plates and skewers. I will provide an update when I get the chance to eat their food! read more

AK Kitchen - N1. Lemongrass Orange Peach Tea N5. Mashing Milo - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

It's been over a year since we came here last time. We ordered different things this time, but felt that the quality was subpar. Crab fried rice: 2.5/5. There was definitely enough crab in it. The fried rice was too soggy. Not good. Calamari: 2/5. Not crispy, period! Ox tail hot pot (large): 3/5. It's definitely not what the picture shown on Yelp. Soup base was decent. The only highlight was the egg noodle. Not sure which brand it was, but they didn't make soggy at all. They prepped it well. $42 was ok, but I probably wouldn't order that again. They don't serve Asian tea. They give you Lipton. read more

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Good food but very slow service. May go back but would order for take out only as long as I'm not in a rush.

This cozy hidden jewel of San Jose not only has the best Vietnamese Seafood Udon with the house made fishballs but also has a vegetarian Pho. The menu is pretty big but not too daunting. I really like the booths I wish more places had them. I believe the place is run just by one person but he attentive and friendly. I really enjoyed my iced coffee for dessert. I can't wait to go back and have different food and drinks. read more

AK Kitchen - Iced CF1. Vietnamese Egg Coffee - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

Very delicious ! the best Vietnamese food ! If you need a house party, they could make food to serve and delivery too . read more

On a cold winter's night the other week , we opted for some pho takeout to warm our souls. Ordered over the phone with approx 20 min wait for pick up, not bad at all. Ordered the chicken pho- this is a large soup. Comes in two containers.. one with broth, the other with noodles and chicken, and a bag with all the condiments jalapeño, basil, bean sprouts etc. Plenty of chicken breast meat. Broth could use a little more flavor. I added some sambal from home to give it a little kick and flavor. Beef pho- this is a large soup. My son enjoyed this soup with plenty of meat, beef balls, and rich broth You can make two meals out of the pho! Pork vermicelli plate- nice presentation. BBQ pork could use a little more flavor too, the rest of the plate was good Overall good, dishes were fresh and good portion size... just, slightly bland, needs a little something. Thank you for warming up our tummies and souls! read more

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I was in SJ with the roommate's brother when he ask me if I wanted anything from AK Kitchen for lunch. Since I love trying new places, I said sure! He initially tried calling in the order on Thursday, June 18th at 11:30am since that's when they open. For some reason, they weren't answering the phone, so he decided to walk here. They were still closed, so we were about to order from somewhere else. Decided to try calling one more time and finally someone picked up around 12 noon. Our takeout order was ready around 12:15pm. G4. Vietnamese style rare veal C1. Grilled Pork with Rice I was craving rare beef, but they didn't have it, so I got the rare veal instead. It was a little more cooked than I imagined, so it didn't really fulfill that rare beef craving. But I did enjoy the flavors after adding hot sauce to the dish. The roomie's bro had the pork and rice which he seemed to enjoy. I believe he's ordered from here before, so it's a convenient go to for him. I want to try more dishes like their bun rieu. I love the contrast in extreme flavors. Gimme something spicy, fishy, salty, etc. I want it all! This spot seems to be a fusion of different asian cuisines with a focus on Vietnamese. So far, the veal dish was just meh. But I want to give them another chance and try some more. Especially since this is so close to the roommate's house in SJ. Super convenient for a quick meal! read more

AK Kitchen - G4. Vietnamese style rare veal - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

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I've been trying to stay away from dairy so I haven't gone in a while, but my dad did try their egg coffee. After spending MONTHS in Vietnam, the verdict is in - AK Kitchen has better ca phe trung than the cafes in Saigon. My dad can't wait to come back to the US to grab some more with me! Wish they had a dairy free version with coconut milk instead, but I'll take a Lactaid for their coffee any day. read more

AK Kitchen - Iced cà phê trứng nướng - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

I visited this modern and clean bistro a couple of times last year, and I've recently heard good things about it again, so I feel it's worth sharing my experience. This spot serves high-quality Vietnamese food that combines authenticity with a touch of modern presentation. What struck me first was how spotless the place was. A clean restaurant always puts my mind at ease, and it shows that the owner genuinely cares about the dining experience. This care was reflected not only in the welcoming and friendly service but also in the beautiful presentation and incredible flavors of the dishes. The food was delicious, true to the rich and vibrant flavors of Vietnamese cuisine, and the presentation added a special touch. Every dish felt fresh and thoughtfully prepared. To top it all off, the prices were very reasonable--no unnecessary add-ons, just great value for what you get. I'm honestly surprised more people don't know about this place! Both times I went during dinner, the dining area was relatively empty, but I hope it catches on soon. read more

This neighborhood restaurant is almost contained within the Villages but it is a public restaurant. I wasn't expecting much from a place like this, but they surprised me. Delicious food and great service. Ample parking in a pleasant surrounding. We've been here no less than five times, and everything has been very consistent. We usually order the hotpot (L3). Tasty broth, lots of veggies and generous portion of filet mignon. Other items on the menu look yummy as well, mostly Vietnamese and some fusions. If you want Real Vietnamese food without the Asian mall parking nightmare, this place is for you! Also, there's no corkage fee on Monday for us wine lovers! read more

The service was quick considering everything came out fresh and hot. Taste did not disappoint. There was a lot of take out orders so you know people love this restaurant. They place music but at a good volume. There was some beautiful art on the walls and the have an aquarium with jelly fish to enjoy seeing read more

AK Kitchen - Chicken curry, red curry with fish, fish congee, chicken feet and spring rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

The restaurant is located in hidden corner. I just found it out through my friend's suggestion. Oh my. I found a hidden gem. It's so clean compared to most of same kind restaurants in this area. Nice decorations. Plenty parking. The food was excellent so I just digged in and forgot to take pictures. I managed to get the tea picture tho. Haha. Best fruit tea ever. The server was super nice and attentive. I will be back with more friends. This restaurant deserves more attention. read more

AK Kitchen - N1. Lemongrass Orange Peach Tea - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

Great food when they are open. Very flaky, unfortunately. They seem to close randomly. You'll never know until you get there. Yelp will take take-out orders even when they have decided to close. They will refund if you call Support. read more

I love the Teriyaki chicken, tastes perfect and tender, as well as the shaken beef. The portion is good enough for me. You should also try the Lemongrass Orange Peach tea (Tra dao cam sa). I usually dont like to taste too much of lemongrass but this is ok for me which I like it. Service was great and the restaurant is clean. Located near Evergreen Valley College which I will definitely stop by again for lunch after school. read more

AK Kitchen - C7. Grilled Teriyaki Chicken with Rice & Shaken Beef - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

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Lam and the team at AK kitchen always a winner! Nice spot close owner operated with great food, Clean restrooms, small corkage fee!! Sandra and I love the popcorn chicken and vegetable pho especially on a cold day. We also love the chicken skewers as they are hot off the grill and an amazing seasoning. Insider info make sure to take home a bag of the Furikakw Chex Mix! Supper yummy!! read more

Not a good experience at all. I ordered a Korean short rib dish but all I got was bones and fat. when I told the server it was a bad meal, he said that's what Koreans eat, mainly bones and fat. He offered no satisfaction and also told me nothing on the menu is very authentic Vietnamese food. read more

Great food. Good service. Clean. Gave us good recommendations as we were not familiar with their menu.

The food is very good and the services is excellent, not super fast because it is all handle by one person, the Ambiance is nice, I was also given a free bag of their home made Chex Mix for free, love this place. read more

Food is delicious and the service is nice. This is my favorite place to hang out with friends and family. read more

AK Kitchen - Sate Chicken - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

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Vietnamese coffee with milk (bac xiu version): It was not made over sweet. I was able to adjust the sweetness after taking a sip. The coffee strength is just right for me - medium to strong. Taste: better than many Vietnamese coffee shops. I highly recommend this coffee and the egg coffee. Non-meat skewers (tofu and quail eggs): yummy. Thumps up for not having excess oil on the plate. Crispy egg noodle with seafood: good portion and very yummy. There were more carrots than cabbage. It would be better to have some more cabbage. Overall, this dish is great. Food quality is consistent every time I visit. I am provided a bill with breakdowns. The good restaurants would let you see the breakdown of the charges. Staff are polite. 5 stars for customer service. The restaurant is clean. read more

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A hidden gem in the Evergreen area of San Jose. The place is clean, the food is super delicious and the staff is cordial. We had the korean beef on rice, my companion had the grilled pork on vermicelli and our appetizer was the baby clams. The clams were a little spicy but it was yummy. The honeydew with coffee jelly was sweet but paired well with my meal. It is our first time to try this restaurant and we will be coming back for sure. read more