Exceptional spot! The restaurant is clean and welcoming. The waiters are friendly and helpful. I got to go to this spot twice in the same weekend! I went with a friend on Friday and was excited to go with my bf on Sunday! If you haven't tried lotus salad, I would highly recommend it! Such an astounding crunch from the lotus, with satiable citrus flavors as the base. Shrimp and beef were cooked to perfection. We also tried razor clams which were flavorful and had a really easy chew to it. If I can't chew it under 1-2 minutes, I'm not going to continue. lol I can basically have their baked catfish all week. The dish is so comforting and light. Definitely a no-guilt type of meal. The fish has a nice crisp on the outside and so tender on the inside. I like to load my spring roll up with a lot of the fish. :) I would say the medium sized fish can feed up to 3-4 people. My friends and I were only able to make a dent on a quarter of the fish and had to bring the rest home. If you haven't tried the plum soda, definitely recommend. So good! read more

First timer! Weekend lunch. Found parking right away (although I heard it can be difficult during dinner time). No wait and we were seated as soon as we walked in. The gentlemen working were very kind. The food is very good. - My husband and I really enjoyed eating the salted fish fried rice and mango salad with squid together. Great balance. - Really liked how the baked catfish came with rice paper, noodles, sauce, and all the fresh veggies. - The fried chicken wasn't overly battered and was cooked to perfection. Til next time! read more

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The garlic noodles with giant prawns are excellent. Shaken beef with fried rice is also good despite a bit of chewy. We choose to sit outside to get night breeze and quieter ambiance. Service is OK. Good foods for the very reasonable money. read more

Bien Hen Restaurant - Garlic noodles with prawns - Seafood Near Me - Westminster, California

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Sharing the good and the bad: Items that I recommend: - Lau Thai - Clams with lemongrass - Mi Bo Luc Lac - Grilled prawns - Mango salad with squid Items I would not order again: - Balut (overcooked) - Bo Tai Chanh (overcooked) - Tom Tai Chanh (overcooked) read more

One of the best alternatives to Oc & Lau if you aren't able to wait those long wait times during those peak evening hours!! I've been to Bien Hen previously and it has always left a lasting impression.. today was no different. The wait for a party of 4 was about 20 mins here vs the hour+ found over at the other eatery. I'd immediately consider this a win! Parking was a little difficult but if your willing to do a bit of walking, you'll be fine. Here you will find traditional Viet seafood, street foods, hot pot, and what some would consider "bizarre foods". Dinner: *Lẩu Mắm- Fermented Fish with Eggplant Hot Pot *Oc Len Xào Dừa- Coconut Sea Snail w Basil Leaves *Ốc Móng Tay Xào Rau Muống / Đặc Biệt- Stir-Fried Razor Clams w/ Ong Choi/ House Special *Ếch Chiên Bơ- Butter Fried Frog *Single bowl of white rice The dining experience started off GREAT. The coconut sea snails and razor clams were fire!!! It took a little bit of time before the frog legs came out- no harm there. My issue lies within the order of white rice. Something as easy as scooping rice into a bowl really shouldn't have taken for us to ask multiple people where it was. The Lau mam came out after we were done with the our snails and clams. I appreciate the staff being mindful and bringing this meal out later to ensure us having enough room to maneuver around the hot pot comfortably. This is just where all the good ends. The lau mam was trash- flavors were too sweet, the fish and shrimp were all overcooked, and this was just a serious waste of calories! Still a solid 4 stars because the staff and food are great. I'll probably stick to primarily ordering only oc whenever we come here. Lau mam wasn't remotely good and the frog legs were bland. read more

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My wife and I came here for the first time when we had just started dating. 4 years later we are back and they sat us in the exact same table we were at before. We ordered the coconut snails, blood clams, razor clams and the house special hot pot. The snails and clams were a hit, we really enjoyed them compared to some other places. Did not enjoy the hot pot though, the broth was overly sweet. They do give you a decent amount of seafood with it, so if you like sweeter canh cua broth, it might be for you. read more

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Bien Hen I've been here a few times, and in my opinion, Bien Hen is a great choice if you're looking for variety. Their menu is extensive, so there's something for everyone. That said, I didn't find any dish that really stood out as unforgettable. We ordered the sò lông nướng mỡ hành , but they were unfortunately overcooked, making them dry instead of juicy. The tamarind-fried balut was tasty, although the eggs were a bit too large for my preference. I personally like the smaller ones because they absorb the tamarind sauce better. The salt-and-pepper squid was one of the better dishes--perfectly cooked, tender, and not dry at all. On the other hand, the pork intestines were very tough and had a strong odor that was quite unpleasant. The chicken congee was delicious and easily one of my favorite dishes of the meal. The stir-fried snails with coconut were decent, though nothing particularly memorable. The Yangzhou fried rice wasn't really my style, as the flavor was quite different from the traditional version I usually enjoy. The soft-shell crab was also over-fried, leaving it dry and lacking flavor. The staff were friendly, attentive, and quick with service. The restaurant isn't very large, but it's clean, comfortable, and feels spacious. There's also plenty of parking, so finding a spot close to the restaurant is easy. read more

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Great spot for fresh seafood, good portions and tasty dishes. We ordered the grilled squid- came out perfectly grilled; beef salad- very flavorful; and medium fish- huge(!) and delish. Service was also attentive! Would recommend! read more

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The best Vietnamese food in town! I love the seafood snails are my favorite. My dad was in town and his heart is so happy with the goi/ papaya salad too. It's a great place to bring all the aunties and uncles. Indoor and outdoor options for seating read more

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I went there on an early dinner. I've been craving for razor clams & so when I called this restaurant & they said they have it. I sprung to try it out. Upon seated, I waited like 10-15 minutes before anyone came to approach me. Servers on this restaurant are not very friendly at all. I have to call them several times before they can offer me anything. Nonetheless, foods were amazing! I would love to comeback for the foods. But I'm so disappointed on the service. If you're a food enthusiast like me & not bothered by a not so friendly atmosphere then I guess you can give it a try. read more

Bien Hen Restaurant - Everything is awesome except for the dried squid on my mango salad...too chewy like a gum - Seafood Near Me - Westminster, California

The combination fry rice was hard. The steam red tilapia seems like it was place in the freezer and into the hot soy sauce . when they gave it to us the red tilapia was hard and looks like they freeze it. It does not look anything like it was fresh. It looks like it was dead for months. I hope that my son doesn't get sick because of his health condition . if he does, I will make sure they will pay for it. The food failed... I was very disappointed. read more

The Fried Catfish was excellent, as well as the wings with fish sauce. Yum! I did have to ask twice for a box, but overall it was a great dinner. read more

Dropped in on a Friday night with friends. Doubt I'll be back. Too many other restaurants in the area with better execution and service. For starters, one of the pros is available and free parking. I arrived early (Ran time) just in case I needed to do laps around the lot hoping and praying for a spot. Not that night. I pulled right into a spot. Sat and waited until just before the witching hour. Large groups would be the next pro. No reservation as they don't take reservations during the rush. At least that's what I was told by the staff. I was just asked to drop my name on the Yelp waitlist. Feeling good about how the night would go, as soon as we were seated, it went downhill from there. First off - not friendly at all. I'm sitting at the end of the table so I asked the server for her name. She rudely exclaimed, it's server like it's printed on her badge. First, I can't see it and I could have dealt without the attitude because I would prefer to ask for her by name as I'm in the likely position to be asking for things for the table. A few times over the course of the meal, I was overheard by others in the restaurant - "Hey server!" - which to me if I heard, would have thought I was an asshole. But that's what management accepts as she was wearing the badge printed that way as opposed to having their name printed on it. Party of ten. Before the entire party even ordered, food was being delivered to the table. Understand why a restaurant would want food ready for the rush so that diners aren't sitting around waiting during the cooking process but several of the dishes were overcooked. And dry. Felt like the dishes were sitting under a heat lamp waiting for someone to order it. Also appreciated how I ordered a drink only to have to ask for it multiple times before it was served. Made sure to check that the drink orders weren't duplicated seeing as I had to ask several times each time. I normally don't rate places with one or two stars unless I'm not happy. In this case, I held off not providing my thoughts but something should be said hopefully for those in a position to effect change to address OR so potential diners know what to possibly expect should they decide to try this place out. read more

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This is the best Vietnamese seafood place in town. Everything is so fresh and the sauces are so flavorful with so much depth. My favorite is the catfish that the whole family can share. They also can do gluten-free. read more

Bien Hen Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Westminster, California

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Great spot to enjoy drinks with your friends after a night out or even a spot for you and your family to enjoy family dinner. Family style food where you all share. The flavors super flavorful and the food does come out quick. You gotta try their chicken wings! Also their canh chua was delicious. read more

Looking for a random seafood restaurant in the area and found this place. Went on a Sunday evening, there's a little bit of wait time. You sign in on the ipad outside the entrance through Yelp. Plenty of seating outside while you wait. They have a couple of outdoor seating with heater. They have plenty of selection (see menu on the photos) and I would say it is comparable to Oc & Lau which I've been to countless of times. I recommend this place if you are in the area and looking for some seafood and other variety of Asian cuisine. read more

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I got lucky to come early to get a sit without waiting. The dish we got was a large catfish fried nice and crisp and I was happy to get this for two. I say it's enough to fill a table of four but I sure did try to finish this. The place is clean enough for what it is I say pig out and get those fingers pinching. read more

Bien Hen Restaurant - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Westminster, California

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This is one of those older, long-standing seafood spots that locals clearly know about. It reminds me a lot of Oc & Lau, but a bit more reasonably priced. I've heard they get much busier at night, but we stopped by in the middle of the day for a light seafood snack while we were out and about. The restaurant itself isn't very big, and I can imagine it getting pretty packed during peak hours. It wasn't too busy when we came, which made for a relaxed experience. It's definitely more of a hidden gem vibe -- not the prettiest or most modern place, and you can tell it's been around for a while -- but that's kind of part of its charm. Food-wise, everything we ordered was good. My favorite dish was the plain grilled razor clam with butter and green onions (Ốc Móng Tay Nướng Mỡ Hành). Simple, flavorful, and cooked just right. It seems like their basic grilled dishes are solid across the board. My cousin loved the Coconut Sea Snail with Basil Leaves (Ốc Len Xào Dừa). The coconut flavor was rich and aromatic, though I personally would've preferred it just slightly saltier. We also had the catfish sour soup (Canh Chua Cá Bông Lau), which was well-priced and came with plenty of fish. The flavor was good, but I could tell it had a heavier hand with MSG. Overall, I would come back. The food is good, especially if you love Vietnamese-style seafood snacking like I do. It may not be fancy, but it delivers where it counts. read more

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Such great food! Service was good. The place was quiet when we walked in but quickly filled up. I like that it was so clean&i love that they have so many protein options and dishes that are not in every restaurant. read more

The food is tasty and the prices are really great, but unfortunately, the cleanliness of the restaurant is a serious concern. The floors were dirty, and there was noticeable dirt, dust, and even dirty utensils underneath the chairs and booths. It was honestly pretty disgusting and really took away from the overall dining experience. I'm surprised this level of cleanliness hasn't resulted in a health department inspection. I hope the restaurant addresses these issues because the food and pricing are good, but cleanliness and sanitation should be a basic priority. read more

We went to a famous oc restaurant on a Tuesday night but the wait was 160 minutes?!? So we quickly yelped and found Bien Hen Restaurant. A great location with plenty of parking and GUESS WHAT? A live yelp waitlist! We love YELP and easy wait times. Waited 20 minutes as they prepared our table. We looked over the menu in the meantime and already knew what we wanted. As soon as we were seated they gladly took our order. We got the grilled razor clams with butter and green onions and grilled scallops with butter and green onions. We also got the lotus salad, fried rice, soft shell crab in butter, chicken wings, steamed escargot with sautéed salted duck egg, coconut sea snail with basil leaves, and oc buou hap sa. So much food and it was all delicious! My favorite was the lotus salad and razor clams. The environment is very much like a quan nhau or drinking spot. Type of spot to enjoy fresh tasty seafood and drinks with friends and family. Honestly this is now our new go-to whenever we are in town and craving oc! read more

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It's the kind of place that focuses on the food and not the decor or ambience. They had a tv playing Asian music videos (a bit too loud). We ordered salted fish fried rice, fish sauce wings, and grilled shrimp. Everything was excellent. The service was ok. We had a viet speaker to order for us. Would I come back? Yes, only with a Viet person in our group. read more

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The best spot to get the tic Vietnamese food. The place specializes in snails and fried catfish. So good. So fresh. So delicious! There is a big parking lot with plenty of parking read more

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We were craving Vietnamese seafood but didn't feel like earning a PhD in Waiting at Oc & Lau. A friend of a friend (the most reliable source, obviously) insisted that Bien Hen was even better than Oc & Lau. We rolled in on a Saturday at lunchtime... and were seated immediately. No vibrating buzzer. No "45 minutes... maybe." Already a win. The staff were on it -- attentive, responsive, and actually making eye contact. Meanwhile, Oc & Lau's servers have mastered the rare art of speed-walking while carefully avoiding all human interaction. But let's get to the main event: the food. Flavor-wise, Oc & Lau still wears the crown. Sorry, Bien Hen -- your dishes were good! Solid 8/10 territory. But Oc & Lau hits that 9/10 flavor high note that keeps people willing to age in the waiting line. So if you want excellent seafood without sacrificing an hour of your life, Bien Hen is a fantastic backup plan. Delicious, efficient, and zero emotional trauma. read more

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The fried catfish at Bien Hien is absolutely amazing! The fish was crispy on the outside, tender and flavorful on the inside, and cooked perfectly. You can really taste the freshness and care that goes into the food. Definitely one of the dishes I'll be coming back for! If you love fried catfish, you have to try this place. Highly recommend! read more

Bien Hen Restaurant - Fried catfish spring rolls - Seafood Near Me - Westminster, California

Food is still good. Service still good too. Always come here with friends or family for delicious Vietnamese seafood. We got the Ca Noun, Grilled Scallop, and lastly Grilled Shrimp. First time trying their shrimp and it's flavorful, crispy, and bomb. Forget to take photos of it, we ate that up quick. People come through! read more

Bien Hen Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Westminster, California

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Dinner with Bien Hen was definitely a great experience. As we coming in their employees was there together greet us as well as open the doors and welcoming us. Super super A+ for Vietnamese's restaurant. Okay now its come to food taste. We originally came to get some seafood ( Oc Mong Tay & etc) but they sold out so we went with wild boar and oysters. I would said and considered about the wild boar dish, it was bit too salty, its good but its definitely too salty. Maybe if they can adjust a bit it would be so perfect. The oyster however was meeting our expectations and it was amazing, the flavor and well-cooked. Ambiance is nice, it seems every front worker up to date with the music since they were playing new Drake's album as well. Great energy. read more

Bien Hen Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Westminster, California

I came here on a Sunday night with family and all the tables were full, even the ones outside which tells you the food is probably pretty good. The vibe of this place caters to the old and young crowd alike. It's good for large parties are even if you just want to bring one or two friends out to eat. They offer beer from a pitcher with a tap that you can share with your friedns. This place specializes mostly in seafood, but their most popular dish is probably the Ca nuong (baked catfish with crispy skin). Its fresh fish that you wrap yourself at the table in rice paper with noodles, herbs, carrots, and dip in their sauce. This dish is really worth trying once. read more

Bien Hen Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Westminster, California

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No wait on a Wednesday afternoon. Not the cleanest restaurant and the dishes we had weren't my favorite. - Soft shelled crabs in tamarind sauce (4): sauce was flavorful and had yummy garlic chunks. Crabs had a good crisp but had an offputting aftertaste. - Tom Yum Clams: large clams and decent tasting tart broth as expected of tom yum. Some of the clams seemed bloated which made me doubt the freshness/quality of them... The seafood green sauce and ginger sauce on the sides were yummy tho - Razor clams (6): i liked the fried onions and peanuts on top but the clams weren't cleaned out all the way leaving a gritty/sandy texture in some ): - large shrimp on noodles: shrimp were well seasoned. the meat was sweet and had a nice chew to it. Noodles was like spaghetti and lacked flavor. we couldn't finish it... Parking's a little tight. Service checked up on us often, which was nice. Overall, food was lackluster and prob won't come back read more

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First time trying authentic Viet seafood & was blown away. Everything was so delicious - we ordered the razor clams, grilled ark clams, grilled oysters, fried catfish, and beef salad. The portion sizes were perfect for our group of 3 & prices were reasonable. Staff were nice & helpful with recommendations. Although it was busy & bustling with people coming in and out, the restaurant was clean and great for large groups. Parking can be challenging as the plaza gets busy during lunchtime. Will definitely come back again soon! read more

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I'm a fan of OC&Lau, this spot is supposed to be comparable with the same dishes, but the food and flavor was mediocre and the menu is not as extensive. The pricing is comparable though. Ordered the salted fish fried rice, curry wild boar, whole squid, stir fry clams, shaken beef & butter chicken wings. The salted fish fried rice, squid and shaken beef were the crowd favorites! The restaurant doesn't feel so clean and the restrooms are really dirty. read more

Bien Hen Restaurant - salted fish fried rice, curry wild boar, shaken beef - Seafood Near Me - Westminster, California

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Delicious! They had razor clams and a shorter wait! The parents are happy and the kiddos too read more

Bien Hen Restaurant - Stir fry beef noodles and squid mango salad - Seafood Near Me - Westminster, California

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This place is great. Ordered XL Ca Nuongs. Was the biggest Ive seen. All the sides were filled up with exta. Portions were great. Fish was extremely fish. WIll not be going back to Thien Anh again! read more

Friendly service but need to ask for a lot of things (water, napkins, plates, bowls) Our ca nuong was also not ordered so it didn't come out until I followed up and was told the order wasn't placed. The fish was very crispy and flavorful tho! So I would recommend this spot for ca nuong. Busy on a Friday night, be prepared to wait even with reservations. Noisy and lively restaurants. read more

Great food, great service, great ambiance at night, and great playlist (whoever makes the playlist at this restaurant has great taste in music)! This restaurant serves primarily the same food as Oc and Lau but personally I like this place better. The crispy skin on their baked/grilled catfish was probably the best I've ever had and the catfish was overall fresh and tasty. The goat curry had excellent flavor and went well with bread. Loved the soup in the sturgeon hotpot. read more

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I chose Bien Hen over other seafood spots because I called the restaurant and they had razor clams and others didn't! They didn't disappoint... we visited at 2p on Saturday and there was no wait. We ordered: 2 razor clams, beef with water spinach salad, bo luc lac with rice, salt and pepper dungeness crab , clams and a beef mango salad (not on menu but they accommodated.) Everything tasted good and my craving for seafood was satisfied. One con was there were too many peanuts and onions on the dishes. Simple Vietnamese restaurant that is clean and has many attentive workers. read more

Bien Hen Restaurant - Razor clams - Seafood Near Me - Westminster, California

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Mọi lần ăn ngon nhưng đợt này ăn lại chỉ được mỗi cánh gà chiên là ngon. Món mực còn cả phần trong chưa được cạo/lấy ra sạch sẽ, cũng k cay thơm mùi muối ớt. Sò nướng ăn okay Ngồi ngoài mấy bạn phục vụ không quan tâm lắm read more

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service could be A LOT better. It was genuinely bad when we came. We were super excited to try this place, we should've just stayed at OC & Lau. 1). We asked if the catfish dish came with the whole spring roll set and they said no. I really wanted to try it, so we ordered something else, but the table next to us with plenty of filled water ordered that same dish I wanted and had the exact spring roll set I mentioned before. Food was okay and they only kept refilling the next table's water and not ours. They were very attentive to the party of 15 and 6, then it became whatever. 2). They forgot our hot pot, and once reminded about it, they instantly brought it out. So they forgot to put it in lol...I was full and over it at that point. I knew since they seated us in the corner, they were not going to be good service at all. 3). If you're not fluent Vietnamese or from Vietnam, you're not going to get the 100% customer service. I may not be fluent, but I can still understand Viet and body language. One of the staff who was a girl, also kept giving attitude and did not want to serve us when we asked for more water and plates. She demanded someone else to do it because it seemed like being on her phone was more important in the corner and just watching everyone while she did nothing much. Please do better, because the service genuinely SUCKED. Just go to another seafood restaurant, don't waste your time and money here. read more

If you're looking for more variety in your Vietnamese food rotation this is a good place to try. They offer significantly more than your typical pho or bahn mi. We had the razor clams that comes with a delicious green sauce and fried shallots, the grilled goat ribs which were delicious, the grilled squid which was good but not amazing, the grilled prawns were ok, and garlic noodles I wouldn't order again. The menu is extensive with a lot of unique dishes. We actually came here because OC & Lau ran out of all the items we wanted to order. This place is such a good alternative and there was no wait! read more

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This is one of my favorite Vietnamese seafood restaurants. The food is delicious, the service is excellent, and--most importantly--the prices are very reasonable. We come here practically every month; it has basically become our go-to neighborhood spot. read more

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