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    Blue Monkey Cafe & Restaurant

    4.0 (503 reviews)
    Open 10:00 am - 10:00 pm

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    BLUE MONKEY CAFE & RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Dogs allowed

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    Chicken feet
    Jenny H.

    We sat outside since we had our dog and the staff got the heat lamp for us so it gradually got warm. Staff are really nice. When we got the hot pot, I ate it "incorrectly" but the waitress stepped in and showed me how Vietnamese folks use the sides. For example, she said the noodle just goes in your bowl and then the sides go into the pot and you can pour the fish sauce on the side. And you scoop a bowl of broth on the side so it doesn't overfill, so you can pour it back in as the soup decreases. And then the catfish takes about seven minutes to cook. The oysters were SO GOOD. Sizzzzzling, juicy, wonderfully seasoned. Comes with a side of green sauce I have no idea what it is but it is good with the oysters but the oysters taste good without it as well. The chicken feet deboned is really good! Flavor is delicious. And the mango was good. I do wish it was a bigger plate given the cost but it is a good appetizer. There was a restroom and parking since it is a plaza area. I will def come back to try more!

    Ivy C.

    Got their hu tieu and it did not disappoint! Heft amount of toppings and it includes some pork bone broth on the side as well. I recommend getting their big plates of wraps since it's a fun experience to wrap your own spring roll. Check in with the waiters for monthly deals!

    Large Seafood platter
    Hoai-Huong N.

    Came here for the seafood and was not very impressed. My family got the large seafood platter to share which came w razor clams, oysters, Manila clams etc - we really wanted to try a bit of everything. Because we ordered the seafood platter all the dishes except for the clams in broth were cold, which was disappointing. The favorite was the clams in broth because it was very warm and flavorful thanks to the lemongrass and peppers. The oysters and scallops with cheese sauces was a miss. It wasn't your standard cheese sauce probably closer to a sweet cream cheese. The scallops were also really grainy (maybe not properly cleaned). The other shellfish just wasn't very flavorful even with the sauce. If you want to try the seafood here maybe don't order the big platter (which sucks bc it seemed like a great deal). Service was fast a restaurant was very clean though!

    Rose M.

    During another week in San Jose, I had the chance to explore more of the local food scene and discovered this spot through a friend's recommendation. It definitely lived up to the hype. My husband and I ordered a variety of dishes, and everything was excellent, but the standout was the oysters. They were served sizzling in a skillet and topped with scallions, peanuts, and a flavorful cilantro-based sauce. The combination was absolutely delicious. I may have to make another visit before leaving San Jose.

    Razor clams
    Natalie T.

    Good solid place if you like to share big Vietnamese food platters. I always go for the bun cha Ha Noi platter, which comes with noodles, meat, greens and rice paper so you can make your own spring rolls! it's a bit pricey, but if you come with another person or even 3 total people, you can share this platter and be satisfied. It's a fun experience making your own spring rolls since you have control on what to add to your own bite! The hu tieu here is surprisingly pretty flavorful and delicious as well! The soup is filled with umami and meat is tender as well. Razor clams are not bad too, whenever I am craving some Vietnamese street food and want some clams that's when I order these. Otherwise I usually just stick with the bun cha ha noi platter and the hu tieu!

    Snails in curry
    Patrick L.

    We were visiting family in San Jose and we wanted to try some authentic Vietnamese dishes. Blue Monkey was highly recommended. When we arrived, it was pretty busy. We managed to get seated relatively quick. We were hungry after a trip to Monterey. We started off with snail in curry. I'm personally more familiar with coconut milk but this was the one the chef recommended. They cut the end of the shell so you can suck the snail out easily. The curry was sweet and tasty. Sauce was definitely worth keeping to put on top of rice! Next we ordered meat and seafood platters. For the meat platter, it has egg rolls, meat balls and grilled pork. It came with Bun and some leafy vegetables for wrapping good with. All so good! The seafood platter was the highlight for me. It came with grilled oysters, cheesy scallops, blood clams, clams and more snails. They green mint curry that came with it was a bit spicy and compliments the seafood. In terms of ambiance, it is well lighted. They have long tables for big groups. Staff was friendly. After eating, we paid st the counter. We will be back again when we are in the area. Check them out if you have not been! You won't be disappointed.

    Chicken gizzard, pig ear mango salad, razor clams, coconut curry snails, and thai Manila clams
    Crystal H.

    We ordered to-go on Friday around 6pm. We got Chicken gizzard, pig ear mango salad, razor clams, coconut curry snails, and thai Manila clams. Everything was good. The Thai broth that the Manila clams came in was sweet and had sand. Not bad, but I do like Dong Que better. But this is closer to our friend's place.

    Henry T.

    My parents have been hyping this place up and honestly I should've came sooner. You can not go wrong with their Bun Cha Ha Noi platter to share for 2. Grilled beef (amazing char), vermicelli, crispy spring rolls, a mountain of fresh herbs and you're essentially building your own perfect bite every time. The tom yum clams comes in a clay pot sprinkled with Thai basil on top. Clean, aromatic and extremely flavorful with that distinct sweet and sour profile. Service is genuinely impressive for the area, extremely professional and nice all throughout dinner service. Parking in Viet Town plaza is its own obstacle course, and peak hours fill up fast. Go at noon when the plaza isn't the most crowded. Will definitely come back to try out the rest of their menu!

    Trà Sữa Thái Xanh (Thai Green Milk Tea)
    Phong T.

    My friends and I finally had the chance to dine here and try a variety of authentic Vietnamese dishes. I appreciate how the menu is organized by regions of Vietnam: north, central, and south, offering many plates that are rarely found elsewhere. The staff was very friendly and attentive. When my friend spilled a drink, they kindly replaced it. FOOD Based on what we ordered, I'd rate it around 3.8, rounded to 4 stars, reflecting our overall experience. We wanted to sample quite a few items. Everything was good, but taste is subjective, and our preferences varied. I enjoyed all the dishes, while my friends preferred some over others. They offered a wide selection of seafood, including snails. * Boneless Chicken Feet Thai Mango Salad * Fried Chicken Wings with Fish Sauce * Sea Snails with Scallions * Scallops with Scallions * Sizzling Platter with Shaken Beef, Pâté, and Sunnyside Eggs I look forward to returning to try other specialties like their noodle soup dishes.

    Manila Clams
    Dong Wook C.

    4.5 stars. Staff are friendly and helpful. Indoor and outdoor seating available. Decent amount of tables. Our waitress really paid attention and noticed that my party was new to the more authentic Vietnamese dishes. She could see a few people at my table struggle with some of the dishes we ordered, so she came by and politely provided instructions on how to properly eat the food. The seafood dishes were yummy and fragrant. The portions were acceptable. I really like the options we had of wrapping our fish dish with rice paper or lettuce. A good amount of vegetables were provided to accompany our order. Their sauces were tasty. Their fish sauce wasn't too salty. The staff were kind enough to offer shrimp paste or fish sauce. Since the smell of shrimp paste is a little off-putting for me, I opted for the fish sauce instead. Yes, I'm a light-weight. We ordered fish, razor clams, king scallops, and Manila clams. The Manila clams were fresh and plump. They were of exceptional quality. Sometimes with shellfish, you get one or two bad ones out of the bunch, but everything we had today was fresh and delicious. The parking lot is insane here on the weekends. There are several notable Vietnamese restaurants in this plaza, so although this wasn't my first choice for lunch today, I am grateful Blue Monkey was open and it was a great substitute for another restaurant nearby that was closed for Easter. I enjoyed my first experience here and I truly appreciate our waitress for her helpfulness. Kudos whoever you are, for your stellar customer service!

    Alyssa N.

    We went here for dinner on a rainy night and the restaurant wasn't too crowded with a nice flow of traffic. We ordered the North - Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm (Vermicelli with Fried Tofu, boiled pork, veggies, dipping sauce - a DIY Springroll style of dish), South - Gà Quay Xôi Lá Cẩm (Roasted Chicken with Magenta Plant Dyed Sticky Rice) - Not Pictured Here, Sò Huyết (Blood Clams), and Cánh Gà Chiên Nước Mắm Tỏi (Chicken Wings dipped in Fish Sauce and Garlic). The Vermicelli with Fried Tofu and pork dish is a perfect share between two people. The flavor of the spring roll (again, DIY spring roll, super fun to choose what you want in your roll) once you piece together whatever flavor component you liked, was so good. The Roasted Chicken was crispy and the sauce that came with it complemented it really well. I most particularly liked the Blood Clams. Have never tried it before and it was interesting. The flavor of the toppings was super good. The Chicken Wings and Fish Sauce and Garlic had very in-depth flavor and was super crispy to the bite. The food looked and tasted really good and my parents have tried this place before often, so they wanted to bring me here to try out some of the foods that they really liked. I want to say, the dishes were super unique, delicious, and I really liked how the service was fantastic, almost strikingly good, hence the following review. The restaurant is very clean and all the servers are very well mannered. Growing up in SJ and having a fair share of my Asian Restaurant experiences, we're kind of used to the environment where a good number (NOT ALL), but a good number of restaurants have good food but is lacking in professionalism for service. Blue Monkey really exceeded my expectation (and really a lot of the restaurants in Little Saigon kind of do) where I would be very willing to bring a professional, corporate party here and not expect to receive the usual treatment that is seen at the typical asian restaurants. The combination of fantastic service and the great foods with the plus of the wide variety of food options has landed Blue Monkey on my top lists of restaurants to dine at in San Jose. Will definitely be coming back when I'm in town. Highly recommended try. Overall Rating: Food: 10/10 Service: 10/10 Menu: 10/10 Restaurant Vibes: 10/10 Price to Overall Dining (POD): 10/10

    Bun Cha Ha Noi
    Kylee O.

    Blue Monkey is one of my new favorite Viet spots to dine at. It is located in the plaza of Vietnam town which has horrible parking most of the time but dined in around 12PM so we were the only ones in the store. Ambiance is nice and they have a bunch of TV's with food from around the world playing. My first visit here we ordered the oysters with shallots, hu tieu nam vang kho, and bun cha ha noi. Oysters were really good and paired really well with the green onion and sauce. My second visit we ordered the Bun Cha Ha Noi which is grilled pork spring rolls. The meat had so much flavor and paired well with all of the fresh veggies. I also ordered the thai green tea which was a little too strong for my liking. I barely tasted any thai tea in it so probably would not order again. Service here is great and more attentive than more Viet restaurants. They have a ton of options here and very tasty authentic viet food!

    Koko M.

    Blue Monkey in East San Jose is the kind of place you wander into expecting a quick bite and end up leaving with a full belly and a big grin. It sits inside a huge shopping complex right next to the mall so the whole area always feels alive.You can shop stroll snack repeat and somehow it all just works. The moment you walk in you get hit with bright colors upbeat music and the smell of something sizzling that makes you hungry even if you promised yourself you were only stopping for a drink. The staff brings the kind of energy that makes you feel like they have been waiting all day just for you. Drinks arrive fast food arrives faster and everything has that playful Blue Monkey flair. If you visit during one of the local event nights prepare yourself. The nearby fireworks shows bring serious excitement to the area. The sky lights up the crowd cheers and for a moment you forget you are next to a mall and not in the middle of a shopping complex in the middle of a city. Just be ready because the fireworks can get extra loud and parking becomes a competitive sport. Once you finally find a spot though the whole scene becomes part of the charm and excitement. Blue Monkey is lively tasty a little chaotic in the best way and absolutely worth the visit. Perfect for grabbing food before the event or relaxing after you have conquered the shopping maze.

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    Blue Monkey Cafe & Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Blue Monkey Cafe & Restaurant

    Are the hours posted anywhere at the restaurant? I came at 9am on Monday and they were not open.

    Thank you for reaching out! We apologize for the confusion. Our hours are posted on Yelp, and we are open from 9 AM to 10 PM every day. Our employees are always there by 8 AM to prepare for the day. It’s possible there was a delay in turning on the… Read more

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    SJ Eggrolls

    4.1(222 reviews)
    3.0 miEast San Jose
    $$
    Family-owned & operated
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    I was only in town briefly and had a craving for really good crispy egg rolls -- this place…read moreabsolutely delivered. The pork and shrimp net egg rolls were perfectly crispy and packed with flavor, and the bánh khọt egg rolls were just as amazing. I loved wrapping everything in the fresh greens they provided, dipping each bite into the fish sauce, and adding a little sriracha for extra kick. Yes, the fish sauce smell lingers on your hands, but it's completely worth it because the flavors are incredible. There's plenty of parking since it's located in a strip mall, which made it easy and convenient to visit. If you love crispy-style egg rolls, I highly recommend this spot. I'll definitely be stopping by every time I'm in the area.

    I've been wanting to try SJ eggrolls for a very long time. Ordered , nem nuong, banh khot, and egg…read morerolls. Everything was delicious, even the pairing with the fish sauce and vegetables were fresh and clean. The fish sauce tasted like my mom's homemade fish sauce. My Vietnamese Mom definitely approves SJ eggrolls and even went back and ordered a few more things for my dad a week later. Thank you for having this spot in ESSJ and I'll be back for their catering trays for my next gathering.

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    Pho Luc Lac - BBH *drool*

    Pho Luc Lac

    4.5(686 reviews)
    6.2 miCambrian Park
    $$
    Vegetarian friendly
    LGBTQ friendly

    I was trying to find the best place for shaken beef and this has to be my favorite…read more I've ordered to go from here twice. The portion is perfect and the quality is consistent. The meat is so soft (I ask for medium rare) and it's cooked perfectly. It's super easy to eat and the flavor is so yummy. The red rice has a nice flavor and buttery taste to it. One thing I wanted to note is that I asked for no bell peppers and they cooked the onions perfectly. It's soft and pairs so well. I would definitely not ask for the do chua (carrot and daikon) and just sub it for extra lettuce next time. I'm literally craving the shaken beef plate again omg I gotta go back asap! Next time, I definitely want to dine in and try their other menu items as well :)

    If you're anywhere near Branham and Ross seeking Vietnamese , Pho Luc Lac is absolutely worth a…read morestop. My wife and I tried it for the first time, and you can tell right away this place has been around and knows what it's doing. Simple setup; steady crowd even on a Sunday night; always a good sign. I ordered the large chicken pho, and my wife had the chicken fried rice, which she really enjoyed. The pho was excellent; rich, flavorful broth; great noodles; and a portion size that humbled me. I couldn't quite finish it, which doesn't happen often. Only minor note; I would've liked a few more vegetables, but I'm sure they would've brought more if I asked. Service is quick and efficient. Like many traditional pho spots, you eat first, then go up to the register and tell them your table number to pay; seasoned move is to remember your number and handle it like a regular. Five stars from me. I'll definitely be back; next time I've got my eye on the brisket. Honestly, it's tough to find really good pho in this part of San Jose without heading up to North San Jose or Milpitas, but if you're in the Cambrian area, this might be your spot.

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    Com Tam Sai Gon

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    4.1(50 reviews)
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    Com Tam Sai Gon is consistently one of my favorite spots for broken rice! The food always hits and…read moreevery friend or family member I have brought here has loved it. I usually order #13: Cơm tấm sườn, bì, tàu hũ kỳ. The meat is perfectly marinated and the fried shrimp roll is soooo crispy! My only tiny critique is that the shredded pork skin can be a hit or miss depending on the day since it is occasionally a little underseasoned, but the rest of the plate definitely makes up for it. Great quality & value imo, and if you stop by during lunch, they also give you a complementary bowl of soup! This is easily one of the best com tam spots in the area and I'll definitely keep coming back.

    I saw the banh hoi dish on Yelp and wanted to try it but unfortunately, they were sold…read moreout/unavailable. So I just ordered the com tam plate with the shrimp paste on sugarcane, tofu wrapped shrimp cake, a side of pickled veggies and pork chops. I frequent a very popular com tam restaurant nearby and it is my absolute favorite. Com Tam Saigon's pork chop is really good and is a great alternative if you want to dine alone, something quick and a bit cheaper as well. I really liked how big the plate was. It justified the price of the plate. The flavor of the grilled pork chops was tasty and was tender as well. The tofu wrapped shrimp was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. I loved the shrimp on sugarcane and it has become one of my favorite Vietnamese side orders over the past few years. I really liked the dish and it can easily feed 2 people. The eatery also accepts cards and tap to pay.

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    Com Tam Sai Gon - #83 sub banh hoi

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    Blue Monkey Cafe & Restaurant - vietnamese - Updated May 2026

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