I have been here when they first opened and thought it was ok but haven't been back in a while. The restaurant is family owned so they don't have much help. There was only the one man taking all the orders and busing the tables so it took awhile. We ordered our food which took 25 minutes to arrive I had the lemon grass chicken vermicelli which was very tasty, had a good amount of chicken it needed more noodles. My husband had the shaking beef which was basically beef with rice. Portion sizes were on the small side so we definitely had to get dessert after. Overall very good flavor but small portions for a higher price. There are a lot of Vietnamese restaurants in this area so I would probably go to the other ones and save this one as a last resort read more

Broken Rice - Shaking beef - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Small family owned Vietnamese restaurant in Kaimuki. There is a loading zone for take out as well as street parking and a paid lot behind the building. Food was fresh and healthy. Service was quick. Prices were average for the area. read more

Broken Rice - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We wanted crab fried rice and pho and stumbled upon this place. We arrived close to opening and it was empty. That should've been my first sign to not walk in - but it did just open so I gave them the benefit of doubt. Me and family got 3 orders of shrimp spring rolls, crab fried rice, and pho to share. It took sooo long to get our food and the restaurant was dead with the exception of a few to-go orders. You would think the spring rolls would at least come out first. They all came out at different times. When we asked for plates, we were given paper plates. Be forreal... Then when we asked for one small bowl to share the pho, we were provided an excuse of he would have to charge us $2 for the bowl because he doesn't have workers and something something. I guess what he meant was he doesn't have workers to wash dishes? I don't know. Either way, charging for an extra bowl to split an entree is crazy. And not being able to provide and wash one extra small bowl is crazier. I have never been given paper plates or was told I would be charged $2 for an extra bowl to eat comfortably. Wild. I don't even eat on paper plates at home. And for all that, it cost almost $100. How?? Why?? Stupid overpriced for no good reason. Also, you have to walk through the whole kitchen to use the bathroom. It's so weird. Never have I ever. Run - don't walk away! read more

We had dinner here tonight and it was delicious. It was our first time here and I've have never had broken rice, so the waiter patiently and very kindly helped me. A little later a party of 6 came in and sat next to us and they had similar questions as I and he was so nice to them too. I don't know why it took me so long to try this place. I ordered the shaking tofu and my husband ordered the tofu vegetable vermicelli noodles. We were both very happy with our dinner. I have never had shaking tofu ...it was amazing! Food came out quickly, service was prompt. I'm definitely coming back. It's a cute spot with beautiful photos of Vietnam on the walls. Makes me want to visit Vietnam. read more

$13.90 for 4 pieces of a frozen fried spring roll Crab soup looks delicious for picture yes but worth the price? $22.90 sorry no. Some vegetables on the side on paper plate hmmm Ask for hot sauce and some chili sauce the server responds with "we only have siracha hot sauce here." Hmmmm Give yourself a try and write some honest review guys. Won't repeat. Thank you. read more

Broken Rice - $38 for 2 items - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

9/6/25 I don't like leaving poor reviews so take it as a forewarning I should have picked up on the clues... Prior reviews were 50/50 but I took a chance Entering the restaurant noticed tables empty no diners n it's Saturday 12 noon Also no "Hello Welcome..." from lady Just given menus No hot chili oil fish sauce fresh Thai Peppers Only sriracha n hoysin I'm used to a variety of condiments being offered at other places I love Chicken Pho sadly this bowl came out warm not Hot Broth was like canned stock Breast meat was dry Basil n sprouts were fresh but so little n came in a small paper tray the kind at luaus used to serve chicken long rice or Haupia Wife liked their Shaking Beef n that was tasty "Oh well..." read more

I went on a Friday night and there were a few empty tables so we were seated quickly. I ordered the rare steak pho, which came with a pretty large portion of noodles. The noodles were softer than I would've liked so they broke apart easily when I tried to pick them up with chopsticks. Next time I'll try something else. read more

Broken Rice - Rare steak pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I've been here only once and ordered the chicken pho. It was some of the best I've ever had. The service is what you'd expect at a small family run place. There's not much remarkable about it. I definitely recommend the pho. read more

Do not go here if you want to be able to enjoy a good meal - or even order food, for that matter! Only one crabby, older guy serving the two other tables (their prices are a lot higher than the Saigon restaurant across the street) and he kept ignoring my efforts to get his attention to order- he was intent on bringing food to the other table but walked away repeatedly when I tried to wave him down. My 88-year-old aunty had had enough after waiting patiently for over 15 minutes so we walked out. What a waste of time. Went across the street and had a fabulous meal with friendly people for a lot less money. read more

Uncle needs help on his people skills. He needs to take the stick out of his. The food is amazing but his attitude is so bad!

Me and my wife went here for lunch after deciding to try this restaurant out due to some of the great reviews. We got the shaking beef and beef rib soup with rice and also got the thai tea and the lavender lemonade as well as the spring rolls. First the price was way too expensive for the taste and portion size we received. Over $20 for a lunch portion. And the spring rolls tasted like it sat in a fridge for days. The beef soup had about 3 pieces of beef mostly fat and the beef plate was a bit salty. The thai tea did not taste good at all, so I returned it and ordered another drink. I understand this is a Vietnamese restaurant but they shouldn't advertise the thai tea because they don't have that down quite yet. After receiving the bill I mentioned he still had the thai tea on there although I returned it for the taste, etc. The guy proceeded to tell me that he wasn't going to remove it from the bill because most restaurants don't do that. After a few words back and forth he took it off the bill. I will never be coming back to this spot. Again lower than mediocre food and for the price def not worth it. Overall customer service could be worked on and the price/taste of food. read more

Great varied and service. I've been here for both lunch and takeout for dinner. Good spot in Kaimuki!

Went in thinking I would get the Bun Rieu (crab soup) which I loved last time but for some reason I decided I wanted beef instead and went with pho suon Bo (beef rib soup) and was glad I did when the waiter owner said it's their #1 dish. The broth was both tasty and clean and the beef was very tender and came easily off the bone. Aunty and brother got the crab soup at my recommendation and were very pleased. They use real king crab that comes in leg and meatball form with shrimp, tofu, pork and vermicelli noodles. Mom got the spring roll bun vermicelli and wished it had more veges. We also got the chicken liver spread pate. If came with a cute baguette that was crispy on the outside and soft in the inside. The food here is great and we loved the beautiful enlarged photos of Vietnam decorating the walls but service was a bit brusque. Perhaps it's because it's like a 2 person operation and they're understaffed. I'm assuming someone was in the back cooking and that it wasn't the waiter cashier when he was running in the back. There seemed to be a steady flow of customers coming for take out. read more

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We love the shaking beef. It's so delicious. The shrimp fried rice is also so good. We like to do takeout.

I love love love their shaking beef! Always soft rib eye beef and they serve it with some pickled veggies. It's so good. I always get it, it's loaded with garlic too and I love garlic. I've also had their chicken pho before and it's also very good! The owners are so nice too! The uncle up front is so sweet and always gives us some lemonade when we get take out. It's the little nice gestures for me. The restaurant is also always clean and minimal. They deserve all the business read more

Horrible! The old gentleman never talked to us. Food terrible - ordered the specialty and there was NO BROKEN RICE it was just plain white rice! Ambiance - bleak. Kinda cold mainly due to the lack of hospitality read more

I always love trying out new places with friends :) last night, we decided to come here for dinner since I've never tried. With this restaurant being in Kaimuki, I was initially worried about the parking, but there are 2 big parking lots only a block away (right by Jose's Mexican restaurant, and the other parking lot being behind Happy Days). We had reservations at 6, and we were immediately seated. We were surprised to see we were the only customers (and were the only customers for our entire dinner). Anyways, we browsed the menu, and between my husband, 2 year old daughter and I, we shared the following: SPRING ROLLS: Every time I eat at Vietnamese restaurants, my husband and I always opt for summer rolls or shrimp rolls. They didn't have summer rolls here, so we got the spring rolls. Being such a popular and common dish, I feel like it's a good way to gauge a new restaurant. The spring rolls (4 of them) came with some lettuce for wrapping and was good. I just wish they gave some vermicelli noodles to wrap it with as well. LAVENDER LEMONADE: lavender lemonade sounded interesting, and it smelled like a spa (lol). Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan. The lemonade tasted kind of watered down. CRAB SOUP: aka "bun rieu" - this bowl was beautifully presented, and in addition to crab pieces and vermicelli noodles, it came with a couple pieces of good-sized shrimp, tofu, and pork/crab meatballs. The broth was savory and delicious. My daughter loved it and she drank the broth using a straw lol. The bean sprouts, lemon, mint, etc that usually accompanies pho was brought out on a little plate. It is worthy to note they give very little (maybe to prevent waste?) , but I'm sure you can keep asking for more. SHAKING BEEF: this was definitely the highlight dish! The beef was tender and cooked in a wonderful savory and sweet sauce (not sure what is in the sauce other than fish sauce and some sugar, but whatever it was, it was addicting!) My husband and I agreed that we would come back just for this dish lol. The rice that accompanied it was good, but I didn't taste a huge difference between the "broken rice" and regular rice they serve elsewhere lol SERVICE: This restaurant seemed to be owned by a husband and wife. As other reviews noted, the man is not very friendly and the lack of "good" customer service is off-putting for some. However, he lit up when he saw my daughter, and when it came to my daughter and interacting with her, he gave great service LOL. When leaving the restaurant, his wife came out from the kitchen and jokingly said she could stay with them lol. I appreciated him bringing out a drink, straw, and a better bowl to share with her, which definitely bumped up my review to 3.5 to 4 stars. My husband and I enjoyed the food and would come back. The only other downside is the prices were a little higher than other places, but the portion sizes weren't anything to write home about. But hey - given the crazy times we live in and the sky rocketing prices everywhere for everything, I won't count that against them. It is definitely a factor to consider though. Overall, I'm glad we tried this place and I'll be back for that shaking beef dish, and maybe that crab soup on a rainy night :) read more

Broken Rice - Crab soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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One of Kaimuki's gems. Broken Rice is a family owned local business in Honolulu, on Waialae Ave. Parking is easy to find in the area, some require fees for the meter. The dining area provides a lot of space between each table. While walking in and dining is accepted, I don't think they take reservations at the moment, just as they don't do online ordering. My go to meal is their Beef Rib Pho (or Beef Rib Soup). Their broth is so tasty and I can easily finish my bowl. I like to get their Shaking Beef and their Broken Rice with Shrimp. Both are packed with amazing flavor. I always enjoy the service provided by this family. And even though there might be a slight wait for the food, it's always been well worth it. read more

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I find myself returning every chance I get to eat their amazing beef rib pho! It is soooo good and has so much depth of flavor! I leave full and always happy. The old man who I assume owns the place was so welcoming and talked to us about his favorites. Told us his wife had to get a colonoscopy so he was gone for a bit and the restaurant was closed. I'm so happy he's back and I can get my pho fixin in! read more

The lovely neighborhood of Kaimuki has recently exploded into a foodie heaven. You can fine everything from amazing local French cuisine too quaint little mom and pop shops featuring fresh ingredients. The ladder is true about broken rice, it's a great little space, clean and comfortable. The service was great. One of the owners greeted us, and took our order. Your food is made to order so be prepared for a little wait, not too long enough to have great conversations. They do not offer a wine less and I'm not too sure if you can, BYOB. I ordered the shake and tofu over broken rice. It was great! A hint of garlic, Oyster sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, a hit of vinegar, it's is sweet and savory all at the same time. If you're in the mood for some Vietnamese food I would recommend this place. It was also very reasonable, we ordered 4 dishes and the bill was under $60. read more

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If I could give zero stars, I would. I waited half an hour for a shrimp summer roll, and when I finally got back to work to eat it, the peanut sauce was awful. It tasted sour, like it was made with old oil. I'm very disappointed with both the service and the quality of the food. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE!!!! read more

Flavor of food was good but ortions are smaller so didn't feel it was worth the price. The server seemed judgemental and not friendly. He did a mini toss of our menu and a mini Frisbee type of throwing of our plates of food rather than nicely placing things down. My friend and I wanted to share so we ordered an app and entree and he scoff at us questioning if that was all we were ordering. Felt the judgment. It was an uncomfortably lunch and wanted to leave as soon as possible after our meal. read more

It's been awhile since I've been to Broken Rice, and the food is still amazing! I got the shaking beef, and it was so good. There is a lot of flavor and the beef is extremely soft. I would definitely recommend any of their dishes because the rice is good and the flavor is amazing. I love all the establishments in Kaimuki, especially since there's lots of parking (it's not free though, unfortunately). Broken rice was pretty empty on a weekday evening. Please support these local businesses! read more

Broken Rice - Shaking tofu - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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This place is a cute lil Vietnamese restaurant nice and clean in Kaimuki. We ordered their shaken beef over rice which was delish! Also ordered their spring rolls appetizer to share. When we got here it was a 1 man show so be courteous. The owner here was taking orders, cashiering, and cooking. Show this place some love by dining in or getting take out. read more

Broken Rice - Shaken beef - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Incredible pho! I had the Beef Rip Soup and the meat was so tender. It came with a beef and rib bone which is a first for me. The soup was very flavorful with lots of noodles. My only comment is the place is a little warm so dress light when coming here. read more

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If you love Rice like I Do Greatest place but Sorry No Longer Yelper They Kicked me Out for some reason This is the third time happened losing all my Previous data's and posts Aloha read more

Service was great..walked in and was greeted right away. Place was nice and clean. Ordered the shaken beef rice plate along with the beef rib pho..couldn't decide between the beef rib soup or beef rib stew..guess I will have to try the stew next time . The shaken beef was super tasty..not too salty, the beef was tender and cooked well, served over white rice. The beef rib pho was nice and tender..the meat held its body and came off the bone easily. Broth was flavorful. There were other food items orders too..a seafood pho and a spring roll vermicelli noodle..both said too be good. All and all we had a good experience here and will definitely have to come back for the other items on the menu! read more

I am addicted to their shaking beef! Their spring rolls are yummy too. My friend says their chicken broth is delicious, but I only order their shaking beef. I also like their lavender lemonade. We order take out from here all the time. read more

On the night I visited Broken Rice I was one of only two parties in the place. Across from me sat a two-some, eating and talking and after I'd ordered there was a moment when we all talked together. They asked what I ordered, gave their nod of approval, and then the young woman mentioned that she'd eaten at many Vietnamese spots on Oahu and Broken Rice was her favorite, especially for their vegan offerings. Often described as a neighborhood restaurant, I can see why it would become the local favorite. The beautiful photographs lining the walls contrast with the clutter (boxes, take-out supplies, & whatnot) contained in the dining room and the mash-up of the two is actually charming; it feels more like dining at the home of a friend with whom you're very comfortable and one who serves very good food. It's evident that food is made fresh, to order, and two of us cleared our plates of Shrimp Bun ($17) and Tofu Vegetables ($14; a Broken Rice dish made with sweet chili/lemongrass/soy sauce and served with slaw). If what you seek is satisfying, well-made Vietnamese fare in a comfortable, casual space Broken Rice should be on your list. I left wishing I'd been hungry enough to sample more of the menu and that's always a good feeling to leave with. read more

Broken Rice - Shrimp Bun ($17) - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I've been coming to this place consistently since 2019! The owners are so lovely and the food is truly comforting. The shaking beef is tender, garlicky, and seeping with flavor. I also recommend the crab pho! Some of the best Vietnamese food on the island :) read more

What I really want to know is how do you make "broken rice". No, really, how do you break rice? I actually said it out loud: "Hmm this dish is great, but what kind of rice is this? Short grain?" "It's Broken Rice." "What? OMG I get it now." duhhhh. It almost has a texture like cous cous but it's rice, and I don't know how to describe it, its different. I liked it. The Shaking Beef dish is really good, and the lemongrass chicken vermicelli bowl was excellent too. Highly recommend both of them. The fresh summer rolls hit the spot too. We dined-in in November 2021 and they served the shaking beef on a paper plate. Not sure if it was because they were short on dishwashers or it's a pandemic thing or what but I'm used to eating on paper plates at home so not a problem for me. read more

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Beef rib Pho for the win! Also good is oxtail soup I usually get take out, and parking is easy read more

It's been a long time since I've eaten here and I'll be honest I don't remember it being the best experience but that was years ago and we decided it deserved another chance. This was a good decision. I ordered the beef noodle pho and I was delightfully surprised to find it tasty and filling. The beef was very tender and well seasoned. There were a bunch of noodles. Actually the portion sizes of all our dishes were pretty decent. My friend's crab fried rice also had some nice chunks of crab meat inside. Overall, while it may not have been the most mind-blowing pho I've ever had, this Vietnamese joint still delivered a tasty bowl of comfort. It's the kind of place you can rely on when you're in the mood for a satisfying meal without any frills. So, if you're looking for a decent pho fix, give this place a shot. read more

Truly a "Mom and Pop" restaurant. Located in Kaimuki on Waialae. They're the only restaurant that I've found on Oahu that serves "Broken Rice ". (Broken rice are rice grains that are broken during the milling process). This type of rice is actually more beneficial to you,it's said to help your heart rhythm because it contains potassium. It has a lighter cleaner taste than the medium grain usually served locally. We ordered the Spring Roll appetizer and the Shaken Beef, Pork Chops, and Crab Fried Rice. All were perfectly done and tasted delicious. They also have a full assortment of Pho dishes. Including a rich and flavorful Oxtail Pho. So delicious! If you're lucky Mama makes this wonderful Banana Tapioca pudding for dessert ( you have to ask it's not listed on the menu). Stop on by when you're in the neighborhood. read more

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Ordered the shaking beef, chicken vermicelli and lavender lemonade. After all the hype about the shaking beef, I found myself disappointed. It was a small portion for $21, and while the flavor was good, I've had better tasting beef dishes for less than $21. The chicken vermicelli was tasty, better than the shaking beef in my opinion, and the bean sprouts were fresh and clean! The lavender lemonade looked and tasted like regular lemonade but I like regular lemonade so I didn't mind. Service was friendly. Small establishment but clean. All in all, I would go somewhere else to spend $45. If I do go back, I'll order something else. read more

One of our favorite restaurants in Kaimuki! We love their shaking beef plate and lemon grass bbq chicken plate the most but they have other popular dishes too! Please support this family owned business! read more

I ordered the lemongrass chicken. It was tasty, but it did not have the flavor that other Vietnamese restaurants had. More like a bbq chicken flavor. The pho at the next table smelled good. read more

Bought takeouts from them couple times. Not cheap. Their spring rolls were terribly dry and overcooked, crab soup was OK (say, 4 out of 5), fried rice was such a tiny portion that my husband was still hungry but broken rice with beef was good (also, portion was rather small). Otherwise, not sure if we use them again. Price/quality ratio wasn't that spectacular. read more

No dining in at this restaurant last time I visited. Since we live far that meant going to a parking lot and scarfing as much as we could before it was no longer fresh lol. We ordered lemon grass chicken, lobster fried rice and spring rolls. All were very good. At first glance, it didn't look like the fried rice had many pieces of lobster in it. As I dug around and worked my way through it, I found the bits of gold! It really was good. Standard spring roll with rice noodle, good. My guy was a bit disappointed, we asked for lots of veggies, but looked quite minimal. Can't remember if we were charged extra... The restuarand is in between surfing pig and noods in Kaimuki. Not much st parking but there is a pay to stay lot a block over. With this pandemic hitting everyone hard (us included), I am even more compelled to spread our eating out budget around. I see lot of townie yelp friends eating their way around Kaimuki and wanted to do the same. I'm glad we tried it, but because of the distance, its not gonna be a regular for us. Quality is better than our nearby Ba-le, but we'll have to settle, unfortunately. If this spot is convenient for you, I definitely recommend. If the mood strikes we could probably crawl out of our neighborhood to explore more of the menu... Oh, I forgot, our order cane with a floral flavored lemonade. It was quite nice and refreshing. Totally didn't even expect that! read more

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Had an amazing experience and enjoyed dinner here on a Sunday evening after a hectic day of traveling. Came here with my wife, daughters, parents, in-laws, and family friends (10 total) and were well taken care of. Staff was attentive to our needs and food came out quick. I had the rice plate special (com dac biet), wife had the shaking beef (bo luc lac), rest of the table had combination pho, chicken rice plate, bun rieu, bun bo hue, pate and egg rolls. 10/10 across the board. There's a lot of Asian cuisine options- but if you're looking for some great Vietnamese food- this is your spot. read more