I've been wanting to try out Broken Rice for a while now mostly because I'm obsessed with Vietnamese food and my friend and fellow Yelper Kelly had just written a stellar review here! I was a bit worried about finding ***free parking (worst comes to worse just hop into the shared parking lot, cheap and normally lots of spots) as Kaimuki is pretty hit or miss. We actually lucked out when someone left a spot in the front of the restaurant as soon as we got there! Already a great start to the night! Location: Located next to a Mexican restaurant and the surfing pig, right across the street from Pipeline bakery (tip: head over after dinner to end the night on a sweet note). The ambiance is mehhh, but there is ample seating even if you have a bigger party. Service: We only saw one guy serving the whole place the entire night which was pretty cool! He was attentive to every table and quickly refilled our water glasses, something I really appreciate!!! Food: First off....BYOB! We packed a few beers and a bottle of wine and upon asking for glasses we were handed red solo cups, amazing!!! I didn't mind it but my mom was a bit thrown off. As for the food: - You NEED to get the Shaking Beef. The cubed pieces of meat are tender and juicy. I don't know what kind of sauce they use but I could drizzle that on everything! It's served with pickled cabbage and a scoop of "broken rice" which to me just seemed like smaller, squishier grains of rice. -Pork spring rolls! They were steaming and clearly freshly made! I am a huuuuge spring roll girl and these definitely make my list of top 5 favorites! We also ordered the Special Broken Rice and Beef Lemongrass Soup. Everything was amazing, so much flavor in literally every bite! Next time, I will be trying the Beef Rib Soup (I think it's like pho)! If you're looking for a tasty Vietnamese spot, I highly recommend Broken Rice! Another Kaimuki gem!!! read more

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

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Yummy. This was a delicious little find. I got the beef rib stew (which is listed as a soup and is thin like soup) but wow!! Incredible flavors and the meat is sooo tender. My daughter had the beef noodle soup/pho and my son the shrimp fried rice. Both were delicious and they would come back for again. Plus the owner took such good care of us. They were busy w many take out orders while we were there Definitely will visit again. read more

Always heard great things about this establishment but I don't understand the hype. 1st time I tried to eat here, male who seems to be the owner told me and my boyfriend "we're too busy cannot help you" one month later it was the same thing. Mind you, there's many open tables. Website says "Currently we are not taking reservations due to limited seating available for social distancing and only taking walk in customers or phone orders for take out. " Maybe you should go back to reservations ONLY. Because the way you talk to customers and refuse service is unprofessional and I will never come to your business ever again. read more

3/7/17 update Still happy! Came to pick up takeout lunch. Looks like people are here dining in. 3/5/17 First time here Happy!!! Just finished dinner at Broken Rice...OMG! What a treat! Shaken beef, beef pho, spring rolls and off the menu, affogato. Everything was amazing! It's great to find a good restaurant open on a Sunday evening. The people are so nice and the service is great. After we finished our dinner I had a chance to briefly chat with one of the people. Being really curious I asked if he was the owner. He told me his parents are the owners and he, his wife and his brother come to help in the evenings. I love seeing families work together. I can tell this is an amazing family because he conveyed such gratitude and admiration toward his parents. He explained that the menu is relatively simple, classic Vietnamese food. St lunchtime, they offer takeout for now. Eventually they hope to have dine in. Seriously, I can't wait to return and try other dishes! read more

Love the trendy décor! Service was SLOW, but the food made up for it. Think upscale, sassy, Vietamese food and you get an idea of what Broken Rice is about. Tips: The Chicken Liver Pate served with a crispy baguette - winner, winner, chicken liver dinner! Vegetarian Salad - it comes out warm, savory and delicious! Grilled Pork Chops - It was delicious, but the real start was a side dish served alongside it. Our waiter called it "Vietnamese meat loaf" - whatever it was it was outstanding! I'd go back just to eat a plate full of that! read more

The food was fresh and well seasoned. i ordered take out and it was ready and waiting when I got there. We orders the shakin beef and the broken rice special, they were both excellent. I also orders the chicken salad, which rounded out the meal well. We will be back. read more

If you want some tasty Vietnamese food that extends past the typical pho & banh mi sandwich, this is the place for you! Food favs: - pâté appetizer - chicken liver spread w/ fresh baguette - i know what you might be thinking... ew, liver, that's gross... but please give this pâté a try!!! It was my first time eating liver & I was pleasantly surprised with the salty depth of flavor and smooth texture of the spread! - shaking beef - absolutely delicious!!! the cubes of meat were tender & covered in a flavorful garlicy soy sauce and served with their special broken rice. To be honest I thought there wouldn't be a big difference between this rice and regular rice but there was! The grains were smaller which made each bite lighter and fluffier! The food took a little long, but it was worth the wait. I'll definitely be back to try a bowl of their pho, which I heard is also very good! Parking in the lot right up the street is probably the best bet unless you can find street parking. Pay with coins and the parking meters. read more

Broken Rice - shaking beef + broken rice - DELICIOUS - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Authentic Vietnamese food here! Amazing Com Tam (broken rice) dishes here that will guarantee that you leave full and satisfied. A great meal after a long day of being outdoors. It is my go to comfort meal! I would recommend trying this place out if you're looking for a hardy Vietnamese rice dish! read more

Broken Rice - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My first time here, dining here with friends. I ate the Beef Rib Pho and I loved it. I ate everything and drank the broth. It was very filling. We had bread with liver pate that was also great. The dining here is affordable and a great place to hang with family and friends. Topping it off was the Lavender Lemonade. The lemonade complimented the pho. Will definitely return. read more

Broken Rice - Beef rib pho. - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I didn't know I could like Vietnamese food until now! I have decided this will be added to my favorite places to come eat. We had the Shaking Beef (bo luc lac), Beef Noodle Soup (pho), and Chicken Salad (goi ga). The Shaking Beef was AMAZING!!!! The Pho was beef based, which was nice for me cause I don't eat pork, and it was super flavorful! The chicken salad was super light and refreshing! They even have run out of food a couple times because this place has already become popular... The restaurant is nice and clean, there's tons of parking nearby, and the owners are super friendly and helpful. If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm a fan! You should check it out... read more

Broken Rice - The menu - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The man who helped us was so sweet and gave us free lemonade which was delicious! I thought the shrimp vermicelli was really good , the shrimp especially was delicious! My sister really enjoyed the fried rice as well! We will definitely me coming back soon! read more

Broken Rice - Shrimp friend rice - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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It's not just the rice that's broken, it's everything. What is Broken Rice? Well, it's just broken rice grains that separated from the whole rice grains. I felt like one of the broken rice grains because I felt I was separated from the whole grains (or the opposite?). What is Broken Rice the restaurant? Well, it's a Vietnamese restaurant that does specialize in serving broken rice along with stir fried meats and vegetables. And that's it! Their menu is extremely limited if you compared other Vietnamese restaurants. There are two types of salads, two types of Spring Rolls (no summer rolls), a pâté, six Phos, and several broken rice dishes, which you can also choose cold rice noodles. We ordered the Chicken Pâté and the Beef Pho. The pâté came with a baguette. The bread was very warm outside, but when I was pulling it apart, I can feel the center is still cold. The amount of pâté was only a spoonful in a tiny sauce dish. It was barely enough for the bread and definitely does not justify the price. The pâté was very pasty rather than silky and smooth. There wasn't much taste besides liver, salt, and pepper. The Beef Pho was okay. The broth wasn't anything special. It didn't have any clean flavors, and it was definitely muddled with MSG. The meat was predominantly brisket and loin with ONE piece of tendon and HALF a beef ball. The accompanying vegetables were extremely minuscule too! It was the smallest amount of bean sprouts and basil I have ever received at any Vietnamese restaurant. They are definitely incredibly generous here! Haha. There are much, much better options for Pho just a few steps away. Broken Rice is located in Kaimuki, next to The Surfing Pig. This place used to be BC Burritos. The interior is very clean and spacious with bright walls and artwork. The tables are clean, perhaps too clean because there was NOTHING on the table. Where's the condiments? Where is the Sriracha? Fish sauce? Saté!??? I would ask but... We had zero service besides the food, drinks, and check being brought to our table. The man, who may be the owner, totally ignored us, was not friendly at all, and we just felt like he was discriminating against us because he was attentive and friendly to the other tables. He filled their waters, checked to see if everything was good, offered more rice, and even opened the door for leaving customers. For us? Nothing. Not even a glance. We felt like the whole grain rice separated from the broken rice. Additionally, I asked for a hot water for my wife instead of cold water, and we were charged ONE DOLLAR for it. He didn't say a word about hot water have a cost. We only found out when the bill arrived. That was very upsetting. It's ridiculous! I have never been charged for hot water at any restaurant. That's ridiculous! I felt like he typed that onto the bill himself out of some random hate. I really had a hard time controlling myself to give zero tip, which I really should have! Overall, the food was generic, the menu is limited, the portions were super small, the prices are high, the service was terrible, and they discriminate. Oh, and a cup of hot water is one dollar plus tax. Go across the street, or around the block, or down one block. Don't come here. This place is broken. read more

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My husband and I always order the shaking beef plate almost weekly from Broken Rice because it's THAT GOOD! It's a little pricey at $20 each but it's so satisfying we can't help but crave it each week. Shaking beef is a cubed rib eye that's cooked in the most delicious sauce and served on top of rice. I'm salivating just thinking about it! We always call in our order ahead of time so we don't have to wait and pick up our takeout 20 minutes later. The owners are really nice and it makes us feel good that we're supporting a local business in Kaimuki. Broken rice is located a few doors down from Coffee Talk, across from Pipeline Bakery. Metered street parking or lot behind the building. read more

I love my vermicelli bowls and their shrimp vermicelli bowl is one of my favorites on the island! That says a lot. Their beef pho is also delicious. The broth is warm and comforting, tasty. Noodles were cooked perfectly and it was a take out order! The beef is thinly sliced just how I like it. Parking is easy to find nearby, either on street or in the parking lots in Kaimuki area. read more

Hawaii has been so cold and stormy lately that we felt like grabbing some hot and soupy stuff to end our work week. I did a quick search on Yelp and found this spot that looked unique so we decided to give it a shot. We called in our order and left the house right after (about a 15 min drive to this spot in Kaimuki). The order was immediately ready once we got there and they even gave us a free (& delicious) lemonade with our order! Overall: 4.5/5 Food: I got the ox tail pho and my boyfriend got the chicken pho. After seeing all the reviews and unique dishes that this place had to offer I was excited to give this ox tail pho a try. It definitely met/exceeded my expectation, the broth was rich and you could tell it had a lot going on to create the taste that it had, the actual ox tail was super tender and they gave a huge portion of it, plus the lemon was juicy (sometimes places that give lime or lemon to squeeze is dry and old). My boyfriend's chicken pho was also tasty in a different way, the broth reminded me of chicken noodle soup broth so it gave that home-y and comfort food kind of feeling. Both take out orders had the noodles and soup separated, with a bag of the toppings including sprouts, mint, lemon, and small containers of hoisin and spicy sauce. My boyfriend finished his whole meal but the dish was too big for me (because the broth was tasty, the liquid was filling me up instead), I had a little bit left over when I was done. Price: So for both dishes with tax and tip, we paid about $40. Oxtail pho was $19 and Chicken Pho was $13. I docked off .5 star because it is a little pricey - but considering the uniqueness of the oxtail and pho combo, plus these difficult times with Covid, I can understand why it's on the pricier side. Even though I really enjoyed the dish, I have to really want this specific dish to come back because it is pretty pricey for pho. Definitely, a treat myself kind of place. Parking: I dropped off my boyfriend to pick up the order while I drove around the block to find parking. Thankfully I found free street meter parking because we got there just after 6pm when you don't need to pay anymore. By the time I got to the spot, my boyfriend was walking to me with the take out orders. I do want to come back to try their crab fried rice, that looked tasty! And maybe once Covid is a bit better and dine in is available again, their dessert with the ice cream plus coffee poured on top looks amazing. read more

Broken Rice - Oxtail Pho ($19) Take-out version - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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First time in Hawaii. I was looking for Vietnamese food and i found this place. The crab noodles soups was so good. The staff very friendly. Highly recommended. read more

Broken Rice - Crab noodles soups - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This was probably one of the most delicious Vietnamese cuisine I have had in Hawaii for a long time!! Broken Rice is fairly new spot, after hearing about their amazing Crab Noodle Soup dish "Bún Rieu Cua", my boyfriend and I had to make a trip, we haven't seen any other Vietnamese restaurant serve it in Hawaii, and since my boyfriend is Vietnamese we had to have him judge. You can park in the paid parking that's right behind To Thair For and Earl Sandwiches, we only paid .75 cents to park for dinner, and on weekdays it was pretty empty. After we sat we ordered the vegetarian spring rolls, Beef bone pho and crab noodle soup, the beef bone pho almost tasted like how his mother makes, and when you come here please try the crab noodle pho, the balls of crab meat, small ground up shrimp, slices of tomato and fried onion pieces made these the most exquisite dish ever!!! I was so full but I made sure to finish every drop, although this dish is usually a special, I was told that because it was so popular, that broken rice will keep it on the menu permanently so I hope it's true!!! Also BYOB read more

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Great subtle and intimate space. Large scale photos depicting scenes from Vietnam surround the open space. Fixtures are light and modular for groups. One page menu offers enough for most. Spring rolls, grilled meats, salads, noodles and soups are featured. Lots of fresh herbs and sprouts for garnish. Loved the made-to-order plates. Not huge portions but just enough. Parking in the adjacent lot is great and reasonable. BYOBeer is a great plus. Don't mind the busier restaurants nearby. This place provides a quiet place with one man service. read more

Broken Rice broke da mouth. It was GOOD. One of my coworkers asked if I had eaten there yet, and I told her I hadn't. So we decided that day to have dinner at Broken Rice with a couple other coworkers. I ordered the bun bo hue, and the group shared a salad, crab fried rice, and garlic shrimp. The broth was so flavorful and delicious! I'd definitely return just for that. The crab fried rice was amazing as well! There were chunks of crab, and you could taste the crab flavor in the rice. Each rice grain looks like a baby version of the typical rice you see, but doesn't affect the flavor in my opinion. If you're looking for a refreshing drink, their lavender lemonade is so nice! The uncle and auntie who run the restaurant are so adorable and sweet. Service was lovely and we all left with extremely full, happy bellies. read more

Really fresh and yummy flavors and pleasant service. Both the chicken vermicelli and pork broken rice were delicious.

Good wholesome Vietnamese comfort food. We have the Bún bò Hu and Banh Mi Bo Kho. Very friendly staff and service. Parking can be bit challenging but is available with pay metering. read more

Broken Rice - Bún bò Hu - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Love the food options. Lots of flavor. Delightful drinks. Nice indoor seating areas. We like it here. :)

Overall, a delicious Vietnamese food experience with a one page menu that focuses on quality over quantity. The restaurant is family owned with minimal decor, comfortable ambiance and prices to match. My personal favorites and must orders are the shaking beef and the crab fried rice. There's something about their deliciously seasoned wok that fries up the most aromatic dishes that would be impossible to replicate at home. In addition, I really enjoyed their short rib pho and oxtail pho. Drinks are byob but they also offer the most refreshing lavendar lemonade that comes in a giantic mason jar. If you have room for dessert, I highly recommend their affogato. read more

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If you're looking for authentic tasting Vietnamese cm tắm (broken rice) then this place is legit. Had com sờn ốp la (bbq pork chop with a fried egg over rice) and it had all the traditional flavors of some of my favorite spots in Saigon. The pork chop was cooked perfectly. Cooked all the way thru but tender enough to cut with just the chopsticks. Also had a very strong ca phê sữa đá (Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk). read more

Broken Rice - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

There's no photo cuz I demolished the spring rolls! I originally was gonna order vermicelli noodles but I just finished boba from across the street so I wanted food but not that much. I wish I took a photo because presentation was on point. Sauce, mint, lettuce, vermicelli noodles, and four pieces of spring roll with wax paper holding it neatly separated! They told me it would take 12 minutes but it seemed faster. I loved it! It was tightly packed spring rolls, just the way I like it! It was totally worth it. I am definitely coming back to try more. Customer service is on point! I wish I ordered more items. I just finished eating these and thought I really needed to write a review because it was that good. Ughh, wish I lived closer! Take out only right now. Perfect to fill me up! read more

Chicken liver spread (10$) was quite tasty, though too salty at the bread and pate ratio they have, and also not very much food at all for the price. Shaking beef (19$) was, despite being recommended by the waiter, very disappointing. The rice was nice, but the meat was just so salty. Pass. Shrimp fried rice (15$) in contrast was very good, perfectly satisfactory. Nicely flavored and textured. Both rices were served on paper plates, which were pretty hard to eat out of... Chicken noodle soup (14$) was really good! The soup was perfect, light and flavorful. Hit and miss overall-- though the chicken noodle soup was a standout read more

Such good taste and vegan/gf options too! Good for everyone in our party. Accurately cooked with soy eggs and good consistency of broth. read more

this is one of my favorite places in kaimuki !! everything i have had here has been amazing. shrimp crepe: a crispy crepe that is warm and flaky with a LOT of sprouts and shrimp !! shrimp fried rice: so many shrimps in the rice with bits of meat ! so many yummy flavors. beef pho: so comforting. it has a subtle broth flavor and so so yummy. they also give so much noodles ! rib beef pho: the meat is so soft ! and the broth is so warm. the owners are the sweetest ! they are always so kind. read more

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We went to lunch here for a meeting and some good food last week. The place was very cool inside and the service was really good. The man serving us was attentive and gave good recommendations. We had the chicken salad, chicken pate, and spring rolls as apps. The chicken salad was really tasty and refreshing. It was so good, that my friend ordered one to take out after we were done eating. The chicken pate was nice too. It had a good flavor and was quite a big portion. The spring rolls were a little tiny and was okay. The shaken beef dish was really good. The flavor was great and the portion was quite large. Finally, I had the affogato. The coffee and ice cream mixture was prefect. This dessert was the right way to end the meal. This was a really good meal and not too expensive. I hope to come back again soon. read more

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Broken rice is a new spot in Kaimuki serving up delicious Vietnamese fare not your typical Vietnamese restaurant, the offerings at Broken Rice are more gourmet, similar to Pig and the Lady. I had the pleasure of trying out their Beef Rib Soup which was delicious! The soup was very rich and the meat was super tender. At $18 it's not cheap by any means, but it's definitely worth a try and something to have once in a while. There are more affordable options on the menu which I can't wait to try and compare. Other things I'd recommend trying are the chicken liver pate, chicken salad and their ice cream. Their ice cream is sourced locally and it's delicious! We tried a variety of flavors; the yuzu and the Vietnamese coffee affogato were my favorites although the matcha and condensed milk flavors were not bad as well. All a matter of taste preference as the quality of all were good. The Vietnamese coffee was tasty but a bit pricey at $4 for a partial cup. Would be awesome if they had coffee refills. All in all, this is a place I'd definitely return to. The quality of food is impressive and fresh, service is above great and I like supporting local business. read more

Here's to my first yelp review ever, and to a place that deserves it for sure. Not only was the beef rib pho juicy and delicious the man serving deserves a plethora of 5 stars. Not only was he the host and server, he was bussing tables by himself and I could even see him in the kitchen cooking. He did all this and was still able to to give friendly and attentive service. I could not recommend this spot more and would give it 100 stars if I could. If you're visiting Honolulu support all the small family businesses you can! read more

Broken Rice - Beef bone rib pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Delicious, flavorful, clean, Ono! Even Lemonade is made fresh and declicious! All the other "hip" places in Kaimuki were crowded for lunch, glad we stopped here. Next time it will be our first choice. read more

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Came here during COVID time with my husband. He had just landed do I decided to finally try out this little restaurant. As we walked into the restaurant, the owners start screaming at us "No no" "no more". They had only two tables of customers. My husband and I leave out of embarrassment. Out of my five years in hawaii, I've never returned to Broken rice since that rude encounter. read more

An absolute 5 Star flavor packed restaurant. Owned by the sweetest family, they use high quality products that are fresh and cooked to perfection. This by far is the best shrimp on vermicelli I have had on the island, garnished with yummy fried shallots and flavored in a carmalized garlic sauté...so Ono! Please order take out and support this family business! read more

Broken Rice - Shrimp and spring roll on noodles - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

A new Vietnamese café popped up in Kaimuki town within the last year. How nice. I kind of wondered why, since there were at least 3 other Vietnamese restaurants in a 3 block radius. I've been told that they are doing something different rather than just the usual Vietnamese classic fare. For me though, I ultimately decided on the oxtail noodle soup, which happened to be on the menu. It was a suggestion to come here that proved to be the one that got me in the door here @ Broken Rice. This place used to be BC Burrito back in the day, if y'all can remember that. My family suggested that we come here for dinner to celebrate Chinese New Year the following day. It was on a brisk Thursday evening in February when I got here after a challenging day at the office. We all got here around 6:15pm and the restaurant itself wasn't that busy, yet there was a couple of occupied tables while we were there. My group of 6 sat near the entrance, since that was probably the largest seating option they had available at the time. For the most part though, the ambiance seemed to tick towards casual and quiet, but you know with 2 young kids, that can be anything but. For me though, it was a nice time to enjoy family and a delicious meal that helped ring in the Chinese New Year 2018. The restaurant itself was very nice, like it was remodeled only yesterday. The staff was friendly, but I don't think there was any significant air conditioning while I was there. The overall experience here at Broken Rice Vietnamese Café Kaimuki was pretty good although it can slide towards average, but still good. Still a fan of this place, but it can be a little bit pricey than what you'd find in other similar Vietnamese restaurants. While Broken Rice tries to separate itself from the others, you could tell that it tries to be a cut above the rest. The food was good though, but it tries to be a Café as well as a place to sit and relax to enjoy yourself on a wonderful Thursday evening in Kaimuki. Broken Rice is located at 3607 Waialae Avenue in the heart of Kaimuki town. It's near the First Hawaiian Bank and the former Liliuokalani Elementary School on Waialae Avenue. They accept major credit cards, which is always a good thing, for anyone who is on the go and doesn't waste time with cash. Parking options can be quite challenging, but you can try to gain free parking on the neighboring side streets. Or if you'd like, you can access the paid parking lots, which is usually closer to the restaurant. If you are like me, bus routes 1, 1L, 9, and 14 come through this pulse of paradise stopping on Koko Head Avenue / Waialae Avenue. These routes run frequently throughout the day and you can come anytime you feel like it before 9pm on any given day. For the most part though, my experience here at Broken Rice was about 75 minutes long. Family got rice dishes and I was the odd ball, since my eyes kid of fixated at the oxtail Pho noodle soup. The wait was about 15-20 minutes, but after a while, I was informed that they forgotten about me and that my bowl of oxtail Pho was the last to arrive. I wasn't mad, just disappointed, but the wait was kind of worth it, even though the bowl was semi small and there was only one large piece of oxtail with meat on it. Nothing else connected to the oxtail, except for the broth. The broth could be better, but still rich with decadence that was quite delicious. For $16, the price was on point in a way, but the portion could have been maybe 1.5 times larger, so that it could be more fulfilling. I had to drink the broth to make it worth the effort and the experience. All in all, can't complain too much though. Broken Rice seems to be legit and tries to be different from the other local Vietnamese restaurants in the area. Upscale? Maybe, or at least they try to be. Try? Do check this place out. I'd recommend trying this place out and see if it is as good as others say it is. I thought it was just okay. A-Okay. 3.5 stars for the overall experience. 3.5 stars for the food. 4.0 stars for the service and ambiance. Support local! B- read more

I tried the crab fried rice and spring roll and both were flavorful and delicious. The spring roll was crispy and not oily. The person who took my takeout order was very friendly and my order was ready when I got there. I would definitely be back to try the other dishes. read more

Broken Rice - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Very clean and the staff was awesome. A little pricier than your typical Vietnamese restaurants but it was worth it in my opinion. read more

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Cute Mom and Pop shop newly opened in Kaimuki. Looked like it was just Uncle and Auntie running around and they could probably use additional help. The spring roll appetizer was ok. The regular beef pho was not too bad- soup was clean tasting and had a nice variety of meats on it. The soup for the Bun Bo Hue was rather bland and uninteresting, there's a lot more places around that do a better version. This one lacked spice and heat that the dish should have, although they did have a nice variety or meats with the noodles. They're also somewhat skimpy on the herbs and sprouts, compared to other places. Maybe because this place is relatively new, but it definitely needs some improvement to compete with other similar places in the area. Hope it gets better in time. read more

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My family wasn't in the mood for cooking the other night and we opted for takeout. We've had a fixing for Vietnamese food and decided to try Broken Rice in Kaimuki. Before Covid, we'd regularly see a packed full house on a nightly basis so now's the perfect time to try their menu and support a local mom and pops restaurant. I researched their menu and pics on Yelp and decided to go with the Shaking Beef, Beef Lemongrass Soup, Crab Fried Rice, and some orders of Spring Rolls. Keep in mind, we did takeout. By the time we got home, we quickly unpackaged everything and that wonderful aroma hits you so hard! OMG it smelled so gooood!! We ate family style so we were all able to try a little bit. Shaking beef - so tender and flavorful, well seasoned, and sliced at the right size to just pop in your mouth. Beef lemongrass soup - I'm not big on lemongrass but my dad is. However, something about this dish was so welcoming, tasty, and beefy. I'd definitely order a bowl of this for myself next time I come her. Crab fried rice - Most other places would serve you imitation crab or maybe just a few flakes of crab meat, but this dish was packed with meaty bite sized pieces of REAL sweet crab. Mix that in with their signature broken rice and this is a winner! Spring rolls - It endured a 15 minute drive home and the skin was still crispy and crunchy and the filling is like how my grandma makes it. Love! I can't believe it took us this long to try Broken Rice but so glad we did. Thank you for a wonderful meal! read more

The veggie salad appetizer is ludicrously good. We could have gotten two. Interestingly, it's served warm (think salad in the larb sense, and less in the papaya sense) and it's a great mix of textures and flavors. Very bright. The eponymous broken rice itself is pretty good too. I don't think there's a ton of com tam spots in hawaii and it's a dish I really miss from my time living in CA. I got the special which came with kind of a comically large piece of beef and chicken. I would have gladly traded some of that beef or chicken for a larger piece of the meatloaf thing, since it's one of those things you only really get with broken rice. read more