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Bun Gao Restaurant

4.2 (72 reviews)
Open 10:00 am - 8:00 pm

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Recommended Reviews - Bun Gao Restaurant

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Simple Specialty Menu
Thia L.

Been wanting to come eat at this Bun Gao Restaurant since my friends told me about this place. Finally took my brother here for Lunch. It was our first time eating here and we definitely enjoyed our food. I love the small simple menu. They offers some of my favorite dishes here that includes Spicy Beef Noodle soups, Crab tofu tomato soups, Southern Fermented Fish Noodle Soup, Vietnamese Beef Stew Soup, and Vegetarian Thai Style Noodle Soups. I wanted to try them all. We both decided to order Bun Rieu and Canh bun and come back another time to try their Popular Fermented Fish Noodles soup on our next visit back. Nice warm and welcoming atmosphere. Spacious seatings inside. Cozy and comfortable.

Banh Mi Bo Kho
Thu N.

I came here on a Thursday around 11:30 for lunch with my extended family (party of 6). The staff were friendly and the store was clean. They told us to sit anywhere. We all ordered around the same time and there was some wait. We didn't order any appetizers. The time between the first dish to come out and the last was probably around at least 7 minutes. I got the banh mi bo kho and I thought the serving was very big. When the food came out, it was super hot. It came with the soup, a loaf of banh mi, and some basil and lime and salt and pepper and chili on the side. I found that the soup was a little bland and needed more flavor complexity from the lime and basil and chili. Th meat portion was huge, and very tender and fatty. The veggies in the soup like the onion paired along beautifully. The banh mi tasted pretty fresh as well. Overall great experience.

Rocky P.

This review is mainly about the service of this place. Been here a few times, sometimes it's dead but tonight on a Thursday night it was packed. We came here around 6:45 and we walked into a restaurant about 90% packed. We weren't greeted but since we were ordering togo we grabbed a menu to see what we wanted. There was one waitress in front, no one at the desk, and maybe two people in the kitchen. After ordering we waited for our food. About 30 minutes passed when we asked the waitress and all she said was "20 more minutes". We asked again after waiting for a whole hour and again she said "20 minutes". The people that came after us sat down and they waited for about 40 minutes before leaving. They weren't greeted, given water, not even menus. A lot of people who were waiting just to order, started leaving, and so did we. Over ten people walked out of this place. There was a gentleman who we assume is the owner just walking back and forth not doing nothing, besides talking to another man and turning off the "open" sign at 7:40pm when they close at 8pm. Although the bun rieu is decent, it's not worth disrespect the staff displayed to its customers.

I like mine with no onions lol
Diana S.

Still my fav spot for BBH. Always consistent and the service is always homely! The owners take huge pride in their business.

Mình ghé quán vào buổi trưa cuối tuần, khá đông nhưng phục vụ nhanh. Tô bún bò nóng hổi, nước dùng đậm đà, thơm mùi sả. Sợi bún mềm vừa phải, không bị bở. Thịt và chả nhiều, nêm nếm vừa ăn, có thể thêm sate nếu thích cay. À quên nữa, trà sữa của cô chủ quán hơi bị ngon. Khá thơm đậm vị trà. Không gian sạch sẽ, bàn ghế gọn gàng. Giá rẻ hợp lý so với khu vực San Jose. Sẽ quay lại lần sau!

Bun rieu
Amanda N.

Was craving soup and stumbled upon this place on Yelp. The broth was sooo flavorful for both bun rieu and bun mam. The pricing wasn't bad because the portions are similar like a large size. I brought home half to go. Only thing on a hot day is there is no AC inside so it was hot, but do-able. Definitely recommend.

Shaking beef rice plate
Janette P.

Looking for a lunch experience and found this little place. Ordered the shaking beef rice plate, spring rolls with peanut sauce, and fried chicken wings. The beef was filet mignon and done to perfection. Medium rare and delicious flavor. The friend chicken wings were a little bit overdone but still delicious with a glaze fish sauce. The spring rolls were so good because of the peanut sauce. It's the best peanut sauce I Have ever had. It had substance, and was thick with peanut flavor. We are definitely coming back!

Bun Mam That Tastes Like Home!
Julie N.

I've tried nearly every Bun Mam spot around San Jose, and I can finally say--this one hits closest to the version my mom used to make back in Vietnam. The portion is massive and packed with goodness: squid, shrimp, fresh fish, pork shoulder slices, crispy roast pork, eggplant, and even fish paste stuffed into bitter melon and sweet pepper (a new twist for me--and I love it!). What really sets this place apart is the broth. Unlike others that lean too sweet or salty, this Bun Mam has a light, balanced flavor--exactly how I like my fermented fish noodles. It pairs perfectly with rau đắng, banana blossom, and mint, adding freshness and crunch. The tamarind sauce deserves a shoutout too--tangy, slightly sweet, with just enough chili to kick things up a notch. While the restaurant offers other specialties that are also solid, Bun Mam is the standout for me. If you're a fan of Bun Mam or curious to try a dish that's bold, comforting, and full of character, give this place a try. You might just find your new favorite.

bun rieu
Minh-Chau D.

Went here with my family and they really enjoyed the food at the restaurant. The place is pretty small but it stayed busy the whole dinner time. The menu is also limited but every dish I tried was good. Soups are rich and flavorful and they give a lot of ingredients. Tried bun bo hue, bun riêu, and bun mam. Bun riêu was my favorite.

Bun Bo Hue
Stacie N.

My husband took me here for lunch near my work. I wouldn't know of this place despite driving by it on my way to work daily. It's hidden in the corner of the small plaza across the street from Costco Gas Station. A small restaurant with several tables occupied when we arrived at noon. The menu is very limited consisting of a few dishes only. Easy to choose from and make a decision on what to eat. We ordered 2 Bun Bo Hue. The bowl size is decent and the plate of veggies is very full for 2 bowls. The BBH is pretty decent but there were more noodles than meat in the bowl. The broth is tasty as not much shrimp paste or lemons are needed compare to other restaurants where broth has no flavor, too salty or too sweet. Service was decent though it's hard to know how it'll be when there'll be a full house since there were not alot of customers while we were there.

Cha Gio - Fried Egg Rolls
Mike L.

After being turned away by the "Closed" sign hanging on the door of Phuong Nam at the other end of the complex, we found ourselves with two choices - furiously scroll through Yelp in search of another place for lunch or take our chances on the recently opened Bun Gao. In the end, the latter won out mostly because of how late it was getting and how hungry we were, but I was perfectly happy to take a shot in the dark on coming here. The possibility of randomly stumbling across another gem was also appealing, but really, who could say no to getting seated immediately when the hunger pangs are hitting so hard? While Bun Gao looks small and unassuming from the outside, inside, it looks pretty nice. Not only was it bright and modern, but everything still felt clean and new, too. That said, I can't say I love how loud they had their brand new sound system set, as it felt like we were eating a a concert (we could barely hear each other talk). As far as the menu goes, it's interesting, but modest, with just eight dishes in total - four appetizers (Imperial Rolls, Spring Rolls, Fried Shrimp, and Fried Chicken Wings) and four noodle soups (Bun Bo Hue, Bun Rieu, Bun Mam, and Bun Thai Chay). No beef nor chicken pho and nothing in the way of vermicelli bowls or rice plates, but the food sounded no less enticing. -- CHA GIO - Fried Egg Rolls with Pork and Shrimp (3 pcs)...$6.99 Both fairly priced and decently filled. Each roll was crispy and fried to a nice, golden brown. However, despite how it looks in the photo, the rolls weren't all that large and the overall taste of them was just okay - not bad, but not amazing. -- BUN RIEU - Crab Noodle Soup with Crab Ball, Pork Patty, Pork Blood Cake, and Tofu...$14.99 On the one hand, I liked the crab meatballs and the broth was actually pretty flavorful. On the other, the broth was a little too sweet, the noodles were overcooked, and it felt on crab balls/tofu/pork patties. It also didn't help that my relative found a couple of hairs in their bowl. Considering how Bun Gao has only been open for a couple of months, I imagine that some of the kinks are still being worked out. From the photos, it also looks like they've already updated/added to their menu since they first opened, so it's possible they'll continue to expand it over time. However, based on how loud the restaurant was and how the food was more okay than great, I might be more inclined to try one of the many other restaurants in the South Bay on my list of bookmarks first (though, I wouldn't rule it out).

Bun Mam :(
Linny N.

This is their Togo portion. Skimpy on meat for $16. Won't be coming back. :( For this price I expect more meat for the portion. 2 pieces of heo quay and 1 shrimp and 1 piece of fish is very trash quality.

Best bun mam! Love it!
Khanh N.

Came back today and let me say everything is great! Service, food, and ambiance are top rating! People need to come try and check out this place asap !

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Ask the Community - Bun Gao Restaurant

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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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Banh Cuon Bun Moc Ong Ta

Banh Cuon Bun Moc Ong Ta

4.3(422 reviews)
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So worth the 52 minutes drive. First time having fresh Banh Cuon and I will be back for sure…read more Very straightforward. Service was fast and friendly,y by an uncle. Very casual, local, and homey feel.

I was yapping about my obsession with bun rieu and Devin suggested that we try this spot. I passed…read moreon breakfast so I could have the calories to splurge on the bun rieu here for lunch. It was a really hot day on a Wednesday when we came by. Inside felt stuffier than outside so we opted to sit outside. We did an early lunch slightly before noon, but even on a weekday there were a lot of other customers. Devin got the #1 Special Rice Roll and I got the #10 Bun Rieu. I was a bit skeptical of getting a hot noodle soup on a hot day, but I figured it'd be great to find a solid bun rieu spot closer to me than my current defaults all the way in Milpitas. The #1 came out first and rather quickly, the #10 took a bit longer but wasn't a long wait by any means. The first thing I noticed was that the plate of add-ins was rather unique, I've never received perilla leaves or banana flowers with my bun rieu before. The broth had great flavor and this soup did come with pork blood cubes. I would definitely come back for the bun rieu. Hot soup noodle soup on a hot day wasn't actually so bad. I tried some of the Special Rice Rolls and felt unsure, maybe it's an acquired taste but I wasn't an immediate fan.

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Banh Cuon Bun Moc Ong Ta - Outdoor Seating

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Pho Luc Lac - BBH *drool*

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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 :)

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Bun Gao Restaurant - vietnamese - Updated May 2026

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