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    Cafe Diem

    4.4 (340 reviews)
    InexpensiveVietnamese
    Open 8:00 am - 6:30 pm

    Cafe Diem Photos

    Business Info

    CAFE DIEM ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Cafe Diem

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    Bun bo hue (small)
    Viona C.

    A very tight and cramped spot, but they managed to fit a good amount of tables. We were elbows-to-elbows with each other and our adjacent table, but very glad we managed to snag a table. We ordered 3 bun bo hue, 1 pho and a banh cuon to share for our table of 4. Each noodle dish came in two sizes -- small or large. Small was more than enough for me. Their bbh was loaded with protein and fat, springy rice noodles. It had a reasonable amount of heat, but I wish the lemongrass flavor was more prominent. I recall having the same opinion the last time I came here years ago, but maybe it's just personal preference; nonetheless still a delicious bowl of bbh. The pho was exceptional -- super light broth, but packed with a deep, beefy flavor and protein as well. I saw a lot of reviews on the banh cuon being amazing, but I thought it was rather average for my taste; skin wasn't thin enough and it could've used more rolls and cha lua LOL Overall a good spot and very well-worth the value! CASH ONLY.

    Ella F.

    BBH breakfast of champion! Just visiting Philly for a couple of day and woke up craving for BBH. Did some research on Yelp and actually found some Viet places open early! The BBH here looks legit! I was so excited to come here! Cafe Diem is a local hole in the wall in Viet Town. There are less than 10 tables. We got there before 10am. Most tables were taken already with Vietnamese local families. You know the place is authentic when it has a small menu. It only has 7 food items on the menu. I looked at the other tables, most people got BBH. I ordered the large BBH and hubby got pho. The BBH was great! The broth was so flavorful. The noodles were silky and chewy. It came with big pieces of meat, tendon and boneless pig feet. The pho broth is a little on the sweet side but it was decent. We left with full happy bellies!

    Banh cuon cha lua
    Vy T.

    Authentic Vietnamese restaurant with great quality. Loved the banh cuon cha lua and enjoyed the bun Bo hue too. Service is quick. It's a small place with several tables for a yummy lunch.

    Steven K.

    Been coming here with my wife for over 10 years now. My first introduction to Bun Bo Hue (Hue style beef noodle soup) and, even having been to Hue, in Vietnam itself...this is still one of THE best bowls of Bun Bo Hue I have ever had. It is flavorful, spicy, full of herbs and meat and spices. The Vietnamese style coffee (Cafe Sua) is great too, an amazing morning option in my opinion. I don't believe they serve much else, but considering how good the Bun Bo Hue here is, they don't need too. The place is small, there are only a few tables, so my advice is to get here early, you will be thankful you did!

    Outside of restaurant
    Nikki N.

    Their BBH is the best that I have ever had. Broth is full of flavor and spicy. Love that the aunties are running this shop. Their iced coffee with condensed milk is strong but not too sweet which I appreciate. The meat is a little tough for my liking. Cash only establishment and does not charge sales tax. I will definitely come back to Cafe Diem.

    Bbh
    Teresa C.

    You can't visit Philly without getting viet. Viet in NY is subpar so I had to have my pho fix. I tried bun bo hue for the first time and loved it. The spices and fragrant broth were so comforting. I'm a lover of all the weird meat bits too. They were very generous with the meat. I almost wishes there was more noodle. Nothing fancy. Just good, authentic tasting food.

    Norman C.

    Coming from a lack of authentic Vietnamese food from NYC, I have been looking forward to my visit here to fulfill my cravings post travels to Vietnam half a year ago. This place was highly recommended to me by my friends from Philly. I came here on a Monday afternoon with 3 other friends. I got the Bun Bo Hue and Banh Cuon to share. Both dishes met expectations and lived up to their hype. The BBH was flavorful and the noodles were delicious. Banh Cuon was also delicious and well fitting for a nice early lunch meal. The service and ambiance is what you expect of a hole in a wall spot. The background music and videos of random vietnamese street eats on the TV gives off the feel of eating in the streets of Hanoi & Saigon. I would definitely come back the next time I'm in town. Also It is a cash only establishment.

    Parisa H.

    HOLY WOW! I have to say, hands down one of the best pho I've had in a whileee! This family run shop is cozy, quick and delicious! The broth was amazing- I was so hesitant to add any sauces to it because the flavor was that good. Really good food for a cold day!

    Outside
    Irene L.

    The best bun bo hue i ever had. Broth was rich spicy full of depth and flavor. I got the large for $16 and portions was more than enough. Lots of tendons, pork, beef brisket, slice beef and noodles were al dente. They also included tea. The service was amazing. Very kind Vietnamese waitress. I wanted to try the banh cuon but they were out. Space is small with only 5 tables and a tiny bathroom. Will be back soon.

    Bun Bo Hue
    Wendy T.

    My friends and I literally drive down to Philly to eat good Vietnamese food and this is one of the spots we go! The bun bo hue is so great, filled to the brim with meat. I was so surprised to try the banh cuon cha lua and it was so good!! Both of these dishes are a must order. 10/10

    Bun Bo hue
    Cecilia L.

    Omg one of the best bun bo hue I've had!! The meat to noodle portion was amazing too!! The viet rice roll was yummy too!! And the viet coffee was impactful & strong Everything we got was a hit

    Banh cuon
    Danni N.

    The portions were great here at average prices. I'm so grateful this restaurant was open so early! Other vietnamese places were open after 10am. Everyone was super friendly. For the Banh Cuon, my dad had no complaints! It was great and the fish sauce was done well. I'm southern Vietnamese and I thought the Bun Bo Hue's broth was sweeter than how I usually have it! It was still really good. My only complaint is that I wish they had traditional herbs and veggies that are paired with this noodle soup. I'd come back!

    Annie X.

    A casual restaurant serving banh mis and pho in South Philly! We went in on a Friday evening and were seated right away. Atmosphere: The space is on the smaller side and the vibe was casual, but the staff was very friendly and the food came out so quickly! Food: We ordered 2 different broths, which were both very flavorful! The portions were large with a lot of noodles and meat. Overall: 4/5 - I would love to go back and try other food items off their menu! I just really love the pho / broth flavor at Pho 75 so I would likely go back there if I was craving pho. That said, if I was ever looking for a different flavor and type of noodle, I would come back.

    Banh cuon

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    Page 1 of 9

    Ask the Community - Cafe Diem

    Do they do take out?

    yes! call ahead and order. keep in mind they are cash only!

    View All 2 Questions

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    Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant

    Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant

    4.0
    (779 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    Delicious, great service, cute mural walls! We came in around 9 pm tonight, we were starving. There…read morewere a lot of people inside, but we were seated and able to order right away. The food was tasty and hot. I ordered fried tofu with vegetables and my friend got pad thai. Everything was fabulous and so flavorful. There's plenty of vegetarian options. The air conditioning was wonderful on this humid night.

    My family used to frequent this restaurant almost every week when I was a kid. I practically grew…read moreup here. My mom and aunts knew the owners. But they have since sold and under new management. Decades later I feel the urge to revisit and it's smaller than I remember. I'll chalk it up to being a small kid memory. The decor is indeed dated and needing a lot of tlc. I heard the food was still good so what the heck let's give it a try. The new owners/workers are definitely not Vietnamese. The menu is huge and included a lot of non Vietnamese dishes. We ordered 2 bowls of noodles and they are huge portions. At first glance they are a watery bowl of rice noodles. I was not impressed. But upon my first sip of the soup I was pleasantly surprised. All that flavor was still there. (They must've also inherited the recipes from the previous owners) Although the quality of meat and veggies were not cooked with the broth they still managed to maintain the flavors so I'm impressed. The beef was tough and blocky so were the carrots. I couldn't finish my portion so I took it home and to my mistake the noodles did not travel well. They became a mushy mess. So I'm very torn. I very much enjoyed all the flavors but the quality was a bit disappointing.

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    Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant
    Pho Xe Lua Viet Thai Restaurant
    Pho/ Beef noodle soup menu

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    Pho/ Beef noodle soup menu
    Pho 75

    Pho 75

    4.4
    (726 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    A no frills place. Cash only. They serve great pho. Johnny on the spot. Sit. Order. Eat and pay…read more But it's consistently really good. Not really a date night. But definitely is a nice comfort food option.

    This is supposedly the best phở in Philadelphia, and the best I've ever had! And it's incredibly…read morecheap compared to Boston. 1.Phở - Tái, Nạm, Gầu, Gân, Sách: The broth was dark, but the flavor was natural and umami; the beef was in big portion and large slices, tender, and the tripe had no gamey taste; the rice noodles were authentic Vietnamese phở, perfectly cooked and very refreshing. The biggest surprise was the tái (eye-round steak), yet still retaining that pleasantly chewy texture of undercooked beef; the gầu (fat brisket) was thick and crisp, fragrant but not greasy--who would have thought I'd find brisket fat here? This showed the restaurant's precise control over the broth temperature and the thickness of the beef. Almost all phở restaurants claim to offer authentic raw beef or various cuts of beef, but very few can truly make customers feel the difference. The restaurant's decor is simple but spacious and clean; the service is average, but very efficient. Efficiency is essential for phở, otherwise the beef would be overcooked in the hot broth. After all, the essence of a restaurant is food, and for such affordable ones, it's gratifying to see them spend most of their costs on the food itself.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    1.Phở - Tái, Nạm, Gầu, Gân, Sách
    1.Phở - Tái, Nạm, Gầu, Gân, Sách
    Pho 75

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    Miss Saigon

    Miss Saigon

    4.1
    (195 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    8/18/2026 My first trip to Philadelphia with this being my…read morefirst stop was absolutely perfect. My server Sarah was very attentive and helpful giving me the run down of the menu. She suggested the lunch special, and it did not disappoint for $18 and some change. I got the lemongrass pork bahn mi 2 minis at that stuffed with all the good things. The beef pho was the perfect size and the broth was sooo clean I was in love. A glass of wine topped the meal and I was stuffed. The vibe was so casual with old school hits playing in the back ground and the dim lighting made it a go to spot for a date. They have an upstairs with additional seating that overlooks everything. I'd recommend and surly come back whenever I'm in the city. Bathroom rating: 5/5 loved the pink toilets

    Miss Saigon has a lot of really good gems on the menu and an extensive drink menu…read more Although the restaurant is definitely pricey for what you get, I didn't leave feeling like I could have gotten similar dishes for half the price on Washington Ave. Out of everything I tried, the oxtail pho and spring rolls were the only dishes that seemed like more straight forward Vietnamese dishes, but even with the pho, the oxtail really made my night because of how tender and delicious it was. The crab fried rice was also fantastic as well as the braised pork belly bao. The quality of service was a little quirky, as if the waiter had hired his friends as waitstaff, but it added to the experience. Our waiter was very fun and friendly. This is a great option, especially for a late night dinner, as it stays open much later on weekdays than most restaurants in Center City. Looking forward to trying more items on the menu!

    Photos
    Mirror mirror on the walls.
    Mirror mirror on the walls.
    Chicken Pho
    Chicken Pho
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    Little Ninh Binh & Iced Vietnamese Coffee
    Cafe Mi Quang

    Cafe Mi Quang

    4.8
    (99 reviews)
    5.0 mi
    $

    Visiting Philly and decided to come to this family-owned Vietnamese restaurant. You know it's an…read moreauthentic Vietnamese restaurant when they have Viet music videos playing on their TV! They had good reviews online and rightfully so! When we came in, the only staff was this man and a young child sitting on a chair, who I assumed was his daughter. He would gently ask her to help with small tasks like bringing us menus and water, which she would adorably rush over to our table, place down quickly, and then scurry back to her chair. It honestly made me laugh to myself and smile -- it was such a wholesome moment that really showed the family dynamic. Seeing his daughter nearby while he worked added a lot of warmth to the experience and made the place feel even more genuine and welcoming. I even noticed her school photos on the wall near the cashier table, which really highlighted the family-run vibe. Food was delicious, and it was my the first time seeing banana flower shavings as part of the side toppings at a Viet restaurant so that was unique. Also my first time having pennywort drink and the more I drank it, the more I liked it. Tasted healthy and refreshing!

    Hole in the wall, mom and pop restaurant. It's small, clean and I think the owner was also the…read morewaiter and busboy lol. There were other menu options but my friend was like you came for the mi quang so you have to try it here. We ordered the mi quang dac biet which comes with a variety of meats, quail eggs and a crispy rice cracker. Portions were large, prices were fair for what you got. Service was quick and just enough. Noodles were bouncy with the right amount of chew, broth was delish. And the meats were tender and well seasoned. This is likely the best mi quang in Philly! The only ones we have had better were in San Jose. We also tried some of the yogurt and sticky rice desserts, they were tasty and refreshing after a heavy meal. Would highly recommend stopping by for an authentic central vietnam noodle dish! And then you can walk to ca phe roasters for coffee! I've heard the owners are considering retiring soon, so check it out before they do!

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    Cafe Mi Quang
    Mi quang tom thit (shrimp and pork mi quang)
    Mi quang tom thit (shrimp and pork mi quang)
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    Bun Bo Hue

    Cafe Diem - vietnamese - Updated August 2026

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