I've had the cold bug that's been going around for several days now, but due to a presentation I couldn't get out of class. Desperately, I looked around near my class building for some soup to calm my throat. I saw Camille across the street and like pho, so I figured I'd get some. I guess I should've known that a super cheap pho hole-in-the-wall aimed at 18-year-olds wouldn't be so good, but it didn't need to be THIS bad. My beef pho was really thick, when I'm used to clear broth, and the broth had chunks in it that were nothing but beef fat. eww. On top of that, the restaurant was really run-down and didn't look terribly clean. My stomach felt really unsettled after the meal, possibly due to a combination of way too much fat and unclean restaurant germs. It was cheap and cleared my throat, but that's about the only good thing I can say about it. I think I'd have preferred to clear my throat by drinking a bottle of cough syrup instead of eating their pho! read more

what'd i tell ya, the dirtier the restaurent, the more authentic/better the food is. It's definitely one of my favorite restaurent in the north side, and have much better pho than south side imo. The price is relatively cheaper (ranging from 5.75 for a bowl of pho to 6.75 for a combo or rice). They are amazing and fast cooks, so if you're rushing, it's the perfect place. They also don't care if students tip them or not. They put so much ingredients in their pho and dishes that I was starting to wonder why they haven't moved to the Southside to dominate where there are more starving customers/students. I tried their grasslemon chicken, and it was a huge piece of meat and you can really taste the lemon zest. I also tried their Saigon style noodle, I've been to many good pho restaurants in asian places, but it can actually top some of them because their choice of meat had such a great variety and their texture of noodle was on the chew-ey side (which i like), and not overcooked. what i don't like is how overpriced the sandwich is, and it wasn't particularly impressive. read more

I only come here for the Five Spice Chicken, which is a very good value. The chicken consists of a gigantic leg and thigh. The first thing that really caught my attention was seeing someone else order it and seeing how huge it was. The five spice really comes through, you can tell that it's been stewed for a very long time. The chicken is super moist and tender, and to cap it off, that sinful chicken skin just melts in your mouth. The downside is that the cabbage on the side is pretty bland and comes with a typical chili sauce. The rest of the dishes here are typical Chinese/Vietnamese rice plates, lemongrass chicken, lemongrass beef, claypot stews. The guy working here is a hell of a nice guy. I was in the process of picking up my tray and returning my dirty dishes to the front when he told me to just not worry about it. Restaurants that cater to students never really have service that is all that great because they are budget restaurants, but this guy knows how to serve his customers. You really wouldn't expect a place in either Asian Ghetto to be thattttt great, but this is a surprising gem that caters well to the grad students living in North Berkeley. Order the Five Spice Chicken and I guarantee you won't be disappointed. read more

I know that there must be good plates here. But so far I've ordered the pho (to go) and noodles with tender pork (two times) and their noodles are probably the most disappointing noodles I've ever tasted. It could be because I order them to-go. Or I have a theory-- they store their noodles after they overcook them, sit out for a while, and then place in package for the dish, which makes them hard and difficult to handle. Especially the to-go pho is impossible to eat. The cup is overfilled with soup (that isn't even that good) and sketchy contents (tasteless meatballs, overcooked beef). Though, it is near my area of activity, I'm sure I'll come again. Tonight I thought i'd give it another try (with the same tender pork/noodle dish that I always crave since I had a good store back home that served a similar dish) and it was disappointing. I'm sure the sandwiches are good. read more

The place is really close to the campus. And the owner really friendly. They do all the food clean and good. If you like the clay pot this place is strongly recommend. read more

Camille - Seafood tofu clay pot. When I do not know what to eat I will choose this clay pot. Yummy - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Before you step in here, don't expect gourmet vietnamese food with traditional recipes and family passed down recipes like mom used to make. Unless your mom was not vietnamese and made fake viet food then definitely come here. The dishes here are not authentic but will definitely satisfy your lunch crave for a moderate price. I've tried a few things here and by far the most memorable thing is the lemongrass beef. There isn't any lemongrass flavor at all but its still good. They stir fry the beef in a flavorful sauce and put it on a bed of chewy rice. To top it off, they fry an egg and spread a generous layer of sweet glaze on the egg. It definitely is a uniquely tasting egg (in a good way!) To make your food extra tasty, drizzle their free fish sauce (ask for it) on your rice! Yumm! Their other items are meh at best. Another possibility is to get the combination clay pot. I havent tried it but whenever I go I always see people get it and it looks oh so good! The atmosphere is drab, depressing, cold, dirty and sad. Service is little to non existent. Just remember, lemongrass beef and fish sauce~! read more

I came here looking for some good Banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) and was sorely disappointed. The restaurant owners are Cantonese and do not know how to make good Vietnamese food. The bread was hard and cooked, and I'm pretty sure it had coleslaw in it. The tofu was prepared like general tso's tofu. The restaurant proprietors also called me a "Gui Lo", which isn't very polite, even if they think I don't know what it means... read more

Just walk up and say, "Large #5." I love the pho. If you go early on Saturday, I've found that the broth is especially fatty, a.k.a. delicious. It's still good on the weekdays, though. They're closed Sundays, much to my chagrin, but that doesn't stop me from making multiple trips a week. One of my missions is to find the best pho, and it's hard to find a better place within walking distance of campus. Le Petit Cheval's pho is kind of sweet tasting and is closed more often than Camille, and Vietnam Village is just bland. Heavenly Foods in the Bear's Lair is below average, and Pho Hoa is far away (at least, to walk); it's not as good anyway. I've never had phomenow, though. Does it make me a pho heathen if I like the beef balls? Then may I burn in pho hell. I also don't like adding Sriracha or Hoisin sauce; I feel like they're artificial tasting and take taste away from the broth. Listen to me drone on about pho. If you're not in the mood for pho - or just plain don't like it, get the combo crispy noodles. They are great for a change of pace, and you'll be full by the end for sure. Lastly, they're really busy during the lunchtime, and I've had my order mixed up once or twice as a result, but it's never stopped me from going back. Now that I've graduated, I'll miss this place, but I plan to stop by whenever I visit Berkeley. read more

It was the worst experience eating there! They kept me waiting, waiting, and waiting... for over forty minutes! Well, I understand that there are many people which slows down the cooking. However, how do explain the fact that the people ordered after me have finished eating when I was still waiting?? It seems that they just forget or temporally hold some orders for reasons. What's worse, I noticed that their place is infested with rats and roaches - eek!!! Just imagine, what you are eating was shared by some other little creatures. Seriously, I would rather consider other places for a safe and pleasant meal. read more

This was my favorite restaurant to go to when I was a student at UC Berkeley. Cheap AND delicious with HUGE portions. Yes it doesn't really taste authentic but it is so good that you can't really complain. They have a really big menu so you're going to have to try a few things before you find out what you really like. I really loved the pho here for some odd reason. I always got it go and warmed it up again at my house and it always came with big meatballs, lots of beef slices, and tons of bean sprouts and other toppings. It has never failed me. Their rice dishes are really good too and after a lot of hits and misses, I think my favorite was their 5 Spices Roast Chicken. You get a whole chicken leg and thigh with a load of vegetables. I actually loved the vegetables more than the chicken. There was something about the way they cooked it (ask for spicy) that made it such a great combination with rice. It gets really crowded during lunch so be prepared to wait a little. It's cash only too but that's not so unusual around campus. Check it out! 4/5 read more

Based on the rice/noodle plates, the food here meets my standards for Vietnamese cuisine. I have yet to try the Pho. But during lunch, this place is so crowded. You won't have much luck finding an empty table. It takes about 10 minutes to get my to-go order. My favorite is the lemongrass beef and shrimp noodle bowl. The pork with egg roll is just as good. The last time I went, there were about 4 bins on the floor, overflowing with dirty dishes. They need more space, and more help. But at least the workers smile. read more

It confuses me how there are two Asian ghettos in Berkeley and how they are on opposite sides of the campus. This was my first time at the Northside Asian ghetto. This one is just a tad bit more ghetto but I love the way the tables are placed really close together and how you can smell different varieties of food in one area. The person sitting to the left of you could be eating Korean japchae, the person to your right Japanese sushi, and the person across from you a top dog (hehe okay not that Asian but you get the gist). I opted for this Vietnamese joint called Camille. The lady behind the cash register was a sweetheart! She was very welcoming and friendly :) I ended up ordering a Vietnamese BBQ pork sandwich to go. My sandwich was huge! It was packed with meat and the veggies were crisp and had a nice sauce with it. While the sandwich was tasty it was not the best banh mi i've had would have loved it if they could add pate or make it a little smaller or neatly packed so it wouldn't be so messy to eat. Check this place out if you're looking for a quick Asian lunch that won't put you in food coma but is satisfying! read more

3 stars for taste 5 stars for price If you happen to be a hungry traveler, bikers especially, needing all your calories, Camile is the place to go. Budget is your concern, Camille is your fix. All the dishes cost around $6. You get a lot of food too. I did a family style menu when I went with 4 hungry bikers. Everyone got their spicy fix, filled their tummy with delicious pho. You really can't complain when a good dinner costs under $30 for 4 people. As for the quality, this isn't a place you take to impress your girlfriend. It is a quick and filling meal, bang for your buck, I would definitely come back to Camille time and time again to get their clay pot dish. The rice is cooked so softly, that all the flavor, juices of the meat gets absorbed into the rice. I love this dish and I will recommend it to every Asian needing a little bit of home-style cooking. Final note: cheap / filling / home-style / More chinese than vietnamese. read more

Prices are pretty good and the portions are pretty filling, but I don't like the food very much.. The vietnamese sandwich deal is pretty good though. You get a lot of meat and a soda for like $5. read more

The food is all right, but it suffers from a lack of vegetables (I tend to like my dishes heavy on the vegetable variety). Otherwise, the chicken was spiced well in my 5 Spice Roast Chicken, and the few veggies that were there were cooked nicely. The service is incredibly slow even when there's nobody waiting in front of you in line. Don't expect to call in for your orders - the lady will just repeat the restaurant's opening and closing hours no matter what you ask. read more

Whenever I forget to bring my lunch to work, I eat here. Depending on who is cooking and who is at the register, the food can be anywhere from very good to pretty bad. For example, I have ordered the hot and sour seafood soup and have gotten a savory hot and sour seafood soup. Another time, the person behind the register did not register what I wanted, despite my pointing it out on the bilingual menu, and I got some spiceless fishball seawater that tasted pretty bad. Yesterday I went there and it seemed to be a vegetable shortage because I got a heap of cabbage and tofu with two pieces of broccoli over mostly rice, which sucked. I noticed that the entire restaurant crowd had only cabbage with a little broccoli in their dish, too. Not a carrot or a green in sight, except for when I left, this one kid had the smarts to order the spicy string bean dish. My main complaint is two-fold. Perhaps because I am not Asian, I never receive the standard sprouts, fresh chilis, lemon and basil that everybody else in the restaurant is being served with their pho. I ALWAYS have to get up and ask for it, and I come there often enough. I have asked for it first when I order it, that doesn't work either. It's always a hassle. The other issue I have is about 2/3 of the time, I've come in first and get served last. Then I have 10 minutes to wolf down my boiling hot soup. Forget about the standard condiments all the Asian kids are getting served at the other tables. read more

I do not recommend. The food quality is poor, the service is mediocre, and this place is honestly just kind of dirty. Tables are sticky and I feel bad saying it... but it just isn't appealing. Not to mention I got Camille special eggplant and it made me sick... I think it has msg. Like throw up sick. And I was feeling sick as I ate it. read more

FOOD POISONING WARNING- stay away at all costs! It's extremely overpriced, pod 12$ for a cold noodle that was too awful for me to even finish. It was very obvious they did not take any pride in their cooking. Beef bowl was so average and also overpriced. Worst part? The entire next day I couldn't focus on my studies due to stomach cramps, and some VERY unpleasant trips to the bathroom. Don't believe the good reviews, this isn't real Vietnamese food. They clearly have some health standards they need to meet up to as well, it's totally likely they touched raw meat to my cold noodles. The guy actually touched my credit card and receipt with gloves hands that were covered in grime from food prep- not okay..... i just hope he wasn't handling raw meet. read more

Its okay. I got the seafood soup and it wasn't that great. It wasn't bland but it seemed like it just had a lot of salt and not spices. I also wish they had given me some lemon so that I could squeeze some on top. Other than than the soup came with a couple of shrimp, some scallops, cilantro and some ham-tasting meat. Next time I will opt for the Chicken or Pork Vietnamese sandwich. That looked good and it seems like its one of their most popular dishes because I saw like three people eating them. read more

If you're vegetarian DONT COME HERE. TERRIBLE SERVICE AND FOOD. I ordered the vegetarian noodle soup and the broth tasted like WATER. There were only scraps of vegetables and tofu. I asked if I could exchange for something else and most of the staff could barely understand English. They refused to let me exchange. Wasted money and time. Pretty angry with the service and food. Never coming back. read more

tl;dr super tasty cheap Asian food. Go eat there if you're in the area I'm working in Soda Hall and this is the place I go to to fulfill my longings for Asian food. The food is both super tasty and cheap. A meal will generally run you 6.25 to 8$ depending on how much meat you want. I usually go light on the meat side (actually I often eat vegetarian in these cheaper places due to the quality of the meat they have to use to be able to offer such a low price). Wait time can be anything between 5 and 15 minutes depending on how busy they are. The waiters are generally friendly yet super busy, so don't expect to do lots of small talk. My favorite dish is the vegetarian curry which is just super tasty. Most meals come with a free soup as well. read more

I came by for a quick dinner and ordered the lemongrass beef and shrimp over noodles. The beef and shrimp was nicely seasoned and delicious. Unfortunately the noodles were really soggy and frigid cold. The restaurant offers free hot tea, which is nice. Others were eating hot pots that looked pretty delicious, so maybe I'll try that if I decide to come back. read more

Camille - Lemongrass beef and shrimp over noodles - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

I have class around the corner so I'm always looking for a place to eat nearby. Vietnamese food is my FAVORITE. So I figured why not try it. Sucked. Absolutely sucked. They were out of basically everything and dinner hasn't even started? No chicken, no noodles. I ended up quickly picking something of the menu which is posted all over the walls which is impossible to see. Went with the vegetarian curry. Just sucked. Bland. Underwhelming. Under seasoned. Hate leaving bad reviews but this place just isn't worth it. read more

I got their peng peng chicken. it was the worst food experience I've had for years. It tasted like pure sugar with a thick layer of breading. I had trouble chewing it. The chicken itself tasted like it was about to go bad. And this place is definitely not Vietnamese judging from the menu. read more

Pretty much the best place to eat on Northside. Can get slow during the lunch rush, but totally worth the wait. My friends and I always try to eat here at least once a week. I swear, they must put something in the rice because it is freaking addictive. Cheap. Friendly. Delicious. And fast if you go when it isnt 12 noon. yummmm read more

The correct way to eat Chinese food on Northside is to order it at Camille. Sure, it's a dollar more than TC garden, but that's the price you pay to eat actual food. The staff are pretty friendly and kind of humorous too. One time I came by at like 3pm during the summer (totally off-hours) and they had turned the half the place almost inside out trying to kill a mouse they found. Their dish quality varies quite a bit. Try to stay away from the "vietnamese" items, since they're generally not as good. I recommend the pai gu fan (pork ribs and potatoes, I think?), the peng peng chicken, the five spice chicken, and the ma la yu (spicy fish...?). They can be a bit slow during busy hours, but if you go during off-hours they're absurdly fast. It also passes the traditional chinese restaurant test with flying colors - during mealtimes, you'll see it filled with people ordering in chinese - always a good sign. read more

dirty and oily.worst food you will get at northside If you care about sanity issue, this is definitely not a place to go. I've only been there twice and each time i saw hair inside my food. read more

This is probably the worst customer service I have ever seen. I waited half an hour before I asked them where my food was, and they said it was almost ready. I then proceeded to wait another 45 minutes and still no sign of my food. All around me customers were complaining too, so it wasn't just me. Would not come again. read more

My favorite restaurant on North side. There are definitely a lot of dishes that are not good. But the dishes that are good, ARE AMAZING. I highly recommend the prawns and green beans with BBQ pork. It is loaded with BBQ pork, which is well seasoned and cooked just right, and the prawns are delicious. The prawns are lightly sauced with a classic white chinese sauce. The green beans are always crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, never hard. I have probably had this dishes at least 5 times and not once has it disappointed. For only $6.55, shrimp and BBQ pork! what more could you ask for. But be aware, this is not gourmet food, it is about the same quality as food from Southside (Durant Foodcourt aka Asian Ghetto). I also recommended the 5 Spice Chicken! It is seasoned to perfection with loads of chicken on a bed of rice and steam veggies on the side to boot. If you eat there, you get a nice warm bowl of soup with your meal. Even though it is not much, it's a nice bonus to finish your meal with. Don't let the appearance of the restaurant to turn you off from it. It may look like a run-down slum, but the food is great and the old couple that runs it are really nice. The prices are about $1-2 less than the places around it and similar restaurants on Southside. I also recommend the Lemongrass Chicken and the Vietnamese sandwich. Pros: - Great food - Nice Service - Cheap Prices - Big Portions Cons: - Run down decor - Some dishes are to be avoided - Cash Only Recommended Dishes: - BBQ Pork and Prawns with Green Beans over Rice - BBQ Pork over Rice - Lemongrass Chicken with Rice - 5 Spiced Chicken with Veggies and Rice - Vietnamese Sandwich Dishes to Avoid: - Pho (Beef Combo in Particular) - Spring Rolls - Lemongrass Beef with Rice read more

It's all about the clay pot at Camille. Sure, there's lots of other good chinese dishes, but I keep coming back for the seafood clay pot, which really hits the spot on a cold night. read more

The pork sandwich at Camille Vietnamese is so heavenly, the overwhelming presence of Jesus will have you searching for your parachute to skydive back to earth. The price is low, the portions are large, and I encountered no issues at the restaurant. You should visit this place next time you're in North Berkeley and, time and appetite permitting, its surrounding restaurants too. read more

So I ordered #5 special noodle soup. It was the worse pho i've ever had my entire life. Only 2 "small pieces" of beef and 4 half beef balls thats it! The soup was no flavor as well. I felt I was cheated and I will never come! read more

Thoroughly and completely mediocre. I got the veggie noodle salad. I was hoping for fried tofu, but what I got was a sad, soggy glop of tofu topped with a pitiful fried egg-roll that was also soggy. The lettuce underneath was boring cheap old iceberg lettuce, and the whole thing was entirely uninspiring. read more

This place is run by Chinese owners, and the chef is Chinese as well, so it's not exactly Vietnamese, even the Vietnamese dishes taste Chinese, but I don't really have a problem with that, it tastes good, just not authentic. Pricier than neighbor Chinese, but the taste and portion is much better. This is my to-go place for lunch. read more

Their pork banh mi (Vietnamese pork sandwich) is to die for- Cheap, big, amazingly tasty, and generally just the best thing ever. If you like this sort of thing, your in for a treat. read more

This is probably the worst Vietnamese restaurant, if not, the worst restaurant in general that I ever had the misfortune to come across. And I'm not exaggerating. The place is dirty, the customer service is awful, and the food is disgusting. I ordered tender pork over rice noodles and split it with my boyfriend. The pork was so dry and rubbery that my boyfriend choked on it. The noodles were pretty gross and slimy too (and slimy in a bad way, since there are actually some delicious Chinese dishes that are somewhat slimy). We also ordered a fried egg on top AND THE EGG CAME OUT LOOKING LIKE IT WAS MICROWAVED. And I know what a microwaved egg looks like because it's what I used to do when I was a kid before I learned how to cook. It was completely flat, rubbery, warm in some parts and cold in others, they literally cracked open a raw egg and microwaved it. The only thing that was decent was the egg roll. No amount of sriracha or hoisin sauce could save this dish. Then afterwards, we both got stomachaches and I got a strange headache and kept feeling like I wanted to puke. Seriously, I am so surprised that this place is still here. read more

It's better than the Chinese place, less expensive than the Japanese place, and tastes pretty good.

The trouble with this place is that you have to go through a trial and error process to filter out the numerous mediocre dishes from that one special dish worthy for your appetite. As a matter of fact, this actually applies for all the asian restaurants in the "northside asian ghetto." After 4 long years of pouring my money into these businesses, I've discovered that my favorite place to eat is at Camille because of the 5 Spices Roast Chicken. The price is around $7-8 but the portion size is very generous; it can serve as two meals. You get a whole chicken leg and thigh with veggies and rice. Chicken is flavorful and tender. I like to request my veggies to be SPICY! An additional plus about this place is that business hours are longer than the surrounding businesses (exception is top dog) read more

The food is mediocre, but the staff is pretty friendly. We ordered the lemongrass chicken rice plate and duck rice plate. Lemongrass chicken barely had lemongrass flavor, and was slightly cold upon arrival. The duck on top of my rice was admissibly small, and the side spicy chicken'n'veggies it came with was the star of the plate. Probably won't come back again, but there are a few other asian restaurants in the same food court that look appealing. read more

I got the combination beef noodle soup and it was great! The broth has a great flavor, there were so many noodles, just great all around. The only thing was that some of the meat in it had an odd texture, but I was sick and ordered it for the broth and noodles anyway! Great soup for such a thing :) read more