I ate at the Bee Caves location tonight which reminded me that I needed to review this location. I have dined in at this location a couple times and they always have some funky art work on the walls and some Techno beats pumping out of the speakers. Not sure how many people will get this; but, after a Vietnamese Iced Coffee with condensed milk (Ecstasy) while listening to techno music I get flash backs of my Rave days in Dallas and New York in the late 80's early 90's.... And while high on Vietnamese Coffee I like to make out with the Brisket Pho.... read more

I like the Pho here. They also have vegetarian broth. This is the first place I had Pho after moving from San Francisco, and although it's not the same, I was not disappointed. I have to admit, it's weird to see a Vietnamese place run by all white guy hipsters, but hey, this is Austin. read more

There are not many places around my house that I can go to eat. East Oltorf is still an up and coming area. From the outside I wasn't sure about this place, but I had someone recommend it to me and couldn't be happier. My mom requests we go there every time she comes into town. They have this one fried thick noodle dish that I crave on the reg. I also love getting their vegetable dumplings for an appetizer. I also like that it is never too crowded or too loud, so you can get in and out. I am giving it four stars only because the food is often a little saltier than I care for. read more

It's been a while since I first starting going here (2005 I believe), so I'm not sure why it's taken so long for me to write a review. Perhaps I thought that I could never do it justice, or maybe it just takes 5 years to encapsulate Hai Ky in all of its glory. Since I first started going here, this has been the best group gathering place to eat because of the atmosphere and of course the food. During college, this was our Sunday lunch spot to recover from hangovers, talk about the night before, and be obnoxiously inappropriate in a public setting. We went and checked out the other Hai Kys when they opened, but the oltorf location remains the original and has always had a charm about it that made it better than the others. Today, I go to this location quite frequently, whether it's for dine-in or takeout. The waitstaff is really cool, as are the two brothers who own operation. A couple of the waiters will even juggle for you when it's not busy, which I think is awesome. Now on to the food. I kid you not, Hai Ky has become a staple of my diet. I've tried most of the menu, but the bun bowls are my tried and true standby. In fact, I've figured out my perfect bun formula for optimal consumption: Add three-fifths of the bowl of fish sauce, and that's it. Keep it simple. More than that and it's too much liquid. Soy sauce sucks. Over do it with the sriracha sauce and you'll be sweating like a pig, plus it takes longer to eat. My favorite bun bowl is the 45 (Chicken with eggrolls). Occassionally I'll get pho (you know, during cold and sick days), and I also like the 96, fried flat noodles with veggies/beef/chicken/shrimp. But I'll get 95 if I'm in the mood for slightly healthier but still really bad for you. My only gripe these days is that they give unneccessary plasticware, chopsticks, and sauces with every takeout order. I've tried telling them not to include it, but that didn't work. I guess it's just more efficient for them to include the same thing in every order, but it seems like a huge waste to me. I've been collecting takeout supplies for a while and have considered bringing them back at some point. Also, it would be really cool if they stopped using MSG in their dishes, but that goes for any asian restaurant out there. Really the only things that are stopping me from eating there all the time are environmental concerns (wasted utensils and styrofoam containers) and health concerns (MSG, excessive oils/greasiness, empty carbs). read more

I used to eat here twice a week for months at a time, a few years back. It was one of the best values in town. Not so much anymore; lunched there today and was underwhelmed, but it was still good, if not as great as it used to reliably be. Nonetheless, they still showcase local artists, still play super-speedy techno-lite, and still have their very own relaxed cool vibe that is unique unto them. I've never had the bad service others here describe, and I've been maybe 60 times. It ain't Jeffrey's, bitches. Will happily give it five stars again if the kitchen starts getting a little more consistent. They were once flawless, so we were spoiled. If you haven't been, it's worth going. Lots of decent food for a fair price. Bonus: sit at the window counter and watch the many freakazoids go by, dramas included---Hai-Ky is between a laundromat and a head shop; you do the math. read more

I've only visited this place once, but my experience was just middling. They do have a number of vegetarian choices on their fairly large menu. My dining companion and I shared spring rolls, which were OK, coming with some tasty peanut sauce but being a bit on the small side. My friend really liked the fried rice with tofu and vegetables, but I tried their Spicy Hai Tofu with stir-fried noodles and found them to be pretty bland, with not enough vegetables and a not-that-spicy taste. I ended up adding a bunch of sambal to mine to make them interesting. The service was fine, although I did have to flag down a waiter to get a refill of iced tea. You get a check dropped off at your seat, but pay up at the register. read more

I love this place! Everytime im super hungry i think about getting the VEGGIE BEIJING! It's just amazing! The first time I went there I had a different dish and wasn't as good! Now I always get Veggie Beijing and I gotta say it is amazing!! I could eat that everyday! :) seriously !! So if you stop here just get the BEIJING dish, servers are very friendly and you get your food pretty quick!! Boyfriend said "ditto on this". LOL read more

I have eaten here a few times now and will continue every time i visit the laundry-mat next door. I have been doing laundry next door for like a year and I've peered in a few times not really sure what type of food they served here. I got my first bowl of pho somewhere else but decided to try some of the others around town now that I like pho. This place is a strip mall joint and I kinda like that better than all the chain places where all they care about is the bottom line. I had the shrimp eggrolls and peanut sauce. I was a bit concerned at the look of the sauce, (reminded me of what my toilet looked like last night) but it tasted fine. Seriously, they could make it look more pleasant. I had the 9 and the 13 so far and both were pretty good compared to the other places I've visited. The service was fast and the staff a bit more friendly the second time so I image they rely heavily on repeats. They get a good lunch crowd but there were as many people at 3:30 in the afternoon the first time I went. Will definitely go again the next time my clothes stink. read more

Nothing fancy. I like the art on the walls. Service is average. Not complaining. Take my order, bring my food, and leave me alone. We are cool. But the food ... I've never had a bad meal. It's always been great for me. Not one complaint. Yum! Last night was #91. Every single bite was a flavor explosion. I'm still reveling in it's yumminess. There were only a few peanut crumbs and red peppers left on the plate when it was over. read more

I have now developed a slight addiction to this place. I almost don't want to leave the Riverside area purely because of Hai Ky. I hope I can find a solid Viatnamese place up north! I finally got around to trying the pho, the pho is pho-nominal!!! (sorry, i had to do it). I've had pho many places, and I think their broth is the best. I love the brisket. Top notch! read more

Convenient for UT students, but if you have a car, I would pass on Hai Ky. The sanitary level of this restaurant is completely questionable and the quietness of the restaurant just adds to the skeptical mood. Still, the pho here is decent and I prefer their vermicelli bowls. The egg rolls here are not my favorite. The man who usually is the cashier is a very nice person. read more

My boyfriend has a constant craving for pho. He had it PHO lunch both yesterday and today! Now, I don't really enjoy hot soup unless it's super cold outside, and I am a Yankee...so in my opinion it never gets cold here. But I must admit, Hai Ky makes an unPHOgettable bowl of beefy noodle-y goodness. It is especially good when he doctors it with some sriracha, soy sauce, and whatever that other stuff is they have in the center of the table. Now, personally, I love Hai Ky's spring rolls and some of their veggie dishes. Their Vietnamese coffee...so good, PHO real! I am a coffee addict and this is some of the best Vietnamese coffee around. They put just enough condensed milk in there, some places overdo it. We will be coming back PHOeva, PHO 'sho. (Yes, it is fun to go to restaurants with pho and see how many different ways you can fit pho, pronounced "faa," into everyday phrases.) read more

THANK YOU YELP. So I work off East 7th and unless I want fast food or a taco within close range i am pretty much hosed.. I have been craving Pho for like a week now but have not made the time to go get some. I went with the aforementioned (lucky)#13 (rare eye round, or as my girlfriend who is Taiwanese called it on accident one time: "Round Eye Steak") plus shrimp and some spring rolls. Everything is AMAZING. Service was awesome very nice and hella fast. Place had a great atmosphere even for it being the middle of a lunch rush. Oh- and for bonus points there was a yelp sticker on the window. read more

Love it. I've lived in Austin for less than 3 months and Hai Ky has already become one of my favorite places in town. I often stop by with friends or by myself. I love that they have the counter/bar-style seating by the windows so I can sit and read. The wait-staff is super nice, and veeerry easy on the eyes/total babes. I have tried a variety of the vegetarian options and I have yet to find one that I dislike. The portions are huge, which is fine by me. The price is right. Nothing lacks flavor, although I add spice with the provided chili sauce and/or sriracha. I only wish that there was an option for brown rice. Go to Hai Ky! read more

I think Hai Ky has slipped. Last few times I was there, the Pho and the noodles and the Pad Thai were all kinda bland and even adding hot sauce didn't really help the underlying lack of flavor. What's up with that?? read more

I wish this place wasn't on the other side of the world from my house, but then again... would it be as special if it were next door? What am I, smoking crack? I would totally geek out if they were next door! I would definitely not cook as often, this is for certain. This place has tons of vegetarian options and otherwise. It's an island in the middle of a bizarre desert of dirty stripmalls and convenience stores... the lottery tickets flailing in the streets like tumbleweeds... Not unlike Austin in Texas! This is also by far the cleanest Vietnamese restaurant I've ever been to. Hell, it's one of the cleanest restaurants I've ever been in period! I've got nothing against Vietnamese hygiene per se, just that most of the good places are dives and I try hard not to look too closely at the dusty baseboards of most places. You know, there are just places where the food is so delicious that you ignore the fact that your forearms are stuck to the table? Yeah. Anyways, Hai Ky is always spic n span. Also, I have to commend them for their cute. The atmosphere totally works and you forget that you're in a strip mall... on Oltorf just off I-35! It's time I made the trek back down there- it's been a few months and I'm starting to get the tics. read more

"Want to go to Hai Ky?" "Pho sho!" This place is amazing. Not only because it's so close to my house, but simply because it's cheap and delicious! Everyone loved their dishes and there's no doubt I'll be back here on a regular basis for my random pho cravings. Side note: I could do without the weird red Jesus paintings on the walls, but you win some, you lose some. read more

I have now tried everything on the menu. Do I get a prize? For appetizers, rangoons are my favorite, though the dumplings are great too, and good for sharing since they come six in an order. Spring rolls taste like Earth to me and I never get them anywhere, so I can't attest to how they compare to others. Egg rolls are crispy, fattening, and delicious. Yeah, sometimes they come out a minute before your food, but that's not a big deal in my book. All of the noodle dishes are above average, but the pad thai isn't that great to me. Pho is my fave, always, and I like pho tai plus meatball. It's not the best pho in Austin, but it is among the best in South Austin. What's awesome about Hai Ky is that they're willing to take weird, picky, OCD requests. If you want something extra spicy, with 95 noodles instead of rice, extra broccoli, no carrots, they'll do it. They have gluten free options. They can do less oil. They're really accommodating. read more

I felt a cold coming on on Monday morning and decided that a big bowl of pho would cure me. I had been to Hai Ky a few times when I lived south so it was my go-to for lunch between classes at St. Ed's. The staff was kind enough to let me have a big table since their lunch rush was over and I was able to spread out with homework while I ate my big bowl of pho. The place is a dive but I don't care. Their pho (with meatballs) always makes me feel warm and happy. I've never had anything else besides their pho and I really don't want anything else. Well, maybe a Vietnamese iced coffee. The staff o' hipsters have always been nice to me. The pho always cures what ails me. I will probably hit this place up a few more times before the fall semester ends. Winter is coming and the only thing that will save me is a bowl of pho. It is known. read more

Heck yes! I was a bit wary of trying this place since, well, you just don't expect to find healthy, tasty asian food on East Riverside. But that's exactly what Hai Ky is. Whether you're a Vegitarian or a Meat -itarian, you're going to find something you like here. Their silk tofu is a great sub for chicken with plenty of flavor (the one negative I've found at the legendary Koriente). There are about 100 items on the menu, and it varies a bit depending on when you go (lunch menu vs dinner menu), so there's not a lot of concern with having limited options. I've never had an issue with parking, but seating can get a bit tight during busy hours. The location up on Guadalupe has got a lot more room if you're not in the mood to chance a wait. *** My only issue here is that it's inconsistent. Sometimes the staff is awesome and the food is made to match, but other times the employees are bland and boring and again, the food follows suit. Hai Ky, please fix this! *** Tip: Get the green tea. Apparently it's some Lipton blend, but its always good here. read more

I went to Hai Ky with an open mind and empty stomach. When I was seated, I noticed none of the customers were Asian in this Asian restaurant. I said to myself, "Oh no." I waited for my order to arrive before casting judgement. For starters, we ordered Vietnamese iced coffee. I have to say that I've had better. Lacking the fine balance of bitter and sweet. My friend Jen ordered a vermicelli bowl with grilled steak and I ordered the egg noodle with wonton and pork in chicken broth. The person that took my order didn't ask me if I wanted the regular or grande. I don't recommend the pork, it was very blah. The broth was averagely tasty (is averagely a word I invented). The wontons were surprisingly good. Jen's vermicelli bowl came with the traditional sauce on the side. I tasted the grilled beef and it was really good. I think the traditional sauce would change the dynamics of the flavor so we went without. The fresh taste of vegetables mixed with the grilled beef and the vermicelli was the perfect balance. The quantity was plentiful. Next time i visit a Vietnamese restaurant, I want to order a vermicelli bowl! read more

I don't normally write bad reviews, but after some soul-searching, decided that I needed to. We have eaten here a few times over the years, and though the service was always stoner-lackluster bordering on terrible, the food was alright. I was happy that they offer a gluten free menu. I am Celiac, and have to trust a business that offers one, that my food will be gluten-free when I get it. The last two times we have eaten at this place, the restaurant was dirty and the gluten-free menu was filthy. My boyfriend likes this place, so I decided to give it another try. This time, the waiters ignored us and I had to go up to the counter twice-once to order appetizers and once to order the meal. They were both on their phones. When I ordered, they looked put out. I ordered off the gluten-free menu and when I got my meal, it tasted good. When I was halfway through my meal, I saw a COOKED BEE in my food. I scooped it onto a plate and took it to the guy at the counter. He asked, "did it sting you?" I said no, and he comped our meal and sort of waved us away. If this wasn't bad enough, I got so incredibly sick the next day. There is no way that my food was gluten-free this time. I was food-poisoning style sick for two weeks and ended up at urgent care. Please clean your restaurant and wipe down your menus. Do away with your gluten-free menu if you can't insure that your food is safe for those who can't eat gluten, and for heaven's sake, keep insects out of your kitchen. read more

I like this place a lot! Since 888 became so popular that you have to wait in line I gave this place a try. It's VERY good, the service is efficient and kind. Big portions, delicious rice bowls or noodles and very affordable. Weekday/night no brainer meal. read more

I've been coming to Hai Ky since high school--it has seen me through puberty, romance and heartache, college, you name it. The crew has changed over the years and today the waitstaff is as wonderful as ever--led by quirky Jonathan, pensive Cheyenne, and last-but-certainly-not-least my #1 rock star Paige. Oh and a couple of the guys have taken to juggling, a pasttime that seems to be winning over patrons. It's a rad perk that keeps me thoroughly entertained while I enjoy my number 45 with spring rolls. I eat here 2-4 times a week and I don't ever want that to change. read more

Since I am a phanatical pho phreak, phinding a pho restaurant was one of the phirst things I did when I moved to Austin. I've pheasted on pho phar and near, phrom D.C., to Chi-town, to L.A., I'm no phreshman when it comes to pho and neither is Hai Ky. Hai Ky is a small little place in a strip mall on the south side of east Oltorf with an ever changing display of cool paintings and art from local artists hanging on the walls and cool tunes on the stereo. It's clean, comfortable and cozy. Everything on the menu looks great but I haven't made it too far past the pho, which is on par with the best I've had anywhere. I have had the pork pot stickers which are accompanied by a delicious sauce consisting of soy sauce, cilantro, sesame seeds and other things I couldn't quite discern but it is absolutely delicious. I usually finish it all off with a Vietnamese iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk. Phor pho, Hai Ky is pho-king phonominal! read more

I Absolutely love the food here !! Always fresh, always abundant and fairly priced. Cool place with a hipster feeling. I usually go for the Vermicelli bowls but every time that I try something different I'm equally pleased. read more

Decent: -My friend's yellow veggie curry -Vegetable selection in the bowls -General atmosphere/diverse crowd -They serve beer, which I didn't order, but it's a nice touch in a small place like this one Not so decent: -The WORST TOFU I have ever had. Some of the pieces were so crispy-fried as to be inedible and many of them were old looking -- like they'd been sitting in a packet of freeze-dried frozen tofu for way too long. -My lemongrass bowl was more like sweet soy sauce with a hint of lemongrass toward the bottom, sort of, if I squinted and crossed my fingers -Hair in my food So basically, I'd recommend this place if you want to eat dishes that don't contain tofu or if you don't mind tofu blocks that cut the roof of your mouth. Pretty cool little joint, probably. Just not my particular experience. read more

I've been meaning to try this place forever, but finally got around to it today. You know, I really need to spend more time on East Oltorf. From the Faded Dreams Barber, to Pizzas Lice, to all the other awesomeness over there, I'm realizing I'm missing some awesome stuff on the East Side. Anyway, back to Hai Ky, it's fine. I had the #44, bun w/ pork and egg roll, and it was fine. The price was right which was nice, and the service was fast. I'd probably go back, but I can think of places I like better, so, you know, it's fine. How's that for a review? read more

When I'm hungover as shit, the first thing I want is a huge, steaming bowl of pho. So I turned to yelp to find my local pho eatery. Yelpers, you let me down. Pho is not supposed to look like the Exxon Valdez oil spill. I've never seen pho that oily before. As well, the flavor of the broth was off, didn't have the distinct deliciousness of pho. Portion size was decent but overall a disappointing experience. I don't want to have to go to Kim Phung every time I want pho, hopefully I'll find something closer to SoCo... read more

In an effort to try more Pho places out a coworker and I headed here based on Yelp reviews he had read. I wanted to compare it directly to my long time favorite Pho Hoang, so I ordered my usual combo pho with Vietnamese style coffee. The coffee is $4 which struck me as expensive, but they give you a lot of it. Plenty enough to fill up their large drink glasses with the ice included, and the right amount of sweet (for me). The pho broth had a good flavor, but the problem was that there wasn't enough of it. Most of the bowl was filled by a massive amount of noodles - too much in fact. More broth please! Additionally, the sprouts and other side items were not fresh. My guess is that they prepare little plates days in advance and keep them in the fridge. Service was fast and disjointed, but very appropriate for lunch. Totally passable, but I'm not going out of my way to go there. read more

Possibly the best vietnamese restaurant I've ever been to. Now I need to go to Vietnam to compare. I always get the #45: Vermicelli bowl with chicken and eggroll. Truly the best, and I've had a lot to compare. Every time I go to Vietnamese restaurants that's what I order, so I can compare. So far, this has been the best. I've also tried the flat noodle dishes, both with meat and tofu, and have never been disappointed. Sometimes the wait staff have a chip on their shoulders, so I have to dock them for that. They just opened one on MLK and Guadalupe too, and I've already been to that one. They use the same recepe cuz it's just as good. Very affordable too! read more

Whenever I'm feeling a cold coming on, or feeling a little hungover, their tofu veggie pho soup is just the thing. Their food's always fresh, and you get lots of cilantro for the soup. I like the art (some of it for sale) they display on the walls - very quirky and insane. The interior reminds me of those hip, pan-Asian noodle/tea houses from L.A. - except a bit toned down. They stopped serving bubble tea, though, and I wish they hadn't. Once, out of goodwill, I corrected their Spanish "dish washer wanted" sign on the window. But they left the old sign up. Fine, I won't help them anymore. See if they can hire a Spanish-speaking dishwasher with a grammatically incorrect sign! Still love 'em, though. read more

How in the H-E-Double-Hockey-Stick was I unaware of this place? Nestled, unassumingly, in a shopping strip off of Oltorf east of 35 lay the concealed lair of yumz known as Hai Ky. The Lady and I, on a whim, (or perhaps guided by some unknown force) decided to stop in and give this place a try. Her food savvy hair stylist had suggested it, and though she showed excellent skill with the Lady's haircutz, I was highly skeptical as to her choice of eats. Having not been closer than the street to this joint, I assumed it would be Sketch city given its location. This stretch of Oltorf is nicknamed, "Suicide Alley" (By me. I just came up with that.) due to the apparent insanity of some of the drivers around her, as well as the frequent pedestrians who decide to dart across it during rush hour traffic, and many of the businesses are somewhat...questionable. (Most notably? Pros and Cons Tattoo parlor. THAT IS THE REAL NAME.) Fast forward to our grand entrance. Rather than the unpleasant stench of old food and fried vittles, the place smelled fresh and clean. I cannot fully articulate the importance of this after our last dining fiasco, but needless to say, we were relieved. It was clean and pleasant inside, and already half full of customers. We chose a seat, and within moments the waitress had delivered waters and menus which we then scanned intently. After a short deliberation, we each chose a dish. I chose a vermicelli and grilled pork bowl, and the Lady chose some pho. Within moments we had our food. Literally less than 5 minutes, it seemed, and BAM, we were digging in. The food was as tasty as we'd hoped. After a few dining disappointments lately, we needed a flavor revolution...and this place delivered. As we sat there, gobbling our food, the place began to steadily fill up. As much as we would have liked to have this place to ourselves, it's obvious many other people are fully aware of it...and so should you be. Clean, warm, friendly staff, fast service and cheap prices. Bless you, Hai Ky, for redeeming my faith in humanity! And bless Rezrie for hitting a home run on the choice of eatz! read more

Hai Ky has come to West Lake Hills!!! Yea! We don't have that many good restaurants here and I have high hopes for it. It is in a location that seems to be bad luck for restaurants - formerly Texas French Bread, RJs and Brix. But the decor is now beautiful - nice and cozy - really good atmosphere - soft lighting. The smell wafting out - definitely drew me in. I got take-out and it was almost instantly ready. I liked it a lot - it was a noodle veggie dish with fried tofu. The fried tofu was not good though - chewy and tough. I plan to talk to them about that - I really want them to suceed. The flavor of the dish was great, though. I plan to eat there a lot. Oh and prices and quantity are great. read more

Total hole in the wall place with great food. We go there often for lunch and are always very pleased. The iced tea could be better and thats the only thing I would suggest they do better on. read more

Service was terrible and the food was mediocre. I've spent a fair amount of time on the west coast and I've had really great Vietnamese food. This place has all the signs of good Vietnamese, but I found it flavorless. My noodle dish was supposed to have chicken and veggies, but they were hidden in a giant pile of noodles. It was supposed to be spicy and the house speciality, but it was bland. Wait staff basically dropped my food on my table without even looking at me. Very strange. I would skip this place and find somewhere else to eat. The service at the Whataburger next door is probably better. read more

Hai Ky - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

So after being bitch-slapped with Cedar Fever and whatever else pollen and hangover a recent cold front brought to my weakened sinuses and head in general, I needed a good bowl of pho to set me right. I'm so thankful that Yelp reminded me of and steered me to Hai Ky. Living in Houston, I've become spoiled with amazing bowls of pho so my standards are pretty high. I got the (lucky) #13 which was pretty awesome stuff. Eye of round, finely sliced jalapenos, green onions, cilantro, basil, noodles, lime. To be honest, I've had far better broths, but the ingredients were wonderful and fresh and the entire mix was just what the doctor ordered. I'm beginning to feel better already...it may also be because I added a Tablespoon (at least) of chili paste to the pho. read more

Holy deliciousness, Batman. Went to lunch here with a friend and was expecting to order my old standby: pho. Oh no. #96: crispy noodles. Duh. Lish. Us. I asked for mine with the noodles on the side because I don't eat a ton of noodles but they were sooo good. And also, you get way more Vegs that way (what i really wanted anyway). Didn't pick up the check so I don't recall the prices but under $30 for the both of us with tip. And the tip was well-earned: customer service was excellent and friendly! read more

This place is right next to my house and it got some good reviews. So, I thought I'd meander over there and grab a lunch before work. Yeah, the artwork was kind of lame. Okay, so the waiters were cute. I expected all this from the reviews. What I didn't expect was how bland the meal was. I asked for my server's recommendation and ordered the beef curry accordingly. I ate about half my dish, took two sips of my Thai Iced Tea and wished that I had gone across the street to Super Burrito. It wasn't that it was terrible, you see. It was simply unremarkable. read more

My best friend had a craving for a BBQ pork Vietnamese style sandwich and remembered we used to eat here a lot. Midway way through the meal, he discovered a like pin-worm (?some kind of LIVE WIGGLING WORM coming out of a chunk of pork). Never never again. The health department has been notified. read more