Kim son was the spot to go to when I was a kid but now the food isn't all that anymore. But hey, I can't expect much from a buffet. Our group of ten came here on a busy Saturday but we were seated very quickly. Once seated our server came out with water & after that we got right in line for a feast. I will say that there's a lot to pick from. You have your Chinese/Viet station, street food station, dessert station & soup station. I was able to do 3 rounds of food because I was hungry but most of the items I've tried were pretty lackluster. Honestly the only thing that stood out was their banh uot & their dessert. I can understand why the line at the dessert station is always long, they have a variety of them & it's not half bad. I tried two of their soups, mi bo kho & bun bo hue & both were a disappointment. Both of the broth tasted bland & boring. The broth on the mi bo kho was too thick for my liking. They also brought out a blue crab platter, taste wise it was well seasoned. The only issue was that they didn't even have enough of those crab crackers & our table of 10 only received one. For dessert I got two rounds of their che trai cay, it's a pink dessert. It's quite refreshing for a hot day. Overall, the service was minimal, the food was just okay. For $30 I will say that it's not worth the drive & time. But if you like a buffet style, this place does deliver in terms of quantity of food. You will leave full but that's about it. Will I come back? I mean I've been coming here since I was a kid, so I don't mind coming back from time to time. read more

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First restaurant in Texas and we were recommended to try this place. I didn't realize that it would be buffet style. It seemed grand and it even had stairs and elevator to go up. On the weekend, the price pp was $32. There is so much Vietnamese food here! Some foods are harder to make and are usually found in restaurants like banh beo, Viet soups like mien ga, and jello desserts! There was also sugarcane juice (not the freshest). I think if you don't usually eat Vietnamese cuisine, this place would be for you. However as I am Vietnamese and live in a Vietnamese city I could find these dishes for cheaper. Service was good, one of our main servers was on top of cleaning our table. Most of workers were not Vietnamese but honestly you can just point and say your "please" and "thank you"'s and that's all you need! This place was crowded so there's definitely a huge following for the foods here. Personally I just don't think the value is worth what we ate. Definitely a cool experience as OC is full of Chinese buffets so a Viet buffet was really awesome! read more

Kim Son - my plate - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Came here with my wife on a Thursday lunch and waited about 5 minutes to be seated which wasn't too bad. It was surprisingly pretty packed when we came and it got relatively loud. At the time of writing this the lunch buffet was $20 for weekday and for a buffet that's a great deal! Most of the food served was either Vietnamese street food or typical Chinese buffet staples. I especially loved the grilled meats section of the buffet as well as all of the noodle soups available. The noodle soups are portioned pretty small so it's nice to try a whole bunch of different ones. They don't skimp out on toppings or things like that so they tasted great. Would come again for the unique experience! read more

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This was my first visit to Kim Son and wow! So many items to choose from. Plenty of seating, it's huge! My son is a very picky eater, so he didn't have much. I loved everything! Looking forward to my next visit. read more

Amazing vietnamese buffet for a really good price. Here you can try multiple varieties of their noodle soups, spring rolls, street food, as well as desserts. Make sure to come hungry as you will definitely be leaving super full. We arrived around 11:30 on a Thursday and were seated right away. Although this is a buffet, all dishes are served by a worker from behind a plastic barrier for hygiene purposes. But there was hardly ever a wait, and the overall process was quite fast. Even the removal of dirty dishes from your table was exceptionally fast, as there were workers walking by constantly picking up the dishes. Had a great experience and staff were very friendly. Definitely worth it if you are interested in trying their wide selection of food. My favorite had to be their curry chicken, which was so creamy and full of flavor. They also gave you bread to dip in the curry, which picked up all the rich flavor that left you wanting more. read more

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Wow this was such a cool place. How did I just find out. If you don't like crowds and people cutting you in line (elders especially) maybe don't come. But if you're willing to push through and want a unique experience you should def come. They had so many options of Viet cuisine! I'm more picky and not used to a lot of flavors and cuts of meat but I did love their fresh unlimited sugar cane juice, their desserts, and a noodle dish. Like I was so impressed by the freshness and abundance and variety of food. Some of the staff don't speak or understand English that well but if you point to something they will definitely be able to help they're experts. Just don't expect to customize anything because they might not understand or have time because it is always busy and gets packed. There was a huge wait after my family and I left and it was a weekday! Amazing institution and wish it the best! read more

Kim Son has been in Houston for forever. I believe they're at 3 locations now: Bellaire, Stafford, and Downtown. They're also known for their banquet halls and catering. We went to Kim Son on a Sunday, around 2pm. Parking was a little hard to find but there's space around the back. Pros +Variety of dishes, Vietnamese, Chinese, dim sum, and sushi +An okay selection of dessert, some are pretty tasty! +Grilled and some make-to-order dishes +Lines move quick +$29.5 is decent for AYCE Cons -Typical buffet problems: if it didn't just come out, it'll get cold/stale quick. RIP the dim sum. -The pork spare ribs NEVER got refilled. -Sushi is grocery store quality Kim Son is great for entertaining people from out of town, or your non-Asian friends. But I'd rather get made-to-order food from the specialty stores all around Chinatown, especially the dim sum (it feels so bad to eat cold dim sum). When you have AYCE Korean BBQ, hotspot, sushi elsewhere, Kim Son doesn't quite match that value imo. read more

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KIM SƠN cái tên nghe qua làm tui nhớ tới Hoa Lư, Ninh Bình - nơi thuở xưa vua Đinh dựng nước, nơi có nhà thờ Đá Phát Diệm tuyệt đẹp mà vợ chồng tui đã đến thăm. Rồi khi bước chân vào Kim Son Restaurant tọa lạc tại 10603 Bellaire Blvd, Houston TX - đại lộ Sài Gòn (khu SaiGon Houston Plaza), tui nghe tên thôi đã cảm thấy thân thương, không gian nhà hàng giữa nước Mỹ và trên tường treo tranh ảnh là NÉT VIỆT: con sông, buông lưới, chèo đò, cô gái với mang bộ áo dài gánh hàng ra chợ sớm mai... Món ăn ở đây rất hợp khẩu vị với vợ chồng tui, bánh xèo, bánh bèo, nậm lọc, bánh khọt... chân gà chua ngọt, tôm cua rang me, xôi chiên, thịt bò, heo, gà vịt, bún bò, sushi, chè đủ món... nhân viên phục vụ dễ thương và nhanh nhẹn. Ngồi ăn mà tui thấy quá nên thơ nhưng không biết làm thơ, thôi thì ghép chữ có chút vần: Tranh quê ai gắn lên tường Cho ai thương nhớ giọt bùi phù sa Bao năm vất vả đường xa Trong tim luôn nhớ quê hương mãi là... Mần mấy câu chữ xong đọc qua cũng gần giống thơ chứ không phải ba lơn, chưa kịp ngừng lại thì vợ mang tới món ngon mà tui mê, vì lúc ở Sài Gòn tui mần culi cho Nhật Bản nên ăn Hoài, đó là sushi... và tui lại ghép chữ tiếp 2 câu: Nâng niu hạt Ngọc đất trời Bao đời gieo gặt được mùa bội thu. Tui tìm hiểu thì chủ nhà hàng Kim Sơn chia sẻ: "Mama La" is the secret ingredient behind each of our KIM SON Restaurants. Born in Vietnam, Kim Su Tran La, her husband and their seven children, arrived in Houston in 1980 after fleeing from Communist regime in their homeland. Armed with her extensive knowledge of Vietnamese cooking, which was passed down to her from her mother-in-law, Mama La managed to memorize over 250 recipes before opening the first KIM SON Restaurant. Her food quickly gained the following of thousands of fans along with the admiration and loyalty of many of Vietnam's top restaurant cities. The original KIM SON was located in Vinh Long before it was eventually closed due to the communist takeover in Vietnam. Houston, Texas Đinh Thanh Hải read more

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I've been here for the last 16 years, and each and every time i've been the food is just divine and nostalgic. i do miss when we got to grab our own food though bc i can control my own portion sizes. LOVE the matcha and milk tea!! read more

Kim Son - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Poor food quality. Nothing authentic about Vietnamese food. Worse than actual street foods in Vietnam. The service people work hard to remove plates but the ambiance isn't worth a penny when eaters pay ~$30 per person. read more

Love Kim Son! Went for lunch on a Friday and maybe not surprisingly, it was packed! But the food was delicious! They've really improved the process and they have staff wearing masks, serving food behind each station. It's great! Their dessert area is great! Everything is covered and you just tell them what you want, if you want sauce on it (coconut milk), and go on your way. They also have a Saigon street food section with someone making fresh grilled meat and things. And a fruit area near desserts. They have kid-friendly fried foods in case you have a picky eater who only eats fried chicken and fries. They also had stir fry, fried rice, sticky rice with grilled chicken, crawfish, caramel over shrimp. Lots of possibilities! If you haven't been you've got to go and try it! read more

Kim Son - A TV with their menu options in the made to order area. - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

A Vietnamese food buffet?! Never heard of such a thing till I saw this in Houston! It was a must for my wife and I to try! It's about $30 a person. You can try a sample of all the viet foods. The food itself wasn't too bad. I do like they have some seafood like clams and snails. The choice of Vietnamese dessert was good too! I would recommend trying it when you go to Houston! Service was okay. Lots of parking here! read more

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The Vietnamese buffet offered a delightful culinary journey with its vibrant array of dishes. From aromatic noodle dishes and fresh spring rolls to flavorful street food selection, each item showcased authentic flavors. The diverse selection of herbs and condiments allowed for personal customization, enhancing the overall dining experience. It a must-visit for those seeking an immersive taste of Vietnamese cuisine. Although it can be a little hectic be prepared to wait for a seat. Seating can be a little cramped but it just means it's a popular place to dine. Definitely a place to visit for a variety of Vietnamese cuisine from different regions. read more

Kim Son - Bun thit nuong cha gio - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

The first dish that came out was crab and asparagus soup. It was warming and a great starter for a cold and windy night. Next came the lotus salad with grilled jumbo shrimp. I don't usually like salad but I actually really like Vietnamese salads. They provide you shrimp chips to scoop the salad with. The salad was a teeny bit spicy, vinegary, and had tons of crunch. They then brought fried chicken with sweet sticky rice. The fried chicken has tons of meat and was tender. The sticky rice was actually REALLY good. I loved the sauce that you poured on top of it. The sticky rice was moist and soaked up the sauce. They later brought out lobster tails with ginger and scallion sauce. The lobster tails weren't overcooked at all and the ginger scallion sauce was really good. Next was steak and asparagus, which was pretty good but I was getting full at this point. Their steak was medium rare, which is how I prefer my steak usually. The last dish I tried that night was the Chilean sea bass. The fish was so flaky and tender and the glaze on top was so good. This was my second favorite dish after the sticky rice and chicken. They later brought yang chow fried rice which I later took home. It was really good even after being in the fridge for a few days and being microwaved. Finally, they brought dessert. I didn't know what it was but it wasn't what I was expecting. I liked it though. I had low expectations because their buffet hasn't always been the same but this was a really good experience. read more

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Kim Son's reputation as a Vietnamese buffet destination is already wide spread. I first heard about it through YouTubers that documented their pilgrimages for all you can eat soups and Viet street food. So instead of rehashing what they and many other Yelpers have written I am here to say it deserves all the praise it's earned. I visited for dinner on a Monday night and had no problem getting in. There is a wide variety of Vietnamese and American Chinese cuisine. Yes the noodle bar is a must-try! For me it was a great experience to try different types of Vietnamese food in a AYCE setting. Don't think twice, just go- especially if you can outside the weekend rush. read more

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It was super MID Three weeks ago, I took my son to Kim Son, a Chinese buffet that promised a culinary adventure but ended up being more of a culinary misadventure. My eight-year-old was bouncing off the walls with excitement, reminding me every five minutes about our "epic lunch plans." I tried to play the "Hey, let's go to a different restaurant" card, but he was having none of it. So, off we went, lured by a four-star rating on Yelp. As soon as we walked in, I had visions of Chinese BBQ ribs swirling in my head. I should've asked if they had them, but spoiler alert: they did not. Not every Chinese restaurant serves Chinese BBQ ribs, I know, but a guy can dream, right? What they did have was food that was as exciting as a wet sock. It was basic, mid-level cruise ship cuisine, like I was munching on the blandest takeout you could find--definitely not a flavor explosion, more like a flavor fizzle. The buffet was so small it felt like they were trying to save space for a karaoke machine. There was nothing there that made me think, "Wow, I need to come back here!" In fact, the highlight of my meal was watching my son attempt to stack his plate like it was a game of Tetris. well, let me tell the truth. I did enjoy watching him eat a chicken foot. He's pretty adventurous with his food. But I don't want chicken foot. I want Chinese barbecue ribs side bar. It's not their fault. I should've asked! "but back to my experience." Now, here's where it gets interesting. When it came time to pay, the waiter cheekily charged me for two adult meals. I mean, I love my son, but he's eight, not a sumo wrestler. I glanced at the bill, my eyes widened, and I asked, "Did you just charge me for two adults?" The waiter looked at the bill like it was a math problem he wasn't prepared for and muttered, "Oh, I'm sorry." I was thinking, "No, this dude didn't just try to rob me of extra dough!" I was so annoyed I almost didn't leave a tip, but I didn't want to fall into the stereotype of the "Black guy who eats and doesn't tip" because, trust me, some of us do tip! I made him give me back my money, which made the bill significantly less. My son, meanwhile, was indifferent to the whole experience, and I was still hungry, staring longingly at the nearest food truck. In my opinion, there are way better buffets out there that won't try to pull a fast one on you. Save your time and energy and find somewhere else for your Chinese buffet cravings. Happy food hunting! Signed, Jack read more

Came in for the all you can eat crawfish on Wednesdays and Fridays only! My party of four was so excited since it's been a while since we have went to Kim Son in bellaire. Let's start with the positives: The main buffet offerings were tasty. Plentiful of seafood, flavorful Vietnamese classics, delicious cooked meats--you name it, they most likely got it. Most of the noodle dishes were tasty and aromatic, and the crawfish was some of the best I've had at a buffet. The staff in the main dining area were attentive, quick to refill drinks/crawfish, and kept the space clean and welcoming. But the dessert station? Totally different story. The ladies working there were rude and acted like serving desserts was coming out of their paychecks. Eye rolls, dismissive responses, and just an overall bad attitude. It really put a damper on the end of an otherwise amazing meal. Spoke to management and they apologized profusely on their behavior, so while I left full and happy overall, I couldn't help but feel disappointed that the meal ended on such a sour note. If they could tighten up the dessert station service, this place would be an easy 5-star experience. Would I go back? Definitely. But I might skip dessert next time. read more

The hype is real!!! Heard so much and had to fly to stop by while visiting Houston. Everything is delicious and got to enjoy their AYCE crawfish as they are having the special right now! The large selection to Vietnamese desserts aka Che..completed our meal perfectly!! Service and ambiance were amazing as well!! read more

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Super selection of Chinese viet assorted Asian foods. I went to town on their salmon rolls, consistently great and wasn't disappointed at all. Very cool matcha/dessert area, got quite a few matcha teas to charge me up. I was pumped to see that they had mung bean che.. been looking for this for awhile around Houston. The soup area had a good selection of different dishes for which I got the pho Bo vien- a little oily compared to homemade but quite nice with some fish sauce and chili paste. Finally, there was a sweet coconut rice with a crisp texture to it.. amazing! read more

This is a really good quality buffet with tons of Vietnamese & Chinese dishes. Everything is hot and the servers dish all the food out to you from the hot table or at the noodle bar, they make your dish to order. Several Vietnamese noodle soups to choose from, I love all the variety. On the hot food bar, one side had Chinese dishes liked steamed fish, gai lan, chow mein, and more. One side had dim sum items including my favorite black bean spare ribs, chicken feet & sticky rice along with all the other favorites. The 3rd side of the hot table had Vietnamese dishes like chicken curry served with sliced baguette and Hainan chicken with ginger scallion sauce. They had 2 fried stations, one with American things like French fries and chicken tenders and a 2nd station with more Vietnamese fried items like crepe & steamed rice rolls. There's also a dessert stations with different Vietnamese dessert drinks(Che) to choose from as well as fresh cut fruit. We were lucky enough to come the week before Lunar New Year so the place was decorated so beautifully, it was festive & fun. The restaurant is huge & beautiful...you have to walk up a grand spiral staircase to get to the restaurant and there are different banquet rooms in case you want to have a party here. Lunch is $21.50 for Adults...well worth the price! Dinner is $32 for adults and this is also the price for weekend lunch & dinner. They do close in between lunch & dinner at the location we went to, but I definitely ate my share of the $21.50. Good for small or large parties, and a fun experience al read more

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The food is pretty top quality and tasty for a buffet. Especially worth it at the lunch price $20. The street food section was probably my favorite, they cook it right in front of you and some of it on skewers. The selection of food is a little lacking but still worth coming read more

Kim Son - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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THE BIG: Located in Chinatown (aka Bellaire) of Houston. Big indoor space that generally has a wait. Parking is in the lot and it's always full with other vendors around. THE BLACK AND WHITE: I came here with a few friends and the wife on our Houston Rodeo trip. I heard about Kim Son through my vietnamese friend who said you must eat here when you're in Houston. Lo behold, she did not disappoint! There's tons of stations around although the line situation could've been better. People were cutting in and out. The service was great. My favorite was the vietnamese noodle dishes and of course it would'nt be an asian buffet without the chinese section. The Dim Sum area is next level! THE FINAL BAMBOO: Overall the AYCE was around $25 pp! Very affordable and actually delicious mass vietnamese cuisine. I will be back again! read more

I have never been to a buffet quite like this. What stands put immediately that it is all you can eat, but someone serves you the food you want that prevents that icky cross contamination. However, you have to tell the server to give you a little bit, because they will fill your plate to the brim, preventing you from trying everything. It's practically a trap! All of the items were unique and interesting. I didn't love everything, but I felt I tried food I would have never given a chance before. Crowd was mostly from the area. You stand out if you're not use to the food and layout, but not in a bad way. Pro tip...speak in Spanish. Those ladies hooked me up with the info I needed to make tasty decisions. It's a definitive recommend for those who love Asian buffets. read more

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A Vietnamese Buffett?! I've never been to one until now and I love it! When I go to my go to pho places, I order my usuals because I get scared to try something new, BUT HERE, I can venture out and try new dishes! and WOW, I have been missing out. My favs! See below. 1. Crispy Vietnamese Pancake/ Banh Xeo. A savory crispy crepe! Filled with shrimp, bean sprouts. Ask for the lettuce and other herbs so you can piece the crepe, wrap it in the lettuce with the herbs, and dip it in the Nuoc Cham sauce! I ate 3 hahaha it's so good! 2. Chao Long. Vietnamese rice porridge with pork. Extremely flavorful and filling. They put a good portion of pork and innards in it. I love innards! 3. Vietnamese Fruit Cocktail/ Che Trai Cay. Light and refreshing coconut milk desert with a medley of tropical fruit. 4. Fried shrimp with the head on. A fav at a many family events I go to but still a dish I look for and enjoy! 5. Pork Intestine Salad/ Goi Doi Truong. Nomz! There's an assortment of other dishes such as spring rolls, a noodle station, seafood, street food skewers, vegetables, deserts, and more! *This is a kid friendly place where there's room and high chairs. *Customer service is good! There is a slight bit of a wait time because it's a buffet but it's faster than other places I go to. read more

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Rất hiếm khi review chỗ nào nhưng sáng nay đi ăn ở đây và gặp cô phục vụ rất là nice , có thể nói là tốt nhất trước tới giờ , Cô cám ơn liên tục và rất thân thiện , để ý khách hàng cần gì . Cô tên My Ngoc H . Đồ ăn ngon , giá hợp lý , sạch sẽ . Nhất định sẽ quay lại vì thái độ phục vụ rất chuyên nghiệp . read more

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Finally got to try this place and see the hype. It is a buffet but you go up to the counter and point to what you want and are served. I like that. We went during lunch. It was basically dim sum they do change it out so when you go up they might have different selections. So be sure to check it out each time you go up. They had a noodle bar and a street food section. They also had banh xeo and banh uot, banh beo and some other stuff. The desserts che was really good. Especially the thai tea and matcha tea. I would like to go back and try the dinner option one day. read more

This is so unheard of....AYCE Vietnamese food??? THIS IS MY HEAVEN. This is literally every Vietnamese cuisine lover's dream. I could of stayed here the whole day if my stomach space allowed for it. Any Vietnamese dish/dessert you could think of, they had it and it was amazing. For the price they charge, it was so worth it and affordable, especially at lunch. I'm just so amazed by the options you could choose from. Coming from Hawaii, we typically have the basic pho, bun bo hue, banh mis, etc....idk why it's so hard to find particular dishes like banh cuon, banh khot, bot chien in restaurants. This is why I love coming to the mainland for Vietnamese food because they have it all. They even have AYCD Sugar Cane Juice -- need I say more? If you're ever in Houston, this is a must visit!!! read more

Kim Son - Ugh so good - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I've been eating at Kim Son for 25 years and it's been a long time since I've had the buffet as I don't live in Houston anymore. The selection is enormous and has desserts, street food station, seafood, noodle station, lots of stir fry, fried chicken, duck, sushi, teas, and just about everything you could want. I opted for lots of seafood including crawfish and snails- loved the garlic butter sauce. It was super crowded on a Saturday night so they were constantly bringing out and replacing food items.. somehow though much of what I ate was room temp (hence the 4 stars). It was bustling inside and lots of families enjoying the large selections. read more

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We heard mixed reviews about this place but that's normal for buffets. We were actually pleasantly surprised with the variety and the taste of the food! It wasn't extraordinary but it was good for the amount of different food they had. Although it is buffet style, the food is behind a glass and there are people there to serve you, which I prefer! There was a great variety of different Vietnamese food including street foods, dim sum, seafood, desserts, noodle soups, etc. Our favorite area were the noodle soups - they had bun Bo hue, Hu tieu, pho and plenty of other soups. They give you cute individual portions but they all tasted pretty good! We went on a Monday morning, got there when they opened and there was already a ton of people waiting to be seated. Don't be hesitant to wait because it is a quick process. We paid $21 for AYCE lunch for Vietnamese food and enjoyed it! read more

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It was my first time at a Vietnamese buffet and I did not have high expectations but boy was I blown away! From start to finish I have no complaints. You walk into a gorgeous grand entryway, was seated quickly as I came right at 5pm when they opened for dinner during the week (but have heard there may be long wait times on the weekend) The amount of options here and for such a reasonable price point! Dinner was around ~$30. Enjoyed trying various street foods and they even have a soup station. Buffet stations are well organized and everything is clean. There are people that serve you the food which is interesting for a buffet but I didn't mind that read more

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My first AYCE Vietnamese Buffet!! I always get pho so it was the best opportunity to try different dishes! There were lotss of different food options I've never had before! I tried snails, clams, fish balls, chicken feet and many, many bowls of soups! I had ~ 9 out of 14 soups, noodles and congee and they were all so good! I loved tasting the different dessert options as well! The rainbow/3 color ice was my favorite! They also have a few sweet teas that were really good! I came later in the evening on a weeknight so I didn't have to wait and there seems to be a lot of tables as well! read more

Kim Son - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I finally did it...we finally visited the famous Kim Son Vietnamese Buffet! I have seen so many videos about this place I had to pinch myself when we got here! The restaurant is located on the 2nd floor. There are elevators available at the front for reference. We were able to be seated right away. The service was wonderful! Friendly and always quick to assist if we needed any refills or to clear our plates. The buffet was nicely set up where there are staff helping to fill your plate. Such a great concept to keep the buffet area neat and tidy. There were so many and too many food options to select from Vietnamese cuisine to Chinese cuisines too. A few notable items I enjoyed which may vary when you visit was the shrimp spring rolls, mussels, prime rib, and snails. The seafood options were plentiful! We will definitely be coming back again. I do wish there were more dessert options. Other than that it was an amazing experience! One of the best buffets I have had in Houston! I will note the street food shrimp skewer had a weird texture and the sushi they served was the basic buffet sushi. Don't get me wrong there is so many amazing options you normally do not see at a buffet. But like all buffets there are food options that may not be exactly what you expect food quality wise. The restaurant is huge and had tons of seats! A must visit! read more

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Best alternative to Vietnam travels when borders were locked down, the buffet might not be the best in class for every item but the sheer variety of specific dishes makes this feast a go! The buffet is an ode to Vietnamese street foods. Love bò lá lốt and so glad to see it freshly grilled on the menu. Seasoned beef wrapped in betel leaves with a fragrant bbq flavor. Other good items include a variety of grilled seafood and meats, banh xeo/banh khot, and a variety of snails of course. Grilled oysters with the seafood dressing and peanuts. The noodle soup station is popular with rarer dishes beyond pho - got the bun rieu. Not your typical asian buffet but all the greatest hits from Vietnam's streets for around $30. Crowd is mostly Vietnamese for what it's worth.... trust! read more

Kim Son - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

There's been some changes to Kim Son since I last came. 1) People serve you the food which I don't mind too much for sanitary reasons but I can imagine it can get busy and 2) it seemed to be more Chinese food than Vietnamese food. You can still get a good number of dishes including street food and made to order food at the soup station. Servers were attentive and kind. We got there at 5pm right when it opened and were seated right away with no issue. read more

Solid Asian buffet, with a mix of Chinese and Vietnamese food. Loved the roast crispy pork, the bun noodle soups and the desserts all flavored with coconut it seemed. Clams and snails in black bean sauce were excellent. And the dessert and buffet was pointed at and they served it to you which was nice compared with the free-for-all you see at some other restaurants. Some of the dishes were just so so like the fish balls and the sushi. Other things like the prime rib were interesting but not really great compared with what I've had elsewhere. Not done well were a cold set of grilled items like corn, shrimp and okra, and the oysters grilled were cold and sandy. They had this fried rice square that was excellent with a little sweetened syrup. I don't normally like rice but this was a crispy treat. They reserved a space for our tables but the prior people weren't done eating by the time we arrived even 30 minutes after our appointed time. Fortunately our party also ended up eating at a table outside which they put a topper on and fit 10 people at. The restaurant itself is located on the second floor, one of the elevators was broken so it was a slow wait for the second elevator for our elderly companions. Overall a great place to try some interesting new foods and definitely try most of the desserts. read more

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Food was great! First time visiting a Vietnamese buffet and we really enjoyed! 12 people in my party (some of us from out of state!)... hopefully we come back again soon! Excellent visit - we had a reservation and came at 11am when all the food was freshly prepared. Saigon Street food was good. I got soup but didn't really like it because it was fast soup. Everything else was really good ! Had a lot of che! read more

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It's wild to find Kim Son with anything less than five stars, because all I can keep thinking about is the food I enjoyed during my visit for lunch today. Situated within the plaza heavily dominated by Vietnamese cuisine and shops, Kim Son stands large as an anchor in the shopping center. This two story goliath of an entity is home to not only the only Vietnamese buffet in America (from what I was told), but it hosts a dim sum and a venue space. Being able to visit right before Lunar New Year, Kim Son went all out with the lobby and entrance with the decor. The details and intricacy had me in awe. Take the time to walk around and get lost with the sights. We got there around 11am and there was a decent crowd there, we grabbed a number and waited for our table to be called. Once it was our turn we were able to choose a table and build camp. This place is so well organized and a well oiled machine. I was in awe at their operations and kept focusing on how well they execute everything. The stations are all organized and broken by noodles, street food, fried food, desserts, proteins, and a few others. Staff here was super friendly and very attentive! The food was all served at the right temperature and nothing was cold or lukewarm if it was a hot item. I'm not ashamed to say I went up to get more food a few times lol. If you're ever in Houston, make it a point to come to this location! read more

I was so excited to try Kim Son buffet when we were in town for the weekend, but unfortunately this place is just hyped from Tik Tok. The service was quick, the little Vietnamese aunties took care of us as well. The food was decent, but not amazing. There is plenty of parking in the lot, and when you walk in, you walk up a staircase and the buffet is on the second floor. The seating area is so large, it makes the buffet area tiny. There was a selection of Vietnamese food, but I also felt like there was more Chinese food than Vietnamese food. I also didn't like that people serve you the food. It defeats the purpose of a buffet. For the authentic taste, I felt like there was always something missing in the dish. I came to the conclusion that you have to go in there with an open mind that it's a buffet and not a restaurant that specializes in a specific dish. I'd go again if my parents ever came to Houston with me, but it's not a MUST go in my opinion. read more

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Venue clean Food serving area clean and the biggest plus, is that there are servers at the buffet line with sneeze guards, so u dont have the public handling food and utensils. The food was tasty with a wide array of choices and they even have the special teas as part of ur buffet cost, but not sodas. The issues i had were THE DINING TABLES ARE MUCH TOO CLOSE. guests next to me had a consistent cough and sneeze that was very unnerving and the other person was belching the entire time. The other issue was when our waiter brought our silverware and soup ladles it was with bare hands on the mouth pieces of he ladles. read more

What brought me to Houston is because of Kim son. I never thought of coming here for the foodie scene. Righr after paris trip back in September 2023, I figure I browse southwest and I bought all the tickets for Florida, houston, and Oregon lol. . So I scored a cheap ticket on southwest and I stuck with it. . Ok now when I landed around 3 pm and after getting the rental car and it was time to go find food. I google mapped the directions and kim son is 1 hr away with traffic. I'm like perfect by the time I get there is when dinner starts which is 5pm. . When I arrived the building is huge. When I opened the door to enter the building it was blasted with decor for chinese new year which is really extra and festive. I really loved it. I was wearing yellow which was perfect match with the decoration. . I went upstairs to meet the host and got my number for when they open they call numbers to seat the party. I was called 2nd when It was 5pm. . It was time to take the videos and pics because I didn't know what to expect. . I went to the pho broth and they made 10 different ones. I settled with the crab meat tapioca noodles like udon in a thick broth. It was really good and temperature was good too. I also got one rice noodle dish and he told me to get what sauce to pair with it at the Condiment bar. . Then I went to get the grilled oysters which were not cook all the way it was still a little raw but they were in a rush. The flavor to the oyster was viet style for sure. . The pork sausage skewers were amazing. The shrimp skewer was good too. . I had hainese chicken and the chicken was fresh and they had onion ginger scallion sauce to dip in. Loved it. . They had some tilapia fish with garlic and Thai chili and I enjoyed this alot and went for second and thirds. . They had clam stir fry in viet style. I wasn't a fan of this, the flavor wasn't my favorite. The steam snail was fresh and they had some sauce for you to dip in which remind me of thai chili. . I loved the viet style mochi with dried shrimp in it. Loved the bannana lead with tapioca and dried shrimp in it. It was all so fresh and quality. I loved how it was like ordering it at a resto quality. . FRESH SUGAR CANE JUICE - OMG COULDNT HELP IT AND HAD 3 CUPS, SO ORGANIC! . Loved the viet desserts but was so full I can't eat anymore. The dessert bar was overwhelming all the ones I had they were all good. . This place is great for beginners to explore vietnamese food. Or people who like viet food and wants a variety. I loved how each item I had was quality. They really make sure each dish is fresh. . Get here early to avoid the crowd. Or else you will wait. The price point for a Friday dinner was only 34 bucks. Such a good deal to try so many items and experience this. I would definitely come back in the future. . Overall it's great quality buffet. I really enjoyed my experience during chinese new year. Hope this helps and thanks for reading. Have a yelptastic day! read more

Kim Son - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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