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San Diego, CA

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Minh Ky Restaurant

4.2 (1.4k reviews)
ModerateChinese, Noodles, Soup
Open • 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

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MINH KY RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

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

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Recommended Reviews - Minh Ky Restaurant

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10. Roast Duck Noodle Soup
Ari J.

Minh Ky is a straight up gem. A plain little box in a Little Saigon strip mall serving Chinese dishes through the mind of a Vietnamese chef. This is one of those San Diego spots that proves the city is a real food paradise, as long as you chase the ethnic lanes and skip the places built for photos instead of flavor. The menu is wild. Thirty two soup permutations. Duck, seafood, chicken, egg noodles, rice noodles, dry, wet. It can overwhelm anyone walking in cold, but the regulars (and this white boy) know the move. Duck egg noodle soup with wontons. That's the anchor dish, and the reason people keep coming back. The rest of the lineup hits just as hard. The roast pork is dialed in. The beef sate chow fun is a sleeper that deserves more noise. The crispy chicken leg is pure comfort food, no notes. Ownership changed a couple years back and the kitchen never missed a beat. I found this place during early lockdown and it's been more reliable than my sourdough starter or my Peloton, and it's aged better than my swimming pool sized vat of hand sanitizer. That kind of consistency earns loyalty. Minh Ky is humble, loud, comforting, and exactly what San Diego does best.

wonton noodle soup and chow fun
Ben H.

Just a no frills and solid chinese/viet fusion diner. I've heard great things but tbh when I went it was just okay. Nothing went wrong but I wouldn't go out of my way for it Chow fun: Maybe get? I love me a good chow fun and this dish satisfied my craving... but just barely. Wonton noodle soup: Getttt So comforting and yummy. The only downside is that the entire bowl only has 2 wontons so that was very disappointing especially if you share it family style Parking lot is small but it wasn't full when we went. And service was friendly but nothing fancy. Food: 7/10 Service: 6/10 Atmosphere: 6/10 Value: 6/10

Sue D.

07/20/26 Food & Price: They offer the best duck noodles ($13.50), dumpling soup ($13.75), and wonton soup you can find in town. They also have a large selection of other dishes on the menu, all at reasonable prices. That said, the iced coffee ($4.25) was not as satisfying as I remembered. Service: The service is quick and attentive. For example, when a staff member saw me walking around other tables looking for pickled jalapeños, she came over right away to ask what I needed. That was excellent service. Parking & Tips: Parking can be difficult at times. I suggest parking in a nearby lot and walking over. Enjoy!

Sarah N.

I was craving Viet food after a 6 hour flight and decided to try Minh Ky after seeing good reviews on Reddit. It was filled with older Vietnamese people so it's definitely authentic, but I was a bit disappointed by how bland everything was.

Crispy Chicken
Anh N.

The Crispy Chicken Leg is so good with wildly crispy skin going nicely with the sauce. I love the fact that this sweet soy sauce is not overpowering and overly salty. The sauce of Orange Chicken is tangy and delicious, but I would prefer the chicken skin get crispier.

Elizabeth N.

Minh ky is considered one of East san diego staple asian restaurant!!! Parking is horrible. They do have a back lot behind the building but its usually packed as well. Service is always super fast and friendly. Little whole in the wall and place is pretty small so might have to wait a little. Its feels very homey, like your walking it your mom house for dinner. I always get my usually wonton noodle soup dry with the soup on the side because I never finish and can bring home. You have to get the Chinese donut, fried pork fat, and pickled papaya!!! Lemonade is delicious, juat the right amount of sweet and sour. There shaken beef has good flavor but a bit on the sweet side for me. Their soy sauce fried chicken was flavorful, crispy, tender and juicy.

Duck leg
David N.

I went on a Monday afternoon and there was a few parking spots, usually this parking lot of full because it's a small parking lot with a few businesses in the shopping center. There wasn't a wait and we were seated right away. The woman that helped us was really nice and sweet. So the customer service 5/5 Comfortable seating, plenty of sauces and utensils at the table. And it wasn't crammed in there. We ordered two orders of the Roasted Duck Leg egg/ rice noodle soup and Crispy chicken leg. The roasted duck was amazing and such a great price for so much food. The soup was also amazing with great flavor. Crispy chicken leg was also delicious with the sauce it came with. 5/5

Roast Duck Noodle Soup, Wonton Noodle Soup, Combination Noodle Soup
Nathan L.

Minh Ky was a place we stumbled upon, and I am so glad we did as it was highly nostalgic for me. Walking in I immediately noticed a woman in the back folding wontons. Ok.. that's always a promising sign. Then I noticed the pleathora of sauces and seasonings at each table: soy sauce, chili oil, red vinegar, white pepper, pickled peppers, Sriracha, oyster sauce. Ok.. even more promising. Then I saw the menu with seemingly endless options. Yep, this place is legit. And reminds me of a place I grew up at in the Bay Area. Except here they play Drake. The food was delicious. The duck egg noodle came with a generous portion of duck. I appreciated that the wonton wrapper and rice noodles actually had a distinct texture. I may have added too much spice to mine, but I have no regrets. The cashew pork was a nice surprise to my bowl. While you may have to get lucky with parking (we parked on the curb and was just fine), and get through the slight language barrier, it is a wonderful experience and is worth a try.

Parking lot
Wai F.

Parking 3/5 -Small plaza parking lot with about 20 spots with awkward flow of traffic that can get messy if it's slightly busy. Service 5/5 -Friendly staff, seated quickly and food came out quick as well while they had a full house. Food 4/5 -Roast duck egg noodles soup, bouncy egg noodles in comforting wonton soup and plenty of refreshing green onions. The roast duck comes on a separate plate, it's smokey and juicy and savory. Great deal for the portion size. -Crispy chicken leg, marinaded chicken leg that tasted like it was flash fried with golden crispy skin and soft tender meat. The gem is the sauce it sits in, tasted like a plum based sauce that brought life to the crispy chicken. Ambiance 4/5 -No frills small restaurant that you go to get your fix of noodles or rice or other cravings homey Asian food cravings, medium noise.

Condiments
Vivian T.

A nostalgic spot that I had to revisit now that I have adult money and real cravings. Minh Ky Restaurant is one of those places I remember going to as a kid, even though we lived 25 minutes away at the time, so you already know it had to be worth it. A lot of reviews rave about their duck, so I came back specifically to try it. The parking lot is honestly a nightmare. People are sitting on hazards everywhere because there's barely any space. It's tight, confusing to navigate, and street parking is basically full. The surrounding plazas are covered in tow-away signs too, so just be prepared. Once we finally parked and walked in, the restaurant was pretty empty with only one other table. We were greeted and seated right away. The menu has a few specials and a mix of Vietnamese-Chinese dishes like noodle soups, rice plates, and stir fry items. We decided to split the bo luc lac and a 1/4 roast duck. At the table, you get fully set up with sauces and condiments like sriracha, hoisin, jalapenos, salt, sugar, pepper, soy sauce, and vinegar. Our food came out pretty quickly, but the second the duck hit the table, my husband and I just looked at each other. It was clearly over-roasted, almost burnt. The plate was also extremely hot which made it feel like it had been reheated. The skin didn't have that glossy, flavorful finish you expect from good roast duck and the meat was tough. There was barely any meat on the pieces we got which made it even more disappointing. Especially coming back from San Francisco where we had amazing duck for cheaper, this just didn't compare at all. The bo luc lac, on the other hand, was really good and honestly one of the better ones I've had. It's a Vietnamese shaken beef dish where tender beef cubes are seared and tossed in a savory garlic soy based sauce. Here, the beef was super tender and not chewy at all. The sauce soaked perfectly into the rice and every bite was really satisfying. They also layer lettuce underneath which soaks up all that sauce and was actually one of my favorite parts at the end. It also comes with tomato slices, which I personally don't enjoy, but that's just me. If I could give half stars I would, but this rounds down more than it goes up. It's frustrating because I know from other reviews that the duck we got wasn't the norm, but at the same time it's hard to ignore that multiple people saw that plate and still decided to serve it.

crispy chicken leg
Anthony D.

Minh Ky Restaurant is a longtime hole-in-the-wall noodle spot that's been around for years. Under new ownership for a couple of years now, it still serves tasty, generously portioned noodles. I usually get the crispy chicken with dry egg noodles (4/5), while the missus goes for the duck with egg noodles (4/5). The chicken stays perfectly crispy, and the duck is juicy and well-seasoned. The restaurant is very small and can get crowded, especially at lunch. Service is simple, and there's little in the way of ambience. Parking is very tight. Despite that, it's a solid spot for a quick, satisfying lunch or takeout.

This place is so popular and everyone was digging into the roast duck. Super good!
Donato J.

Really good, great prices, great service, place was slamming the entire time. This is a real treasure! I've never seen a restaurant be so crowded before the entire time we were there. And so many delivery people came to pickup food too. Imagine how busy the kitchen staff is! Food is that good though.

Interior
Jane L.

This unsuspecting spot did not disappoint. It was highlighted in a food bloggers Best Chinese Restaurants in San Diego. Parking in limited in this tiny lot, so I usually grab a banh mi at a neighboring shop. They offer a wide variety of Vietnamese and Chinese dishes. I came specifically for the Roasted Duck Noodle Soup. You have the option of wide flat rice noodles or thin egg noodles. The server said it's better with the egg noodles. Before I could snap photos of the interior of the restaurant she was already back with my food. Less than 5 minutes for sure, which makes sense. Duck is already roasted just needed to chop it, blanch the noodles, ladle the broth and garnish with onions. This was a fairly large portion, could have shared it but I was hungry so I gobbled it up. Generous 1/4 of a duck, maybe 8oz of egg noodles swimming in broth. I do appreciate that the duck was served on the side because it was rather greasy. The host was friendly, can't say my server was but that is typical for Asian restaurants. She did not come back to check on me. All the condiments and utensils are self-serve on the table. You don't come for the service. The whole duration of lunch, they had a steady flow of dine-in and to-go guests. When I was about finished, there was an elder man standing waiting for a table. I invited him to sit down at my table as I was getting up to pay my tab. I imagine this place gets pretty packed for dinner. I think I'll stick for weekday lunch to avoid a wait. Lots more dishes to try.

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Reviews are largely positive. People highlight the fresh, flavorful noodles, roast duck dishes, and friendly, quick service. The atmosphere is casual and welcoming.

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7 months ago

Our favorite go to for mi nuoc. The service is always quick and friendly. They share a tight parking lot, so parking is sometime a hassle.

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Ask the Community - Minh Ky Restaurant

Can they do gluten friendly options (maybe all rice noodles and rice wrappers on wontons and dumplings)?

They don't do special request

Do you sell the Spicy chili sauce?

What delivery service do they use?

None

Do you have party trays?

They do but check their website (faq's) for more info https://www.minhkysd.com

Are their vegan options?

They can exclude meat/ eggs out of any dish.

Do they add msg to the food? I would like to try this place.

They do, You can ask them to make your food without it :)

View All 7 Questions

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I haven't been here in a very long time. Almost a decade. So, I was excited to bring the hubby…read more Parking was horrendous. We went on a Thursday night and there was absolutely no parking. After circling several times, we finally found a spot about two blocks away. Once we arrived, we were immediately seated. Our server brought over waters and the menus, and I was a little overwhelmed by all the options but that's not necessarily a bad thing. We decided on the pan-seared crispy noodles with beef and egg rolls. I also ordered a Spritz to accompany my meal. I wasn't a big fan of the crispy noodles, but my husband loved them. The flavor itself was really good but there was something about the texture of the crispy noodle that wasn't my jam. The egg rolls, though, were fantastic. They were perfectly crunchy and flavorful. There are so many other dishes on the menu that caught my eye, so I will definitely come back to try some of their other options.

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