Xeo Yum is a Vietnamese eatery located in a food hall in Midtown. They are known for their bánh…read morexèo, which is a crispy Vietnamese crepe/pancake. The filling is placed in a pan and then a thin layer of batter made with tumeric and coconut milk yellow batter is poured on top. You wrap the lettuce around the bánh xèo/bánh khọt and dip it in the fish sauce. I got the bánh khọt and the bò né. Bánh khọt is like a mini, thicker version of bánh xèo and came with nine pieces. Their bánh khọt was crispy, sweet and savory, and went well with the fish sauce. Although the portions initally look small, they are very filling. The bò né was filling and sizzling when it came out. It also came with a side of salad. The meat was tender. I really liked the bánh khọt and would definitely come back for them. It's nice having an authentic Vietnamese restaurant in our area, close to us, so we don't have to make the trek to Bellaire every time we crave some Viet food!

Typically, when an Asian business has a cheeky name like Xeo Yum, it's widely assumed that it's…read moreheavily Americanized and therefore shouldn't be taken seriously. I couldn't have been more wrong. Xeo Yum (#1) as it turns out is one of the most legit Vietnamese places in Midtown serving up some of the city's best banh xeo and banh khot. Located inside of a Food Hall (#2) in the back corner, they have low-key become a destination and without question, the most popular stall in the entire place. The fan base didn't happen overnight but is a direct result of Chef Cuong Nguyen's commitment to quality Vietnamese fare. Banh Xeo is their signature item, which is also known as a sizzling crepe or pancake made of rice flour, tumeric, and coconut milk. The banh xeo holds well, is perfectly crispy, and is nicely stuffed with an assortment of beans sprouts, shrimp, and some of the best grilled pork belly I've had. Another specialty item that doesn't get enough mention is their banh khot, which is similar but has a mini muffin / cupcake like appearance made in a specialty cast iron mold. This version is wonderfully crispy and pairs perfectly with fresh greens and fish sauce with some funk. It is my favorite item here. Some have argued they also serve one of the best bo ne (#3), the Vietnamese version of steak and eggs served in a skillet. The chunks of beef are nice and tender with just a tad of char, served with two fried eggs, and a banh mi baguette with a mix of butter and spare. Normally I think of spam or sausage included with the meats, but Chef Cuong's spin is with cherry tomatoes. It's a different approach and I'm not mad at it. Folks not looking for this can shoot for bo luc lac, aka shaking beef, which is also recommended. The staff here is sweet, hard-working, and very friendly. They also make a mean Vietnamese coffee and offer free iced self-serve water. The prices are what I would expect in a Midtown food hall, and there's plenty of seating. Anyone checking out the food hall need to make Xeo Yum as part of their eating itinerary. __________ (#1) A play on the Vietnamese sizzling crepe, Banh "xeo" and yum" (#2) Previously the Conservatory and now Stestí Food Hall. (#3) Boh-Neh. Not bone.

This spot is low key with a nice, clean interior and friendly service. I visited here to check out…read moresome noodles and crawfish. When I arrived there was nobody dining in the restaurant, that was a bit worrying, but I figured it was a bit early for the dinner crowd and late for the lunch crowd. Food & Drink - 4.5* First up was the noodles, I enjoyed them, but I wouldn't say the hype I'd heard about from some others was there. They had nice flavor, but there just wasn't anything "special." 3.5* Then it was on to the crawfish, and my oh my. Superb, the flavor is delicious and unique. This more than made up for the noodles dish. The potato and corn was good too. Service - 5* Solid. When I first arrived the owner was quietly reading a newspaper and eating his own lunch. He paused to greet me and advised that I could sit anywhere. He provided water and adequate time to determine what I wanted to order. The food came out quickly and he checked in a few times to make sure everything was ok. As time went by, the crowd of folks showing up increased quite a bit and he still managed to check in on tables consistently. Pricing - 4* This is where it was odd. Always subjective but I found the noodles to be overpriced for not only the size but what I felt was a pretty simple dish. The crawfish on the other hand was priced very competitively and made up for the overpriced noodles. I provided pics of the menu for someone to make their own assessment but in general I thought many of the dishes were pricier than they probably should be. I know inflation is certainly killing many businesses and consumers but even these felt a bit off. Overall - 4.5* This is definitely going to be one of my go tos for crawfish when in the area. The flavor is fantastic, the pricing is good, the size of them were solid. There are a couple of other dishes I may try on the next visit. The restaurant is clean, the owner is very nice, and it's a nice low key space to just enjoy a good meal with friends or family.

One of the best Vietnamese places I've ever been hands down. I still think about it a year later…read more They had a very big variety of food on the menu, so you could have your fill of Vietnamese dishes. I believe the crawfish is seasonal, so go during crawfish season because this pho was delicious. The crawfish were so tender and the pho was so flavorful. The beef dish was also so good to eat and balanced. The fried beef balanced so well with the fresh salad and rice. I will say that when we went the parking lot was a little deserted at night. I would definitely lock your doors and take all your valuables. But that's all or Houston, so just stay safe!

I've heard tales of how good the Vietnamese food is in Houston. And boy, Huynh Restaurant lived up…read moreto the hype and more. I ordered the Bun Bo Hue, Duck Tea Salad, and Coconut Coffee. I've been on a Bun Bo Hue kick and while I have yet to find one that I've enjoyed more than regular pho, Huynh's was probably the best I've had yet. 4.3/5 The Duck Tea Leaf Salad was bright and very refreshing. Ordered as an appetizer, it was huge and was close to being a meal all by itself. I thought I had over ordered and probably did, but everything was so damn good, I finished it all. 5/5 Coconut coffee - this was my first time trying this. Served like a Vietnamese affogato, it came with a cup of coconut milk with coconut ice cream along with an espresso of Vietnamese coffee. Lord and waistline willing, I would consume one of these everyday. The contrasts of hot and cold, the bitterness of coffee with the creaminess of coconut. It all balanced and went so well together. Highly, highly recommend. 6/5 On top of all the amazing food was the service. I had just arrived from the airport and came close to their lunch closing time. They welcomed me graciously and without hesitation. As they began their lunch and I was finishing mine, multiple staff members paused their meals to refill water check in, etc. for not only me, but the other few remaining stragglers of the lunch crowd. Huynh is every bit worth it. I will be back each time I'm in town

Felt slightly more modern than your traditional Viet family owned restaurants. Parking lot is…read moreslightly sketchy though. People seem to really like the whole BYOB idea here. Overall, will definitely satisfy your craving for Viet food in Downtown. Ordered: - 95. Banh Cuon - Reminded me of the ones my grandma makes but with less meat in it. Not a big fan of the Vietnamese ham because it had some chunks of peppercorn but that's just my personal preference. - 73. Crispy Noodles with Seafood - Not usually a dish I typical order or care for. I was fine with it. - 57. Shaken Beef Rice - Beef was flavorful and tender. - Avocado Smoothie - Not much avocado flavor in my opinion.

Com Nieu Houston is probably one of the best in the Houston area when it comes to authentic…read moreVietnamese food. I've been going here for several years, both in person and for take-outs, and they have never failed to impress me. I like to go here for late lunch or early dinner when the restaurant isn't as busy. The restaurant is in the same shopping center as the Chase Bank and Thanh Da Quan. Even though it's located on the far side of Chinatown near My Hoa Market, the drive is definitely worth it. The restaurant is small and well decorated, and the workers are nice. The dishes are a bit pricey compared to other Vietnamese restaurants for the portion size, but the taste and quality definitely make it worth it. Even my parents, who are super picky when it comes to Vietnamese restaurants, love the food at Com Nieu Houston. Like the name, most of the dishes here are in clay pots. Everything is always super flavorful and perfectly cooked. My absolute favorites are the Thit Ba Chi Kho To (caramelized pork belly), the Suon Non Rim To (braised spare ribs) and the Canh Chua Tom (Vietnamese sweet and sour soup with shrimps). I also really love their Com Chien Ca Man (salted fish & chicken fried rice), which I think is one of the best in town, as well as their Ga Kho Xa Ot (braised lemongrass chicken). The Ca Bong Lau Kho To (caramelized catfish) is my parents' favorite. Photos are from my most recent visit.

This place may look sketch on the outside but honestly, I'm happy to have found/heard about this…read moreplace. It's comforting to see a lot of Asian families dining in as well. I took my parents here and we ordered the pickled cabbage w. chicken, the clay pot fish, and sour fish soup. It was really good and not heavy at all. My parents ate the whole thing and didn't leave any leftovers. The waiter and waitress were attentive and we didn't wait long for food at all.

My god. This place was spectacular. We randomly came across this restaurant on a whim and had no…read moreidea that this was a michelin recognized spot. But after eating here, I understand why. I never had central vietnamese food before and never heard of most of these dishes. We saw that everyone was getting the three appetizer platter, bun bo hue, and had to try it. I also got the chicken vermicelli just as a classic. But every single item in the bun bo hue platter was jawdroppingly good. I never had anything like it before. I didn't know there were vietnamese dishes that utilized mochi flour and now I can never go back. Every single item was so good. The mochi was cooked so perfectly as every bite was so chewy and soft with no hard clumps at all. The meat that came with them as well were so sweet and tender. The vermicelli plate was awesome too as you can make a wrap with the lettuce and veggies and rice noodles and they all come together to mouthwatering perfection. I found a new spot to hyperfixate on whenever I come to houston.

One of my favorite spots in Houston! Not your usual Vietnamese pho spot, amazing small dishes…read more Must get the banh beo chen - I recommend at least 8 per person and doctoring it up with the fish sauce and jalapeño. My favorite appetizers (in order): Banh beo chen, Banh ram it, banh bot loc, egg rolls, crystal dumplings. Personally I wasn't a fan of the paste-y texture of the banh nam but that is a personal preference! Service is not the most hospitable but very quick. We were reseated after spotting a cockroach under our table. But even so I would come back to have this amazing food any day.

This is such an underrated Vietnamese spot!!! I found it online and decided to try it out. And it…read moredid not disappoint. Very surprised with the options and the menu. The service was good, the ambience is super casual but the menu was phenomenal. They had artichoke and salmon pho! I clearly love a good pho and I was all for it! I got the artichoke pho with chicken and it was a 10/10!!! I wish this spot was in Atlanta where I live. I would most definitely be a regular. The fried rice and green beans chicken was awesome too. It was a 10/10 full flavor bomb. recommend.