Very good Thai. Stopped on the way to Austin. Food was delicious and the service was great!read more

I had UberEATS Chicken Pad Thai and I must say I am deeply disappointed by the quality of the food…read more The flavor was off and there was hardly any chicken in the pad Thai. There was literally pea size to maybe a couple nickel coin size pieces of chicken in the pad that. It was mostly noodles. I used to really enjoy their food there but lately the quality of the food is going down hill. I know food cost increase but food inflation was shown in this chicken pad Thai. The flavor was bland and one note. Do I recommend this place? Unfortunately I won't be returning to here due to the quality and flavor so I can't recommend this place any more. Super sad. For good pad Thai I will drive the extra mile to Kiin Di (chicken pad Thai 5/5) or 1618 Asian fusion (crispy chicken pad Thai 5/5) - both places have the best pad Thai in Austin area.

I stopped in on my lunch break craving Chinese food- looks can be deceiving; it looks like a small…read moreconvenience store with a carneceria but the nice gentleman up front helped me out with ordering. Great portions, good price, and above average taste. Not mind blowing best-I've-ever-had Chinese, but dang good. I got the almond chicken btw, they didn't have cashews.

After reading through many of the reviews, I found most of them to be pre-Covid and there weren't a…read morelot of pictures. You should know this is a family owned convenience store with a kitchen in the back that makes up the food. It also doubles as a meat market and caters to the Aisian and Hispanic market. Unless you like dining in at one of their two small tables surrounded by merchandise, I'd suggest you get it to go. They have a pretty extensive menu with reasonable prices and everything is cooked fresh on the spot. They have cold drinks, beer, and wine to purchase to go as well. As for the food, apparently they don't always have the fresh spring rolls which we wanted and their hot and sour soup is not exactly the best. Unfortunately their fried rice contains very little in the way of peas and carrots and was very mushy. The steamed rice is a better choice. Generally the food was just OK, I've definitely had better. To be honest, the Bamboo Garden food truck just 2 blocks away is better. I was surprised that while I was checking out with a credit card, there was no tip screen which was unexpected. Still...for us it's one and done. informative photos and video below.

I ordered a regular Pho Dac Biet, and right away, I noticed the portions were very generous. The…read moreThai basil leaves were absolutely ginormous, and they gave us plenty of them alongside very fresh limes, which I appreciated. The bowl itself came loaded with meat--they definitely weren't skimping to save money here. The meat-to-noodle ratio felt great, and every bite actually had substance instead of leaving me fishing around for toppings. As for the broth, I landed somewhere in the middle. It wasn't quite as clear or light as I personally prefer, leaning toward a fattier, milkier undertone that almost reminded me of a Vietnamese pho take on tonkotsu. The flavor itself was undeniably very good, but the richness may have been a bit too much for me personally. One way I usually judge how much I love a pho broth is whether I want to sip the bowl down to the very end, and this one wasn't quite light enough for me to want to do that. I've had richer and deeper pho flavors elsewhere, but I still appreciated the flavor profile here and could absolutely see why this place is so popular. It feels hearty, comforting, and satisfying in a way that clearly resonates with many people. Despite how packed the restaurant was, the atmosphere ended up being surprisingly pleasant. Service moved very quickly, which honestly impressed me given how busy everything felt. Even with the crowd, I didn't dislike the spacing or setup at all--the restaurant still felt comfortable, and the sound of people enjoying their food all around added to the lively, welcoming energy rather than making it feel overwhelming. Overall, Pho Phong Lưu ended up being one of those places where I completely understood the hype, even if it didn't become my personal favorite pho spot. While the broth leaned richer than my preference, I still enjoyed the experience and definitely look forward to trying other dishes next time.

We really enjoyed our experience! We had to wait around 30 minutes to get in, but it was definitely…read moreworth it. The service was amazing, and the food came out quickly and was delicious! One thing that really surprised us was the wings. They were so good! The pho was also really good, and I would definitely come back. The only downsides were the wait time and the fact that the restaurant is pretty small, so the smell of food can be a little strong inside. Other than that, everything was fantastic! Definitely recommend!

This was my first time trying pho and the house beef bone broth did not disappoint! the service was…read morefast! a lot pf tables and booths open for seating but still busy. It was not too loud, homey vibe. On my pho, I had three toppings: rare steak, tripe and meatball. Meatball was my favorite! Also the chè 3 màu was a nice complement to the meal since it was cold (mix the ice around and the drink so that it is all balanced).

Pretty good Vietnamese spot. Service is courteous and friendly. Parking is easy…read more They make fresh pho noodles which while a little softer are pretty good. Ordered the triple pho with choice of 3 proteins. I'd highly recommend the meatballs. At most places they're just part, but the meatballs here are quite yummy. The Banh Uot was just okay. My wife didn't feel too good later after eating it. Might've been because of the fermented sausage. But overall, we really enjoyed the visit. Would come back if in the area.

Austin's Vietnamese food scene over the years has been lacking but year after year, more authentic…read morespots are opening and my search for the best authentic Vietnamese restaurant is finally complete. Austin's 100% authentic Vietnamese restaurant. Bun Bo Hue: chewy noodles, fresh big chunks of pork and soft beef. The bowl is made the way I would make it at home, tons of meat. For less than $16, it's the best value to dollar to meal in my opinion more than pho or ramen. It is a bowl full of dark and light spicy flavors of soup. Fresh toppings on top, a big piece of pork blood cake. It's as good as Houston BBH. The banh cuon, man, taste like Vietnam. Fresh fresh fresh rice rolls, not too oily which I appreciate, nice textures of the ground pork which is nicely seasoned, sliced woodear mushrooms, and crispy onions on top. The bean sprouts are nicely steamed and sliced cucumbers add a warranted cooling taste. The nuoc mam for me I want to be saltier, garlic, fish sauce but I can add more spice from the bottles on the table. When you take in a bite of the rice roll, dipped in nuoc mam, it's a taste of Vietnam street food. Plus finish it off with a fresh blanched bean sprout. The price point less than $15 is worth it. Now let's talk about my all time favorite, banh knot. Fried little cakes filled with shrimp, a little bit of coconut milk, green onions and it's a little cup of goodness. Add some nuoc mam and it holds it in the cake. It comes with fresh lettuce, sliced cucumbers, and carrots. Roll it into a little roll, bite into the cake and bite into the vegetable lettuce wrap. It's all time goodness. A 1000% must try. Btw, the dining room and all the utensils are very clean. The plates are also spotless.

Saigon 512 is amongst the top rated Vietnamese restaurants in the Austin-Metro area! I've been…read morecoming here occasionally the past few years (before and after their renovation) and leave satisfied every time. I uploaded their recent menu items as they have a new staff and are still in the process of training them to serve their whole menu again. My personal favorites that I get on rotation each time I come are the Banh Cuon w/ Pork (Vietnamese Rice Cake), Large Banh Xeo (w/ no squid), and Com Ga Di Bo (Rice Plate w/ Boiled Chicken). I always order a side of Goi Cuon Nem Nuong with my respective entree as well. The Sugar Cane Juice is absolutely delicious, fresh, and not too sweet. The service here is always friendly, attentive, and timely. Nice relaxing atmosphere with television and restaurant music for your dining experience. Definitely recommend for all my fellow Vietnamese food lovers!

Hidden gem in this food truck area. This one is located towards the end of the parking lot with…read moreauthentic Asian food. They have Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine. Food was fresh and delicious. Service was good and there might be a wait depending on how many people are there since they make it fresh. They have seating area under cover as well. They take credit cards too. Overall good experience!

You can learn a lot about Vietnamese food by NOT eating in an air-conditioned Western restaurant…read more * * * Com Tam Pa Phi is in a fascinating food truck park at the corner of Parmer and Dessau. The clientele here is downscale. The food is downscale. If you are looking for the Elizabeth Street Cafe, it is not here. A lot of the places are fine for what they are. But you have to get yourself into a downscale mentality. * * * Virtually every single truck has built a shack to eat the food in. You are out of the sun. You are in the shade. There is some kind of a breeze - either from an electric fan or cracks in the wall or ceiling. Housing is crude. This is rough eating. More importantly, there is no air conditioning. So it is going to get hot, shade or no shade, fan or no fan. * * * Most of the patrons are Mexican or Central Americans. They are also much much smarter than me. They would show up in their trucks - often a giant pick up truck. Someone would jump down from the passenger side ... Go into a shack ... Get their bag of food ... And take it Home. They were eating in air conditioned comfort. I was the only idiot actually eating in the shacks. I was roasting like a horned frog on a rock That said, I ate like a king I also got a huge lesson in what Vietnamese food is all about. * * * A lot of Vietnamese places are like the food trucks at Parmer and Dessau. Vietnam is hot. Vietnam is humid. Lots of street food is served outside. You eat on a folding chair. Or you eat in a shack similar to what I was eating in. In 105 degrees, things change. * * * a) In air conditioned restaurants, you get raw carrot and raw daikon and raw cucumber on the side. You ignore those and eat your main dish. Out in the shack in 105 degrees, the raw carrots, raw daikon and raw cucumbers were life savers. They were a major contrast with the hot food straight out of the fryer. Never have I enjoyed a raw cucumber so much. b) In an air conditioned restaurant, you ignore the condiments that are served at your table. You leave the Rooster Sauce and the Rice Vinegar alone. Condiments become king in 105 degrees in a shack. I was dipping my raw veggies in rice vinegar or alternatively in chili paste. They were the absolute best part of the meal. c) I will describe the two dishes I had next. Keep in mind this is downscale Vietnamese cooking. Lots of the ingredients are going to come straight out of the freezer. In a brick and mortar air conditioned place, I would be unhappy if I was served food straight from the freezer. In the shack, my meal actually worked. d) One of my two dishes was a lemon salt and pepper fried shrimp. This was straight out of the freezer and almost tasteless by itself. But dipped in chili paste, it was just divine. I chowed down my shrimp quite happily. I was starting to get addicted to that chili paste. e) The other dish was vermicelli with egg roll and grilled pork. Once again, the egg roll was out of the freezer. Once again, rice vinegar and chili paste would be the stars of the show. The pork was what you would expect from an honest but downscale lower class place. The pork was decent enough to eat. (No health violations here.) But it was definitely gristly and fatty. The pork was just acceptable all by itself. It got better - but not amazing - if it was dipped in sauce. f) In 105 degrees, iced Vietnamese coffee is GOD. They serve theirs the old fashioned way where it brews in your tin cup before you pour it over ice. The iced Vietnamese coffee extended by two hours the amount of time I could have sat comfortably in that shack. I wish I had some of that iced Vietnamese coffee right now. * * * If you ate only one Vietnamese meal in Austin, would you want it to be Com Tam Pa Phi? Probably not. Do you want to replicate the experience of eating out on a road somewhere in rural central Vietnam? Com Tam Pa Phi will do you for sure. Can you eat well at Com Tam Pa Phi? I had a great time. But frankly, the Mexicans were more on top of things than I was. If you live anywhere near the corner of Parmer and Dessau, Picking your food up from the food court and eating it in your apartment makes a lot of sense. And in your apartment, you can dip your veggies in anything you want that HEB sells.

Amazing menu, amazing pho, allergies were marked very well too. Service was slow, but nothing worth…read moregetting upset over.

Had such a great night at 1618 Asian Fusion celebrating our 4-month anniversary! The food was…read moredelicious, but the bartenders made the night extra special. Abigail and Kathy were so friendly and welcoming, and Jay makes an amazing Matcha Espresso Martini! Highly recommend sitting at the bar--you won't be disappointed!

I am a bit picky when it comes to foods so I'm always a sucker for restaurants that have a…read morebuild-your-own option. The set up is similar to a Chipotle or Subway where you order up front and there's a variety of ingredients you can select from. To start, you get an option between rice, vermicelli, zucchini noodles or banh mi. Then you pick the protein and toppings you want. There's also no limit to the number of toppings (woohoo!). Finally for the sauce you can pick up to two. Honestly for someone who grew up eating a lot of Vietnamese food, this place is legit. The food was 5/5 for me. Both quantity and quality was there all at an affordable price. I'll definitely be coming back here.

Imagine going to a Vietnamese takeout and ordering your meal like you're at a Chipotle where you…read moreget to create your own bowl and/or banhmi. For the bowl, you select the base of rice, salad, vermicelli noodles and you can order half/half rice and salad, select your protein like beef, chicken or pork, select your veggies and drizzle of dressings. Since it was my first time visiting, I opt to get the dressings on the side so that I can try different dressings. I've ordered the pork banhmi and rice bowl and the beef rice bowl. Out of the three, I liked the beef most because of the more tender sliced meat. The bread was too soft for my liking and I wished it was a bit more like a baguette. The rice bowl is definitely better than the banhmi. Good customer service. Water cup is available on the counter.

I've been to this place many times and every time, I love it!…read more First of all, I just love coming here the seating and the space is so relaxing and such a perfect place to eat and talk. And honestly it's better than any fancy restaurant out there. I love the amount of plants in the space and the TV plays cooking videos and it's so nice to watch while waiting for your food! Speaking of waiting for your food, the food comes out super quick! Within 1 minute of ordering my drink, it came out! And a couple minutes after follows the food. The service is amazing as well, the servers are super sweet and are very quick to serve you and get what you need. The menu offers a bunch of things, appetizers, main dishes, desserts, and the drinks! I love how the desserts and drinks are also Vietnamese (most of the time I notice restaurants tend to have the basic selection of fountain drinks and desserts, but this restaurant has a wide variety of drinks and desserts so you can try something new every time you come here!) Most of all, there's a bunch of vegan dishes which I absolutely love. The food is always delicious I've been trying the vegan dishes recently and I love them a lot (as someone who doesn't like vegan dishes normally)! The chicken pho is also so delicious it tastes better than I make it at home! So much flavor. The drinks are so good as well. They also give you a big portion and I normally have leftovers, but the portion size is amazing for the price that you pay. It's definitely more affordable and such a bang for your buck. This is definitely a spot to try and trust me, you'll probably fall in love! If I was an Austin tourist I would definitely hit up this restaurant. I could go on and on about this restaurant.

Like one of my favorite HARRY STYLES songs, it's a happy place to be, and buzzing busy on a Sunday!…read moreTake yours to-go (delivery through their website ordering) or dine-in lunch through dinner every day except humpday! I'm back for a delicious BUN CHA GIO (cold vermicelli noodle bowl, like a deconstructed spring roll) - this one with perfectly grilled shrimp, sub actual SPRING ROLLS (pork + shrimp) that are delicate & fresh, lovely in a house-made peanut sauce. There's an abundance of fresh fish specials & vegetarian options for all kinds of dietary preferences. OCHI is serving fast, and teamwork keeps the tables turning!

A coworker/friend put me onto this place. We were both craving lunch while I was in town. The…read morerestaurant is on the same drag as the office. I love Vietnamese food so I was excited to check it out. It's a counter restaurant and they bring out the food. Thankfully, there was vegan options. I got the veg pho with veg broth with a water. The restaurant is clean, no weird odor, with plenty of seating. The pho arrived to the table. A big bowl of hot soup filled with fresh vegetables. Savory rich broth, whew! You can't get any better than that. The whole meal was delicious! The vegetables were so crisp and cooked to perfection. I didn't get a soup spoon to drink the broth, but had to drink it like cereal from a bowl. The tofu was tasty as well. Very yummy. It tasted like it was Houston quality, but I had forgotten for a second that I was in South Austin. This restaurant did not disappoint!

I walked in and thought, "I don't see any Asians here. Should I leave now?" Joking aside, it was…read morevery clean, the service was friendly, and the food was surprisingly good. I've had a few bad experiences in the Los Angeles area where the meat was super tough or there wasn't enough, especially considering the prices they were charging. Pho Please was very reasonably priced, and the food was good. Their Vietnamese coffee was delicious too.