I can't believe I didn't post this review!!! Found this…read moreplace via yelp while visiting Hilo side. Mom and pop shop, veteran owned. Small place, but just right. There was four of us that ordered the same thing. It was the cold noodles(bun) salad with grilled chicken, and fried roll. Pretty much like our lumpia we make. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. We all felt it was the best meal we had all vacation. We are all a mixed couple Filipino/white. We live in the PNW and there are plenty of Vietnamese restaurants around. I've tried every chicken fried roll bun salad. Nothing compares. My friends, husband and I are always disappointed. We all think it's the sauce. Pho 99 has the best flavor anywhere!! Pops on the register was cordial, moms was working the grill. I hope they're still around when we visit next year. Even though we will be staying on the Waikoloa side, we will make sure to take a drive just to have their delicious food! We were there 2/11/25

What do you look for in Vietnamese food?…read more I look for authenticity, flavor, and ambiance. The owners share very sweet and make good tasting pho. I'm very happy we stopped by and gave it a shot. It's a small place but cozy and serves legit viet pho. Try it out

Had 45 minutes to spare to have dinner with my husband before work and was craving pho. Decided on…read moreVans because their service is known for being quick. Place was empty when we got there. Ordered a combo pho and husband got the kalbi rice plate. Kalbi was phenomenal!! I went a little overboard with the chili oil and made my pho small kine spicy so it took awhile but we ordered, ate and left within 45 minutes. Thank you Van for the quick service and ono food. 10/10 recommend.

If you're Vietnamese looking for a Pho place to eat, stay clear of this place…read more Never trust a Pho place that doesn't have Nuoc Beo (IYKYK). I came in and was seated right away, ordered the Pho Dat Biet. It came with rare steak, flank and meatballs. Not that Dat biet if you ask me. I asked the server if they had nuoc beo, and he said no. Kinda makes me wonder how they make their broth if they don't have that. Food came out quick and hot, but that's all about this place that I can compliment. Not that much meat and very small pieces.

Hands down consistent delicious food. I generally give them 5 stars. Not today as the service was…read morerude and not consistent with what I've previously experienced. Actually the lady announced it to everyone that "we just let people seat themselves nowadays" to another customer which was towards us. As we walked in we were not greeted. So we picked a seat and sat down. Then we seen the sign amongst all the other signs. Truly embarrassing experience and if she just told us or had we seen the sign we would have known. Ambiance is opened air with little AC. Clean but could use updating of their customer service and signage.

First time coming here and very delicious. I ordered the 6 piece egg rolls ($13) and absolutely…read moreloved it. So crunchy and the sweet chili sauce on the side was amazing. For the price I think it's worth it especially when you eat it fresh. Staff is friendly and there was no line when we went. Definitely would come back and try other things on the menu!

Randomly stopped by the other day to check out their hot line. Still hands down, better than ever…read more This time I went for the black bean chicken, s/s pork and of course, my fav the chow mein. Did not disappoint. And the price... still reasonable (lol look at me saying $15 for 2 choice is reasonable lol. But you guys know how it is now these days. ). You silly if you don't stop by and try it out.

Went there for lunch today, a Monday, at about 11:30 AM. Husband and I both ordered from the steam…read moretrays: chow fun, s&s pork, sesame chicken, salt n pepper spare ribs. The server stuffed the boxes full... of tasteless, inedible, terrible food. The chicken was tough and stringy, the pork was bland, the noodles were tasteless. $35 lesson learned. So disappointing.

My wife has been raving about this "pho" place in Hilo for a while now. I finally got a chance to…read moretry it and it did not disappoint. First off, any place my wife wants to go to several times means it must be at the top of the food chain! Pho Viet is located in back of Garden Exchange. Apparently there are two pho places so look for Pho Viet - on the right side. Be careful when walking from Haili street as there are sketchy people hanging out on both sides of the road. (What happened Hilo??). Unfortunately there is hardly any parking so you probably have to walk to the restaurant from away. When you go inside the place is pretty small like 6-8 tables but it's constantly filled with people. They all look like they are enjoying their meal. The lady that runs the place is super nice and lets my wife bring her own "additions" to the pho. The pho is really good and you can choose from the usual choices - flank, beef round, tendon, meatball. The broth is delicious and you can order extra noodles which I did. The chili pepper sauce is really really good but make sure you taste and taste. I made mine a little too spicy and had to add more broth - which they made and gave to me. Excellent!!!!!! After eating the bowl, I felt good. I was stuffed but in a good way. The feeling lasted all night and I never had to eat again for the rest of the day and I slept great ! There was a constant flow of people. I guess everyone knows how good this place is. My brother in law says this place is the best in Hilo. I believe it.

My friend and I have been trying a bunch of different places for Pho lately. I think this might be…read morethe best so far! The broth was deeply flavored, the perfect mix of all the flavors. Not only is the food great but the service was as well. We waited a little bit because it was packed and as we're waiting we got to talking story with an auntie that was also waiting. Long story short she ended up joining us and we had an awesome time! Pho Viet is an awesome place in Hilo. It feels warm and inviting. Everyone was very friendly.

The Sichuan chicken dish was genuinely the best chicken entree I've ever eaten. The restaurant was…read moreclean and service was fast. I will be returning whenever I revisit the Big Island.

As always a pleasant evening, Let's…read moreGo and eat some good grinds. Tucked away I a tiny little center. Close To the shell station and McDonald's. Parking is not a problem. Seated and given menus. So many choices, Phad Thai chicken is a go to in any restaurant. Family went for the chicken, beef and pork ribs. All except the noodles came with a bowl of rice. We also ordered the tasty crab Rangoon. This came with some sweet and sour sauce. All the food came out in super delicious large portions. Ended up with four large Togo containers. Having extra meals. Great value!!!

Friendly family-run restaurant that checks all the boxes. Great service, feels like home and food…read moreis every bit of authentic. I had the beef stew, my partner got the pork chop, and we also split some rolls. LARGE portions! Couldn't finish it all, but certainly wanted to!

Love their food. The wife and husband are super nice. The kids are great too. Sadly they are now…read moreretired. Congratulations and best wishes to them.

A Vietnamese Dish I'm Always Searching For…read more Lam's Garden is a hidden gem I didn't know about until a colleague suggested coming here for lunch. I was blown away by the canh chua cá, a traditional Vietnamese sweet and sour catfish soup. My mom makes this dish, so it's something I crave and find myself searching for when dining out. Unfortunately, it's not as commonly offered at Vietnamese restaurants. The serving here is generous and definitely big enough to share. The flavors hit the spot and satisfied that craving for something that reminds me of home. I definitely want to go back and try more of their dishes. Finding a restaurant that serves one of Mom's dishes well? That's reason enough for a return visit.

This spot is located in Hilo, street parking can be difficult, but that's expected in most of the…read moretown. We came on a weekday evening around 8 PM, and were quickly seated. The servers were running around all night, and it seemed that they were a little bit understaffed. However, they still did their best to attend to us, and food came out promptly. As most other pho shops, they provide plenty of bean sprouts, mint, lemons, and sauces (oyster sauce/Sriracha) to enjoy. Pho Rare Beef (6.5/10) - the broth was good, flavorful, rich and salty as expected from Vietnamese pho. As this spot is kind of a Viet/Chinese fusion, don't go in expecting the best pho of your life. However, the broth is definitely delicious and will fix your pho cravings - only comment is regarding the beef itself. Some of the pieces were definitely a little thicker, tougher, and at points difficult to chew. The beef was not then these sliced into the brisket that I'm used to finding, but that's OK Overall, pretty good pho spot on the Big Island with quite tasty broth. Only wish that the beef was either thinner and easier to chew, or more tender.

Every single time I've went here, it was 11/10. Service is always so sweet and fast paced. The…read moreowner is so kind and friendly! You always feel comfortable when you eat there! The setting of the place is always clean and quiet. The food is absolutely amazing!! The food is so tasty and rich in flavor, every item we've tried so far, was a hit... their thai tea is the best I've EVER had! this place is the bomb, I'd recommend to everyone. :)

Good Vietnamese restaurant with familiar items, as well as some authentic specialties like bún…read moreriêu, hủ tiểu nam vang, and bánh cuốn. My go-to is the bún riêu: a rice noodle dish packed with pork and crab meatballs, shrimp, tofu, and tender pork riblets in a flavorful broth. My husband liked his hủ tiểu nam vang, a dish with hủ tiểu noodles, shrimp, squid, pork, quail eggs, and liver. Next time I'll try the bánh cuốn.

Bahn mi very little meat. Not filling at all. Very fatty…read morepieces in the meat. More bread than vegetables and meat.

Good place for classic Vietnamese cuisine. I like the simplicity of the menu with pictures but…read moreenough variety. We enjoyed the sandwich and ribs with rice and veggies.