I came here because I've heard many great things about this place. I've heard that this is the go to spot for Hong Kong style food. It was very hard to pick which item I wanted to eat because everything was tempting, however, Claypot rice caught my eyes. I knew what I wanted. I like eating food as it's still cooking. I love it when the rice turns crispy. Bonus points for airing NBA basketball. It's not a sports bar, but I appreciate it. I loved talking about basketball with the staff. read more

Venus Cafe - Claypot rice - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Updated pros: Large menu. Open late-ish. Open year round. Cons: Food is not stellar. read more

Yes, I've seen the prices climb but there aren't many of these Hong Kong style foods so I will pay the premium. For me, it's nostalgic as these are my comfort foods when I seek HK style Chinese food. My favorite is the half/half sauce of baked spaghetti/rice, egg, pork chops, gravy and fried chicken in one dish. It's not the best dish in the world by any means but it's so comforting. Food (4 stars) + Wet chow fun is one of my nostalgic and favorite dishes but the beef is too beefy for my wife. The gravy/sauce has perfect texture and a mild flavor so even picky kids can eat. + Big brother is their signature baked dish. You'll have to wait a little longer since it's freshly baked. They give you a single fried chicken wing but it's huge and very crispy. Half/half gives you spaghetti and rice and I think they also give you red/white sauce. The white sauce is my favorite as it has a little creamy flavor. - Price is a little steep but these dishes are shareable Service/Ambiance (4 stars) + The restaurant is not busy on a Friday night. + We were seated immediately and our foods came out relatively quick. - Wish they refilled our waters more frequent or just leave a cold jug read more

Venus Cafe - Big Brother half and half is a nostalgic meal 4 me - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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We have breakfast this morning with my family . This is a Hong Kong style breakfast cafe with an extensive menu . We enjoy the rich aroma English breakfast milk tea and the hot lemon tea very much . They brew the tea pot by pot . You can choose the condensed milk ( sweet with sugar ) or evaporated milk ( no sugars you can adjust per your preference) . Breakfast has the Western style : toast , ham and eggs , pork chop and egg , side with freshly made French fried or harsh brown , and greens . Some of us ordered the Chinese breakfast , congee with stirred fry skinny egg noodles , steamed rice noodles , beef brisket stewed . The food portions are generous. I have the fish balls and filet in " Lai Fun " in soup . Lai Fun is a type of round rice noodles with crisp texture. The fish broth is very tasty and there are plenty of fish filet and fail balls . Since today is Thursday , there are lots of seatings . Ambience is cozy and related . Love the interior decoration , with some Hong Kong food pictures on the wall and some cute little things . Good and attentive service . When we leave , the lady staffs all say good bye to us . Looking forward to come back soon . read more

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Big portions! Service was great, no wait to be seated Saturday noon. Authentic food and restaurant was playing Hong Kong shows on the TV! We definitely over ordered because we weren't expecting the portions to be so big and they allowed us to cancel one of our orders. Definitely could've shared just 2 dishes between a party of 3. Will come again!! read more

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Came back to Venus Cafe and the service has definitely improved -- got seated quickly this time which was a nice surprise. They've got a huge menu with tons of options, and while nothing is super fancy, everything is solid and hits the spot. Classic Hong Kong cafe vibes with reliable comfort food. Good place when you want variety and a casual meal! read more

Venus Cafe - Signature Baked Items #4 Baked Chicken w/ Portuguese Sauce (top) #7 Baked Chicken Bolognese w/ Eggplant & Tomato (bottom) And French Toast - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Was looking for a place that closes late. Stumbled upon this place and decided to give it a try. They are located in a plaza with many parking spaces that are shared with other businesses. We walked in and was told to grab our own seats. We were then given menu and hot tea. The menu is quite extensive with many selections. We got the beef spaghetti with black pepper and pork chop with Portuguese sauce. The beef spaghetti was way too peppery and there is a kick to it. The pepper overwhelmed other flavors. Spaghetti was too al dente for me. The pork chop rice was too pale. Felt like they didn't bake it long enough. The pork chop however was super tender. Service was alright. Nothing to complain about. read more

Venus Cafe - Pork chop, sausage with Portuguese sauce - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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Food was good! The chicken was my favorite part. The radish and peanuts paired so well with the steamed chicken. I would come back just for this chicken. The fried rice was standard good and the lo mein was okay (I think I just dont like this kind of noodle that much). I did wish they had more vegetable dishes but they didnt seem to have any on the menu. Service was good/okay. We didn't really ask for much but they were speedy when we did. Store is kind of small and also very casual. It feels a little awkward to be sitting in the booths because youd be right next to another party and they dont have dividers. read more

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Have been to the SF location and the menu is so massive I feel like I could come here many, many times and not get bored. Tried the - Pan fried rice noodles with chicken - Beef with egg tofu (my friend got this last time and I was eyeing it) Both had very generous portion sizes of everything and this was much more than enough food for two. I loved how crispy the egg tofu was on the exterior and silky on the inside. Very flavorful food and speedy service! Definitely will come back read more

Venus Cafe - Pan fried rice noodles with chicken - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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We met up with some friends for a Sunday lunch, which was crowded. *Big Brother: Pork cutlet, chicken wing, fried egg with red and white sauce on rice and noodles (3/5). A typical Hong Kongese dish. *Hainan Chicken (half a chicken, 4/5) - fully cooked and flavorful served with ginger sauce, roasted peanuts and pickled carrots & daikon. *Beef Chow Fun (3.5/5) - a good classic cantonese dish. The service is always pretty attentive and friendly. read more

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Omggg I can't believe I've never had Hong Kong baked pork chop before! Shoutout to my boyfriend for introducing us. To me, it kind of felt like the Hong Kong counterpart of Japanese curry katsu. I could not get enough of that rich tomato sauce...could eat it straight with white rice. The slightly crispy layer of cheese on top added a savory depth that tied everything together really well. The beef chow fun with gravy and veggies was decent--definitely a lighter version of the classic stir fried beef chow fun if you're looking for something less greasy. The iced Hong Kong milk tea had a strong tea flavor and was a refreshing contrast to the baked dish. Service was friendly and attentive. The second dish took a while to come out after the first one, but we didn't mind waiting. This is a great spot for a casual lunch, especially for those who enjoy bold and savory Asian flavors. read more

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Saturday lunch this place is 90% full! Soda seating, TV showing Chinese entertainment shows, this HK style cafe attracts mostly Chinese customers, not necessarily Cantonese speakers. What shocked me is the prices! Almost $20 for a typical baked pork chop rice dish! Most items are $18 or above! The same dish in Cupertino's Local Cafe is only 16! Anyhow, service was courteous but in our case they lost our order! 20 minutes into seating post ordering I had to question them if they lost our orders and they checked and admitted it. Our order was inserted back to the queue's top spot and we got our food 10 mins later. Food tasted fine, portions are good for our small stomachs. And there's one tea refill at the end of the meal. Overall, food and service are not bad, but prices are otherwise. read more

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Looking for HK cafe style food. Venus Cafe has been around a while and the quality has not changed it is delicious as usual, you can't go wrong with any of their dishes. The service is great too, they are busy at lunch time. But the wait isn't too long for your food as they have their system down. They have been around for many years and if they are still around this means their food is great. read more

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We came for Happy Hour and all the baked dishes were very delicious. I also especially loved the chicken wings. Service was friendly, quick and accurate. Ambiance was casual, clean and comfy. read more

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I've been here twice so far and both times were good experiences. During our latest visit, my boyfriend and I were immediately seated and served tea. We flipped through the menu, which I'm glad had pictures of the various dishes they offer, and were ready to order. I got my typical Hong Kong style cafe order - a baked pork chop with spaghetti. I love this dish not only because it was my favorite growing up, but also because of how saucy it is. The dish is smothered in a thick tomato sauce with melted cheese on top which might sound weird at first.. pork chop, spaghetti, tomato sauce, and cheese? But trust me, it's the best thing ever. Pictures also don't do it justice so you'll just have to take my word on this. The portion size is also really good for the price! I had enough to pack for lunch the next day (depends how hungry you are though). My boyfriend got the big brother and also packed the rest for lunch. Parking was a little bit difficult since it's located in a plaza. Service was really good as our servers were attentive to us the whole time. Not really date vibes but for sure a casual hangout or for a quick/hearty meal. I was recommended to try Venus Cafe by my friend and I'd gladly recommend this restaurant to my friends and family from now on. read more

Venus Cafe - Baked Pork Chop with Spaghetti - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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The service was great and the restaurant look fantastic, if I do a comparison I honk Venus cafe is the best Hong Kong cafe in San Jose, the food was great and have a lot of options to order. The restaurant do look like modern Hong Kong style cafe. read more

Venus Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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Finally gave this place a try after years of walking past it. It reminds me a lot of Shooting Star in Oakland thanks to the similarly extensive menu. For our group of 4, we ordered: - french fries: 3/5 - too lightly fried, I wish they were a bit crispier - beef chow fun: 4/5 - surprisingly good, but the noodle-to-beef ratio was off, barely any beef - broccoli & sweet beef: 3.5/5 - beef leaned on the sweeter side, but the broccoli was nicely cooked al dente - chicken & mushroom in white sauce: 4/5 - flavorful & very hearty; def on the heavier side - sweet & sour soup: 3.5/5 - good consistency, but a little too sour for my taste - pickled cabbage & pork vermicelli noodle soup: 4/5 - full of flavor, enjoyable overall, though the cabbage tasted more salty than pickled read more

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Growing up in South Bay, I had never knew about Hong Kong style baked... anything. It wasn't until 2019 when I met my now husband. He grew up in the city and started introducing me to all kinds of foods in SF. So we have our 'go to' place in SF and even Vancouver, Canada. We moved in together in 2021, he moved down and we've been trying new places ever since. Imagine our surprise when we came across Venus cafe! We decided to try this place an oh my god the Hawaiian white sauce is so addicting! I don't even remember how my husband's baked pork chop tasted because I was so in the zone with my food. Haha read more

Venus Cafe - Baked Hawaiian and baked pork chop - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

This was our second time trying Venus Cafe. Our first time, we ordered their Bolognese spaghetti and beef chow fun to-go. We enjoyed both dishes, but wished there were more beef in the beef in the beef chow fun. We ate in the restaurant for the first time today. The servers were very friendly. We ordered the house combo platter and their wonton soup. The house combo platter comes with Ham, Chicken Steak, Pork Chop, Bacon, Hotdog & Fried Egg with an option of rice or spaghetti. It came with a choice of black pepper or garlic sauce. The rice and spaghetti came with the meal and you can add $2.50 to upgrade to fries. The meal also came with a free hot drink, which was nice. The wontons here were shockingly unpleasant. Do not order their wontons!!! They are either having a horrible day or their wonton fillings were just poorly prepared. read more

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We came on a Tuesday for lunch. There seem to be a lot of table available. Food was delicious. All of them were so good. The milk tea too. Ambient was good. Service was good too. read more

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Came on a weekday for lunch so there was lunch special! For the lunch special, you can select an entree dish plus a drink, and I believe it's $18.99? I got the baked pork chop with red sauce and it was delicious! The sauce was not too sour and there was a good amount of cheese and pork chop! The lemon iced tea was also just right, not too sweet nor sour. It also had a strong flavor. Yum! read more

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Came on a Friday night around 9:30pm! So nice to have places that open late . There was a few occupied tables and lots of open tables to be picked! We ordered the House combo, spam instant noodle, beef brisket wonton noodle (which was not on the menu but I asked if they have it and they said yes), also a HK French toast. The French toast came out first as well as the HK milk tea that was part of the House combo. The milk tea was ok, not hot at all. The French toast was not too crispy but soggy on the outside. Maybe I had it after my entree. I wish they would bring that out after our entrees. All the entrees tasted not bad. We all enjoyed our meal. read more

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Went with my friends as they were craving a specific dish. This was my first time trying hong kong style western style chicken and ham bowl with white sauce. It was delicious and huge portion sizing. Definitely 1 order is enough to feed for 2 people. Definitely coming back whenever I am in the area for it. The strawberry icy was good too, tasted like strawberry yogurt. Service is your standard asian service, fast and short. read more

Venus Cafe - Strawberry Icy - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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My middle school friend was visiting. We are both Cantonese and from SF and craving for some Cantonese food. Our two families came here for lunch on a weekend. Located in a large strip mall with plenty of parking. The restaurant is modern and has plenty of seating. Our party of 7 easily found a table there. They gave us both tea and water which was nice. Large selection. We all ordered hot milk tea which is a must if you are visiting a hk cafe. The food was good and satisfying. Two unisex bathrooms in the back - spacious and surprisingly clean... It is a bit far for us but definitely see myself coming here a lot if we lived closer. read more

Just bought my favorite dish "baked pork chop over rice" Cons: price gone way up and quantity shrunk! I can accept the price increase, inflation and alll that But shrinkig the size makes me felf cheated Too bad, this was my go to spot, but no more read more

Here's my review of Venus Cafe. Day of Chinese New Year, Year of the Snake which is "me". I've always had a love inside for Hong Kong style cooking. It isn't about what they got on the menu. It's the sauce, portions, service and being in the comfort of your people. Saying it loud and proud. Big Brother you are so fine and tasty, I can eat you over and over and just flip them wings. There is so much packed inside, you don't know what to do with it. Didn't try it though but I will next time. bae and my son had it. Youngest had beef and broccoli. Which is fine, you can never go wrong with your typical Chinese dish. I had the half and half and it was plentiful. I mean a few bites, the portion feels like as if I was eating for 3. The tomato sauce just reminds me of VIP in SF Chinatown but I think Venus hit it right out of the park. The pork cutlet is so generous I could not even finish it. Half rice Half spaghetti. Guess what, it's my lunch for tomorrow. I'm excited to be able to enjoy such a meal. read more

Venus Cafe - 1. Big Brother - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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Yummy and abundant food Service is fast Ambiance is family friendly, minor conversation nothing too loud Big brother is a lot for me as a 5' asian girl, could finish only 1/4 of it haha read more

Venus Cafe - Big Brother - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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HK style cafe for the elusive HK style food outside HK. Chinesey and definitely not quite Chinese with bits of other cuisines mixed in. Love the baked items! Big Brother is a good mix built on top of the typical baked pork chop rice/noodle/spaghetti. HK style pan fried noodles is also really good (better fresh than takeout, but we can't always dine in) read more

It has been quite some time since I last visited Venus Café. If my memory serves me correctly, this establishment has been here since around 2013. Hong Kong-style cafés have long been part of the Bay Area's food scene, and having moved from Hong Kong to the Bay Area in the late 1980s, I have witnessed the rise and evolution of many mom-and-pop restaurants over the years. The Chinese food industry in the Bay Area has changed significantly. What was once heavily dominated by Cantonese cuisine has gradually shifted toward Mandarin-style offerings, putting early Cantonese establishments under increasing pressure. Despite these challenges, many have persevered, and Venus Café remains a strong example of resilience. They have survived industry shifts, economic challenges, with COVID, and still remain consistency with strong business mindset. This place has always been busy, a testament to its loyal customer base. The menu has evolved slightly since the early days, with additional dishes introduced while still maintaining a relatively minimal selection of Hong Kong-style BBQ options. One standout dish for me is the 海南雞 (Hainan chicken). It is especially good, made with what appears to be free-range chicken, resulting in a dense and satisfying texture. My kids have always loved the "Big Brother" dish, and the stir-fried dishes overall are of decent and consistent quality. I would definitely recommend this place, especially to newcomers. For me, consistency in food quality and customer service goes hand in hand, and Venus Café continues to deliver on both. That consistency is the number one reason I return as a loyal customer. read more

Venus Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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Great food as always at this cozy hongkong style diner. Many locals come and it's always a hit with their unique rice dishes with flavorful sauces. The hainanese chicken and scallion sauce is always delish. The red sauce goes good with everything, but I don't think I'd order it with spaghetti this time. Do sauce lo mein was delishious and greasy. Venus cafe is always a hit read more

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The food kind of expensive and ice lemon tea is getting more expensive too. The kind of NOODLES things are almost $20+tax.There is not that much meat on NOODLES per plate. read more

My mom got the baked seafood in white sauce, which was too rich and not very flavorful even though it had calamari and fish. I enjoyed the hainan chicken, the picked veggies were delicious and the peanuts were very crunchy. The udon has a strong seaweed flavor since it had a lot of seaweed in it, but I liked the added veggies. The noodles were breaking a bit as well. read more

Venus Cafe - Hainan Chicken with Udon - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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The food was amazing, as was the lemon tea. A super casual place. Service was average for an authentic Chinese place lol. read more

Venus Cafe - Runny egg gravy chow fun with chicken - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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came here two weekends in row. i think base on reviews alone, i prolly would have never come here - i mean granted i didnt even know about this place until last weekend. but its a nice little "canto westerner" style diner place. have i had better? absolutely but this place was better than expected! i usually love the baked cheese anything and i jus wish their baked cheese was more cheesy with actual layer of cheese on top. i had curry last week n it was good but big brothers today was mid - i did feel like it was a bit heavy. probably overall a 3.75 stars. read more

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The credit card merchant type has been updated to restaurant now. Still has the $25 minimum charge though. Baked pork chop still delicious!

Made another visit to this Hong Kong style cafe for a late night dinner because my partner was in the mood for comfort food. We got a few dish for us to share family style. Signature baked pork chop w/fried rice (5/5): This was definitely my favorite dish of the night. The baked pork is over a bed of rice and drench in sweet spaghetti sauce. I really enjoyed the tenderness of the pork chop and the comfort of the rice. Wonton noodle soup (5/5): This was a very standard and delicious wonton noodle soup. The wonton was very plump and the broth was very savory. Congee w/ thousand year egg (4/5: The congee part was very comforting, but lacked seasoning. I was not the biggest fan of the thousandth year egg, but that's just my preference. read more

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My go to order whenever I visit Venus cafe is their beef cube with egg tofu + sweet and sour chicken. It's always been consistent and very delicious to eat. Egg tofu is so soft and beef cubes are tender. Sweet and sour chicken is always crispy and battered nicely. This time I decided to try their salt and pepper wing & seafood chow fun. The wings are crispy and juicy. The chow fun flavor is good but noodle is a bit too soft and breaks off too easily. This is one of a local staple restaurants that I always like to visit. Recommend~~ read more

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We were actually looking for another restaurant but stumbled into this one. We were seated right away. Service was prompt. They even refilled our tea without asking. Ordered beef chow fun, combo crispy noodles and baked seafood rice. The chow fun was done right. It tastes good. The crispy noodle was ok. I did not like the chunks of meat in there. The best was the baked rice. You can't find this in a lot of places so if you encounter this item, definitely get it. The rice is real comfort food. Portions are good enough. The rice looked small but that dish was deep. They also didn't skimp on the seafood. Restaurant was clean. So were the bathrooms. Would definitely come back read more

Venus Cafe - Beef chow fun - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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I was craving some salted fish and chicken fried rice. I ordered a dish of it online at this place. Food was made very quickly and let me tell you, they know how to make it. Alot of places don't put enough of the salted fish, but this place checked all the right boxes. Would definitely return! read more

Venus Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

I've visited plenty of Chinese restaurants, but I'm not sure if I've ever been to a Hong Kong Style Café. And if I have, I had no idea. I wasn't even aware that such places existed. Restaurant front - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=E5varI-CH_TtzIl30_IwVg Q: What is a Hong Kong Style Café?** A: A Cha Chaan Teng (Chinese: 茶餐廳; Cantonese Yale: chàhchāantēng; lit. 'tea restaurant'), often referred to as a Hong Kong-style café or diner, is a type of restaurant that originated in Hong Kong. Similar to a greasy spoon cafe or an American diner, these cafés are known for their eclectic and affordable menus featuring both Hong Kong cuisine and Hong Kong-style Western dishes. They have a casual setting, often revolving around coffee and tea, much like Western cafés. Source: Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cha_chaan_teng) After some research, it seems that Hong Kong Style Cafés/Diners are becoming a rising trend. The first thing I noticed was the eclectic menu--tomato soup, SPAM, BLT sandwich, pork belly with jalapeño, hot & spicy fries, wor wonton soup, and more. Hot Chili Oil - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=sv9JRWxJSuqRy3hCv6C-gw While in the SF Bay Area, I met up with my good friend, HM, who's a San Jose local, and I let him pick the restaurant. It was fairly busy, and the service was typical of a straightforward, no-nonsense Chinese restaurant--strictly business. HM arrived before me and was seated at a booth near the front window. Shortly after I sat down, I was served a cup of hot tea in a plastic cup. As our meal was coming to an end and our cups were nearly empty, the waitress came by to refill them without us having to ask. - "Cheers!" Hot Tea - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=h8Jlokcv4JSk8qR5jJtW_w We were then served a small bowl of complimentary soup. When I asked HM what kind of soup it was, he simply said, "Tomato." This was a first for me--tomato soup at a Chinese restaurant. It was surprisingly good! Tomato Soup - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=cYEV1TVVjwAlC2UbJwpMEg HM ordered his usual, the Shanghai Shredded Pork Thick Noodle Soup. (He lives about 15 minutes from the restaurant.) Photo - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=ZQTVHgGCfX7WiuYW263_5A I was considering the lunch specials, but after seeing HM order the thick noodle soup, I decided to follow suit and try it too. I went with the Braised Beef Brisket Thick Noodle Soup. It was very good. Photo - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=bi3PYHGDC4DIYpOMa8tnkA The food was good, with decent portions, attentive service, and fair value. I'm not sure when I'll be back in the San Jose area, but I'd definitely return to try some of the other tempting dishes on the menu. Overall rating: 3 Stars Food: 4 Ambiance: 3 Service: 3+ Value: 3 read more

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