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    Yen's Cafe

    4.0 (68 reviews)
    InexpensiveVietnamese, Chinese
    Open 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Yen's Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    YEN'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Yen's Cafe

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    Vietnamese salad with grilled chicken and egg rolls
    T. V.

    Heard how good their Vietnamese salad w/ chicken was so thought I'd go and try it out . Now it's my favorite dish and I order it from them often . Service person was nice and courteous I think there's only two workers there , one who takes the orders and one that does the cooking - most likely family owned . This place only does take outs . I usually order their lettuce Vietnamese salad with grilled chicken - non spicy (since I need to eat more vegetables in my diet ) and egg rolls - nice , hot and crunchy . It's portion is pretty hefty veggies was fresh & crispy and satifies my tummy just perfectly The sauce that's comes with it makes it very tasty I'm yet to try other entrees on their menu . I wish they had a menu with pictures too - of their food so I have a better idea of what they are , I'm not very familiar with Vietnamese food . But I'm sure everything is delicious ! You should try it out when your in downtown Hilo they are located right next door to Bobas where u can also get a Boba drink too ! Help keep small family business to thrive here in Hilo by supporting them to stay open . Give them a try , I'm sure you'll like their food ! Sorry I didn't take a better picture!

    Best spring rolls on the island !
    Andrew T.

    THEY TAKE CREDIT CARDS NOW :) See my previous review for more details. The older son who waits tables is also an excellent stand up bass player in the local volunteer orchestra.

    Summer roll w/ shrimp and chicken
    Cherilyn D.

    Tried this place out for lunch after a friend brought back the Summer Rolls to work. Rolls are a lot bigger than we're used to. CASH ONLY!! Small place that can seat maybe 6 or 7 parties of 4 or less. Service was pretty good, especially since we sat at the table right in front of the cashier. Water refilled when needed and food came out in a timely manner. Food was really tasty. I always get vermicelli noodles with chicken and spring rolls. I enjoyed the steamed fish with black bean sauce, but it can be pretty salty so it would go well with some rice. Overall, good experience.

    Spring Rolls (3 long pieces @ ~$5)
    Alex G.

    I was hesitant to stop in this hole-in-the-wall "mom & pop" (literally - family owned) bistro. It is smaller than you would expect a restaurant would be, but don't let that stop you from giving it a shot. I walked in and noticed this very quaint small setup with about 6 good sized tables including booths. I was greeted right away by, assuming, the son and daughter - and my order was taken promptly. Very quick and efficient service. I ordered the summer rolls as I usually always do at a Vietnamese eatery, but I was brought the spring rolls by mistake. Instead of correcting the young girl, I ate it - insisting that I break habit and be adventurous on vacation. High risk, high reward. This was my first time having this dish and I was utterly impressed by the freshness and flavor. The spring rolls were about 7" in length and served with romain lettuce and a sweet sauce. You wrap the spring rolls in the lettuce and dip, dunk, and do it again! I got the combination beef pho equipped and fully loaded with thick cuts of brisket and steak. So hearty! The tendons were thick and chewy, the tripe was perfectly cooked and plentiful. The broth, which makes any pho dish, was flavorful and clean tasting. The fresh, bountiful basil and parsley helped enhance the herbal concoction; the sliced green jalepenos added the nostalgic spicy kick I crave. No refills offered for water, so drink sparingly or be prepared to wave one of the kids down for a refill. Best pho is Hilo! Must try!

    Bun w chicken and fried roll
    A H.

    After visiting the famous Saturday Hilo Farmer's market, and not finding anything savory I wanted for lunch, I started craving vietnamese bun (cold vermicelli salad). I thought...if it's hot in San Jose, what do I eat? Bun! So after yelping, I ended up at this hole in the wall, mom and pop restaurant. Just like in San Jose, the kids were helping out running the restaurant. I felt bad cuz the little boy had to vacate the only table left for me. I told the girl he could stay....but he had to play in the kitchen. Ordered the chicken/fried roll bun. Was deeeelish! Good porportion of the greens, herbs, noodles. The fried rolls were skinnier than usual but just as good. Chicken was less portion than restaurants back home, but fine w/me cuz it filled me up...and the quality was tastier. I was also surprised, as the fish sauce wasn't watered down for the unseasoned tourist palates. Spice just right. Noodles were "al dente". No skimpping on the herbs. I have a feeling this is a locals place. If you are into service, decor etc, you should probably go else where. In my experience, whether in the states or abroad....the BEST food are at places that look sketchy. When I left, I saw all these suckers next door eating expensive fried foods, when Yen's was just next door! Their loss ; b

    Garlic String Beans with Black Bean Sauce
    Raypermena Lei A.

    Glad we decided to eat here. Came it around 6pm wasn't busy. There was only one other couple in the restaurant. Was seated immediately. Took a whole to browse the menu. Everything looked really good. Decided on a Vietnamese Crepe, howevee they were out of that, so I chose the summer roll and the special cake noodle (mind you I love me some cake noodle, so it has to be good). The summer roll came first. It was filled with shrimp and chicken and had mint, it was really good and refreshing. They put a lot of noodles inside of it too which makes it worth it. Finished the roll and waited a bit for my noodles. But let me tell you, it was worth the wait. The cake noodle was refreshing and hot. Very clean tasting. It was flavourful and rich, but didn't leave me feeling heavy. Will definately come back, and recommend to anyone visitin!

    Pork and egg rolls on cold vermicelli noodles! Definitely coming back for more!!

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    11 months ago

    The food quality and sizes were very well appreciated. Surprised that it isn't busier than it was. Look forward to our next takeout.

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    15 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Have been going here for years. Their pho is great on a rainy day(everyday here lol) and the spring rolls are always crispy.

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    7 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Love this place! The best cold noddles in Hilo and their sauce is amazing! If you ever get a chance, head over!

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    12 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Love their Grilled Pork Cold Noodle plate! The marinade is soooooo good and service is friendly and fast!

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    9 years ago

    Great food, small and comfortable place. Convenient location. Try it out..affordable. k, no like write more, hope dis enough already!

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    13 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Yen's Cafe

    Pho Viet - Looking good

    Pho Viet

    4.2(286 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    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.

    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.

    Photos
    Pho Viet - Supposed to be one of the best in Hilo

    Supposed to be one of the best in Hilo

    Pho Viet - Beef stew with noodles

    Beef stew with noodles

    Pho Viet - Thai tea

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    Thai tea

    Moon & Turtle - Market fish (Ono)

    Moon & Turtle

    4.6(854 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Fantastic service and attention from the whole staff! Cozy atmosphere with great music. Every dish…read morewas meticulously crafted with unique flavors, perfectly cooked. We loved the sizzlin tepanyaki poke with Ono and the desserts. Chef Mark and the staff do a wonderful job of showing off the flavors of Hilo...miso infused caramel on a fluffy cheesecake...I'm gonna be thinking about that dinner for a long time!

    My wife and I stopped by Moon & Turtle for dinner during our brief visit to Hilo and we had a…read morefantastic meal. We showed up right when they opened at 5:30 p.m. without reservations on a Wednesday evening and was luckily able to get seated at the bar. Between the two of us, we ordered a bunch of items off the "small" section of the menu, including the smokey sashimi, sizzling tetsuyaki poke, smoked tonnato caesar, crispy rice, and their special of the day -- agedashi wontons. Of the items we ordered, the crispy rice and the agedashi wontons were my favorite items. The crispy rice is priced per piece, and you'll certainly want to order at least two per person, because one is simply not enough. The rice block is fried a beautiful golden brown -- similar to a hash brown. The crispy rice pairs perfectly with the ono mixture on top of it. With the agedashi wontons, I initially thought the filling was a bit under-seasoned at first, but when enjoyed with the broth, the wonton comes out tasting perfectly seasoned. The broth had so much umami to it and the wonton had the perfect crunch to it I always love a good Caesar salad and the one here is spectacular. With anchovy croutons, shaved cured egg yolk, and smoked ahi dressing, you're getting some creative, premium ingredients in this salad and everything works so well together. Even if you're not a salad person, I would definitely recommend giving this dish a try. On top of delicious food, the service at Moon & Turtle was spectacular. Food was promptly brought out after we placed our order, pacing didn't ever feel rushed, our water cups were never empty, and our server checked on us regularly to make sure we had everything we needed without being overbearing. I would definitely stop by Moon & Turtle again if I'm in Hilo.

    Photos
    Moon & Turtle - Limited seating so it fills fast - so make a reservation

    Limited seating so it fills fast - so make a reservation

    Moon & Turtle - Market Fish - steamed mahi with garlic, ginger, scallion and soy in roasted bone congee with chili oil and wild rice

    Market Fish - steamed mahi with garlic, ginger, scallion and soy in roasted bone congee with chili oil and wild rice

    Moon & Turtle - Smokey Sashimi

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    Smokey Sashimi

    Yen's Cafe - vietnamese - Updated May 2026

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