Feeling self conscious writing this because I thought this place slapped harder than an abusive…read moreAsian parent but Yelp has it on 3/5 stars. What's wrong w y'all Full disclosure no pho place has come close to this dope joint in West Hartford CT called Pho Boston which defined my childhood. But "La'taste" comes pretty close in taste - PLUS it's in Central, PLUS it's affordable. What's not to like? Or maybe I was just hungry and desperate for any kind of food You will absolutely get coronary artery disease from just having one deep fried wing which is lathered with so much oil it's on a US designated terrorist organization list. Recommend you do what I did and rip it off with ur teeth to enjoy the chicken underneath. As always s/o to these folks for being great with rona and socially distancing each table. Thumbs up for taking my temperature. Might bring my own thermometer next time so I can test them right back

The soft shell crab with mango appetizer was prepared well and worked with the fish sauce, although…read morethere was nary a hint of mango. The Chinese broccoli was on the saltier side. The pho with thin slices of beef was serviceable and met all the requisite specifications for such a dish, but it merely acquired itself decently as opposed to tasting superb.

Still love the pomelo salad and raviolis. The pork belly this time was a plus. Wish i still lived…read morein Hong so I can come here more often. With so many great dishes here, I would not restrict myself to just having the pho.

After a failed attempt at getting Bún bò Hue (BBH) at Nha Trang in TST, I manage to convince my…read morefriend to go to the Nha Trang in Times Square instead, much to my friend's opposition to Causeway Bay crowds... It wasn't too bad, a fairly tame 'crowd' on a Friday night... No lines thankfully, as we arrive fairly late - almost 9:20pm - for dinner. We decide to share the Spicy Hue Beef Noodle Soup (Bún bò Hue), the Pork and Shrimp Spring Rolls (Cha Gio), and the Cold Vermicelli Bowl with Grilled Lemongrass Pork Cutlet (Bun Xuong Nuong). Within 5 minutes of placing our order, a steaming hot bowl of BBH comes out. "THIS?!" we shout out loud at the same time and burst into simultaneous peals of laughter. It does not look like the BBH we are used to seeing in Southern California --- which, for your information, is supposed to be bright deep orange in color, with LOTS of thin beef shank slices, thick round noodles, and a cube (or two) of congealed pork blood (ha, not for everyone...). We call over the waitress to double check, "Is this the Bun Bo Hue?" I ask. "Yes, number 409 right?" she confirms. Okay okay, here comes the taste test. I kid you not, it was spicy. Perhaps my taste buds have subsided in their resistance to spices ever since leaving California (where bottles of Sriracha, Cholula, Tabasco, Tapatio were the norm for any college student). Was it that soul-searching, soul-satisfying, soul-edifying bowl of BBH we were looking for? Ehhh...to fulfill our BBH craving, I'm afraid not. But it was a solid bowl of noodles, nevertheless. We'll have to keep looking, even if it means scourging the entire HK territory for this special BBH. But hey, that means more food adventures! And who doesn't like those? I don't consider myself an expert at Vietnamese cuisine (although I absolutely love its intricacies and multitudes of flavors), so to avoid making a fool of myself, my friend demonstrates how to eat the spring rolls with lettuce leaves -- break off some basil and mint leaves, dip or douse your spring roll in nuoc cham (Vietnamese fish sauce), and assemble your roll with the lettuce as your wrap. The vermicelli bowl with pork was quite refreshing (think of it as a summer salad with fish sauce as the dressing) and provided a nice balance against the spicy BBH. Overall, the meal was healthy and very filling!

My Hong Kong Mission "Pho" Continues!!…read more This time we ventured into the Central District of Wellington Street, with many tiny shops selling things from everyday items to shops that only specialized in Chinese Condiments & Sauces, this area is a Tourist Paradise to experience the eclectic culture of Hong Kong. Food wise, it is as eclectic as you can get, with Chiu Chow Style Fish Ball noodles next to Japanese Ramen, Steak House next to Szechuan Joints, Wonton Noodles next to Vietnamese Pho!! This is the Pho amongst all the international food that can stand on its own, the interior is clean and hip with light wood tones with a touch of industrial look. My Pho: Beef Brisket Pho, the soup has the depth of a rich beef broth, you can tell it was made from beef bone and all the Vietnamese aromatics, clear and not greasy ( as one may find in some so-called Vietnamese places in Hong Kong ). The brisket is tender, but there was a few pieces that were a bit tough, may be they were added later in the cooking process. The Pho noodles, were the fresh kind, that is smooth and silky. I am beginning to appreciate this type of Pho noodles, but I still do prefer the ones we have in N. America that has more body and chew! Chicken Salad: Very Healthy!! The dressing is not salty at all, in fact I added a bit of lime juice to kick it up a notch and it was perfect, I asked the server for some fresh Chilli and was given some on a small plate. I added some in my Pho and also my Salad! After a few bit, my tongue begins to burn!! I have to say the chilli was fragrant with its natural flavours, I do like the taste of it, but the spiciness, I am sure cannot be handled by most people, in fact the table next to us, ( two gentlemen from Israel also had a bit of that and also cannot handle the chilli after one small bit! ). Back to the salad, the chicken was hand shredded it has a touch of sesame oil tossed into it and made it extra tasty, the cabbage and other herbs were all extra fresh and gives the salad the crunch that you expect. Great choice as an accompaniment with your meal. Banh Mi: Here they used French Baguette instead of the Vietnamese variant, with more bite and chewiness, the Banh Mi became more substance and was able to carry all the ingredients better, smaller in size, it is still a good meal choice if you pair it with the salad I just mentioned. Recommendation: Fresh Calamansi Soda!! Staffs are friendly and courteous, after chatting with one of the staff, found out that they are part of a well established chain of Vietnamese Restaurant in Hong Kong, and about the Chilli, I asked about the variety and she told me they actually imported it themselves from Vietnam. Overall, this is a great Vietnamese Restaurant that offers a hip surrounding and atmosphere in an area that is both historic and trendy!! Come and enjoy the energy and people watching!

Amazing Vietnamese restaurant in Hong Kong. The service was perfect!…read more The waitress explained about the menu in patience and her recommendations were good. We had chicken pho and spring rolls and both of them were great and delicious. Not too pricey for a good restaurant in Hong Kong

I came here during lunch period per the recommendation of my colleague. I've had Pho a lot, but…read morethis place was special bc the Pho broth wasn't necessarily too heavy and the food was just enough with an appetizer! I think if a person with a bigger appetite would still be satisfied since there's free refills of noodles! I particularly loved the butter garlic fried chicken. SO delicious! If you haven't tried it I would recommend getting it, I thought it was better than the Pho even though the Pho was still good. Lastly, the customer service is great (a rarity when you eat at a popular Asian restaurant in hong kong). The staff is very courteous and thoughtful. I also really enjoyed how at the bottom of the menu they give "priority to pregnant ladies" for seating, I believe. The average price spent here per person is $100, and for good quality food in Central that's pretty rare. Tip: Beat the lunchtime crowd by arriving at 11:45.

Review of my visit in Nov 2018:…read more A Bowl of Pho to Remember, by Chua Lam, celebrated writer and food critic based in Hong Kong. I am a snob when it comes to Vietnamese food (or Asian food in general..) and I enjoyed my bowl of pho at Chua Lam's. It is located on Wellington Street, Hong Kong's Michelin-Star Mile, along with numerous other popular restaurants. During rush hours, you always see a long line outside the restaurants and according to the reviews on FB and Open Rice, you may not get the most out of this restaurant if you do not have the luxury of time. I went shortly before noon and was quickly seated on a table with tall stools. As I was taking my time to study the menu, most of the previously vacant seats were filled, including the ones at my table - sharing table with strangers in Hong Kong is the strangest thing to foreigners but also the most natural thing for locals. I was left alone while waiting for my friend - which is a terrible thing to do to a business that has to pay premium rent. If you don't believe me, go to Mak's noodle - you'd be asked at least 5 times whether you are ready to order if you haven't made up your mind within 60 seconds, be sure to avoid eye contact with the ferocious servers if you are indecisive like me. We ordered three dishes: Beef Pho, Fried Shrimp Steak and Cold Vermicelli. The portion of every dish was ginormous, which was a pleasant surprise given that everything in Hong Kong is kid's meal size of what you would get in the US. Beef Pho ($68 HKD) was a solid 5, came with bean sprouts, fresh herbs, raw beef and beef balls. Beef bone broth was clear, not very greasy, and has a pleasantly refreshing and sweet taste to it. It feels very comforting drinking the broth and we finished every last drop of it. According to the menu, it takes overnight to make the broth. The noodles were delectable and made fresh inside the kitchen with free refill! The proteins were good, according to my friend as I am not a big fan of anything other than the actual beef. If you are feeling adventurous, there's a Special Beef Pho that you could order which includes "all parts from a cow" including raw beef, shank, brisket, beef ball, tribe and pizzle (yup, cow's penis). Fried Shrimp Steak ($78 HKD) was mind blowing: as we get older, we get pickier and don't get easily impressed. - generous portion, fried just right with golden color, moist, springy and bouncy. Cold Vermicelli ($68 HKD) was delicious, but not outstanding. It's a good dish to order if you don't care for warm soupy noodles. This was one of the better meals that I had in Hong Kong with quality and fresh ingredients, efficient and yet friendly service. Overall, it was very enjoyable.

Decent Vietnamese chain spot with consistent food quality. The menu has good selection of salad,…read morepho, bun, drinks and signature dishes. It comes with pictures so you kinda know what you are getting. The food comes out pretty fast and they are appropriately seasoned with Vietnamese spices. I didn't find a need to add fish sauce for my bun (vermicelli). The only downfall is tables are closely placed together to maximize square footage so you know if the next table couple is fighting or having a good time.

BÊP, you have a new devotee to add to your quickly-growing fan club…read more I recently met someone here for a business meeting, as BÊP was suggested as a great spot with its ideal central location on Wellington and plentiful seating. And come on - who doesn't like Vietnamese food? Not me. I'm in the full-on love camp. When I lived in Chicago, neither heavy rain nor snowpocalypse conditions could keep me away from my weekly bowl of pho or bánh mì. Some weeks, my favorite Viet spot saw me two or three times. I know, I know - I'm addicted. Well I'm happy to report that BÊP more than satisfies my craving for legitimately solid Vietnamese fare. Because I couldn't commit to just one item, I decided to go with the 2-course lunch set. For under 100 HKD, you get to try two ample-sized dishes and you can choose a drink as well (for an additional nominal fee). However, I didn't enjoy the lotus root Vietnamese iced tea... it had a very strong, bitter taste that I fought to get down. I later switched to the lime soda and enjoyed that beverage much more! For my first course, I had the mixed green and herb salad with crispy pork belly. Wow - I was surprised by the ample portion of pork belly and it was quite good. Perfectly crispy and not overly fatty. This is my dream version of pork belly; wish it tasted like this every time! By the time our second courses came around, I had already put a nice dent into my appetite. However, the bun vermicelli with lemongrass chicken instantly enticed. The chunks of chicken were plentiful and aesthetically beautiful. Really! And the dish tasted even better so it wasn't just another pretty face. We also decided to split the lone dessert option on the menu - xoi ngot, grilled sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves, pandan coconut sauce and roasted peanuts - but this ended up sounding more appealing that it actually tasted. Would be nice to see a few more dessert options on the menu. Still stoked to have found a great spot to indulge in Vietnamese cuisine on the regular. I'll soon be back for a bowl of pho tai now that temps are finally dropping!

An Nam always serves up good Vietnamese cuisine. Nice restaurant - super clean with nice decor,…read moreali omg with excellent service makes this restaurant one of frequent visits in CWB. Located in Lee Garden 1 building - An Nam is on the 4th floor. As soon as you exit the elevator - you will their friendly hostess welcoming you. Then you will be seated promptly inside their nicely decorated restaurant. No seat is a bad seat in this restaurant... you can sit next to the atrium and have a view looking down the atrium, or enjoy one of their nice comfy booth seatings. My favorites here are their Vietnamese coffee, fragrant shrimp fried rice, or just a book of the classic beef noodle soup during the cooler autumn-winter days. Adding their fresh spring rolls and their papaya salad... always a good happy meal at An Nam. Their convenient location also makes it one of my favorite! After lunch or dinner here - you can walk around Times Square and CWB and/ or enjoy a cup of coffee at the vast selection of coffee shops nearby! Pictured are all my favorites! All dishes are delish here!

Upscale Vietnamese spot, but lunch here is chaotic. Packed with office people and you really do…read moreneed a reservation if you're coming at peak time. The space itself is nice -- comfy seats, good ambience -- but once the rush hits, service gets rushed and a bit all over the place. Food was fine, but nothing memorable. Flavours were pretty bland and didn't have that bright Vietnamese punch. For the price, I expected something more refined and honestly just better. Maybe dinner is a different story, but based on the lunch set, it's a hard pass for me.

The tea set was $68, $78, $99 depending on what you order.We got the beef noodle soup, a side…read moreappetizer and a drink. There was zero service so don't expect any. Also we had to remind the waiter several times that our order of the side chicken wing was missing. Portion size for this price is good. It was spacious inside and comfy seatings. The beef noodle soup was good. We will come back again for this tea set.

Ordered beef pho, the soup is really meh, I was expecting beef flavor, what it taste is just salty…read morewater.

I had been scouring Hong Kong for good Vietnamese fare. This restaurant was just the place to help…read moresatiate my Vietnamese food cravings. I don't know how I decided to eat here for the first time (whether it was a recommendation from a policy coworker that would serve as a gleaming recommendation, or noticing a Vietnamese restaurant named after a famous beach town), but I enjoy trying Viet food in non-Viet areas whenever I can (think outside of Vietnam or Vietnamese community centers). Of all the Vietnamese restaurants in Hong Kong I have tried so far, the food at this restaurant tastes closest to what I remember eating as a child, which is Vietnamese food made by Vietnamese people for Vietnamese people. Mind you, I was based in New Territories, so it's not as internationally oriented as Hong Kong Island is, so options are limited. If you're in New Territories and want to taste more traditional Vietnamese food, this place holds promise. I've tried their com tam, bánh cuon, bún bò Hue, bánh xèo, and bún riêu. These are all safe things for me to order, as they're all dishes that I've grown up eating. The fish sauce of course is the key element of flavoring to many of these dishes (the non soup noodle dishes), so don't forget to add the fish sauce!

While this isn't the best Vietnamese food I've ever had in my life, this is definitely good…read moreVietnamese food at very reasonable prices. To start off, make sure you get the coffee -- it packs quite a punch and is not too sweet. If you're visiting from the United States or Canada, you'll instantly notice that there's many more dishes than the Pho, Bun, and Banh Mi -- which are really the only widely available dishes you'll find in North America. There's still a definite influence from French cooking on the other available dishes, but I would recommend venturing out of your comfort zone and definitely trying something spicy or some grilled meats. For something a little different but familiar, I would give the rice paper salad rolls and vermicelli cake a try. Overall, a nice place to visit for fresh, light Vietnamese food.