My daughter ordered the Korean ribs. She enjoyed it. Good looking $20 meal. Ordered with the mice lady who said to come back in 10 mins, and it was. Cash only. Comes with tea which was nice. My daughter liked the food court experience there bc the cleaning staff were nice and kept the tables clean. read more

Chao Vit Thien-Huong - Korean rib plate - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

This place has good food but the service is TERRIBLE, the elder man (cashier) is having issues with everyone, he argues the lady front of me because she asked if the price is correct, he replied "add the total yourself", he doesn't have a smile on his face. I can't stand it so I told him to have some customer service and be nice to the lady, he ignored me and refused to take my order (WTF??). Anyway, I have been going there for many years because of the foods but the service is HORRIBLE, I wouldn't enjoy my food anyway after this man treated the customers like that. If the owner see this post, please KEEP him at home and have him retires permanently, he shouldn't be at the cashier (I think he is a family members, that's why he stills there after so many complaints posted here. DON"T EAT there if you needs a smile from customer service. read more

Food is good. But bad customer service, come there and got a very very very bad attitude from the short hair lady. She stay in front of the store, maybe she cashier. read more

***3.5/5*** I'm on the search for the best Nem Nuong in the South Bay! I stumbled upon this place & decided to come. Parking wasn't too difficult but it does get filled up pretty fast on busy days. There are lots and lots of traditional Vietnamese stores and the plaza is kind of like a maze. It was really difficult for me to find the entrance of the place. The location is inside the center of the plaza and it's a small cafeteria like area. Inside, there were a couple different shops including this fruit juice shop which I went to and recommend! Once I entered, I noticed that the place wasn't too busy (probably because I went on a Tuesday morning). I saw a lot of reviews saying that service was horrible here but my experience was quite positive. An older lady took my order and my Nem Nuong order was ready in about 5 mins or so. I don't speak Vietnamese nor do I understand it but we were able to communicate fairly well and she was very polite. How did it taste? I would say it is pretty good! Like a solid 4/5! However, I do think it is a bit pricy ($13 cash only) which is why I knocked off 1.5 stars. If you decide to come here, not only will you be leaving with some good Nem Nuong, you can also leave with some fruit juice next door! If I come here again, it's for the juice and the Nem Nuong! Also, remember to bring cash because this place is cash only! read more

Chao Vit Thien-Huong - #17 Nem Nuong roll - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

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Lion's Foodcourt. Pretty decent and delicious. Lots of parking spaces during non busy hours. This place is cash only. Yes, bring cash! It mainly serves the lower income class in the area. Saw a few local employees in work clothes. Customers are locals who don't work or are retired, so if you don't feel air conditioning or if you smell smoking all around, that's considered normal in this part of town. Sticky floors. Smoke smell is not desirable at times. Customers usually come in huge groups. Lines can get very long fast. There's a custodian constantly cleaning after customers tables and trays though. I ordered #9 Hu Tieu seafood pork plate noodles. Took approximately 5-6 minutes to get my tray. Very surprised. It actually tasted better than it looks. Extremely generous portions. Shrimps were not the best, but they were good medium size. Soup base absolutely delicious. Good amount of vegetables. Two types of noodles (yellow and white flats) in my bowl. It came with very hot jasmine tea which I didn't expect. $15.50 cash. Plenty of bean sprouts, parsley & a sesame hot sauce side. They didn't even ask for tips. Place deserves some love. They offered lots of napkins. Mainly seniors 65+ working at food stalls. Lots of varieties to choose from. Nice people and they speak limited English. I'll have to revisit in order to determine if it's really a 3 or a 4 stars rating here. So far so good. Loved the food. Good eats. read more

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Like another reviewer said, "don't pay attention to the bad service". I was craving some Chao and decided to venture here after class. The lady taking my order was super sweet! I don't speak Vietnamese, and didn't realize this place was cash only. She allowed me to order and come back with the cash to pay for my meal. I used hand signals and communicated with her English as best I could. Chao was authentic and I like that they come Goi style which is what I'm used to when eating Chao at my uncle in law's. read more

This is located inside the food court in lion plaza. It gives me the vibe of mall food court but sketchy. I'd say don't judge a book by its cover but I'm not sure if I would bother buying food from places inside the food court. I would come back for the drinks though. Let's go into my review. Parking and visibility: 3/5 tons of parking on a good day. When I went it was at 12pm on a Sunday and there were a good amount of parking. I parked next to lion super market and the food court is toward that direction. Not knowing where it was, I went around the building. Therefore visibility was not as great unless you're a regular. Customer service: 2/5. I wouldn't come back for the customer service. The older gentleman took my order. If I wasn't viet, probably wouldn't know how to order with him. I observed him take orders from customers who were also Vietnamese and his questions are not polite. It's like going to the flea market.. don't expect more. I ordered 2 items. One came out and the other one took 15 mins later. Not sure what happened when other peoples order came out and mine wasn't and I was before them. When I asked them to check on it, he said it to the kitchen staff and 5 mins later I got my order. Food: I ordered chao and banh uot with thit nuong. I would say 3.5 for the food. The taste was there. I was happy with the order but in the context of $14 per plate. I'm not sure if I can justify that. Overall, I wouldn't come back to this spot. Many reasons include bad customer service, visibility, and I have found better food at other places that aren't as expensive but taste the same quality. read more

Super loaded Banh Cuon, the lady who runs the shop is definitely more friendly than the man. The man has zero customer service skills, but honestly, you're going to a viet food court, quite difficult to expect all the vendors to be as friendly as the lady at Quan Hue. Banh Cuon came out super fast and many fried accompaniments which were super crunchy and warm. Originally I had said that I was going to eat there, but upon seeing how big the portion was, the lady saw my reaction and asked if I'd like a to-go box as well. I gladly said yes and she transferred the Banh Cuon on the 'dine-in' plate and into a box and bag for me as well as put the sauces in a mini container. Honestly, go for the food guys :) read more

TERRIBLE! HORRIBLE MEAL I'VE EVER HAD! I got their broken rice with grilled porkchop and tofu skin wrapped fish paste (com tam suon nuong tau hu ky), the rice was soggy, the meat was as small as a baby's palm, and there was a really tiny piece of fish paste wrapped inside oily-dried layers of tofu skin. I paid $12 for the worst meal I've ever had in my life. On top of that, it took them almost 30minutes to finish my order (2 broken rice dishes and 1 soup dish). I actually wanna get the Nam Vang styled noodles in the same foodcourt area but too bad it was closed. I really really really regret ordering from this place just because it was the only place open in the foodcourt. I learned my lesson. I will never come back here in the future. BE WARE FOLKS. read more

They are extremely rude! I went here once as a kid, and they were even rude to a kid! I remember just asking for extra tea and they snapped at me. Came back after years to try them again, the lady was absolutely rude and arrogant. We just had a question about the food in the dish, and she said "If you don't like it, don't buy it!" and she was yelling this so loud that even the other side of the food court could hear and everyone looked and started at her. We were so caught off guard, was about give them $50 of their business and we left because if you don't want our business there's plenty of other wonderful food spots in that food court that would be happy to serve us. Please do not go here anymore, they are ridiculously rude and arrogant. No one should be treating people like this, no matter how good your food it, and their food isn't even that great, they don't even make their own food. The other spots in that court are much better and have great service! Such a temper that lady, they don't deserve anyone's business! read more

Spring Roll Review: came here after reading an article about the best Vietnamese restaurants in San Jose. Not going to lie it was definitely a scavenger hunt. If you don't know the area you must get out of the car to find this location. I ordered the pork spring rolls #17. Made to order so they were nice and fresh. The rice wrapper was perfect with enough chew. Filled with pork (meaty cut), mint, lettuce and a secret crunchy to give it some texture. After some investigating I realize it was a wonton wrapper roll! The sauce is not your typical peanut dip it was a warm mixture of onion and some other things which I was unable to figure out. The dipping sauce was ok.. like something more spicy and tangy. Needless to say, this roll was definitely a tasty one on its own. Now with a different dip sauce it would be outstanding! I'll definitely be coming back to try more of their dishes. Plenty of pictures to see your order, so you can order with confidence. Bring plenty of cash, CASH ONLY. read more

Chao Vit Thien-Huong - Inside #17 - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

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owners of this establishment don't care if they have a low rating on yelp. i'm all for supporting mom and pop shops and wanted to spend what i could here. don't come at me for wanting to buy the rest of your cha gio. guess owner wanted to save 1 for himself. food is good tho. save yourself the trouble and support the booth next to these guys cause that Bo Ne looks amazing. read more

Fool me once, shame on you but fool me twice? Shame on me. So despite several experiences of bad service here, I still went here to eat for lunch anyways. It was sorta crowded as I waited with an old man and an old lady in front of me. The old lady ordered first and then the old man ordered after. I ordered two banh UOT with just cha and sixes of fried mùng bean balls. While juggling all of these orders all at once, the lady never wrote them down. I was watching at counter and noticed the lady heating up only banh cuon, making me have some suspicions about my order. I brushed it off because there were people ahead of me and just got my order. I only realized she messes up my order when I sat down and noticed that she made banh CUON under all of the vegetables. I took my plate back and told her about it then asked if she could fix it. Instead, she glared at me with a frown before shooting back at me saying that's what I ordered. Really bold of her to say that when she juggles different ordered without writing any of them down lol. Then she went on telling me that should just bare with it and eat some of it. No apology for messing up, nothing. I completely get that it was a busy day and I honestly would've been fine if didnt give me that attitude but it was her nasty glare and tone that bothered me so much. I didn't want to make a scene so I just left and defeatedly walked back with my banh cuon. I don't know how her attitude with messing orders up will work with people who have allergy issues or are vegetarians lol well I've given this place so many chances because it's good but I'll be damned if I have to go through this shitty service... read more

Came by for a light dinner the other day attempting to order #3 Vermicelli with Grilled Pork and Egg Roll only to find out they ran out of egg rolls and had to do #2 which was the Vermicelli with Grilled Pork and Prawn. Ordering process consisted of informing the employee behind the counter of your order, paying, and hoping for the best. (There are no order numbers nor receipts.) Tax is "included" with the advertised price... After ~10 minutes, my order came out with a cup of tea-flavored water, perfect for cleaning the utensils! ;) Vermicelli was very fresh. Grilled pork and shrimp were both flavorful, and fresh. Vegetable bed was also fresh. Portion was light, better suited for lunch. Dining area is the communal food-court area with plastic tables and chairs. They offer bussing service. There is this homeless dude that walks around asking for money, then using the money to buy a beer to hang out outside... :/ Cash only! Tax "included"! ;) read more

Chao Vit Thien-Huong - #2 - Grilled Pork & Shrimp Vermicelli - $9 - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

I saw a post on some bay area food instagram account about how this place compared favorably to brodards (how is it called that?) down in the OC. It's been a couple years since I'd been to brodards but I did think the nem rolls here were pretty good and the sauce tasted comparable to me. I'm a fan of nem anything though, so I might be too easy to please when it comes to minced sweet pork. read more

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This place is located in the food court at Lion Plaza...Grilled chicken with rice plate is delicious...too bad that's NOT what i ordered but the shortrib and rice plate. Since it was the same price, i left it as it was already a 10 minute wait and didn't want to wait again. Also, i doubt they would understand as either they don't speak/understand english or conveniently pretend not to. As others have mentioned, no smile, no greeting and just a 'yes??' to order your food...and when its ready they ring the bell for pick up....menu is all in vietnamese except for a few pictures of their specials such as rice or bun dishes with a meat and eggroll. Additional egg roll $1 each... be prepared to bring some Purell and your own napkins/wipes as the guy cleaning doesn't do a very good job wiping it down...and when he does its with the same cloth for all tables without rinsing...eeewwww! read more

Chao Vit Thien-Huong - beef bun and chicken rice plate - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

It's in the (dirty) food court in the middle of Lion plaza. Cash Only. I didn't know about this place. It's like a taste of Asia in east San Jose. Chao Vit booth is in the middle left of the food court, next to Pho Pasteur. It's the BEST Pho I had since I relocated in the US/San Jose. I am very glad that Yelp helped me find this place! Finally a great Pho place! I had a #9 (pork and seafood), the meat was so tasty, the fish cake perfect, the crab claw and the shrimp very fresh. The broth was delicate and perfumed WITHOUT MSG! (at least I didn't feel any in my soup). Plenty of soja and chili. Lot of roasted garlic (tasted so fresh and crispy). Complimentary hot tea. The fresh roll was great. again, the best I had since I moved to the US. Well prepare with a very very thin rice paper, fresh veggies. One thing I really didn't appreciate: Chao Vit menu is written in Vietnamese ONLY (there are few photos...but I don't pick food form photos usually, I like to know what's in my dish.) You have to ask for the take away menu to get an English translation (partial menu). This is absolutely not acceptable, I think, especially when neighboring restaurant have both English/Vietnamese displays. read more

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This stall has moved in with the Thien Huong Banh Cuon Trang Hoi stall to the right of Pho Pasteur bringing their soups and porridges (Chao). They have banners from both stalls hanging above the space, though the combined take-out menu currently reads "Banh Cuon Thien Huong" I got a couple of Chao Vit's well known items, Nem Nuong Cuon and Canh Bun. They were pretty good, but with some distracting issues. Cuon Nem Nuong is $7 for 4 or $3.50 for 2 This had really flavorful Nem Nuong (which is where many places falter with bland pork patties) along with a tasty Brodard-esque orange sauce (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/chao-vit-thien-huong-san-jose?select=ubLufzFB90AdcyJW8SSclg#wKVTqV7KLHzDiesRzftkYw). The unappealing part was the fried wonton wrapper tube in the roll was not crunchy, sort of firm and chewy (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/chao-vit-thien-huong-san-jose?select=ubLufzFB90AdcyJW8SSclg#10s0QJyOp87W55V03YtThg). Not sure if this was from poor frying or if the rolls were made too far in advance that the tubes absorbed moisture from the veggies. I dissected the 2nd roll and removed the tube (and made a mess on my tray). Canh Bun is the lesser known relative of Bun Rieu with thicker noodles and a lighter broth that also has tomatos (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/chao-vit-thien-huong-san-jose?select=ubLufzFB90AdcyJW8SSclg#YsZQwPgneH86R8o1lMsEQQ). It comes with a small plastic container of Mam Ruoc with chili sauce on top (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/chao-vit-thien-huong-san-jose?select=ubLufzFB90AdcyJW8SSclg#xoZj9vWHSsaEuwdCre7E4g) The version here had a nice broth and toppings of rau muong (water spinach), fried tofu, meatballs, slices of fish cake, sprinkled with black pepper and fried shallots (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/chao-vit-thien-huong-san-jose?select=ubLufzFB90AdcyJW8SSclg#joC0K3gbcqIlFqSjwkYa-w). I liked the mix of toppings better than Pho Ga Hung's, but the noodles were a distraction. I don't know if it was because it was the end of the day, but the noodles were hard to handle because they were all broken into short 1-3" pieces (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/chao-vit-thien-huong-san-jose?select=ubLufzFB90AdcyJW8SSclg#GbngQyKksGVYWcqOZTm32A). They weren't overcooked, just broken, and I found it easier to just scoop them with the spoon vs. using chopsticks. read more

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Mm spring rolls and sauce like brodards'. We've been here a few times already and sometimes the wait can be a while after you order but the spring rolls are always fresh. 4/5 The crab udon was not salty and hot with one crab leg and bits of crab meat; also comes with pork blood and some kind of fish/meat cake with pepper, topped with fried shallots which adds extra aroma. It comes with a side of shrimp paste but I didn't need to add it cus the soup was flavorful already with the right amount of thickness (starchy but not too starchy).3/5 Overall 3.5 But had to wait sometimes so maybe a solid 3 for both food and service. Also, not sure why this place is reported closed? I was just here today... 4/20/2019. read more

Chao Vit Thien-Huong - #12 crab noodle soup - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

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After eating here for 30+ times over the years, it makes me very sad to say that I'll no longer be a customer here. Today, I ordered a fish porridge to-go. While I was scooping it into a bowl there was a chunk of 4-5 pieces of fish frozen together. Clearly they just threw frozen fish into warm porridge and packed it for me. I brought it back and their answer was that it is not their fault at all. They said that most customers who order to-go will heat up their food before they eat it, so it's not a problem that it's still frozen. What the hell kind of response is that? My issue with this is their response and the way they handled the situation. If someone orders a dish that's meant to be served hot, it should be packed hot. They could have easily asked if I was going to eat it right away or not when I placed my order, but they made that decision for me. They also said that although the fish is frozen, it's not raw. And their solution was that they would "heat it up for me." Missed the point by A MILE. They also refused to refund me and offered re-heating as the only option. I had agreed with so many of the other reviews about the terrible customer service here because I've experienced it a few times myself, but I still remained a customer. Not anymore. This is beyond insulting and disgusting business ethics. read more

How unfortunate that the food is decent but owner and workers lack the necessary customer service attitude and communication desperately needed in the Vietnamese food industry. I ordered a #29, while pointing to the exact food photo on their wall. Waited 15 mins and out came #49. I called the service person out on the order and they asked if I could just eat it. I said NO. Then of course I will have to wait another 15ins for them to get it right. This was the 2nd time of bad service at this place. They need to fix this! read more

Had Bun Mang Ga here, the broth was common and the sauce for the chicken tasted lame, I had to put more fish sauce in there. Bun Rieu Oc, feel bad to say this but they ruined the Bun Rieu Oc :( They also serve fried shirmp cake ( Banh Tom ) but IMHO, I don't really think they know how to make it Updated menu read more

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Great vietnamese noodle place! Went here early in the morning around 7:30am. One of the few places open early. They had a decent selection and where very nice when they took our order. I had the seafood noodle combo which tasted delicious. We originally ordered to-go so that we wouldn't have to worry about getting a container in case we needed to leave early. We took our to-go order and started to eat at a table nearby, but one of the workers was kind enough to offer to put our order in a bowl so it would be easier to eat. When we had to take it to go, they gave us the containers again. I appreciate how considerate they were. Overall would recommend. Service, price, and quality are all good. read more

There was a woman who said "I am the owner!" she was so rude and nasty. We ordered a few plates of banh buon, 40 mins later, she was just standing around doing nothing, so we asked her how much longer is the wait and she said "just keep waiting"....wtf....so I said "it's alright we have to go, can we get a refund" she responds with "you'll have to wait like everyone else, ok? I AM THE OWNER!" hahahaha. So embarrassing for her. We like the old man who works here, he is very nice and understanding, but he wasn't here today so we had to deal with the young woman, we are never coming back here ever again. Have been eating here for years, never had a problem with the older man, but today after meeting the young woman who claims to be the owner, this will be the last time we eat here. read more

Food was good don't pay attention to reviews about bad customer service, they are friendly people in my opinion. I spoke to them a couple of times personally and they are good people. The Ambiance of the place could be up to par. read more

This review is for chao long. The ingredients were not that fresh, and favor was just ok, slightly under average. It was not up to my expectation for chao long. Not recommended for chao long here. read more

What a fantastic find! Although great restaurants in strip mall locations are nothing new, finding a high quality food court has been much harder in the Bay Area. Unlike the food courts in American malls that feature fast food chains and unhealthy cuisine, the food courts of Asia are often those special "hole in the walls" from Mom and Pop shops that just can't afford the overhead for a larger venture. This food court in Lion's Court Plaza is the real deal and Chao Vit Thien-Huong (and the nearby Pho Ga Hung) are the best examples of the Vietnamese cuisine at its best. My order: Nem Nuong Cuon - these grilled pork spring rolls were as good as any I've had in restaurants in the area and were a match for the famous Brodard version in Socal. $7 for 4 rolls, but the owner allowed me to order 2 since I was solo. Hu Tieu - I requested a dry hu tieu with soup on the side but it came with the soup. I'll assume it was my bad ordering as I know they offer the dry version. Large prawn and a nice crab claw highlight the toppings. Two noodles (egg noodle and thicker rice noodle) are included and it's a hearty dish. Good broth flavor. Will be back to try the dry version or the often recommended canh bun Everything was prepared amazingly fast. Piping hot. Affordable. What more can you want. Even better the hours are fantastic. The food court opens at like 7 AM and this stall starts serving their full menu at 8 am. Makes it easy to "eat breakfast like a king..." Chao Vit Thien Huong is cash only. read more

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The food court inside the Lion Plaza right off Tully Road (tucked far away into the corner by the way), rocks. This was a far cry 20 years ago when it was nothing but boring generic Asian and other lackluster choices. No nonsense nitty gritty real deal OG doe ma non diluted hardcore Vietnamese (i.e da good chit), the closest thing to what might be the real deal / street food without the douchetruckery night markets...although in a food court, and pretty much close to sit down restaurant prices. Thus still keeping it realz...affordable, efficient, and tasty. So much to choose from, yet so little time. The obvious choice.... nem nuong cuon, or grilled pork spring rolls. Shrimp, scallions, rice noodles (bun), grilled pork, crispy bits (like broken fried won ton skins), tightly packed like a giant sausage ethnic like contraption, and served with a peanut like dipping sauce that is sweet and savory (like some ngoc mam mixed in). 4 rolls for about $7, which is similar pricing to Southern California (where it is made famous by Brodard). I'd say these are a little bit better than the broken rice plate restaurant inside Grand Century Mall where you can also get these rolls. Definitely better than Brodard Chateau (the more upscale sister restaurant to Brodard Restaurant) Wanted to try the Canh Bun...but decided to try the version at Pho Ga Hung instead (very pleasing and unusual, much easier to accept than some rustic regional Chinese noodle slathered with Sichuan peppercorn accented chili oil chit). Is it pronounced KANG BOOOON? After this slightly pricey snack/appetizer (but hey it's done right and tasty), recommended for folks to get a Vietnamese noodle soup here or from Pho Ga Hung further to the back. Mix and match. Variety is the spice of life. read more

Chao Vit Thien-Huong - Nem Nuong Cuon - $7 (aka #15) - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

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********************* 1296 ********************** I rarely write a review with my first visit. With that said, I also understand that this is a food court, I don't expect any kind of service at all from my people. However, for a quick snack before grocery shopping at Lion SuperMarket, we came in here. The whole food court was busy on a weekend. I was in line with about 3 people in front of me. I asked the cashier/owner, how much is the BANH CUON plate, without even answer, she used her finger, pointed at the menu with price list on the wall! Wow so much for customer service. A few minutes later she said: "You want it?" I handed her the money. She puts the BANH CUON to the microwave, a minute later, gave it to me, without any thank you her customer! Unbelievable. Later my mom came over to give her 25 cents for the to go box, asked if we could get a new NUOC MAM box to go, she didn't freaking answer. She was rude, impolite, and impossible to talk too! She gave my mom just a lid, what the hell? We were willing to pay for the mixed fish sauce/NUOC MAM to go. The BANH CUON was chewy after the microwave, the CHA ham was stingy portion, compare to all the places in the food court. She looked as she was miserable and frustrated, I wonder how could customers ever come back here! She ruined my mom's day... We feel sorry for her and her unbelievable disgusted service. Take your business else where, BANH CUON TAY HO is a much better choice and great service! read more

Chao Vit Thien-Huong - $7.50, chewy microwave, terrible service! - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

I am not sure what scale other people are using to evaluate nem nuong, but this was the second place I tried it and probably the best and most consistent place to date. Here is my list and it goes like this, you've got biggie, reggie, nas then jay-z.....wait wrong list... 1. Chao Vit Thien-Huong 2. Brodards in OC (disclaimer, only had once, but ate entire order) 3. Com Tan Thien-Huong in Grand Century (same owners) 4. Com Tan Thien-Huong on Senter (same owners) 5. Quanh Nem Ninh Hoa (Sacramento, only tried once, excellent rolls, sauce was bleh) 6. Pho 90 degrees (only tried once, weirdest pho place ever) And here is why I love them and crave them...they are never stingy and always fast, fresh and send you on your way with fresh chilis and chili packets. Sauce is always hot and delicious, savory and rich with lots of little ground pork chunks. Perfect proportion of cucumber, crispy egg roll and grilled meat) This is truly one of those places where the hole in the wall is better than the restaurant locations. I had been looking forward to trying Brodards down south after I kept hearing how AMAZING it was, but man they just didn't cut it. Maybe it was an off day, but they were probably on par, definitely weren't blowing anyone out of the water plus that place was INSANE on a weekend. It was hard for me to imagine it being sOOO much better anyways-I think it's mostly name recognition. They had other specialty items and do-it yourself nem nuong platters as well that I would like to try next time. Anyhoo, back to the food court: We've ordered trays before as well and the entire order is always on gobbled up at parties. Comes with an enormous sauce that is enough for the tray. (About $35 for 7 orders) We like the place across the food court for banh cuon as well, they give humongous portions. **hu tieu and chao are aok as well. read more

Although I'll continue to search for the perfect local Brodard's nem nuong fix, Chao Vit Thien-Huong is decent. Chao Vit Thien-Huong is located in a food court at the corner of the plaza. You have to walk further into the corner, past Kim's sandwiches. The food court itself made me feel like I was in Asia - mom and pop food stands, old tables and plastic chairs. This made the food court feel authentic but kinda dirty. I ordered two full orders (8 rolls) of their nem nuong to share. This was a good, filling amount for two people. It's $7/4 rolls and Brodard's nem nuong is $6/4 rolls so Chao Vit Thien-Huong doesn't compare. Although the nem nuong at Chao Vit Thien-Huong had a substantial sized pork patty, the veggie to meat ratio was off. The pork patty could use more flavor. There also wasn't enough crispy eggroll skin - it was rolled into a tiny tube. I did like their sauce! It was flavorful and they gave four containers of it which was more than enough. Chao Vit Thien-Huong is next to Pho Pasteur on the left of the food court as you walk in. Service is minimal although they do offer complimentary hot tea. The rolls were made fresh but took awhile to come out. Keep an eye on your food as there were so many flies. Cash only as well. Not sure if this was worth the trip, but I would come back if I happened to be in the area. read more

Chao Vit Thien-Huong - Nem nuong - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

I decided to try the nem nuong cuon rolls based on reviews and wanting to relive the experience I had from Brodard. The orange sauce was delicious with pieces of meat. The rolls were alright. They were missing the crunch I was expecting. Echoing other reviewers, the rolls don't compare to Brodards but satisfy a quick fix. They're also more expensive. $7 gets you 4 rolls. We also found plastic wrap on some of the rolls and a strand of hair in one of the orange sauces. We thought about complaining but we didn't think they would understand us anyway. No one here speaks English. Cash only. We also ordered this gigantic looking meatball in the display to only find that it was a giant ball of carbs. We weren't so sure what it was and it was lukewarm so we didn't finish it. They don't have water but they do give you hot jasmine tea if you ask! It took us forever to find the shopping plaza but we eventually found it. There's not much air conditioning in here but it's enough to not have you sweat in the summer. There are employees who clean up the trays after you so you can leave your trash behind. read more

Chao Vit Thien-Huong - Prawns stuck on a chip! - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

You can find this place in the Lion Plaza located in the bustling food court with a plethora of Vietnamese and Chinese fare. Most Asian families are familiar with this food court, as it's been here for many years. I've actually never been here before (to eat) but the BF had many memories of this place during his childhood. We chose to give this place our business because I was craving com tam and he was craving banh cuon, and this place served both of those. He had the banh cuon plate which came with the steamed rice rolls, fried tofu, one eggroll, fried waffle piece, fried fish paste on sugarcane stick, fried prawn chip (idk the actual name for it lol), bean sprouts, chopped herbs and fried shallots/onions bits. He enjoyed everything except maybe the waffle piece, said it was probably just a "filler". I had the com tam plate with grilled chicken with the usual simple salad and fish sauce. It took a little longer for them to prepare for me, so we had to sit around for about five minutes after the BF got his plate (he didn't want to start eating without me). I was disappointed in the rice though because it was a little dry, and definitely not really "com tam" which is supposed to be "broken rice" . I happen to like broken rice because of the texture and also because it tends to seem more moist for some reason. The chicken was yummy though, albiet a little oily (probably cooked on a flat top). It was dark meat, too... boneless skinless thighs butterflied and fried. Yummo! I'll give it a 3 average. Lunch for two with a drink was $16.50. CASH ONLY (what's new?) lol read more

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Worst banh cuon place in SJ. Other than the banh cuon everything was really dry... And the shrimp cake that came with my meal was stale.. The shrimp was mushy when I bit into it. Such a waste of my 10 bucks... If you want to eat good banh cuon go to Bac Ninh! Or the one on center! That ones pretty good too.. read more

The old man is rude no customer service so have warn you about him. He should he in the kitchen and stay in the kitchen. The daughter us OK. read more

Chao Vit Thien-Huong - Front - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

The food court next to the Lion Center is full of awesome options for a quick bite of Vietnamese food, but the surroundings aren't particularly clean, and you'll sit at white plastic chairs/tables that seem like they've been there for decades. That being said, the food is really tasty--I got a vermicelli bowl (bun) with grilled pork and grilled shrimp. The bowl came with plenty of rice noodles and salad (mostly lettuce, bean sprouts, and herbs) and was topped with peanuts and plenty of fried onions. The meat was well-marinated and tasty, and there was a cup of fish sauce (nuoc cham) on the side that really brought all the flavors and ingredients together! However, the bowl was a little on the expensive side at $10, and the server behind the counter wasn't particularly kind. As long as you don't mind the setting, however, this is a great place to come for some authentic Vietnamese food! read more

Chao Vit Thien-Huong - Vermicelli with grilled pork and shrimp - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

Definitely recommend! The Nem Nuong Cuon was very good, but not on a Brodard (in Garden Grove) cracktastic level! The sauce was lacking peanuts and heat. 4 Rolls for $7 http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/chao-vit-thien-huong-san-jose?select=sBfkBjRiC1lTJQVtPT6FYA#sBfkBjRiC1lTJQVtPT6FYA The Canh Bun ($8) was pretty good - awesome if you watched my friend slurp it down in minutes! Grilled Meat Vermicilli ($8) - huge portion also delicious! read more

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I decided to try this place out after hearing good things about it from my sister and friends! It's located inside Lion Plaza's food court. The food court isn't grand and it's actually pretty small, but the selection of Vietnamese food is good! I do not speak Vietnamese so it took me awhile to find this place but I was happy when I finally did! I like that they have numbered pictures for their menu! Makes it easier for non-Vietnamese customers to order food! Their specialty here is the banh cuon! It's delicious, and they give you lots of "sides" with it! It is one of the best banh cuon I've had! Their rice plates and noodles plates here are also pretty good! Generous portion for the price! read more

Chao Vit Thien-Huong - Banh coun!!! - Vietnamese Near Me - San Jose, California

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I used to love getting a plate of banh cuon from here. Since I was finally visiting San Jose again, I wanted to get my fix. The woman offered my aunt and I the "dac biet / special", which means it comes with four rolls of banh cuon and a lot of extras on top. Sounded good so we ordered two plates. The banh cuon definitely was not worth the cost as it used to be. There wasn't a lot of fillings inside (we got the meat filling) and the extra sides were just okay. Although she heated everything up for us in the microwaves at the front, the food was still pretty cold. Sad to say that I will have to find a different go-to banh cuon place the next time I visit SJ. read more

Hole in the wall like no other. This spot is located in the patio furniture-laden food court in Lion Plaza, tucked away along the inner courtyard of the plaza. I know nothing of their chao vit (duckr ice porridge) for which they're named, but their nem nuong cuon and canh bun were satisfying. As a Brodard believer, I had been looking for an alternative to their grilled pork s[ring rolls. Thank you Yelp for helping me find it!!! Actually went here back in 2011 at some point, but didn't realize I hadn't yet reviewed it. Taste is ON POINT! Nem is delicious and their sauce was aweeeesome. Not an exact replica of Brodard's recipe, but it's still nummy =D Can't say I agree w/ some reviews that are adamant about Brodard's superiority. The only thing they do better than this spot is theirs is more visually appealing. I've returned here to eat already and will be coming back semi-regularly. Depending on who's working, the service can be brusque, but I could care less at a spot like this. DELICIOSO!!! read more