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    Com Tam Thanh

    3.5 (249 reviews)
    InexpensiveVietnamese
    Open 9:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Com Tam Thanh Photos

    Business Info

    COM TAM THANH ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Com Tam Thanh

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    Com Tam with beef short ribs
    Ed Y.

    I'm really not sure whether all the Com Tam Thanh are operated by the same owner but the food quality are vastly different. I do like this San Jose one however (don't go to the Newark one). They serve good Com Tam which is broken rice (think tiny rice) plate with shredded pork skin, egg cake, meat (beef or pork) and other stuff. They serve the rice plates with a fish sauce and I recommend you mix the rice with the fish sauce. Although I usually don't like fish sauce but it's great with the rice in this case. Both the pork chop and the beef short ribs are amazing even though I slightly prefer the pork chops. I just wish they give more egg cake as the piece I got is tiny. Also they only gives you two grilled shrimps. If you like com tam you know there is another popular place nearby but this one is better in one aspect: they don't close the restaurant in the afternoon as the other does. Service is decent and we didn't notice problems with waitress ourselves.

    #57 Bun Tom Thit Nuong Cha Gio
    Jeremy D.

    They've been open for decades! This parking lot is a lot easier to get in and park than the other plazas on Story Rd. Restaurant looks a little run down compared to all the new joints popping up but their food is good. Obviously known for their rice plates (it's the name of the restaurant in case you didn't know) but they seem to serve up other delicious dishes as well. Everything we had was solid. BBH, rice plates, vermicelli. The beef chop was actually short ribs, very tender and flavorful. Only negative things were the nem nuong rolls came with pickled vegetables inside, I've never had it with pickled vegetables. It also didn't come with the traditional orange dipping sauce; it came with peanut sauce instead. Their banh cuon looks good, we saw tons of people ordering it ! Definitely trying next time. (The restroom was also very clean)

    Drinks menu

    Ok, don't look at their menu on Yelp. Their prices are from 20+ yrs ago. You see the rice plate with Short ribs only $5.45 not $17.95 2026 price. Great food and always consistent. Casual and quick dining environment. See my pictures with current menu.

    Com Tam Thit Nuong
    Wendy N.

    The food was decent--nothing that really stood out or gave us that "wow" factor, but it carried a sense of nostalgia that makes it special for my family and me. The location itself is a bit tricky since the parking area is small and not the easiest to navigate, though of course that's not the restaurant's fault. Inside, the atmosphere is what you'd expect from a classic Vietnamese restaurant--simple, casual, and comfortable. Service was pleasant; the staff were friendly, attentive, and able to switch easily between English and Vietnamese, which made communication easy and welcoming.

    Bbq pork and shrimp
    Tiffany L.

    Food was better than expected. The downsides are, the food took almost half an hr to get here and it's cash only. And the shrimps they only gave 2 .. which is a little sad. Barely any service visible but it's authentic.

    Com Tam Bi Cha Suon Nuong
    Brian T.

    I've been going here since I was a kid! Not the most exciting looking place and service but the com tam is tasty for the price. It's definitely below average cost and gives you a solid portion for it. I liked their egg cake and pork

    Vermicelli with grilled pork and egg roll.
    Hoang N.

    I had dinner with @lindsaybtb at my favorite mom-and-pop Broken Rice (Cơm Tấm) spot, Cơm Tấm Thanh. It may not be the fanciest place, but the food is absolutely delicious and incredibly affordable. My friend ordered the broken rice with Korean ribs, while I went with my go-to dish--vermicelli with BBQ pork and egg rolls. Every bite was packed with texture and flavor! If you're in the Little Saigon area, definitely check them out. FYI, they're open from 9 AM to 9 PM, unlike the other spot that closes in the afternoon!

    Although this is my dad's favorite place and we've been going for years, I never had a strong opinion on it. However, during our most recent visit, I ordered canh bún ốc and not only were the snails stale and simply not good, I found two pieces of hard plastic in my food. The staff weren't really concerned but were at least able to comp us for my portion of the meal. Safe to say, I now have a strong opinion and I won't be coming back in the future.

    Pork chop dac biet
    Jill M.

    My experience here is always quite different than others... unexpectedly pleasant! This place is exactly what i expect of a hole in the wall, mom & pop shop in the East Side of SJ! Com tam thanh is also nostalgic. This place has been here for a looong time! Rice plate portions are huge and appetizers are so delicious! One night, we ordered to-go and they server even gave us water to cool off.

    Bbq pork & eggroll Vermicelli!
    David N.

    Came here recently, and ordered the vermicelli with bbq pork, and egg roll. Was greeted right as we walked in, and took our order within 5 minutes. I've been coming here since I was a kid, and have always enjoyed it. Always 5 stars. However this time it feels as the quality of the food has come down a bit. Not sure if it was a one time thing or if something else is going on. Will definitely come here again, and hopefully it was just a miss this particular day.

    Porridge
    Kat N.

    Typical vietnamese restaurant inside Lady was nice and food came out pretty fast. The pork chop and rice is a huge portion. They give two thick slices of pork chops and it's grilled well. I had grilled pork and tau hy ky. Pork was also grilled well. I've had better tau hu ky (shrimp paste wrapped in deep fried bean curd) but still pretty good.

    Pork chop rice plate
    Judy L.

    Food here is nostalgic- perfectly seasoned and cooked food! Service is super fast and the staff here are very nice! Place has been the same for years and nostalgic every time I visit! Restaurant is spacious and plenty of tables. I will continue to return for good Vietnamese com tam. Recommend bringing cash - cash only!

    Bahn cuon with assorted roll meat noodle style which means much larger portion sizes than the predilection versions
    Doug C.

    Lots of secrets here. No review covers the uniqueness of this restaurant and why it so popular with the local Vietnamese community despite being in a lousy location. They have many items not available on the typical broken rice restaurant. This one has been here many years. Owner on site. Home cooked broken rice Vietnamese food. Many variations. Haven't gone through them all. Would take months or years to get through the entire menu. Most customers here don't speak English. Solid catering and Togo business from the locals. Bahn cuon: steamed pork with rice sheets. Steamed pork like bologna without the food coloring. Braised fish in caramel sauce: on the weekend they sell pickled Thai eggplant. Usually you see pickled carrot and radish . This is different. Oddly the eggplant is crunchier than a cucumber. Surprising. You eat it with the braised fish. The braised fish is cooked on a very low steam simmer for 12hours! This makes the bones in the fish soft while still retaining the texture and shape of the fish. This technique enables you eat the small bones in the fish. Never seen this before. Delicious. Very time consuming and delicate procedure. No source of calcium in Asian diests and beef isn't popular so no milk or dairy products. This is an interesting g alternative to eating deep fried fish bones. Never seen this dish in the US. The braised fish is very different than the typical Vietnamese catfish. Not sweet. Zero sweet and no heavy soy sauce glaze. It looks to be simmered in a fish sauce and water only broth which is salty and spicy. Tastes like a beef broth to me but it isn't. Very light. It is cooked so you eat the small bones in the fish. Not meant to be eaten where you eat the meat and leave all the bones like a Chinese steamed fish. Very different interpretation. The braised fish and eggplant is 23$. Enough for 2-3 people. Very filling. Soups and rice plates. very large portions other reviews seem to cover this in detail. Over 50 different permutations on soup and broken rice plates. They story was in the old days they threw away the broken rice and once they discovered it was more tender than short grain rice the price is now more than no broken rice. One of my regular stops. Owner very smart. Amazing she was in business for this long. Can see the kids being mentored. Bbq sauce: unique similar to the bbq sauce they use for thit nuong. Comes in 32 ounce mason jars now. Not easy to make. Ingredients aren't cheap. Not the standard American tomato based sauce. Not sweet and not overly salty. Very unique flavor. Never seen anyone make it before and sell a homemade version. Not cheap.

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    2 years ago

    Good price. Taste good. Ok services from waiters waitress. The place has a very small parking lot. Rather to go than eat in

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    Blue Monkey Cafe & Restaurant

    Blue Monkey Cafe & Restaurant

    3.9
    (518 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Had their Hu Tieu Nam Vang dry with soup on the side. For…read moreappetizers, fried egg rolls and banh beo chen. Also had strawberry lemonade. Good Hu Tieu. Broth was not so warm but has such clear clean taste. Can taste the aromatics more than the fish sauce in the broth; had a lot of celery like flavor. There were a couple of ribs in the broth with tender meat attached to it. I got the Nam Vang with egg noodles instead of rice noodles. The seasoning for the noodles had a slightly sweet sauce. Noodles itself was perfectly cooked, slight chew to it and not soggy. The dish had the sweet, salty, savory combo The egg rolls were on the smaller side but tightly packed with delicious ground pork. Crispy outside. Came with the slightly spicy sweet fish sauce with chili. The banh beo chen came in one small plate instead of little dipping sauce plates. It had minced shrimp (more like crumbles), friend pork rinds pieces, and green onions. I like that they used shrimp instead of mung bean paste. The steamed tapioca/rice cake base was also topped with fried pork rinds and fried shallots (tasted like smoky onipn rings). The combination of all the texture and taste was well balanced. Sweet, salty, umami.

    This place does get busy, but we came on a Sunday evening and had no wait at all. It's also a good…read morespot for small or large groups, and I've been back several times. The Bun Cha Ha Noi is fantastic. The pork belly was grilled perfectly, and it came with a huge assortment of veggies, a big bowl of sauce, and a good amount of rice paper. I loved being able to easily dunk everything into the sauce. Even the small portion was enough for 2 people. The Banh Mi Chao Bo Luc Lac was just okay. I liked that the pate was warmed up with the rest of the dish, and the beef cubes were well seasoned, but they could have been more tender. We also got the fried chicken wings in garlic fish sauce. The flavor on the outside was great, but the breading was a bit dense and the inside needed more flavor. The service was great and they checked on us several times. There is also lots of blue monkey decor throughout to live up to the name.

    Photos
    Inside dining room.
    Inside dining room.
    Scallion Sea Snails
    Scallion Sea Snails
    Yummy Grilled Oyster

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    Yummy Grilled Oyster
    Banh Cuon Bun Moc Ong Ta

    Banh Cuon Bun Moc Ong Ta

    4.3
    (436 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    banh cuon is one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes, and I've had a fair share in my lifetime, and…read morethis place has literally the BEST banh cuon I've ever had! Banh cuon Dac biet 1000/10 - it's freshly made you can just tell. It comes with the meat filled one and the shrimp one, and let me tell you, the rice flour roll itself is so flavorful, soft and silky. I've truly never had anything like it. They put a generous amount of meat inside this banh cuon and it complements so well with the fried shallots. Bun rieu 9/10 - the soup was so umami and flavorful, they included a big crab ball inside with tons of tofu and noodles, portions in this dish are generous as well. I think the main star dish here is the banh cuon though It only took me so long to try because every time I come, there's always a super long line but luckily today there was no wait! This place has been on my radar for 4 years! They also cater so if I ever just want to eat banh cuon in the comfort of my home I might just order a big platter to eat and share with my friends!

    This is one of my grandma's and my favorite lunch spots. Banh cuon is one of our favorite…read moreVietnamese dishes, and we always find ourselves coming back here whenever we're craving it. The rice sheets are always fresh, soft, and perfectly chewy. We love ordering the dac biet, which comes with a wide variety of meats and seafood that all come together to create the perfect bite. I've had banh cuon at many different restaurants, but I've never been to one that offers such a generous variety of sides to complement the dish. This restaurant may look unassuming from the outside, but the food is absolutely delicious. We were seated immediately, greeted with water, and our order was taken promptly. The food came out quickly, and when we were finished, we simply paid at the front counter. The restaurant is simple and straightforward because the food truly speaks for itself. I'm so glad my grandma introduced me to this place. It's become one of our favorite lunch traditions, and I'll definitely be back whenever I'm craving one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes.

    Photos
    Outdoor Seating
    Outdoor Seating
    Banh Cuon, #1 special.
    Banh Cuon, #1 special.
    #2  | IG: lisaeatsf

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    #2 | IG: lisaeatsf
    Bun Bo Hue An Nam

    Bun Bo Hue An Nam

    4.1
    (2.4k reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    No place has seen me more hungover than Bun Bo Hue An Nam. After a night out, or whenever I'm…read morecraving something comforting, this is always my go-to spot. I usually order their Bun Bo Hue in a large size so I can enjoy some at the restaurant and still have leftovers to take home later. Service is always quick--you get seated right away, and someone usually takes your order within a minute or two. The food comes out fast, hot, and fresh every time. No matter what time of day I visit, there are always people eating here, which speaks for itself. The broth is incredibly flavorful while still being light and aromatic. Combined with the variety of toppings and fresh vegetables, it's hard not to dig in the moment it hits the table (as you can probably tell from the photo, lol). The restaurant has plenty of seating, making it a great place to bring family and friends. When you're finished eating, you simply walk up to the counter, tell them your table number, and pay. Just keep in mind that they only accept cash or debit cards. If you're looking for a comforting bowl of Bun Bo Hue, especially on a rough morning after a night out, this is definitely the place to go. I will always come back here.

    Bun Bo Hue An Nam seemed to be a popular spot for bún bò Huế in San Jose, so I was excited to try…read moreit. Unfortunately, the service was not very welcoming--the staff came across as blunt, impatient, and at times rude--but I could have overlooked that if the food had fully lived up to the hype. The broth made a good first impression and clearly included many of the right spices, although it was also quite salty. As I got further into the bowl, however, the flavor started to feel flat and lacked the rich, slow-simmered depth I expect from a restaurant that specializes in this dish. It tasted more heavily seasoned than deeply developed, so experienced bún bò Huế fans may find it underwhelming. The meat was also not as tender as I would have liked, and the congealed blood--usually my favorite part--was overcooked and dry rather than smooth and tender. The visible holes suggested it may have been cooked too quickly at too high a temperature. Overall, the meal was decent and had some good flavors, but the broth, meat, and service did not meet my expectations. I can understand why it is popular, but I would probably try another bún bò Huế spot next time.

    Photos
    Bun Bo Hue An Nam
    Bun bo hue $18.25
    Bun bo hue $18.25
    Bun bo hue $18.25

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    Bun bo hue $18.25
    Vit Dong Que

    Vit Dong Que

    4.2
    (369 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    this place is such comforting food for me. my parents have been taking me since i was young, and…read morethis is our go-to for this particular viet dish called bún măng vịt, which is vermicelli noodles, duck meat, and bamboo shoots! bún măng vịt - i loooove the sauce they have here. you put a bit in the soup but careful to not too much since it could get salty, and i love dipping my chicken/duck into the sauce!! the sauce really does complete this dish. i really appreciate that you can ask for more sauce for free any time. inside is colorful and is what you can expect from a little asian restaurant. we came at 1pm on a sunday and it was pretty busy, so the staff took a bit of time to take our orders and provide water. parking can be tough since the lot for this particular area is small, so i just park in the plaza next to it.

    I'm a bit conflicted about this place. The restaurant is small and not very fancy, but the food is…read moreaffordable, the portions are generous, and the taste is good. It's not outstanding, but it's definitely enjoyable. Unfortunately, the service ruined the experience. As soon as I sat down, I hadn't even had a chance to look through the whole menu before the server kept touching my shoulder and repeatedly pressured me to order. I found it very rude and uncomfortable because I really don't like strangers touching me. The older lady did it to everyone in our table, and she didn't seem to realize she was making our entire group uncomfortable, and it affected our whole dining experience. So, would I come back? Absolutely not. One visit was more than enough. I'm not willing to deal with that kind of pushy service again.

    Photos
    Vit Dong Que
    Bun Bo Hue - $18.5
    Bun Bo Hue - $18.5
    Chicken Salad (Half)

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    Chicken Salad (Half)

    Com Tam Thanh - vietnamese - Updated July 2026

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