This place is right next to my house and it got some good reviews. So, I thought I'd meander over there and grab a lunch before work. Yeah, the artwork was kind of lame. Okay, so the waiters were cute. I expected all this from the reviews. What I didn't expect was how bland the meal was. I asked for my server's recommendation and ordered the beef curry accordingly. I ate about half my dish, took two sips of my Thai Iced Tea and wished that I had gone across the street to Super Burrito. It wasn't that it was terrible, you see. It was simply unremarkable. read more

I have been here a several times over the last couple years and each time I go, I order the same thing... I really like the pan fried noodles. The food is delicious and the service is great. According to their menu the dish is supposed to have beef, chicken, and shrimp along with some vegetables and the noodles, yet the kitchen has been inconsistent the last few times. One time, no chicken and two other times, no shrimp. The very last time I went, there were pieces of plastic wrap mixed in the food. The manager was sincerely apologetic and offered me a free meal the next time I go, but a great deal of time has passed since then and each time I consider going, I just can't go. Perhaps at some point I will, but that last experience really left a bad impression and it just won't go away. read more

My best friend had a craving for a BBQ pork Vietnamese style sandwich and remembered we used to eat here a lot. Midway way through the meal, he discovered a like pin-worm (?some kind of LIVE WIGGLING WORM coming out of a chunk of pork). Never never again. The health department has been notified. read more

We've been there at least a dozen times, since it's in our neighborhood. The staff are always attentive and friendly. The food ranges from kick-ass to acceptable, depending on the day. We always order the same 2-4 vegetarian entrees and it's a roll of the dice whether it's going to be something to write home about, but it's never bad. AND I left my credit card there last week and didn't notice it was missing for a while. They held it at the register until I called to find out it was there and I came by to get it. No unauthorized charges, no one ran off to Best Buy and got a new Everything Ever. So, thanks Hai Ky! read more

This place rocks. I've been coming here for years now. I had a coworker that would get custom lunches made-a la super spicy. I'm a creature of habit so I usually get #44. Soooo good. Big bowl of flavor but somehow seems light. The grilled pork is very tasty. The best egg rolls too. One of my favs. read more

tried three items: Dumplings, pretty good Chicken Fried Rice, not good at all, lack of flavor, color and Asian tempo Pho Ga, so so at best The place is clean and modern, but run by gringos, it just doesn't work that way. Easy test, and believe me it always works. If there are no Asians in Asian restaurants, some thing is lacking in the food. Has beer, maybe by being drunk one can like it more... read more

I love this place! Best vermicelli bowl I have ever had. I always get the chicken with egg rolls and omg is it good. Their pho is delicious as well. #96 is my ultimate hangover cure.... crispy pan fried flat noodles Delicious!!!!! The hipster wait staff are always super friendly too read more

Excellent food! Quick service. I had the beef satay.. my husband's go to meal- it was perfect. He chose Spicy beef Pho.. and said it was great! It was a great choice after a traffic heavy drive.. read more

How have I never written a review for Haikea? My co-workers and I make the trip here at least once a week. If you're feeling like killing yourself delightfully, try the 101. Its a bit oily - but you've never had such deliciousness in a fried noodle before. Generally, I'm not the greasy/salty food type, but this place does it. There really aren't many places in Austin where I can get consistently decent Vietnamese food served quickly and at a reasonable cost. There is always an influx of new artwork on the walls, and the music selection could rival that of Chipotle-radio. Now and then the tofu will be off, or they'll forget I'm strict vegetarian and they'll serve me something with fish sauce. So it goes. Next time you're out on Oltorf (sorry if you are), be sure to give this gem a try. read more

In short, the food was good but the service was not so great. I got the bun tom ga nuong and spring rolls appetizer. The spring rolls were just eh, the meat was kind of dry and there was a lot of lettuce and like one shrimp. And they were really small. The vermicelli bowl was a lot more palatable. The chicken and shrimp were marinated just the right amount, and the meat to noodle ratio was golden...(as in perfect!) The service was very disjointed. We had this girl take our orders, then she brought out our appetizers w/in 5 minutes. Then we waited about 20 minutes for our food, while 3 tables of people who had come in after us got their food before we did. This guy who was bringing out the food kept bringing out random dishes and was confused about which table to bring them to. I know this isn't a four-star restaurant, but COME ON. It wasn't that busy. The decor was cute, I like the hanging lanterns, but it seemed a little grungy and dirty. read more

In an effort to assuage our suffering from "the crud", the mister and I set off for some pho. Having read some reviews on this place, we thought we'd give it a shot. As stated in other reviews, service here is awfully slow, so be prepared to feel ignored and/or forgotten. We ordered the pork spring rolls and some pan fried dumplings. The waiter brought us tofu spring rolls and never brought us the dumplings, so I can only say that the spring rolls were pretty tasty. It seemed futile to send our spring rolls back due to the ineptitude of our hipster waiter who also neglected us when it came to getting timely refills on our beverages. The pho was... just okay and not really note-worthy. It seems our search for the perfect pho continues because I'm not inclined to give this place a second chance. read more

Hai Ky is a great, local restaurant serving up fresh Vietnamese food at very reasonable prices. Today (my first visit) I tried the fresh shrimp and beef spring rolls (wrapped in rice-paper with vermincelli noodles, fresh mint and basil). The peanut dipping sauce was tasty - I added hot sauce for an extra kick. For my entree I had to have the beef pho (noodle soup), because it's been such a long time since I've indulged in this favourite dish of mine. So keeping in mind that I'm a bit of a pho connoisseur, I'll complain that the tasty bowl of beef and noodles served in a steaming hot, full-of-flavour broth, was accompanied by a rather too-small plate of fresh bean-sprouts, basil leaves and fresh chilies. You see usually pho is served with an overflowing basket of this stuff that you add to your soup to your heart's content. Thus I'm withholding a star. But Hai Ky is definitely on my list of places to visit again soon. read more

Pad Thai was amazing! So fresh....I asked for it to be extra spicy & usually I end up adding hot sauce anyway, but there was no need! My boyfriend had the chicken w/garlic sauce stir fry and he seemed to enjoy it very much. Would definitely recommend eating here:) read more

Really yummy Pho Tai at this location. The meat is very thinly sliced and can sometimes clump together causing a meat bundle that needs to be separated for dipping/eating but that's okay. The broth is really tasty and their veggies are almost always fresh. Not as fresh as some places but still fresh. The service is almost always fine. Sometimes the laid-back attitude of the servers comes off wrong but once you settle into your bowl, you realize they are all cool people just trying to serve some good food, maybe wishing they were somewhere else but generally good to go. This is on my Pho rotation of about 5-6 restaurants in the Austin area. Pho Hoang, Pho Dan, Pho Saigon Noodle House, Tan My, Than Nhi, and Hai Ky off Oltorf... ALL have great Pho Tai!! read more

It's like this place came out of nowhere - a small oasis in that pocket of town that's lacking in good local food. This is the best Vietnamese food I've had in Austin. I typically get Kung Pao chicken and spring rolls and my fiance gets the pho. We both love it and find excuses to go back. Prices are very fair, the portions are dangerously generous, and I've never been when it's too busy to get a table. If you're into Vietnamese, or just need some pho on a cold day, you need to check it out. read more

This was my first time doing business here so I'll update my review as time progresses. But as of tonight, it took me less than 30 minutes to get my food when the place down the street takes two hours. With that said, the quality exceeded my expectations. I got the pad thai and Vietnamese egg rolls were excellent. The sweet and sour sauce is unlike any I've had before... made in-house, perhaps? The pad thai is also unlike any I've had but it's delicious. Not the typical tamarind heavy, saucy pad thai we are probably all used to. ANYWAYS I'm rambling and reviews are weird but this place is dope so there ya go. read more

What a strange and odd Vietnamese place in Southeast Austin. Located in an attractive strip mall surrounded by burger chain, Hy Kai is very much so the best restaurant in the neighborhood. That said, it isn't really that remarkable food wise. I mean I felt more satisfied from Thai noodle house than I did here. I love the artwork and the feel of the place. It seems fast paced artsy, yet relaxed. Its cool the way the handsome young employees are all gathered behind the little counter busy with various tasks. Yeah It's way hip to be here. It's a good excuse to check out the South side. I waver here between 3 and four stars. Getting in and out of the driveway is a tad sketchy. read more

Just when I was about to give up on good Asian food in Austin, I discovered Hai Ky. It doesn't get horribly cold in Austin, but on a cold winter day, nothing cures the cold quite like pho. My friend and I just needed to get a bowl. It's located in a strip mall right next to a laundromat - I would never have stopped in if it weren't for the many positive reviews on Yelp. Walking in, it has a very cafe-esque ambiance. First time I went with a friend, we were the only ones in the restaurant, but the second time we went there were people on their laptops (free wifi?) and reading a book with their bowls of pho. They give hearty portions. A regular bowl of pho costs $6.50 and for a mere $0.50 extra, you can order a large. They set out a dish of lime, mint and bean sprouts for you to put into your pho. (I do wish they had cilantro as well). The dishes are small, so I ask for extra bean sprouts. I ordered a regular and had trouble finishing even that. The broth is ultimately what makes or breaks the pho, and this broth is delicious. After all the noodles were gone, I spooned down the broth to wash down the warm goodness. My friend often comes and orders Pad Thai take out - he says that the portions are so large that he can eat that for dinner and have enough for lunch the next day. Definitely my go-to pho place in Austin read more

Just do yourself a favor and go try Hai Ky. The service is fast, the staff is friendly and the food is like no others. There's a common theme of feedback from everyone who goes: "It just seems.. fresher." I get number 45 (Grilled Chicken Vermicelli noodles) almost every time I go. Huge portions. Tasty chicken and a great mix of veggies thrown in. I there's other things that are great, too. I just can't pry myself away from 45. read more

So, before my girlfriend convinced me to try this place, I had never liked vietnamese food. I was almost a purely chicken, broccoli and eggroll man. This place though. Literally the best Pad Thai I've ever even concieved. That goes for all their varieties. Also the fried dumplings are to die for. Highly reccomended. read more

It was delicious with a good spice level. We tried number 91 (spicy chicken.. ) and the spring rolls. The spring rolls were fresh with crispy beef. The spicy chicken and noodle had a good sauce. Definitely added to list of try it again places. The outdoor seating was nice with string lights in the late evening. read more

When ever I'm in the mood for a good meal that will not disappoint I go here. My favorite is the number 96. It is not hard to try new dishes here, it seems they all taste great. I always pick up my orders so I can not comment on the service except that they are always nice over the phone and have it ready when they say they will. read more

Hai Ky - Vietnamese Near Me - Austin, Texas

Don't be frightened by the location. It's shady. Just go with it. Inside it's really cute, orange walls and neat art...staff is pretty hip and cool (and 90% Asian - am I allowed to say that I think that's a good sign?) Great tunes too - classic oldies. Trust me, it worked. Started with an Vietnamese iced coffee and it just got better from there. They do it up all authentic-like where they brew the coffee right in front of you in a mini french press over the condensed milk. Now that is some good stuff. If you have a minute, be patient and let the coffee cool down a bit before you pour it over the ice and melt it all. Pretty big menu: the Create Your Own Stir Fry is cool and there's a whole page just for vegetarian meals. Would have liked to try the Pho, but experience has told me that doesn't mix well with the iced crack. Instead I took our waitress' recommendation and had the Beijing Noodles from the Hai's Creations 4 World Domination section of the menu. This giant bowl of goodness included soft flat rice noddles at the bottom, topped with a spicy pork and veggie mix (including fresh cucumber, carrots, and cilantro) and crunchy eggs noodles. Talk about texture. Awesomeness. When I go back I think I will start with beer and do the iced coffee for dessert. They have all sorts of Asian beers (including Hua which is pronounced "Way" in case you want to order it and not look like a such an ignorant round-eye). Cute little spot, great, inexpensive fresh food. Can't wait to go back! read more

My friend told me he was going to take me to this fabulous Vietnamese restaurant and indeed it was! I ordered the chicken pho and he ordered the pork vermicelli dish everything was quite tasty and my broth was near perfection. Usually when I order pho at other restaurants I have to add something like soy sauce for taste but this batch was wonderful! The staff work very quickly here and are very attentive. We had a young woman with curly blue/green hair as our waitress and she was the kindest person I had ever encountered! I will definitely return! read more

Fresh healthy delicious! I am always impressed by their food and ready to go back! I've eaten here for years and they never disappoint. Fast and friendly service and their prices are reasonable. A pan Asian menu with a little bit of everything. I tried pretty much everything on their menu. read more

Hai Ky... how i love you!! Pork vermicelli with the egg roll is amazing! But the real winner is #96... crispy pan fried noodles. So delicious. I crave it all the time. You must try them! read more

The best Pho in the city!!!!!! Yum, yum, yum. Yes, not the most convenient location to us that live Central or South, but so that's how it sometimes goes. It's in a strip center next to a laundrymat, FYI. All the portions are huge and they offer HUGE takeout containers as well. Avoid the lunch crowd by going earlier or later. Dinner gets busy too at times. Got to hand it to them for the local art on the wall and having later hours during SXSW and ACL (call ahead to make sure though). If this place was closer to downtown, I guarantee you it would always be busy. Best hangover or common cold cure out there. read more

Today was a glorious day! I found out that Hai Ky has multiple locations in Austin! I have been to the location off the Drag for a quick, filling, healthy, delicious, and inexpensive lunch in between classes. I am very happy to now know there's a location within a few miles of home (with easier parking than what's found on Guadalupe). I started by sharing an order of spring rolls...they came out lightening fast! Pork and shrimp in the same bite, is that allowed? Yes! And it was delectable duo. For my main dish I created my own stir fry--noodles, spicy garlic sauce and a combo of all three proteins--chicken, beef & shrimp. It was more than enough food. I saved half of it for lunch tomorrow. The amount of food for the cost (and the added bonuses of the food being delicious and coming out super fast) makes this place one of my favorites. They don't deliver, but do have take-out which I plan on utilizing in the future. A friendly tip: if you are driving east on Oltorf from 35, don't pull into the Whataburger entrance. In the dark it may appear that the parking lots are connected, but they are not. Unless you have a jacked up truck you will have to turn around and try again. Two other vehicles made the same mistake right after me and we got into a little jam when we all tried to back out of there at the same time. read more

Love this place, only the strip mall atmosphere keeps me from giving it 5 stars.But that also probably helps keep the prices down, so I will not complain ;) Love the super yummy vermicelli bowls, especially the grilled chicken & shrimp, topped with a generous serving of cucumbers, carrots, cilantro and ground peanuts. You get a huge serving and I always end up getting two big meals for my $7. Spring rolls make a nice light lunch. My workmates and I like to come for lunch. The place is not very big and coming with a group can be tricky. If you are in a group best to come around 11:30am. Friday 8 of us came to celebrate a colleagues birthday and sat right down :) Service was excellent and is always at least very good. Noticed there are two other locations, need to try them too. read more

This place rocks, I've been going there for a couple of years now and have yet to have a bad experience, or better yet bad food. It has remained consistently good, the prices are reasonable, and the staff is always friendly. Check it out, though the place is a little small so a little tip - try to go either before or after the lunch crowd. I can't remember having to ever wait for seating more than a few minutes when doing so. read more

So the Last time I was here I got the pad Thai and it was awful as per my previous review. However I went in to try it a second time But ordered the chicken and shrimp vermicelli and my girlfriend got the pork and eggroll. Yo that was delicious. Well done it was all very balanced and flavorful. I enjoyed that the fish sauce that came with it was not overwhelmingly fishy but nice and sweet and acidic as well. I'll keep exploring the menu here read more

If you're looking for the best bang for your buck, Hai Ky definitely is in my top three, if not number one. The food, particularly the pho and crispy fried noodles (#96 or #101 if you're vegetarian) are superb. You get so, so much good food for so, so little money. Unless I'm starving when I go in, I typically have a full meal in leftovers for the next day or later that night. Really wish they had more locations. read more

Considering this isn't exactly a very Asian part of town (like North Lamar), this place gets some solid marks for the pho, vermicelli bowls, and "the 90's". The bad: spring rolls are pretty bland and the peanut sauce is watery. The staff is usually pretty attentive, the food is delivered quickly and the place is pretty clean. read more

Went here last night for the first time in awhile. Food was still amazing - they do a really good job with their tofu, the texture is perfect - chewy and awesome. I did notice it looked as though there was a drug deal going on in the sketchy looking truck outside, but that didn't deter me from eating my meal. I had the Kung Pao Tofu, which was not as spicy as I thought it was going to be, but I was too afraid to eat the scary looking red peppers that were in it. Even the staff warned me not to. I swear there was elderly Asian couple that walked out of the restaurant that had to be in their 80s. They were sooo ollllld. I assume this is a very good sign regarding the quality of the food. read more

Anywhere past the 7-minute driving radius in Austin is considered "far" for Austinites. Especially if you live near campus. Enter Hai Ky. To get there you have to endure the sh!tty traffic that is I35 and then go through the ghettoness that is Oltorf...but for their pho, you bet your ass I'd do it time and time again. Two thumbs up!!! read more

After a few weeks up north, my pho adventures bring me back down south, to Hai Ky this time. This place definitely was off my radar, but the love on yelp convinced me to give it a shot. Stepping in, what you first notice is how small the place is. Not a huge problem, but I wonder if it ever gets crowded enough to be an issue. The bathrooms aren't labeled as Men or Women, just a picture of Bruce Lee on the Men's and a picture of an Asian girl in a Got Milk? ad for the Women's. Despite the Asians on the bathroom doors, there were no Asians anywhere else in the restaurant (other than me). Usually, this is a huge red flag, but I decided to give Hai Ky the benefit of the doubt. (A pretty reliable litmus test for Asian restuarants is how many Asian people you see inside) As for the food, I went with my usual test subject, pho tai (you know, the one with the raw beef). First, the broth wasn't bad, but there was a lot of oil in it, so beware if you're put off by that. It wasn't nearly as flavorful as other pho broths around town, but it wasn't terrible / bad. The meat came out as it should, pink where it wasn't in the soup. But the add-ons (bean sprouts, etc.) weren't as they should have been. The sprouts were pretty dry. Noodle quantity was fine, but because of the grease and the little bamboo chopsticks you get, they weren't so easy to manage. Overall, it wasn't bad, but I probably won't come back. As the ratings guide goes, for me it was "Meh. I've experienced better." But I feel like 2 stars might be too harsh, because it wasn't bad, either. So I'll call it 2.5 and round up. read more

While I eat here on a regular basis with the 4 other of the reviewers I still feel it is necessary for me to give my 2 cents. mmmm bun. I've been eating here a while having been introduced to it years back by my friends that had been regulars for a while. The food is delicious, affordable and the ambiance is conducive to groups getting together for dinner or just stopping by for some food by yourself. Service is great and staff remembers you if you eat there more than once. I recommend the bun with chicken and eggroll (#45) and a tai iced tea. mmmmm read more

Why isn't there an option for 6 stars? I am in love with this place! I'm a regular at this location. I always think I'm going to try something new, but the 45 wins every time. The staff are super-duper friendly and I love bringing guests. I lived in SE Asia for 10 years and this is the closest to authentic SE Asian food I've had since I've been back to the states. Friendly waitstaff, quick service, consistant taste, cheap prices, huge portions, bizarre art things on the walls, a head shop next door and people who look like generically famous bands eating there everytime I go....You guys rock! Thank you!!!! I have to update this review...Since my first review, they only got more awesome! I have to be on a gluten-free diet these days and Kai Ky actually has a gluten-free menu! Life just got sweeter. read more

Great food for a great value. If they had one in my side of town I would eat there every day!!!

I have eaten here probably 30 times. I don't care about "authentic", I care about fresh ingredients that are well prepared and accurately portrayed on the menu. I expect friendly - not perfect as some people seem to demand - service and a good menu of options. I also care a great deal about consistency; I expect that a quality meal can be replicated during repeated visits. I like the employees. They know me, accomodate me readily and respond quickly to any problems that come up. Hai Ky is a great example of the neighborhood restaurant " concept " done well. The sticky floor is a chronic problem that prevents this from being a 5-star review. I have mentioned it before and will do so, if it persists, but that alone won't keep me from returning often. Other than this, I love this little "hole in the wall" wedged between a laundromat and a head shop. More people should support it, and problems should be taken up with management before they are bitched about on here. Nobody is perfect, but these folks seem to care about their food and their service. I'm a professional musician. Some of the complaints on here seem contrived and overblown. The bars and clubs in Austin are almost all vile dumps and few seem to care, yet they go nuts about a piece of brown lettuce in a spring roll once a year. Go eat at Hai Ky; great food at decent prices, I say. Suggest they get their own website, too. read more