Overall - one of our fav Viet restaurants in Houston so far! Menu - lots of options and is aesthetically pleasing and easy to read. Dishes I'd recommend getting are the com tam (broken rice), hu tieu, and FOR SUREEE the Bo Ne platter (super delicious n flavorful). Their sea salt coffee was also delicious! Considering we did come twice n got to experience different food quality, it does seem to depend on how busy the place is lol. Service - while both our servers were nice and friendly, our first one was more attentive and helpful. Granted we came at a less busy time the first time, it was reasonable ish why our food came out so late the second time we were there. Ambiance - really like the lanterns n cute decor. Really brings out the viet street vibes and the music added to it. Id recommend getting a booth seat bc it's cuter but be aware it's slightly dimmer. There's also outside seating that looks cute!! Also shout out to the boujie bathrooms. It was clean and very aesthetic inside as well. Makes a great mini Photo Booth! read more

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Had such a great experience at Hem! Request for San as your server! He was so lively and welcoming. The customer service and food was amazing. You won't regret coming here! #TAPIN WITH SAN read more

HEM Kitchen And Bar - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Dining at Hem exceeded ALL of my expectations! After hearing all of the hype about this place, my family and I decided to try it out when we stopped by Houston. First off, the decorum looked amazing. It literally looked like an actual alleyway in Vietnam, which translates to "Hem" in Vietnamese. All of the inside felt nostalgic to those who have ever visited or lived in Vietnam. Service was excellent as well. Our server was nice but very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu, which was really helpful for us. As recommended by our server, we ordered the Hem Seafood Fried Rice ($16.00), Grilled Seafood Combo ($30.00), Sea Snails in Coconut Milk ($16.00), & Salted Egg Flavored Chicken Cartilage ($16.00). For drinks, we just ordered Iced Kumquat Tea ($6.00) and Iced Lychee Tea ($6.00). The portions were decent, but the taste totally made up for that! Everything was so flavorful. Our favorite would have to be the seafood fried rice & chicken cartilage. They were seasoned perfectly and had the right amount of flavor to them. The kumquat tea was so tangy, but in a good way. I'd definitely recommend trying Hem at least once if you're in the Houston area. Just keep in mind that they do get packed, but that's only because the food and vibes are so good! read more

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Viet food that's pretty tasty and good service. Ordered conch, steak, grilled chicken. Their conch with the spicy sauce is good and the one with the shell has a good smokey flavor. Lots of table and service was very excellent. Seating area is spaced out and there's a bar with good drinks to choose from. Parking plentiful in the front. Recommended going either early or later at night, this place usually crowded. read more

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Food - not sure if it's related to our bad ordering but food is overall average and decent. Egg rolls are great crispy and good ingredients as expected. Fried rice looked very promising yet lacking a flavor, ask for their chili oil (that is def unique) and add all the chili oil and the sauces available with the rice and it def makes it better. The clams were just not it, smelled fishy as well and flavors are not infused well enough. The steak though was a surprise, personal favorite out of all the dishes ordered Service - super nice friendly staff Ambiance - it's just so adorable and well decorated in here I had to come, in addition the tv always play the yummiest Viet street food! read more

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We started out at the bar and the girls were very friendly and attentive! I had their kumquat mojito and I thought it was excellent! They actually muddled the mint so that was awesome! We got a table afterwards and ordered their fried rice, water spinach sautéed with garlic, razor clams, baked oysters and some beef plate! All the food turned out to be very good! They had a green sauce that accompanied 3 of the dishes and it was really delicious! Very complementary to the flavor to the dishes! The location was beautifully decorated! Lots of vibrant colors so it's a great place to break bread with friends/family/out of towners! We'll definitely be back! read more

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One of the best food places I tried in Houston! Service was really friendly and answered any questions we had regarding the food and drinks! The restaurant was very cute inside definitely picturesque for people who love taking food pics! read more

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I love street food so I was pretty excited when I heard of a new spot serving Vietnamese street food on Bellaire. It's usually pretty busy when I stop by so I would recommend making a reservation if you are coming with a larger group. Food: Beef carpaccio: 5/5 hands down my favorite dish here I always have to get it Thai style shrimp: 4/5 shrimp were fresh, had a strong wasabi like kick Truffle fries: 4/5 standard but good Whole Razor clams: 3/5 good flavor but they were overcooked and dry Wings: 4/5 pretty decent Steak: 3.5/5 I had it once and it was good but the second time it was overcooked Pork belly: 3.5/5 a little dry as well Garlic butter razor clams: 4.5/5 razor clams are small but the garlic butter was so good, I couldn't stop eating it with rice Fried rice: 3.5/5 I believe it came with pineapple and shrimp, it was a little sweet. Nothing too special Coconut snail: 4/5 decent but pricey for the portion Overall, service is usually pretty good and I enjoy some dishes here. I don't mind coming once in awhile with some friends for casual snack foods and drinks read more

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Food today was cold and the restaurant wasn't that busy. we have to send back twice for a dish, anything else was not tasty like before. This was such a shame on Easter. Service was ok, when we sent the dish back twice no manager showed up and no offer to help with the bill. I don't think it's worth the money. read more

Walked in and already was welcomed by our amazing waiter Thuy. There was so many authentic food options on the menu including exotic sort of foods like bone marrow and the Thai ribs. The vibes and decoration most definitely reminded me of Vietnam as a person that goes to Vietnam every year. The manager or owner, I'm pretty sure, was also really nice and interacted with us a lot. Even all the other servers around were also really nice and greeted us. Overall I would most definitely come back. read more

HEM Kitchen And Bar - Outside of restaurant shows how restaurants are like in Vietnam, sitting outside using plastic chairs and tables. - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

My favorite place in Houston! Always excellent food and friendly cool atmosphere. I've not had anything that wasn't excellent. Highly recommend for lunch or dinner! read more

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The atmosphere is nice and the decorations are super The food is pretty good and unique. It really reminded me of being in the streets of vietnam and eating the food there. The service was excellent, nice, and very quick. A beautiful spot to stop by late night and enjoy Vietnamese classics. read more

HEM Kitchen And Bar - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

My husband and I have been to this place many times. But today when my mom and I visited for a special weekend hangout lunch, the experience was completely ruined by the horrendous service and attitude by the server, Leonie - She first took down the wrong order item, and when we pointed it out to her that she tried argue with us that she was not wrong. I then asked for the correct item to be sent in and brought to us. Also, I told her to bring the wrong item back to the kitchen, because I couldn't not eat it due to my health condition - she rolled her eyes and turned her back on me to continue to serve other customers. When the check came she had both the wrong item and the correct item on the check offering 0 explanation or apology on what happened. If this is the standard of service this restaurant will continue to have, my family and friends will never return. read more

HEM Kitchen And Bar - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Hem is a trendy place, very reminiscent of the Vietnam street food scene where you would go out with your friends and family at night time, and eat on the side of the road. I really liked the decor, the restaurant is clean and spacious and the service is good. I've been here two times and honestly the food is just okay, it's expensive for what it is, and the flavor profiles aren't really giving. They all seem to be missing that authentic feel. The presentation for the dishes is great though, from colorful garnishes, boards for steaks and skewers, they really went above and beyond to make the dishes look better than they tasted. The items I got are listed below. Thai Squid Salad - this dish needs more sauce, the cucumbers, carrots, and were all stiff, dry and bland from the sauce not soaking into it. There was also barely any squid rings, and they were all tiny. Skewer combo - this dish was average at best, you don't really taste any smokiness from it being grilled and the meats were a little dry. Nothing to write home about. Five spice beef - this was our favorite dish, the beef was tender and I really liked the five spice flavor in the beef. I definitely recommend getting this one. Razor Clam Noodles - This dish was good, seasoned well, and had a good amount of razor clams in it. Sizzling Chicken Gizzards and Hearts -Name is misleading, it wasn't sizzling, came as more of like a dry pot, kind of like a gà kho style dish. This was okay, definitely order some rice with it, it does get super salty. Overall I like how Hem is introducing Vietnamese street food to Houston, but it's just not that good. read more

The food was amazing! From the salt/pepper squid to the freshly cooked lobster, it was amazing. Our server was great (I wish I would've gotten her name) but she answered all of our questions and lead us to such a great experience! The interior is very cool and highly suggest coming here if you want to bring a friend from out of town somewhere. Such a good experience! read more

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Get the BO NE! It's my absolutely favorite. There's also bone marrow as well and it's to die for. This spot literally reminds me of a spot back in Vietnam. The don't call it Hem for no reason. read more

HEM Kitchen And Bar - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Exterior at first glance really give off Vietnamese street food vibes. Interior decor continues the cultural expose with tables and booths along with bar seating. The food tastes amazing and are highly recommended by locals who are experts in viet cuisine. Service is decent, they take your order and check up on you from time to time. Come here for good food and good vibes! read more

HEM Kitchen And Bar - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Been going to hems for years , love the service and the food. It never a disappointed moment. The price is very friendly and food portion are sold for lunch. read more

HEM Kitchen And Bar - Broken rice with the pork chops - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

I love this menu. Such a variety of yummy options! I recommend the chicken thigh with garlic noodles, pineapple fried rice and banh mi Bo ne. Service was quick and polite. They let us sit in a booth even though it was quite busy and it was 2 of us and a baby in a car seat. Interior is very cute. Love the holiday decor and vintage bus near the entrance. read more

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great food! amazing service! I got two beef bone marrow bc one was too small lol. lucky me! the pork belly dish was good but the sauce was amazing! The Bo Ne you can build your own banh mi! I want some more of the pate and the butter. the beef was cooked medium rare! eggs were cooked sunny side up in the pan. Good vibes in the restaurant! it's like eat Vietnamese street food but more elevated! Will be back to try other dishes soon! read more

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It was really busy and there was a waiting list so we sat outside. The food was delicious as always but service was very very slow. I wouldn't recommend sitting outside unless you have time to spare or want to feel like you are in the homeland. Back to the food. I can't remember all that we ordered but I got pictures. We ordered the fried rice twice because everyone loved it and couldn't get enough. The shaken beef is juicy and tender. The combo seashell was good since we get a sample of different type. read more

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Food 5/5 - Wow, wow, wow! The food tasted amazing! From the pineapple fried rice, the skewers assortments of heart, gizzards, beef, and to the crispy pork belly every dish delivered a tasty, delicious heightened sense of fulfillment. Ambiance 5/5 - street food vibes. If you ever been to Vietnam you'll feel like you've traveled back! It was such a immersive experience. Oh btw, after 10pm, the lights get dimmer and the music get clubbier. The vibe keep hitting. Service- 5/5 explained the menu very well, servers were very attentive despite the packed house. Overall 5/5 will come back again! read more

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The new Ai HOA strip center is full of amazing Vietnamese cuisine, and HEM is up there with the best of them. The ambiance inside is cool and comfy, perfect for a date night. The outside has cheap colorful plastic chairs and tables reminiscent of restaurants in Vietnam. The menu is pretty expansive with plenty of options. It was difficult to just pick a couple of dishes but Yelp helped on that. For 4 adults and 3 kids, we ordered: - Grilled Skewer Platter: 4 different types of meats, with 2 skewers each. Everything was good, and the cilantro lime sauce that came with it was a must dip. - Seafood Fried Rice: another dish with great flavor and large pieces of shrimp. My sons enjoyed this one! - Crispy Pork Belly: 11/10 absolutely amazing must get dish. The crispiness of the skin and the delicious sauces...my mouth is watering thinking back at it. - Seafood Platter: another great dish if you want to try multiple things! The mussels, oysters and snail were all incredible. I did not try the scallop with quail egg but everyone at my table said it was the best! - Papaya Salad: just like Thailand, even with the crab and Thai chili peppers! IYKYK By around 7pm, this place was absolutely packed inside and out. Loved our dining experience here and will definitely be back to try more dishes. read more

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From the moment you step inside, the energy is palpable--dynamic music sets the tone, creating a modern Vietnamese atmosphere. The menu is a creative journey through traditional Vietnamese dishes that taste just like home. The Vietnamese coffee is extremely good. I recommend the Coconut Coffee for those feeling bold. And it's not just about the food--this place knows how to make an impression in all areas. The restrooms are clean, spacious, and thoughtfully designed, offering a surprising level of comfort that's often overlooked in casual eateries. Service is very good. All staff members seem very attentive to everyone's needs. Combination of tasty food, great ambiance, and attention to detail (even in the restrooms) makes this restaurant stand out. Perfect for authentic Vietnamese cuisine while soaking up a lively atmosphere. read more

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HEM, or hẻm, translates to "alley" in Vietnamese. If you were to ask a Vietnamese native what the word means to them, you might hear the word described as "a small road that branches out from a main one". This is a suitable name for this place because there are lots of little hẻm everywhere in Vietnam populated with food carts, and I think the theme here is street food. The atmosphere isn't typically the first thing I bring up in my reviews, but I must applaud the owner for how well they executed such an authentic modern Vietnam vibe. For the decor, they have all sorts of props such as a moped and tuk tuk on display. In the background, they have TVs playing snippets of street vendors preparing food. What I adore the most are the little plastic outdoor furniture in the front - you see these everywhere in Vietnam and it makes the environment feel lively when you see customers sitting outside having a good time. The food is authentic, bold, and dare I say... wild (in a good way). They do not shy away from prominent flavors derived from fish sauce or salted fermented crustacean parts. We ordered a seafood sampler (mostly bivalve mollusks), crispy pork, salad (with the salted fermented crab legs!), fried rice, and skewers. If I were to go again, I would probably order the same thing, plus a fancy drink. Everything was delicious, even the snails (which I typically find lack flavor). The BBQ pork was very crunchy and surprisingly not dry. Service was good. No complaints there! Although we had a large party, which required a mandatory tip, our waitress still boxed up our left overs without asking. Overall, the food, atmosphere, and service all played a part of a memorable foodie experience. I recommend coming here with a group of close friends who enjoy these types of flavors. Afterwards, if you still have room, walk down to Mia's and order some fresh cold sugar cane drinks to finish the night. read more

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A must go place!! This restaurant gives you the tastiest Vietnamese street food. I got to try this place with my family and it was actually worth every penny. Form crispy pork belly.. to the dynamite mussels.. to the oysters.. papaya salad... garlic skewers... & many more street food items, everything tasted so good!! Each entree was about $16-20+.. not bad if you're doing family style anyway. The staff was fast and efficient, everything came out inna timely manner. I heard this place does get busy on weekends, but we came on a Tuesday night and it was not so busy! lol.. but the bathroom was pretty awesome- it had a huge selfie mirror with lighting features, as well as art and pictures all around the bathroom. I've never seen a bathroom like that before! Everything about the atmosphere and decor all had some meaning, almost like a glimpse of Vietnam. Which was cool to see. Side note- would love more truffle oil on the French fries! read more

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Unfortunately I came during lunch so I was not served the night menu which contained all the actual viet cuisine one would come here for, so this review will be based on the pre-3pm lunch menu which is much more conventional viet affair. Really trendy looking place first of all, for the ambiance I found the price to be reasonable and food to be on par with what I would expect from bellaire. Drink selections were interesting as well and my lunch experience was good enough for me to want to come back during night hours for the full menu. Would I Go Out of My Way to Try? Yes Would I Return? Yes Ambiance- 10/10 Food Taste- 7/10 Service- 7/10 Value- 7/10 read more

HEM Kitchen And Bar - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I'm not sure how their normal menu items are, as they only offer those for lunch. We visited during dinner time, and the menu was extremely limited, with about 90% of the options being play foods. However, the happy hour items were a great deal. Both the grilled oysters and fried chicken wings were good. I wouldn't recommend the fried chicken feet. While they are great as a dim sum item because they are steamed, they were extremely hard to eat when fried. The grilled skewer combo was okay. The decor ambiance is nice. It gives the street of Vietnam vibe. The services are ok. If you are looking for a dinner meal, this is NOT the place. If you are looking for a hang out drink and chat place with some interesting items to eat with, this is a good place to try. read more

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The service is excellent. The wait staff continually checked to see if you needed anything else. The food is top-notch. There were many items on the menu that I plan to order on my next visit. read more

HEM Kitchen And Bar - Five-spiced grilled beef is delicious. - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This place is super cute and unique, gives off a modern Vietnamese street food vibes. Outside the restaurants that have some seating with small tables and chairs (which is seen in Vietnam almost everywhere). We ordered mainly street food dishes, really just Oc, and it was delicious. Presentation and flavor was great. The Oc Len Xao Dua was flavorful and creamy, I wish the Goi Oc we ordered had more oc, they were also cut pretty thinly so couldn't really taste the oc flavor, mainly just the mango and nuoc mam flavor. The Oc combo was a good deal, being able to get a variety of oc with different flavors, it was all good, my least favorite would be the oysters with cheese. But that's probably because I don't really like cheese like that. The service was great! Everyone was really kind and attentive, which surprised me considering how busy they were. read more

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Nice little spot can't wait to go back, atmosphere and the Food was great. Service can be a little better besides that everything was great.

Excellent ! We enjoyed everything we ordered! Fresh and well balanced ! Everything we ordered complimented each other very well. Service here was great and attentive! Ambience atmosphere was lovely with a good crowd for Sunday dinner. read more

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We ordered three items: the lotus seed tea, crispy pork belly and frog legs with fish sauce. The pork belly was a bit dry, it could have been juicier and more tender. The fish sauce dip was really well made. Overall, the dish was still enjoyable. The frog legs were very tender and flavorful. If you've never had frog legs before (I haven't before this), they are similar to chicken wings. The lotus seed tea was a solid drink to have with everything. All in all, I would recommend trying this restaurant, the ambiance, service and decor were delightful and welcoming. read more

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Vietnamese street food in a fun and lively atmosphere. Having passed by HEM many times over the years, I was always curious about what attracted so many here. Now I know. With good food and good service, this was a great experience. Shrimp fried rice: fried rice topped with grilled shrimp. Rice was well seasone and shrimp tasted fresh and snappy. Papaya salad: this dish was quite refreshing. There were fermented(?) raw crab legs which threw me off a bit but it worked. Fried pork belly: crispy thick pieces of pork that came with a sweet fish sauce dip. Hearty, crunchy, and delicious. Skewer medley: a mix of beef, chicken gizzards, pork slices, and okra. Well seasoned dish that came with a refreshing green sauce. I ended up dipping a lot of stuff in that green sauce. Oyster, scallop, mussel sampler: this one is a mix of cheesy oysters, orange sauce on mussels, and scallop with quail egg. The dish came with three pieces per type and is a good way to try a little bit of everything. Fun dinner! read more

HEM Kitchen And Bar - Oyster, mussel, and scallop medley - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Being Vietnamese and that I'm still in Houston for vacay, I need a really good seafood place. That said, HEM caught my attention when I saw it on an ad, and I knew this place wouldn't let me down. Carrying the traditional Vietnamese street foods, each one manages to retain its flavors from the foods we know and love and it was magnificent. Frog legs were great, every oyster I had was great, and just every seafood was delicious. The overall atmosphere I feel like was carrying like vintage looks of how street dining is like in Vietnam, and I felt I like I was back in Saigon with my cousins of my childhood neighborhood in a good way. To round out about, every one of the restaurants were extremely nice and provided the best hardworking service possible. Literally every food was handed out like five minutes. Never more than ten or twenty as most restaurants would, but HEM really blew me out of the water. I loved it! If you are ever in Houston and you wanted authentic Vietnamese food, then HEM is your place. read more

HEM Kitchen And Bar - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

I wanted to love this place because of the aesthetic but the food was just okay. There's a lot offered here and most of the plates are shareable, so it worked out for our large group of friends. We ordered a lot of meat dishes, but most of them felt very dry or too chewy. The bo luc lac was sweeter than I would like. The only dishes I would probably order again is the mini egg rolls and the garlic butter scallops with the crackers -- it was flavorful and delicious. The service was great though, our waiter was very attentive to our group and very accessible despite how busy the restaurant was. read more

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The food was delicious and our server was very nice. She was attentive to what we need.

A couple of my friends wanted Vietnamese BBQ for dinner and one of them made a last minute suggestion to come here. When I saw the colorful plastic low tables for outside diners, I thought to myself, "awesome! This place looks authentically Vietnamese so far, so the food is probably gonna be amazing." The interior contained a lot of well-thought out Vietnamese decor as well, and combined with a 30 minute wait time for five people, my hopes were high. Unfortunately, the tastiness of the food did not reflect the restaurant's aesthetics for me. The main dish that gravitated my friends and I here was the crispy pork belly, which was underwhelming. Crispy on the outside, but very tough and dry as soon as I bit in. I can't remember tasting much flavor; maybe I was too occupied with trying to gulp it down. The shaken beef fared much better. Way easier texture and packed more flavor. I was especially a fan of the (lemon pepper?) seasoning that came with it. That dish by itself probably deserves 4 stars. The vegetable platter was plain... somewhat better when dipped with the sauce, but every one of the vegetables (carrot, celery, bok choy, cauliflower, cabbage) came bone-dry without any seasoning. Maybe I shouldn't complain about the dryness since I really only ordered it to add in some fiber to the meal, but it definitely was not worth $18. Aesthetically, this place looks great. The servers were friendly as well. However, I wouldn't come back here, especially at the current price point of these dishes. I am seeing high praise for the fried rice entrees in previous reviews; maybe that is something worth trying instead if you decide to visit. read more

The vibes at this place are IMMACULATE. Their theme is Vietnamese street food and they have everything there except the dirty streets. The servers are great and the food is amazing! Their traditional food is so good but have a cool modern spin to them. The drinks are pretty special too! Try to go for lunch because I heat dinner time is CRAZY here. read more

HEM Kitchen And Bar - Vietnamese Near Me - Houston, Texas

I was really excited to try Hem after hearing all the rave about it, and I was not disappointed. We came on a Saturday evening at 6:30 and the wait was 40 minutes for 5 people and they don't take reservations ahead of time, so just a heads up. Despite it being very busy, our server was very attentive and friendly. We had our water jug replaced almost immediately every time it emptied, which is fantastic. Crispy Pork Belly - the main reason why we went there was because my friend was craving this dish. I honestly thought it was okay, it didn't really stand out to me but I'm also not the biggest fan of this dish in general. Seafood Fried Rice- the star of the night. I was in love with this dish. It was a perfect blend of flavors and the roe was a phenomenal addition to the dish, taking it to the next level. Grilled skewers- I also thought this dish was okay. It was fun trying all the different skewers, but it wasn't too special. My favorite were the okra and beef skewers though! Overall Hem is a very fun and lively place to grab a bite at with a lot of Vietnamese street dishes specializing in seafood. I would like to come back and try their lunch menu as it has more traditional dishes. read more

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