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    May Cafe

    4.6 (52 reviews)

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    shrimp toast
    Carolyn D.

    I am so so glad a hot pot AND banh mi chao place has opened up in Tacoma. I have been waiting for this moment! The restaurant itself is very cute, lots of space but there isn't as much seating as I thought. The owners and staff are very sweet people from my conversation with them while ordering and as they were working around the restaurant. We got the banh mi chao with sausage/meatball/cha lua and also one with steak. They came with salad and a baguette on the side. I really enjoyed my plate with the various meats and I really liked the pate! It came out very hot so be careful. My boyfriend also enjoyed his steak. The bread was nice and light with a crisp as well. We also got the cheese and shrimp toast as well and this really amazed me. The shrimp toast was so big, like the pieces were huge. Normally shrimp toast is often a bit smaller, but here the bread was thick and they added so much topping on it. Shrimp toast is pretty simple dish for me but the way they made it large stood out to me haha. It was delicious. I would love to come back and try the hot pot and some of the drinks that they have :)

    Tomato hot pot with pork belly and instant noodles
    Sean H.

    This place is pretty good. Came here on a Friday night with a party of 5 and got seated right away. We got to choose our seats. The inside itself has nice decorations on the wall but the decor overall does seem kinda unfinished. It's cozy though. I ordered the tomato hot pot with pork belly and instant noodles and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A lot of reviews mention the lack of meat but I got a lot of meat in mine. The broth was super flavorful and each ingredient tasted great. It also came with a black iced tea I think, and it was so good. Service was good too. Got checked up on a few times and everyone was pretty nice. I'd come again when I'm craving hotpot.

    Coffee menu
    Susanna L.

    The people (owners? that works there are super nice and accommodating. We were a group of 5 with 3 young kids thar are loud and running around But they looked at us with big smiles and moved tables and chairs around to accommodate us! I got the egg coffee- so so so so so good is all I can say. It's good when it goes in and then a blast of good aroma afterwards too!! Highly recommended We got the banh mi drink combo which is only about $12. I don't know what is in the banh mi but it's so good- there is so much going on. Light crisp bread and just a bunch of texture and flavor inside- it's so good!! The sauce, the meats, the veggies ... one word to sum it up- yum!! Chicken wings and tater tots were delicious too and came with 2 big container of sauce (not pictured) Proportions here are generous and pricing is great. It's kind of small so plan accordingly if you have a big group. So excited to try their hot pot combo next time! Highly recommended!! The kids enjoyed their nuggets (not pictured) wings and tots! Husband got the phin black coffee he said it was really good too. Basically the whole fam is happy! So happy to stumble across here

    Saemyi L.

    Love that there's a hot pot place in Tacoma! Makes it so convenient when I don't wanna drive to Tukwila. Their homemade dipping sauce was good. I didn't need to add extra toppings, it was more than enough for me to take home leftovers. Overall I liked the broth but I would've loved more intense flavors and it was more of a clearer broth than what I'm used to.

    Shrimp Toast
    Shayla T.

    Staff is very nice and welcoming. Food and drinks came out very fast. I love how they have the food and drink combo making it very affordable. The shrimp toast and octopus balls were loaded and packed with flavor

    Extra add ons for hot pot and banh mi crab, Banh Mi Shrimp & Cheese
    Alane G.

    Coming here for the second time and it's consistent! This time I got more refills on the tea with the hotpot because it comes with refills and like I said it's bomb. The place is still spacious and room for everyone. Next time, I'm going to try a different hotpot soup base instead of the creamy hot and sour. Try it and don't sleep on it. This visit also was a try of the tiger boba with the ube foam. I personally still love the house tea with chia seeds that come with the hotpot better.

    N9. Chicken Wing (+ tamarind sauce)
    Gertrude G.

    Sooo good, especially on a rainy day. This was my 2nd time here, and everything was just as delicious as the first time. The hotpot dipping sauce is so good. Service is so nice and friendly. Note to self to remember order: - wings w/ tamarind sauce - yellow curry hotpot with extra lamb +bowl of rice, maybe add bok choy - ube house coffee

    Tomato Hot Pot
    Joyce L.

    SO happy a hot pot place opened up on the south end! They're having a great deal with their hot pots! You get a free oolong tea with cheese cream for $15.95 and it is delicious! Met the owner and he's super friendly and the service was great! Space is definitely limited but they're planning on expanding so that'll be great! We will definitely be coming back!

    Jay C.

    The food is good. They have a limited selection of hot pot, but it's actually better than I thought it would be. The portion is a bit smaller than boiling point, but flavor is there. My party said that the Bo Ne is very good as well especially the pate. Hot pot does come with tea so that's a plus. Haven't tried the banh mi yet, but will next time. The people here are nice as well. I recommend give this place a try.

    Sizzling Plate
    Yow-Hann L.

    One of the most promising new Asian eateries. They appear to be just starting out, so the food took a while to come out but their staff was very friendly and their hot pot was the highlight of the night! The sizzling plate came pre-sliced but was overall very delightful. The patte is also good but I'd prefer if they offered a menu option with just the sizzling plate without the patte. The combination of great food, drinks and seating makes this a place that is worth dining in rather than takeout. I give this place 5 stars based off of their food + potential. And compared to other options in town, they are a breath of fresh air. Once they get more streamlined with their operations and word of mouth spreads, I can see this place reaching its full potential. We plan on being regulars here!

    Pork and Pate "banh mi"
    Judy S.

    I came here when they first opened and liked this spot. Came back today to order a banh mi and got this. This is not a banh mi at all, super disappointed

    Shane A.

    The previous owners of the original Pho Friends of lakewood are baack!! They originally only had snacks and boba, but they are now serving some good single hot pot. Had the mala soup base, and it was a good portion of veggiess and meats. You can do add ons if you want more. Service was outstanding! They're super friendly and attentive. It's a simple restaurant/cafe, nothing too fancy. Just plain good food. So, if you need a break from all the pho places around lakewood, check them out!!

    Hot and Sour hot pot
    Rish S.

    We were excited to try this place as there is no hot pot spots in this area. My husband and I love the flavor of the soup -- he had the Taiwanese one and I had the Hot and Sour. The only thing is there was not enough ingredients in the pot, especially the meat, only 3-4 pieces. Also, it was not good quality meat, there was just too much fat. I understand that everything is expensive now, but we don't mind paying more for more ingredients in the pot. You can get more noodles and meat going to neighboring Pho places for less. The service is very good though. They were very nice and attentive. But we will think again about coming here if the amount of food will stay the same.

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    2 years ago

    Dining area very clean, simple ambiance. The Banh Mi sandwiches are very tasty. The staff very attentive and courteous.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The food was excellent and the chef was really nice. The restaurant was peaceful and the hot pot was very good.

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    2 years ago

    I tried the creamy hot & sour. Food tasted great, service was excellent & ambiance was not bad.

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    3 years ago

    Got like 3 thin pieces of meat in my hotpot. Rest is fresh veggies floating on soup. Soup was good

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    3 years ago

    Really nice guy at the front counter, let us taste test the ube crema. Great ube tiger milk tea

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    4.4(72 reviews)
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    I visit viet kitchen about 1x/week!…read more I usually order SP4. Banh hoi thap cam to-go. This is a vermicelli noodle sheet dish with grilled pork, shrimp, and grilled pork sausage! The grilled pork is my favorite part! The serving size is huge so it could definitely feed 1.5 people. I usually eat about 75% in one sitting and save 25% later. The other dish I order if I'm eating at the restaurant is R9. Fish tamarind sour soup and Caramelized braised fish with rice. This is a staple I had when I was younger and ate out at Vietnamese restaurants. The food here is truly authentic Vietnamese! The prices for some of the dishes are also very reasonable for Tacoma. A banh mi (Vietnamese baguette) only costs $9. In addition, there's free and easy parking in front of the restaurant, happy hours from 2-6 pm Monday through Friday, and catering! Highly recommend this place.

    I completely forgot to take a picture of my food because I was way too hungry!…read more When we first sat down, they completely forgot to bring us menus, so we had to ask for them. I ordered the Bun Bo Hue, and I really appreciated that they were able to make substitutions since I don't eat pork blood. I also mentioned multiple times that I didn't want cilantro, but when my soup came out, it was covered in cilantro. They took it back and picked most of it out, but there was still quite a bit at the bottom of the soup. I really don't like cilantro, so I tried my best to eat around it. Despite that, the broth was AMAZING. It had the perfect spicy kick and so much flavor. The noodles were cooked perfectly, and the crab balls tasted like they were made with real crab. They also gave me a generous amount of meat, which I loved! The fresh coconut was also so good! Since we're in Washington, we probably won't get the freshest coconut like you would somewhere tropical, but it definitely did the job. Overall, the food itself was really good, but I wish they had been more careful about the cilantro since I specifically mentioned it several times.

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    La Cà Bar - Grilled pork bánh mi, 5 spice wings, and bánh xèo

    La Cà Bar

    4.1(417 reviews)
    5.5 mi
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    Full bar
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    Perfect spot for Vietnamese street food and late-night cravings, but a nightmare of a parking lot…read more My family was visiting from California last month, and naturally we needed to find somewhere to feed our party of 6 after our Seattle tourist trip. We arrived around 9 PM on a Thursday; I picked this restaurant because we were all craving Vietnamese food, and thankfully La Cà Bar is open late enough that we were still able to spend time eating together over a yummy meal. We sat downstairs since we were there primarily for the food and wanted to actually sit down and eat together. It was pretty empty when we arrived aside from one table, and we were able to seat ourselves wherever we wanted. They close at midnight, so arriving around 9 PM still gave us plenty of time to order, eat, and enjoy ourselves without feeling rushed. And then we proceeded to order an unreasonable amount of food. Everything we tried was delicious. The spring rolls were definitely superb (especially when dipped in the sauce), and I highly recommend getting a few for the table because apparently my family and I devoured them ASAP while waiting for our main course. I had to get the Bánh Xèo, because I have absolutely no self-control when I see it on a menu. The crepe was savory, filling, and delicious. Since it was cold that night, I also ordered Bún Bò Huế, because apparently being cold means I need to consume an entire bowl of spicy soup. I personally missed the classic cubes of pork blood that I usually expect in Bún Bò Huế, but it was still flavorful and satisfying without them. I also noticed the food here leans more toward Northern Vietnamese-style cuisine, but everything we had was still really tasty. I somehow managed to finish most of my food despite ordering enough to feed a second family. My family enjoyed their meals too. My son got a bánh mì without the garnish and was impressed by how huge and satisfying it was. Teenagers can be difficult to impress, so when the teenager says the bánh mì is huge and good, I listen. Our server was also really nice and friendly, which made the whole experience even better. Now, parking... Oh, sweet Jesus. The parking lot is TIGHT. The surrounding streets aren't particularly spacious either. If you have an SUV like myself, or anything larger, prepare yourself. I was genuinely relieved when I got back into my car and discovered that my vehicle had survived the evening without acquiring any new battle scars. But honestly? Worth it. The best part for me was how nostalgic the food felt. Vietnam is the country where I was born, so getting to sit down with my family and eat Vietnamese street food that reminded me of home was really special. We live far from where I grew up, so finding food that brings back even a little bit of that familiarity means a lot. And after moving away, I really appreciate those little moments where a meal can transport you somewhere for a couple of hours. So yes, 5 stars. Great late-night option, delicious food, friendly service, generous portions, and a menu that scratched the Vietnamese food itch perfectly.

    Popped in for dinner on a Saturday night. Very surprised to find this was a main restaurant…read moredownstairs and bar/sit-down area upstairs. The Good: -Vegan and non-Vegan options -Beef pho (non-Vegan) had really great flavor -Banh xeo chay (Vegan) was really tasty -Plenty of seating both upstairs and downstairs The Not So Good: -Portion size is definitely on the small size, especially considering price. Would definitely recommend!

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    May Cafe - cafes - Updated September 2026

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