Xeo Yum is a Vietnamese eatery located in a food hall in Midtown. They are known for their bánh…read morexèo, which is a crispy Vietnamese crepe/pancake. The filling is placed in a pan and then a thin layer of batter made with tumeric and coconut milk yellow batter is poured on top. You wrap the lettuce around the bánh xèo/bánh khọt and dip it in the fish sauce. I got the bánh khọt and the bò né. Bánh khọt is like a mini, thicker version of bánh xèo and came with nine pieces. Their bánh khọt was crispy, sweet and savory, and went well with the fish sauce. Although the portions initally look small, they are very filling. The bò né was filling and sizzling when it came out. It also came with a side of salad. The meat was tender. I really liked the bánh khọt and would definitely come back for them. It's nice having an authentic Vietnamese restaurant in our area, close to us, so we don't have to make the trek to Bellaire every time we crave some Viet food!

Typically, when an Asian business has a cheeky name like Xeo Yum, it's widely assumed that it's…read moreheavily Americanized and therefore shouldn't be taken seriously. I couldn't have been more wrong. Xeo Yum (#1) as it turns out is one of the most legit Vietnamese places in Midtown serving up some of the city's best banh xeo and banh khot. Located inside of a Food Hall (#2) in the back corner, they have low-key become a destination and without question, the most popular stall in the entire place. The fan base didn't happen overnight but is a direct result of Chef Cuong Nguyen's commitment to quality Vietnamese fare. Banh Xeo is their signature item, which is also known as a sizzling crepe or pancake made of rice flour, tumeric, and coconut milk. The banh xeo holds well, is perfectly crispy, and is nicely stuffed with an assortment of beans sprouts, shrimp, and some of the best grilled pork belly I've had. Another specialty item that doesn't get enough mention is their banh khot, which is similar but has a mini muffin / cupcake like appearance made in a specialty cast iron mold. This version is wonderfully crispy and pairs perfectly with fresh greens and fish sauce with some funk. It is my favorite item here. Some have argued they also serve one of the best bo ne (#3), the Vietnamese version of steak and eggs served in a skillet. The chunks of beef are nice and tender with just a tad of char, served with two fried eggs, and a banh mi baguette with a mix of butter and spare. Normally I think of spam or sausage included with the meats, but Chef Cuong's spin is with cherry tomatoes. It's a different approach and I'm not mad at it. Folks not looking for this can shoot for bo luc lac, aka shaking beef, which is also recommended. The staff here is sweet, hard-working, and very friendly. They also make a mean Vietnamese coffee and offer free iced self-serve water. The prices are what I would expect in a Midtown food hall, and there's plenty of seating. Anyone checking out the food hall need to make Xeo Yum as part of their eating itinerary. __________ (#1) A play on the Vietnamese sizzling crepe, Banh "xeo" and yum" (#2) Previously the Conservatory and now Stestí Food Hall. (#3) Boh-Neh. Not bone.

This spot is low key with a nice, clean interior and friendly service. I visited here to check out…read moresome noodles and crawfish. When I arrived there was nobody dining in the restaurant, that was a bit worrying, but I figured it was a bit early for the dinner crowd and late for the lunch crowd. Food & Drink - 4.5* First up was the noodles, I enjoyed them, but I wouldn't say the hype I'd heard about from some others was there. They had nice flavor, but there just wasn't anything "special." 3.5* Then it was on to the crawfish, and my oh my. Superb, the flavor is delicious and unique. This more than made up for the noodles dish. The potato and corn was good too. Service - 5* Solid. When I first arrived the owner was quietly reading a newspaper and eating his own lunch. He paused to greet me and advised that I could sit anywhere. He provided water and adequate time to determine what I wanted to order. The food came out quickly and he checked in a few times to make sure everything was ok. As time went by, the crowd of folks showing up increased quite a bit and he still managed to check in on tables consistently. Pricing - 4* This is where it was odd. Always subjective but I found the noodles to be overpriced for not only the size but what I felt was a pretty simple dish. The crawfish on the other hand was priced very competitively and made up for the overpriced noodles. I provided pics of the menu for someone to make their own assessment but in general I thought many of the dishes were pricier than they probably should be. I know inflation is certainly killing many businesses and consumers but even these felt a bit off. Overall - 4.5* This is definitely going to be one of my go tos for crawfish when in the area. The flavor is fantastic, the pricing is good, the size of them were solid. There are a couple of other dishes I may try on the next visit. The restaurant is clean, the owner is very nice, and it's a nice low key space to just enjoy a good meal with friends or family.

One of the best Vietnamese places I've ever been hands down. I still think about it a year later…read more They had a very big variety of food on the menu, so you could have your fill of Vietnamese dishes. I believe the crawfish is seasonal, so go during crawfish season because this pho was delicious. The crawfish were so tender and the pho was so flavorful. The beef dish was also so good to eat and balanced. The fried beef balanced so well with the fresh salad and rice. I will say that when we went the parking lot was a little deserted at night. I would definitely lock your doors and take all your valuables. But that's all or Houston, so just stay safe!

Solid Vietnamese restaurant located in downtown/east downtown (EaDo) that's been around for…read moredecades. It's walkable from the George R Brown Convention Center and the Marriott Marquis where we found ourselves for a staycation in Houston. I've been to Huynh's many times but it had been a while since I don't frequent downtown nor the medical center as much as I used to. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it's only a 5 minute walk from Marriott Marquis. We walked in late on a Saturday evening (the night of an Astros game down the street at Daikin Park) around 8 pm. We were promptly seated, and the service overall was very good. Everyone was friendly and attentive. My glass of water was always full. We ordered a standard large pho with 4 meats. At first I thought the broth looked a little light, but overall it was delicious. Grilled pork vermicelli with egg roll was amazing as expected. And lastly the pan fried noodle seafood plate was a hit. Everything we ordered and ate was great and we devoured it all. I will say that Huynh's is pricey, so don't think this is like cheap Asian takeout. It's quite nice in terms of ambiance despite the tight parking and surrounding businesses being a bit dingy. Enjoy!

Very good pho broth and noodles, but EVERYTHING ELSE is meh. The real community has moved outta the…read morearea. You should look for better options than this one in the city. Ppl are nice and service was great!

Food: 4.9/5 Service: 4.6/5…read moreAmbiance: 4.5/5 Overall: 4.7/5 I really enjoyed myself here. I don't think I've ever consumed so much shrimp paste in my life, so if you don't like that flavor you probably wanna go elsewhere, but other than that everything was just really comforting and nice to eat. My least favorite of what we got was the Banh Bot Chien, and even that was still really good and had a nice crunch. Everything else we ordered was all really authentic and very forward with flavor. The restaurant was incredibly busy on the Saturday we went, with the bustling lunch crowd of both large families and old couples filling up the entire restaurant, so try to go at an off-hour where most people aren't eating. It was just an incredible experience that I 100% recommend to anyone wanting authentic Vietnamese food.

Amazing food. Amazing service. Amazing ambiance…read more We had the Canh Chua ca kho to and bi tai canh. Everything was well balanced and comforting, the Canh Chua could use more tamarind.

Vietnamese spot that did not disappoint!…read more We started with the Bánh Bèo Chén, which are so much fun to eat--and absolutely delicious. Then came the Bánh Bột Lọc, which reminded me of little Asian tamales. Soft, chewy, flavorful, and SO good! But my absolute favorite was the Bánh Khọt / Bánh Khoái. Crispy on the outside, packed with flavor, and even better dipped in the accompanying sauce with those chiles. Absolutely delicious! Everything we tried was flavorful and satisfying, but that Bánh Khọt/Bánh Khoái stole the show for me. I'm already thinking about what I'm ordering the next time I come back!

Always frequent Nam Giao over the years. Ambience is typical for a Viet restaurant. Service is as…read moregood as it can get on a busy Sunday brunch. Pay the bill at the cash register once you're done eating. Banh beo can be ordered as 8, 16, or 32 mini trays. 16ct was just right if dining for 2 and ordering other dishes. Fish sauce was great and chopped jalapeños are left on the side. Banh ram it (4ct) is another solid dish! Mochi filled with protein and the bottom is like a crispy rice cake. Com ga (rice and grilled chicken + veggies) was also good. Definitely going to dine here again whenever I'm craving their food!

My kids were on a mission to find a great-tasting bowl of pho, so we came across Old Saigon. And…read morewith a name like that, it has to taste homemade, right? The restaurant was easy to find, right off Main Street, and parking was a breeze. When we walked in, the restaurant had a modern look with a beautiful mural celebrating the homeland. We were greeted and told to sit wherever we'd like, so we picked a table and settled in. Our server came by with the menus, napkins, utensils, and plates, all neatly stacked, and then gave us some time before coming back to take our order. We ordered several different bowls of pho so everyone could try something -- salmon, steak and meatballs, and the combo (đặc biệt). Of course, we also had to try their dry pho. We also noticed they had a mango salad with a choice of protein, and since that sounded intriguing, we decided to give that a try too. The mango salad came out first, and I'm honestly still not quite sure how I feel about it. The mango was tart, and there was a creamy element that gave the salad an interesting texture and flavor. I did really like the grilled shrimp, though. Out of the protein options, I'd recommend the shrimp with this salad, although I could also see chicken pairing well with the flavors. Then came the pho. We tried several different broths, and they were all flavorful on their own. I didn't feel like they needed anything added unless you prefer extra spice or seasoning. I also really appreciated how generous they were with the basil. There was plenty to go around, which is always a win when you're eating pho! As we finished up, our server came back to the table with our check and small spoons filled with what looked like crème brûlée. We asked her what it was, and she said she didn't know. We mentioned that it looked like crème brûlée, and she agreed before walking away. I'm not sure if this was something complimentary, a leftover from another dish, or something we were supposed to know about, but it was definitely an unexpected ending to the meal. If you know what this was, I'd love to know! Overall, we'd definitely come back. The food was great, the pho was flavorful, and there were plenty of options for everyone. The service could use a little improvement. Our server seemed to have some difficulty communicating in English, and we could have used a few water refills during the meal. Nothing major -- we probably just needed to speak up more. Good food, easy parking, a nice atmosphere, and a family-friendly menu. We'd come back to try more of what Old Saigon has to offer.

I was so excited to try this restaurant because it was so highly rated on here…read more We ordered delivery and both ordered the pork bowl with a Bogo spring roll deal. The spring rolls were pretty good, but nothing to write home about. The dipping sauce they packed for both the spring rolls and pork bowls had a faint flavor of something that could have had potential, but did not deliver. There was a small garnish of pickled onions and shredded carrot that went so well with the pork bowls. If they included more of that, the bowls would have been star status. But they didn't. And they weren't. Overall, I had a decent lunch. Maybe next time I'll dine in to see if that makes a difference.

Located in the My Hoa Market Plaza, this restaurant is a one-stop shop for satisfying all your to…read moreVietnamese noodle soup and street food cravings. The menu extensive, so there's definitely something for everyone. While the price might seem a little high at first glance, but the portion are generous and many dishes are made to share. The Bun Mam was packed with abundance of fresh seafood and it came with great noodle portion, enough to split the bowl between the table. The Banh Khot was perfectly crispy on the outside, while staying light and delicate on the inside. It paired great with their house-made kumquat dipping sauce. It was a little sweet for liking, but diluting with some water balanced it out nicely. I had a great experience and left impressed by both dishes I've tried. I'll definitely will be back to explore more of their menu, especially their variety of snail dishes which looked incredibly delicious.

This is a good casual dining experience with authentic Vietnamese dishes. And some of these dishes…read moreare not sold or prepared in other restaurants. The place is almost always busy proving the quality of the food and the kind attentive service from the staff. When you enter, I usually just a spot and I'm quickly spotted by a waiter. They take the order quickly and the food comes out relatively quickly and hot. The staff even call out the classic phrase "Nước sôi!" when they bring a hot dish out of the kitchen. This phrase translates to boiling water, but they do this for patron safety. I've ordered the Cơm chiên gà xối mỡ which is fried rice with crispy chicken. The rice and chicken are cooked perfectly and the rice has crunch bits made for it. The chicken also has two dipping sauces that come with it. 5/5 taste We have also had the Bánh Khọt which comes as separate small pancake style foods stuffed with shrimp and batter with a side if fresh vegetables and fish sauce. 5/5 taste They also have some refreshing drinks and soft drinks as well. Large parking lot and the restaurant is in a strip center. Will return!

I had little experience with Vietnamese cuisine and so did not know what to expect when I went to…read moredone at Hem. Oh how I've been missing out! I loved the street vendor feel that hits you from the moment you walk up with the casual outdoor seating. However, the interior, with its regal decor and trendy feel was what caught my attention. Our waiter was very kind and took time to explain the items on the menu, and his recommendation of the egg coffee drink was perfect for what I was looking for! The egg rolls, skewers, fried rice and clams were all delicious. Everything was rich in flavor and unique compared to other Asian cuisines I had tried before. Can't wait to return to try the rest of the menu!

Hem has quickly become one of my go-to spots for Vietnamese street food. The vibe is good with a…read morecute, traditional street food feel for their outdoor seating, and their indoor decor is just as charming, especially during the holiday season. The food is consistently great, and the prices are reasonable, especially considering the wide range of seafood options. I've tried the razor clams, and the grilled pompano, and I highly recommend both! They also have a solid lunch menu, which makes it an even better value. Service is always good, and the seating areas, inside and out, are very inviting. Definitely worth checking out!

Home and hungry for pho but wanted a good rich broth and came across the Bun Bo Hue on the Moon…read moreRabbit menu. It was WOW, rich and tasty. Not your average broth! Heavy meaty with a splash of fish broth. Sounds odd but iYKYK! The only thing I would do differently is ask for more slaw mix, but it hit the spot and enough for 2. We added lemongrass pork which was also wonderful. Now the Fried Garlic Shrimp was out of this world with its pepper Lemon dipping sauce! Oh My! I got for lunch the next day but no, we ate it up fast! The fried shrimp skins were perfectly fried and so lightly battered, the shrimp fresh and tasty! I will making this a regular on rotation. Door dash delivery!

Yum yum yum First of all the food exceeded my expectations…read more The soy wings were delicious and crispy. My dinner was the garlic butter shrimp rice bowl and I ate everything. My husband got the shaking beef and the beef was juicy and tender. For dessert we tried the bread pudding and it was just ok.. wouldn't order again but it wasn't bad. I recommend doing a reservation. We went without one and had to wait 40 min. The place isn't not too small but not big. I will be back to try more items.

ANNAM has it all…read more Great food, beautiful ambience and good service. Houston Ian's are used to eat Vietnamese food, but once you eat ANNAM's food, you really can taste the difference in quality and precision compared to others.

Michelin star deserved! This place was fabulous! Great service? Beautiful restaurant and amazing…read morefood! We ordered shrimp stuffed pepper and my god today it was excellent! It comes in a set of 2 but we got a 3 pack! I ordered the grilled branzino and let me tell you! That chimichurri sauce !! Clutch! It is demonetisation and truly grilled to perfection. My friends ordered the filet mignon and the chicken and they were equally as impressed! I ordered the espresso mousse for dessert which comes out in the shape of a coffee bean. Cuteeee and perfect! This place didn't disappoint and it is a must visit.