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    VeLa Brunch & Thai Restaurant

    4.5 (242 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Order VeLa Brunch & Thai Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

    VeLa Brunch & Thai Restaurant Photos

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    VELA BRUNCH & THAI RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - VeLa Brunch & Thai Restaurant

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    Camille V.

    We were in town for a sports tournament and found this place on yelp. The place is easy to find, plenty of street parking which is a plus. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted and asked if we had reservations, we did not, but we were seated immediately. Staff were extremely friendly and provided great service. Ambiance of the place was nice, interior and exterior clean and well kept. Flavor of the food was really good!!! The only thing that didn't make my review 5 stars is that every single protein in what we ordered was way overcooked. We ordered the tamarind shrimp, super flavorful, asparagus cooked to perfection, the shrimp was really tough though. We also ordered pad Thai and the tofu was chewy and hard. And lastly, chicken curry, the chicken was also overcooked. Which was a bummer cuz every dish was packed with good flavor.

    Thai Crab Rolls (Hoi Jor)
    Joyce V.

    Nestled deep in Downtown San Jose, VeLa Brunch & Thai Restaurant appears to have a modest exterior with a seemingly small building and limited parking capacity. We were surprised to have quickly secured a table in their outdoor patio, only to see the brunch rush queue up at the front door upon placing our order! This place draws a crowd, and is a local Thai gem in the Downtown neighborhood. You would not assume its menu would be elaborate with brunch cocktails, breakfast options and traditional Thai items! There was so much to choose from, but I ordered the Thai Crab Rolls and the Vela Crab Omelette. All of the food was delicious, and I have to show appreciation for the good looks of the Vela Crab Omelette. However, I have to take off a star because the protein to carb ratio seemed imbalanced in this dish. For someone who doesn't eat a lot of rice, I feel I should have ordered an additional entree to have more protein. While the dish featured rather large chunks of lump crab, it felt more like a garnish because there was so much more rice in comparison. The dish was delicious regardless! Come early and consider a reservation! Parking is limited, but we found parking in the neighborhood.

    VeLa Tomyum Omelet
    Lynn N.

    I came here with my family for brunch, but unfortunately I did not enjoy the food as much as I wished. We were immediately seated and inside is spacious but very cold! We had to ask them to turn off the AC! Each item we got came out about 15-30 minutes after ordering, so it did take a while. The shrimp cakes were fine, but I felt a bit too crispy. The tom yum was really salty and missing more aromatics like lemongrass. The omelette, to me, is overhyped and does not carry much flavor. VeLa is a cute fusion spot, but I do not think it is for me!

    Thai Herb Mussel
    Sarah K.

    Came here to celebrate a friend's birthday and was pleasantly surprised. We came for dinner on a Sunday and it wasn't too busy. We did do reservations just in case, but that wasn't necessary. There are plenty of tables indoors and it wasn't incredibly packed. The restaurant is located in downtown San Jose, and there is not a dedicated parking lot, so make sure to account time for finding street parking. We ordered a variety of food to share, and despite coming for dinner, we were able to order the crab omelette. The crab omelette, tom yum with seafood stood out. The mussels were good, but a good majority still had the shells fully closed, so I was a bit skeptical of whether they could be consumed or not. We also ordered the mango sticky rice, and it was my first time getting this dessert where the rice was HOT. It wasn't warm, it was HOT. We also brought cake from outside and the staff were very accommodating and brought out a new set of plates and utensils and a serving knife. The service here was incredibly attentive as well!

    Matcha Thai Tea ($7) on the sweeter side. Would get again
    Mary K.

    My friend and I had reservations at 1PM and we got seated at the counter immediately despite there being a line of about 10 people. Definitely recommend a reservation because this place is popular. We ordered: -Matcha Thai Tea ($7). Very aesthetically pleasing, as you can see the Thai tea layer and the matcha layer on top, but a little too sweet for my taste but I usually get 25-50% sweetness for my boba. I would still get it again. -Vela Omelette (Crab or Sous-vide duck breast) ($28) 5/5 would definitely get this again. Got the duck breast and it was so tender, not dry at all and the flavor of the sauce and rice was spot on. Slightly sweet but definitely savory. -Papaya Salad ($16): 4.5/5 can't go wrong with papaya salad. This was also good but a little spicy for asking for mild. The Thai chilis are intense. I wish it had more lime though. I would still get it again. -Pad See Ew ($18.5) 3.5/5. We got it with chicken-- this dish was super flavorful but too salty. I felt like I needed to eat rice with it. I would want to try the Pad Thai next time. Also there is only street parking.

    VeLa Surf and Turf Omelet with tomyum sauce
    Jurry P.

    Came here for brunch with some friends. We didn't have any reservations so was told we can either wait an hour or be done within the hour since they will be needing the table. We decided to dine there and be out by the hour. We ordered our drinks which were all really good. We each ordered a dish and extra one to share. First one out was one pumpkin curry which was really good except for the chicken pieces which were in the drier side. The next dish out was rhe pad see ew with crispy pork. Crispy pork was crispy and not dry and noodles were cooked nicely. The only downfall was it was overly sauced so it was salty. The other two dishes were the same, the surf and turf omelette with tom Yum sauce. The last two dishes came out 5-10 minutes apart even though it was the same dish. The dish was tasted like seafood and tomyum sauce was salty. The omelette and rice helped a little to ease the salty taste. Overall this was a cute place. Service was okay. Some of the staff were. Street parking only but we were able to find one fairly quickly. Would recommend to make a reservation if you do decide to come here because they were busy and full.

    Papaya Salad
    Tiger W.

    Surf and turf omelette was solid -- duck and crab both perfectly cooked, but the sauce buried the crab flavor and the whole thing leaned salty. Papaya salad with crispy pork was fine, nothing special, and at $21 the portion was rough for what you get. Thai tea was too sweet for my taste, but they took it back off the bill without any fuss -- that kind of thing goes a long way. Service was genuinely great. Parking's a bit of a hassle, so budget extra time for that. Solid brunch spot, a couple menu items need tweaking, but the team clearly cares about getting it right. Ambiance was perfect for a date.

    Duck Curry
    Tiffany L.

    This is a really cute spot tucked in San Jose downtown. I came here with my family on a Friday night and we were seated promptly. The staff was extremely attentive and nice and we got our food so fast we ordered papaya salad, duck curry, seafood medley, Thai boat noodles. We're a little small, but I appreciate that they were able to accommodate for our spice tolerance. Everything was delicious, no notes across the board for food. For the matcha Thai tea, the Thai tea and matcha were on the lighter side, more creamy side. I wish it was a little bit stronger but I'm glad it also didn't keep me up at night. For dessert, mango Panna, cotta and chocolate lava cake were amazing mango Panna cotta was actually just regular Panna cotta with mango sauce on it though, not mango flavored Panna cotta.

    Gai Tod (Fried Chicken)
    Ray B.

    I wasn't in the mood for Thai food, but I'm glad my buddy convinced me otherwise. Thai brunch seems to be having a moment, and this place shows why. I came in hesitant and left looking forward to my next visit. There are plenty of dishes on the menu I can't wait to try. BB

    Theresa D.

    This place is the real deal, best new brunch/lunch spot in SJ. They don't have a yelp waitlist, walk-in only. Street parking only, which wasn't so bad on the weekend. The tom yum omelet with duck was the best thing I've ever eaten. I love tom yum flavor, and the sauce over rice was the best thing. Who else loves a saucey rice entree? The rib dish was very tender and cooked well. It comes with a side of roti, which was flakey. I'll be back to try the tom yum omelette with crab meat and their other items!

    Fried rice
    Rosie W.

    Came here for a friend's birthday. Honestly, I never would have thought to come downtown for Thai food -- between the parking and the area itself, it's not somewhere I'd normally head for a meal. But the birthday girl suggested it, and I'm glad she did. First thing I noticed was the lychee mimosa, which I'd never had before. It comes with a lychee on top, super aesthetically pleasing, and the drink was yummy. We ordered the roti with curry sauce and it reminded me of the ones at Banana Island, which is a huge compliment. The roti was thin and airy, and the yellow curry was thick with that signature bright color and earthy flavor from a heavy turmeric and curry powder base, balanced with creamy coconut milk. I don't normally like calamari, but theirs was very soft and didn't need much chewing. It went really well with the seafood mayo sauce. The pad thai was also good -- they added crispy pork belly, which brought another dimension to an already complex dish with the scrambled egg, tofu, and bean sprouts. The chicken fried rice was solid with all the right Thai flavors: fish sauce, soy sauce, and a touch of sugar. I always order duck mad kee pao whenever I go to a Thai restaurant -- that fiery stir-fry with wide, chewy rice noodles, succulent roasted duck, fresh Thai basil, and crisp vegetables in a rich, savory sauce. I prefer it over pad see ew since it's heavier in flavor and spicier. Theirs delivered. The one miss for me was the crab omelette, which our waitress recommended when we asked. I didn't know what to expect. I've seen this dish on YouTube and know it's a hit in Thailand, and I think it's this restaurant's best seller -- but it ended up being my least favorite. It made me feel very full, probably the combination of rice, egg, and the heavy sauce, and the texture wasn't very complex. It came across as mushy to me. Maybe I just don't know how to appreciate it. Parking may be a problem, so plan for that. Staff was very friendly throughout. My friends got the dirty Thai tea and were jittery afterwards, haha. It was strong!

    Khao Soi Crispy Chicken Benedict
    Kelley T.

    Made a reservation for 10:30am on a Sunday so we were seated right away. We ordered a Thai tea, vela omelette with tom kha and duck breast, khao soi eggs Benedict, and a pad Thai. We asked for another cup so we can split the Thai tea but the waitress just made it in 2 cups for us which was really nice of her. All the food came out really quickly and at the same time. The pad Thai was very saucy that is tangy and sweet, everything you'd like in a Pad Thai. The omelette was so good as the duck breast was cooked perfectly and the tom kha really added a nice flavor to the omelette and rice. The khao soi Benedict was just a normal eggs Benedict. The hollandaise sauce just tasted like normal hollandaise sauce and couldn't really taste the khao soi. Overall a really nice brunch place with really good food. There was too much food for the 2 of us and we brought home basically another meal.

    Tamarind prawns
    Jenny W.

    Birthday brunch here was a good choice! The food: 1. Shrimp tamarind sauce - THE SAUCE IS FIRE 2. Thai crab rolls - meh, would skip 3. Kao soi crispy chicken Benedict - not bad, but would also skip 4. Vela surf & turf (crab & duck) omelet - DELICIOUS 5. Mango sticky rice - tasty, your typical dessert Would definitely return for the shrimp tamarind sauce (super flavorful and yummy with perfectly cooked shrimp) and the surf & turf omelet (just the right balance of spice without overpowering the crab and duck). I couldn't get enough and was quite disappointed that we had to share. Great options for both indoor and outdoor dining, which is a huge perk for us as we like taking our fur baby out. Service was great and I appreciated their friendliness and understanding of having dogs in their somewhat small patio.

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - VeLa Brunch & Thai Restaurant

    Is this place good for vegetarian dinner? DO they have curries? And if so do the curries have fish cause or oyster sauce?

    We do have a lot of menus for vegetarian options. We do have curries no fish sauce and oyster sauce.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    I finally tried Must be Thai after years of hearing great things about it on a Sunday evening. We…read moregot here around 6pm and there was a pretty long wait but we got seated outdoors after about 40 minutes. The outdoor seating is just a few tables and chairs and the indoor seating definitely looks a bit cuter and more decorated but we were starving and happy to take the first table available. Service was super kind and even though we were the only party seated outdoors we never felt forgotten and our water stayed filled throughout the dinner. We got the Pok Pok Phu papaya salad which comes with little marinated crabs and was nice and refreshing and a just a hint of spice, the Tom yum rice which was my favorite and a standout dish - super flavorful, fragrant and generous amounts of seafood, the green curry with chicken which was a comforting classic, and the southern pad thai which was also solid and tasty. Everything was flavorful, generous in portion size and very enjoyable - we did ask for mild spice and would probably go for medium next time since I did want to enjoy some more heat with the dishes! Overall I can see why Must be Thai is a popular favorite for Thai food and I'll definitely be back more often :)

    surprisingly packed on a weekday lunch…read more service was kinda faster than I expected pad thai - 8/10 honestly better than I remembered from before pad see ew - 6/10 meat was a lillll dry & imo had too much veggies but I just don't rly like veggies LOL

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    4.1(149 reviews)
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    Thai fried rice was solid! I would skip chicken and get shrimp or maybe try tofu/veggie as an…read moreoption next time. There is a small parking lot in the back. Seemed like most of their business is to go, but there were tons of tables and open seating indoors. The host/server was very polite and attentive!

    Hi, came to try this Thaibodia, sound interested thai n cambodian foods together so I can have a…read morechoice of each but feel of more Cambodian foods instead . We order beef salad, khmer soup, a cambodian traditional khmer dish which is call Amok. We was really disappointed on all the foods , beef salad is not even sour or smell like khmer beef salad. Was toooo sweet n salty, added Limes still didnt change the taste, the meat was sooo tender like they added baking soda or baking powder in it. Diff kind of veggies when its not necessary at all n who put carrots in the beef salad??? 2nd dish was amok, doesnt taste like amok at all, and who put square chopped cabbages inside amok and wasn't even in a banana leave was like a stir fry fish in a curry. Salty n tooo sweet, Soup wasn't khmer traditional soup at all, all kinds of veggies like leftover veggies in a fridge just throw it in a pot n cook regular with no aroma smell in it. Whoever the chef is, need to go to Cambodian and learn from the old folk or real khmer foods... I wouldnt be there again til they improve the ingredients they put in and have a real khmer chef taste the foods. Im sorry im being mean but I cook for other myself and I want to support our khmer people so we can tell the world how wonderful our foods is. With that kind of cooking is unacceptable. Never would look down on my own kinds, but this is just kids learning how to cook.

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    4.8(221 reviews)
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    I was so skeptical about this place! My coworker…read morerecommended this for a little get together. It's not my usual food, but I was open to try it and oh my goodness the food was amazing! The ambiance is very mellow, dim lights, and very cool paintings. If you're feeling adventurous I would definitely put this place on the bucket list! Most of their food is fermented which has a very fresh taste to it. My absolute favorite was the bread along with the spread. I told the workers there that It was my first time there and I didn't know what drink to get. They gave me a list of recommendations and I ended up getting a "sour" which tasted like a cider beer Thank you so much for the cool fun experience.

    $5 for a taste? There are some interesting beers at Fox…read moreTale. One that stood out is a Stout brewed with African co-coa beans. I asked for a sample/taste....ahh.$5. WTF! 1st time required to try a 1oz taste! I left Skip this clip joint! And you are warned that I saw a rat scurry across the kitchen floor! The county of Santa Clara Department of environmental Health DEH should be notified!! If you eat here you most likely will get food poisoning!! STAY AWAY! And Tell a friend!! Nice try on the Rebuttal! 1st impression! Is the one that is the lasting impression! Fox Tale or should be called Fox take! Is the only Brewery that does not offer a free 1 oz taste! Standard protocol for all other breweries that want to stay in business and be successful is offer a taste. I would offer you good luck, but you would not know what to do with it!! Facebook and Instagram are a great sounding board for your lack of customer service and cheap high and mighty attitude! All I wrote was true! Over 200+ Reviews.. Who is the public going to believe! You just can handle an honest rejection or Bad review! Get over yourself Maybe try a different line of work.....

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