I've visited plenty of Chinese restaurants, but I'm not sure if I've ever been to a Hong Kong Style Café. And if I have, I had no idea. I wasn't even aware that such places existed. Restaurant front - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=E5varI-CH_TtzIl30_IwVg Q: What is a Hong Kong Style Café?** A: A Cha Chaan Teng (Chinese: 茶餐廳; Cantonese Yale: chàhchāantēng; lit. 'tea restaurant'), often referred to as a Hong Kong-style café or diner, is a type of restaurant that originated in Hong Kong. Similar to a greasy spoon cafe or an American diner, these cafés are known for their eclectic and affordable menus featuring both Hong Kong cuisine and Hong Kong-style Western dishes. They have a casual setting, often revolving around coffee and tea, much like Western cafés. Source: Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cha_chaan_teng) After some research, it seems that Hong Kong Style Cafés/Diners are becoming a rising trend. The first thing I noticed was the eclectic menu--tomato soup, SPAM, BLT sandwich, pork belly with jalapeño, hot & spicy fries, wor wonton soup, and more. Hot Chili Oil - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=sv9JRWxJSuqRy3hCv6C-gw While in the SF Bay Area, I met up with my good friend, HM, who's a San Jose local, and I let him pick the restaurant. It was fairly busy, and the service was typical of a straightforward, no-nonsense Chinese restaurant--strictly business. HM arrived before me and was seated at a booth near the front window. Shortly after I sat down, I was served a cup of hot tea in a plastic cup. As our meal was coming to an end and our cups were nearly empty, the waitress came by to refill them without us having to ask. - "Cheers!" Hot Tea - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=h8Jlokcv4JSk8qR5jJtW_w We were then served a small bowl of complimentary soup. When I asked HM what kind of soup it was, he simply said, "Tomato." This was a first for me--tomato soup at a Chinese restaurant. It was surprisingly good! Tomato Soup - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=cYEV1TVVjwAlC2UbJwpMEg HM ordered his usual, the Shanghai Shredded Pork Thick Noodle Soup. (He lives about 15 minutes from the restaurant.) Photo - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=ZQTVHgGCfX7WiuYW263_5A I was considering the lunch specials, but after seeing HM order the thick noodle soup, I decided to follow suit and try it too. I went with the Braised Beef Brisket Thick Noodle Soup. It was very good. Photo - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=bi3PYHGDC4DIYpOMa8tnkA The food was good, with decent portions, attentive service, and fair value. I'm not sure when I'll be back in the San Jose area, but I'd definitely return to try some of the other tempting dishes on the menu. Overall rating: 3 Stars Food: 4 Ambiance: 3 Service: 3+ Value: 3 read more

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their service could be a bit more attentive, but compared to all the other hong kong cafes i've tried, i continue to come back to this one. the baked pork chop spaghetti is an order i never regret. it takes a bit longer to prepare, but it is worth it. i also enjoy their salt and pepper chicken wings, though they can be overcooked sometimes. i also recommend the curry fishballs and hong kong milk tea (hot or cold). the prices went up recently, but it's only normal. read more

This is a really good Hong Kong comfort food cafe. Hong Kong cafe style cuisine combines a few cuisines together from Hong Kong, British, Portuguese, and maybe a few others, which came from Hong Kong being a port city and having being influenced by the ships that docked and stopped by. You'll see more western-style dishes like toast, macaroni soup, spaghetti, baked casseroles, etc. Portions are pretty big, can be a little more on the pricier side, but nothing we haven't seen this inflationary period. I recommend either the Big Brother plate if you want a fried chicken wing and egg, or the Baked Chicken Steak & Pork Chop. Both come with half and half red sauce and cream sauce, for those like me who can't decide which one, or thinks they both taste great. One caveat is that hot milk tea is usually complimentary from the few HK cafes I've visited in the past, but they charge for it here. It's not too big of a deal though, but wanted to clarify. I got major food coma after, so don't eat this if you're expected to be productive afterwards. read more

Venus Cafe - Big Brother plate. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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Revisit this restaurant for lunch , and noticed almost no one inside . I was kind of wondering and now I know why . Seems like the quality of the food made that Ordered wanton noodle , which would be the most easiest signature food for Hong Kong style restaurant . However , it came to be extremely disappointed .The soup base , was totally no flavor at all , felt like hot water with a spoon of fish powder. The noodle was made way too soft . All right , this restaurant will be removed from list read more

Venus Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

HK style cafe done right! I've tried a few HK style cafe in the Bay area, NYC and LA and this one does it right! The food, portions, drinks, service etc is great! I ordered the tomato baked chicken and pork chop cheese rice which came as a set for lunch and includes russian borscht and my choice of drink. Before we even ordered anything they bought out the soup already which I was impressed given that we were crunch on time. The flavor was great, had some vegetables and it was hot. The rice dish was hot and the portions were big and it was slightly sweet and savory just like how it should be done! The milk tea was delicious and has condensed milk on the bottom. I am definitely coming back here to try more of their menu items. read more

Tried the baked pork chop and it was seriously so good -- crispy, tender, and super flavorful. Portion was generous and hit all the right comfort food vibes. Service was quick and the menu has a lot of solid HK-style café options. Will definitely be back for more! read more

Venus Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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Food: Quite legit for HK food. Totally help with the craving. Service was fast, same as the actual HK pace. Everyone speaks Cantonese. Ambiance: The shop gets pretty busy for a weekday. All the tables are full! read more

Venus Cafe - 煲仔飯 clay pot - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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Venus Cafe is the typical, unassuming-looking Chinese food place. To me, it's definitely the prototypical HK comfort food. I often need to come here with my spouse to appease her nostalgic palate. We had: - Pork & Century Egg Porridge (read: congee with thousand-year egg.. it's not a hundred or a thousand years old, it's just preserved so adds good flavor when you eat it with the rice porridge) - "Chinese Donut" - AKA "you-tiao" (phonetically: yo-tee-yow).. for dipping in the porridge and getting that extra crunch-y texture combo (oh, wow, makes me drool thinking about this..) - Braised Beef Brisket Thick Noodle Soup - has to be one of my favorites to eat up.. just the kind of comfort food I can appreciate.. plus bok choy, so I have some vegetables in my diet (yay!) - Big Brother - pork cutlet, chicken wing, and fried egg. Usually, this comes with both red and white sauce, but we asked for "red sauce only" (my spouse likes that one better) - Milk Tea - obligatory HK cafe reminiscing with milk tea.. you don't always have to get it with boba, people :) Did I say this is one of my spouse's favorite places in the Bay Area? It is for HK food, or at least, so she tells me. We need this to combat her memories of youth from down in Los Angeles Chinese food. I'd actually rate this 5 stars, but I think by downgrading a star, it might actually be better. For Non-Asians at least, come with lower expectations and prepare to fill up on yummy goodness... Plus, a friend of mine remarked that "the best Chinese places often get 2.5 stars..." There is some truth to that, as we want inexpensive but authentic Chinese food, and expectations have to be aligned... Enjoy! read more

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The food was so delicious! Friendly staff, chill atmosphere and a twist to the food i miss from my home country! I'll be back for more!

Haven't been here in years and sadly, the quality is even worse than what I remembered. Came here with family on a weekday evening and the place was nearly empty. Fam was craving their lobster noodle special, but for some reason they were out. Not off to a great start. Ended up getting pan fried noodle with pork and bean sprouts, a Big Brother, and a baked chicken with Portuguese sauce. The pan fried noodle arrived first... without the bean sprouts. Had to send it back for them to remake it. The baked pork chops came cut up and super dry. The baked chicken was meh and not flavorful. To cap off the evening, they charged the wrong amount on the card (extra $10) so we had to sort that out before leaving. read more

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This place is one of my go to spots to each for lunch or dinner. I always order the baked dishes, specifically the Big Brother dish, and it does not disappoint. A close second would be their seafood combo baked dish also! I typically order it with noodles instead of rice since the rice tends to be very dry. It comes with juicy pork chop pieces and a piece of chicken on top, baked in red and white sauce. It's very satisfying and is a comfort meal to me. I brought some food for my friends and they loved their beef chow mein and baked dish as well. The service is also very kind and quick when they made a mistake on my order. Although I haven't gotten the chance to actually dine-in, I highly recommend trying them out for comfort food! read more

Venus Cafe - Baked Seafood Combo - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

This is a great spot for Hong Kong style food. The beef chow fun and the beef brisket lo mein are my favorites. The chili oil is pretty good as well and adds some nice heat. Service was friendly and the waiters constantly stopped to refill our tea. The salt and pepper chicken wings were also tasty, with a good crunch and flavor but it had more of a spicy flavor than salt and pepper. While it doesn't quite match up to the options in SoCal, it's still a great Hong Kong style cafe and I'm glad to have found this place. read more

Venus Cafe - Beef Brisket Lo Mein - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Great place to get your fix on quality food. There's something for everyone on the menu, and the service is really attentive. I like that there is a TV to watch and the windows are really clean. It's inviting from the outside! read more

Super filling HK style comfort food that gets you full and feeling ready for a big ol' nap after! Portions are pretty big and can be shareable (their rice dishes), but the price is on a bit of the higher side. Food is flavorful and hits the spot for when I'm looking for something carb heavy and something to get lost in the sauce with. I preferred the white sauce over their red sauce, though, for the pork chop and felt that it was a bit more "put together." The service we received was personable and nice, and we were checked in frequently with hot tea refills and water refills. It does get busy during dinner time but it wasn't super loud where you can't hear each other talk. read more

I've ordered from here via doordash a handful of times and the food always arrives very hot and fresh. The servings of the baked portions are very large and are usually two meals for me! The other day my hubs and I decided to chance going in person. Nobody greets you when you walk in - you generally just make eye contact with someone and they'll gesture to where you can sit. It seemed to be the Sunday lunch rush because we didn't get water or tea or menus, but that's ok because the menu was on our phones via QR code. We ordered the baked half and half, and then the Portuguese bake with fried rice. Both arrived promptly and then eventually we got some tea which was hot and comforting. The food was good as usual - my hubs demolished his entire plate and I ate maybe 1/3 of mine. I highly recommend the Portuguese fried rice. It's so creamy and good. It is loaded with carrots, celery, potatoes, onion, and pieces of sausage with a generous serving of pork chop with no bone. Overall, good food and OK service - just very chaotic and busy during lunch. read more

Venus Cafe is a cozy, restaurant with very filling food. The service was nice, but nothing special. The atmosphere of the place was also pretty casual, and the wait times to get a table and food are not that long.The best thing about the food is that you get a lot of bang for your buck. A lot of the meals you can either split into 2 different meals or you can share with another person. I ended up getting the Big Brother with rice. It contains pork cutlet, red sauce on one side and white sauce on the other, a chicken wing, and a fried egg. The chicken was crispy, juicy, but not too flaky. The white sauce is more a thick creamy texture with a sweet taste to it. The red sauce is not as thick, and it has a tomato taste to it, with vegetables inside for flavor. The pork itself is tender and not too much breading. The egg was pretty standard. read more

Venus Cafe - Big Brother with Rice - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Very yummy. Love this place. Will be coming back. Got the Hainan Chicken rice plate. Go good read more

Venus Cafe - Hainan Chicken Rice - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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Classic HK-style cafe with solid comfort food! Venus Cafe has a wide variety of Hong Kong diner staples--milk tea, baked rice dishes, and noodle soups. The food came out fast and hot, and the portions were generous. It's casual, reliable, and perfect for a satisfying meal. The ambiance is simple but cozy. Definitely recommend for anyone craving HK café vibes! read more

Very disappointed ! Order 牛腩撈麵；只有瘦肉和肥肉塊； 完全沒有牛筋和牛膜。 Feel like that I was given leftover. 非常懷念香港的九記牛腩。

Good comfort Hong Kong food. Came here with a friend on a rainy night, and we really enjoyed sharing the Taiwanese popcorn chicken. I also ordered a hot plate of seafood udon, which I enjoyed very much. It doesn't quite stand out compared to other Hong Kong Cafes that I have been to, but it was satisfying. read more

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Always a late night go to! Love the beef chow fun! Service is great! Inside is clean.

First time at a HK style cafe, and I enjoyed the meal quite a bit! Was able to walk in at around 9p on a Saturday night. Got myself a Curry Fish Balls, a Lemon Coke, and a plate of the Stewed Ham/Chicken/Tomato. The fish balls were terrific. It came with squid, radish and the soupy gravy was exquisite. It's oily, flavorful and a tad spicy. The Entree was on the sweeter side, but I don't mind such flavors, and relished the dish. There's chicken and spam sauteed in a tomato-ey gravy, served with fried rice. It's a gateway dish to English Hong Kong-ese dishes, so there's that. The service was quick and the waitstaff was helpful. I liked the chill vibe at this place and would recommend checking this place out. 8/10 would go back again! read more

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I haven't been here for at least 3 years, quality of food and service are not as good as before. We are a group of 6 people, I ordered daily specials set B, while others ordered set C. I remembered Beef Stew was pretty good here before so I thought that is a safe choice. The beef stew itself is very tender however the soup is way too salty. My friends said set C is ok nothing special. The iced lemon tea with regular sweetness is good, very hk taste. I give 2 stars because the service is pretty bad, the server is pretty rude. Food is not as good as before. read more

Venus Cafe - Daily Specials - 5/30/2022 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Pretty good food that's Hong Kong style . We got the Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice ($15.95), Beef Cubes and Egg Tofu with BBQ Sauce ($17.95), and Beef Brisket Lo Mein ($13.95). Total after taxes was about $52. My favorite was the Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice! It was hot and freshly cooked and the salted fish added a nice flavor! Next favorite was the Beef Brisket Lo Mein. It came with a side of soup you can pour in, if you like. I like the texture of this type of egg noodles and flavor. I wish the beef brisket was more beefy and less fat in it. Lastly, I wouldn't order the Beef Cubes and Egg Tofu dish again... maybe just the tofu lol. We both liked the tofu but not so much the beef.... it was drenched in corn starch ... you can tell. It had a weird chewy texture... like I was not eating beef!! I felt like it was vegan beef lol idk... I give it 4 stars and not 5 bc we placed the order online at 3:51pm... we get a text at 5:53pm that it's ready for pick up. lol... man oh man. Luckily I read someone else's review and knew to show up 20 minutes after the order online. Follow that rule if you order online! lol This place is good if you order certain dishes. Will order again and try other stuff The portions are big enough for a second meal to be honest! Everything is going up in price...lol read more

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Located in a plaza with Ranch99, Teaspoon, Paris Baguette, and other shops/restaurants! Big lot for parking, but can get crowded on weekends although I've never had trouble finding parking after circling the lot once. The service was very good so I want to stress that this is a decent place for a meal at a reasonable price. Unfortunately every meal I've had here was very mediocre. I wouldn't say it was bad in any way, just not necessarily good. The plus side is that the menu is very extensive! You can get all sorts of dishes and comfort foods here! Unfortunately it seems like a very quantity over quality approach. The place is reasonably comfortable and clean. I really wanted to give this place a higher review and have actually been here three times this year to try different options, but every meal I've had was just all right. Still, a convenient place to eat if you're craving something on their menu that's hard to find elsewhere! read more

Venus Cafe - popcorn chicken - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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We stopped by NFC champ evening and it was pretty empty. It was about half full. There was no wait for a table of two. Also, we were craving to have some baked pork chop with rice. In addition, we haven't been here for a while. Therefore, we decided to stop by. We ordered the big brother with rice and also the black pepper chicken with spaghetti. It was a lot a food so we were able to make another meal out of it when we got home. We also got a "free" milk tea with the meal. The black pepper chicken was a bit on the salty side and you'll need to eat it with rice or noodle. But they certainly gave a lot of chicken. There are also some hidden treasures of tiny fries @ the bottom. The big brother itself tastes pretty good but might be a little on the sweeter side but I still loved it. The price also isn't too bad because we get about 1.5 meals out each dish. If we happen to be around the area, we would come back again. If you haven't already, I do recommend you trying this @ least once! Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do! read more

Venus Cafe - 1. Big Brother - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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Its quick and easy. Its open late. Parking it busy but plentiful. Tons of chargers for your EV. The food is good. The menu feels extensive. I have been coming g here for years. Very casual. read more

My favorite place to meet up with friends! We ordered lunch special on the menu and they all come with Hong Kong style milk tea and tomato soup. Excellent customer service as we would like more vegetables on the order. The restaurant needs some update but overall it is clean. read more

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Decided to come here for dinner on a whim. Since Venus Cafe isn't located too far from home, I prayed this would be another good location to add in rotation for my picky little eater. There are a few tables lined up against the cafe's glass windows allowing outside dining but everyone seemed more interested being indoors. We were immediately greeted and the employee was prompt in bringing out a high chair. Keep in mind that physical menus are not available, you will be directed to view this via QR Code. Dinner consisted of: -Fried Pumpkin and Prawn in Maggi Seasoning -Taiwanese Style Popcorn Chicken -Sizzling Black Pepper Beef & Spaghetti Noodles [we requested for zero spice for baby] -Shanghai Style Thick Noodles Taiwanese popcorn chicken was extremely meaty. The coating of batter wasn't overwhelming and the default spice level has an undeniable kick. The fried pumpkin and prawns was good- pumpkin could have been sliced a little thicker to add more of a bite to them but the shrimps were fresh and crisp. Black pepper beef and noodles was good but a good amount of beef ended up being dry due to all of the sizzling action. Flavors were good but I found all four dishes we ordered ended up being more on the saltier side so please keep that in mind. 4 stars. Customer service is very prompt. Food is pretty good and it comes out a lot quicker than I anticipated. I'd happily return but will make sure to request for the chef to go a lighter on the sodium aspect. read more

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This is the spot I go to whenever I crave baked pork chop and hk lemon tea. I've been going here for the past decade or so and the food has always been consistent. Is this the cleanest place? Absolutely not, but the food here is delicious and I'm ok with that, haha. Tbh, I love the baked pork chop (with half spaghetti, half fried rice) so much, I've never really tried any other dish. I convinced my husband to get the "Big Brother" so that I could try the white sauce-- I didn't like it. Very glad I stuck with my usual. I expected the white sauce to be like alfredo, but it's kind of sweet and I didn't care for it. The honey mustard wings were also pretty good. Crispy, juicy, and has that mustard kick. read more

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There's not too many HK cafes in the South Bay so I'm glad we have a Venus Cafe here! I've ordered so many things over the years and you really can't go wrong with anything here! Some of my favorites are the beef chow fun with gravy and Singapore noodles! If you're looking for a soup, the creamy chicken and corn soup is hella bomb! Mongolian beef and Hainanese chicken are also really good! I could really keep the list going but order what your heart desires! Service is always friendly here and food comes out pretty quick. Same plaza as ranch 99 so there's plenty of parking. read more

Venus Cafe - Pork and century egg porridge with Chinese donut - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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I tried their hainan chicken rice, however all they gave me were chicken breast, I saw other people who ordered this had chicken leg and thighs, but how come mine didn't come with any? The chicken tastes like the chicken selling in 99 ranch which is just next door, I would just buy from 99 ranch market next time for a better value. Disappointing for what they gave me read more

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I ordered the daily special with chicken but what I got more the junky/scrap parts like the neck, the wing tips etc. Felt being cheated.

I have not been here in a while. But I was craving something different then the typical fried rice and meat. I decided to go to Venus Cafe which is open late at night. It is Taiwanese cafe with the traditional Taiwanese style food. The list is endless from soup to rice plates tk desserts and boba drinks. I ordered from the list of best sellers. Some of the menu is in a different language, then English and pictures. I chose the Seafood with whites sauce over fried rice. It is lent season so Fridays for Catholics is fish or vegetarian like food. That's a whole different story sorry. The food is more than enough for 2 people and it's hot In temperature. It's like comfort food at its best. If you're craving something new exciting and different then the fried rice and orange chicken come to Venuscafe! read more

Venus Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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Pretty good creamy baked spaghetti dish. Super creamy and flavorful! Pork and preserved egg congee was pretty bland though. I had to add my own seasoning. *Just a warning to pay attention to the packaging.* The good and bad thing is that the baked dish was HOT. I know then it's fresh. However, because of the way the containers were stacked, the congee pressed the thin plastic lid onto the baked dish and it caused the plastic to melt onto the chicken. Couldn't pick out all the melted pieces so we ended up throwing the chicken away but the rest was tasty. read more

Venus Cafe - Baked mushroom chicken spaghetti dish. Be careful about the packaging! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Had the beef noodle soup it's very salty and the beef broth tasted like soy sauce soup, no beefy flavor. Salted fish fried rice is the best, there's salted fish bits in almost every bite.and the portion is huge, good for two person. Even they have increased the price $15, it's still worth with the big portion. read more

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In the world, those place probably rated 4 stars, but in America, I'll give it a 5 stars. The ample of selections, , the quality are all above average. They always pitched about their milk tea and it's very good. With certain customization, this is one of my favorite HK style restaurants. Special baked pork chop over rice - crispy chicken wing, and I kept forgetting to ask them only red sauce. I personally not crazy about the white sauce. Pork chop are deboned and fried. Very tasty. As I mentioned before, most places when do baked pork chop over rice, they left the bone and dinner battered not fried the pork chop. My son loves instant noodle so he always order the sizzling black pepper instant noodle with beef or chicken. This one is tasty if you love black pepper. Minced beef fried rice - it's my wife favorite, I prefer chicken anchovies fried rice but oh well. Don't forget the excellent HK style milk tea! read more

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This was my first time trying Hong Kong style cuisine. We got the spaghetti bolognese. We went on a weekday night, around 8ish, and the place was not super crowded. The service was pretty fast and the environment was relatively quiet. The dish overall was just enough to share between 2 individuals. It was not super spicy and the sauce had a subtle sweet taste to it. Inside were pieces of eggplant along with the spaghetti noodles. The servers were also very kind and accommodating for any personal preferences we had for dishes. After placing our order, the server came out to confirm if beef was ok to add in the dish given cultural difference which I personally thought was thoughtful. I would definitely go here again and try different dishes! read more

Venus Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Milk tea is good as usual, we ordered two combo lunch which comes with milk tea. Both the fried noodle and the baked rice are good. For the price in Bay Area, it's a good choice. We had half of each dish to go because portions are big. Btw, they updated the interior and have floor to ceiling storefront. Good ambient lighting in the day. Service is typical Hong Kong cafe, no expectations and no surprises. read more

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Awesome place! Took my grandparents here super easy to order food is great Service is great . A ton of options! read more

Venus Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California