Craving for a banh mi so gave Yen cafe a try. A very small place for take out only. A really friendly gentleman took my order and we chatted while the lady prepared my combination bang mi. Banh mi was hot, crispy packed with meat, pate, home made mayo and fresh veggies. One bite and I was in heaven. One of the best bang mi I've had on the island. Will definitely be back. read more

Yen Cafe & Sandwich - Combination banh mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Looking for Bahn Mi. First time here. Parking is VERY limited. It's located on Ke'eaumoku St. The menu is huge. The sweet girl behind the counter the day I visited was Katelin. Yen was behind the scenes nthe kitchen. Katelin recommended recommended a few items. We got a Crispy Pork Bahn Mi and Lemon Grass Chicken Bahn Mi. Portions are good. Loved the pickled veggies. read more

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Decided to try a Banh Mi sandwich thanks to Yelper Deborah.P . This small hole in a wall place located next door to Keeamoku Seafood and Itchy Butt. Literally a hole in a wall once you open the door bang the order counter is right there . Very friendly service and sorry no pics on my BBQ beef Banh Mi lots of beef and vegetables. The only downside I wish they would cut the sandwich. Other than that I will definitely try their plate lunches next time when I'm there . Support local read more

Yen Cafe & Sandwich - Menu - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I was a little disappointed because my experience wasn't what some.of the other reviewers raved about like friendly service and bahn mI with big or 'stuffed' portions... I got the yen special sandwich that has pate but for the meat, that's all they out under the description so I wanted to confirm if it comes with other meats. I asked and yes, it comes with some slices of roast pork. But you can see from my pictures, it was not 'stuffed' and did not come with vegetables like cucumbers. Just minimal pickled veges and a few cilantro. Meat was not filled.. otherwise the taste is there and the bread didn't get soggy because there was not a lot of filling so it stayed pretty crisp, but I was expecting to get a full-er sandwich. The place inside is really small but has couple chairs for you to wait with the AC. I don't really care for the peanut sauce for the shrimp summer rolls as it tastes more heavily shoyu/oyster sauce based and a bit too salty. It could use more peanut flavor. The summer rolls I think were a decent size. Parking is tight and I think because they are next door to seafood, a lot of horse flies hang around so there were three big ones flying around when people keep opening the door. While I don't think this will be my go to spot for bahn mi sandwich, the price is still reasonable at 12-13 compared to some other places. read more

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Kids went ahead and ordered the shrimp pho and the steak pho. Both were satisfied with the flavor and they are generous with the portions. The owners are very nice and full of smiles. The food trucks are all together creating a nice and chill environment and ambiance for the people coming in by. read more

Yen Cafe & Sandwich - Steak pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I noticed this new spot pop up on my yelp feed, and since I was craving banh mi, I decided to give it a try. It's a very small spot located next to Itchy Butt. The menu isn't strictly Vietnamese, it's a mix of Vietnamese and Chinese dishes. I ordered the special combo banh mi (about $13), which came loaded with assorted pork and vegetables. The sandwich was generously stuffed and definitely a good portion for the price. The first few bites were pretty good, but I later realized the sandwich was heavily drenched in mayo. Unfortunately, it didn't sit well with my stomach afterward. Overall, I was a bit disappointed with my experience. read more

Yen Cafe & Sandwich - Special banh mi $13 - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We went to because my wife had a Bahmi sandwich crave Knowing that parking would be a challenge She ordered it thru the Door Dash app. The order was ready when specified. Counter person was friendly. It's definitely a take out only. Soon as you open the door there's the oder counter. We shared the spring rolls and a BBQ Beef sandwich. I thought the wrapper of the Sping Rolls were crisp yet chew. The filling was tasty. I would buy it again. The bahmi sandwich was passable to me. Some pieces of meat were tender and some was chewy. The bun was crisp on the outside yet chewy. Next time I'll try the Crispy Pork bahmi. Enjoy read more

Yen Cafe & Sandwich - Bbq beef Bahmi - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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We've had a lot of banh mi. No name, Le's, Niu Baguette, Pate, Pho Viet Manoa, etc. So when a new banh mi place opens up, it gets added to the list of places to try. We got the crispy pork and the yen special which consists of pate, ham, jambo and mayonnaise, plus the usual pickled vegetables. Both of these banh mi were large. This is definitely a first world problem, but I straight up asked my better half where do I start because it was so stuffed full of food. No one else gives this much food for $12. Both sandwiches were stuffed full of meat and pickled vegetables. The crispy pork was a bit dry, but it crunched and had good flavor. The ham and jambo were fairly standard for what you'd expect from a banh mi. Vegetables were pickled, crisp, and tasty. Bread was fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Too much mayo for our tastes, but you can always ask for less mayo. Overall the quality is better than Niu Baguette and Pho Viet Manoa, but less than No Name, and Le's, but for the quantity, Yen's is in a category all on its own as we were struggling to finish the sandwiches and we were hungry coming from a gym session. They do sell non-sandwich items, which we'll be back for, but it may be a bit messy to do some of the broth based items as takeout. We also got the spring rolls, which came two to an order for $7. Good balance of shrimp and meat to veggies and noodles and sauce was very flavorful. Parking is shared with Itchy Butt and Keeaumoku Seafood. Be careful backing up as you're backing right into Keeaumoku street. No bathroom, but there are a few seats and a tiny table inside. The owner and his wife were efficient and polite. They take electronic payments including AMEX. read more

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Yan Cafe & Sandwich is located in the same building as Keeaumoku Seafood and Itchy Butt. Their parking situation is a love and hate situation. It's great they have parking but the traffic in that area is hit or miss. Sometimes I feel that the street metered parking on the side streets might be easier to get in and out of. When you enter, the restaurant is clean and bright with an easy to read menu. This is a take out type of restaurant. Knowing the parking situation, I called in my order. They told me 10-12 minutes and got my name. I'm so glad that I called in my order because when I arrived, they were packed with a ton of people waiting for their order. Customer service on the phone and when I picked up my order was friendly. I ordered 1 Yen Special Combination Banh Mi and 1 BBQ Beef Banh Mi. My order was ready when I arrived. Both banh mi sandwiches come with the typical pickled veggies, cucumber and Chinese parsley on a freshly baked baguette. Surprisingly they didn't have jalapeño slices and the sandwiches weren't cut in half. Both sandwiches came with a lot of meat and were generously filled. The BBQ Beef was a quite dry as the beef was overcooked for my taste. Their Yen Special Combination was my favorite between the two. The hot sauce I asked for was rather salty and wasn't really spicy for me. Good thing I have a lot of hot sauce options at home. Nice new addition to the Makiki area and wishing them all the best! 3.5 stars read more

Yen Cafe & Sandwich - Yen Special Combination Banh Mi (top) and BBQ Beef Banh Mi (bottom) - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Takeout lunch in Honolulu, Hawaii... Yen Cafe & Sandwich opened this second location on Keeaumoku Street on July 19, 2025. (The original location is in Waikiki on Kalakaua Avenue.) This new location is between Itchy Butt and Keeaumoku Seafood. Enjoy 20 percent off NOW during their Grand Opening! There are a few free shared parking stalls right in front of the cozy shop. If you want to dine in, they have three folding chairs inside, but no tables. Service was pleasant and efficient. I had called in my order and waited a few minutes for my fresh meal! I took my vermicelli with spring rolls and grilled pork to enjoy elsewhere... because I really need air-conditioning! My food was beautiful and tasty! I would return again! read more

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This place is located on the same strip as Itchy Butt and Keeaumoku Seafood across from Cartwright Field. They sell mostly Vietnamese food with a few plate lunches thrown in. Most importantly they sell sugarcane juice. Yes! It's a grab and go place. There's nowhere to dine on the inside. Our whole family ordered dinner from here. We got the Summer Roll $6.50, Grilled Steak $18.99, Vietnamese Hue Beef Noodle Soup $14.99, Crispy Roast Pork Banh Mi $12, and two cups of sugarcane juice $5.50 each. The soup base for the beef noodle was very good. It had a nice flavor and aroma. The banh mi was on a toasted baguette. The roast pork was crispy, but also very dry. The sugarcane juice was right up my alley. I am a sugarcane juice lover. They also sell my favorite oxtail pho. I'll definitely be back to try that. It wasn't the best Vietnamese food that I've had, but it's a solid choice for a take out spot. The food was decent and the prices reasonable. They should give Itchy Butt and Keeaumoku Seafood a run for their money. They're also giving 20% off the entire menu until 10/31/25. You know that I'll be taking advantage of that. read more

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Amazing Vietnamese food, it's off to the side of keeamoku street, right side before hitting over the bridge going towards Makiki area. Parking is very limited, be sure to phone order. Food is very good , has very different lover from other Vietnamese restaurant. Very good service and clean on the inside too. There's no inside tables , so it's take out only. read more

Yen Cafe & Sandwich - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I've came here two times and have not been disappointed at all. I've tried their special and crispy pork banh mi and it's sooooo yummy. There's a lot of other things on their menu, but by far I love their sandwiches. Big portion sandwich with a great balance of pickled vegetables, meats and spread. Can't really argue with the price of the sandwich because I would say it justifies it by taste and size. Also tried their Vietnamese coffee with hazelnut coffee which I've enjoyed, has a nice sweet, creamy and nutty taste. More on the sweeter end for coffee but a great me up for the day. Location: It's located on Keeaumoku street but there's a couple of stalls on the side of their shop. I haven't had issues with parking during around lunch time and dinner time. The service and staff are so sweet and greet you with the kindest and thank you~ Pretty quick service. Order was ready in a timely manner in about 15 minutes. Yen is a lil hole-in-the wall cafe and might make this my go-to banh mi spot from now on! read more

Yen Cafe & Sandwich - Vietnamese coffee with Hazelnut coffee Special banh mi and crispy pork banh mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We gave this place 2 chances and both times they've let us down. The first time we went, I got the pork and spring roll vermicelli and my fiance got the ten combination banh mi. The spring rolls were really unique! They were wrapped in rice paper and then in rice noodle so they were really light and crispy. My fiance however did not get what he ordered. They gave him the crispy pork belly banh mi instead. So he was pretty disappointed. The second time we went he got the yen combo banh mi, successfully this time! It was really good, lots of flavors packed into it and the sauce was really good. I asked the guy if the spring rolls appetizer wax the same as the spring rolls in the vermicelli. He said yes. So I ordered the shrimp and spring roll vermicelli and a side order of spring rolls, expecting the same spring rolls as the last time I ordered them. Nope, they switched them to normal spring rolls with regular spring roll wrapper. DEVASTATING! To make matters worse, the shrimp were peeled but not cleaned, even though some of them were cut open along the spine, so the poop from the vein diffused throughout the shrimp. Resulted in a rather dirty tasting shrimp unfortunately. I rarely lose my appetite but the dirty shrimp really did it for me. The guy working the register has kind of bad attitude, like he doesn't wanna be there. He also doesn't seem like he knows the menu at all. Their sauces they make in house for the banh mi and the fish sauce are so delicious and I want to like this place SO BAD. Especially since it's within walking distance from my house. But it's been a let down so far. Please bring back those other spring rolls!!! read more

Yen Cafe & Sandwich - Dirty shrimp AFTER I cleaned it out with a chopstick... the slit was already there - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I guess I'm into a bahn mi sandwich crave. So my husband said he was reading some yelpers yelping about this place so he said lets try them. I said ok. Ordered on line through door dash and was ready when they said it would be ready. Parking is a challenge only 4 parking stalls sharing with other establishments. We had parking on the side street. I wanted to try the spring rolls and BBQ beef bahn mi sandwich. The spring rolls was good came with romaine lettuce and sauce with basil leaves on the side. 5 pieces. The BBQ beef bahn mi was ok. Lots of sweet mayonnaise smeared on the bottom of the French baguette couldn't taste the vegetables like the carrots daikon and cucumbers I felt it wasnt tasted like pickle vegetables. The meat was tender and wasnt over powering with shoyu marinate. It did have I think green peppers on it but wasnt hot chopped very small in the meat. Would try something else again. read more

Yen Cafe & Sandwich - Spring rolls - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Came in for a lemongrass bahn mi, it took longer than expected but I think they were working on a large take out order. There is an older gentleman working the front and a woman working the back. The sandwich itself was very tasty but wasn't quite what I expected. The chicken was in a yellow curry like sauce, heavy on the turmeric . It was heavier than I expected but still tasty. read more

Who remembers back in the late 80s/early 90s when Ba-Le was everyone's go-to spot for bahn mi, etc.? Fast forward 35+ years and there are soooo many more Vietnamese options (good and bad). Now you can add Yen Cafe to your growing list of Vietnamese food places (very good). Located on Keeaumoku Street, in between two popular eateries - Itchy Butt and Keeaumoku Seafood. Awesome food corner!!! Mostly Vietnamese fare - bahn mi and pho. Also offers a variety of other dishes to satisfy most cravings - fried rice, chow fun, plate lunches and more. There are also sweet drink options - Vietnamese coffee, milk tea, etc. We tried a couple bahn mi sandwiches and vegetarian spring rolls. Sandwich bread was toasted and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside - as it should be. (I wonder if they buy their baguettes from the Ba-Le guy?) Generous fillings. Super flavorful. Nice that there are a few vegetarian options. Our family members have very diverse eating preferences (carnivores, herbivores and omnivores) so finding a spot where everyone can find something is always appreciated. Take out. Few parking spaces in front, but easy to find street parking around the corner. Reasonable prices (plus 20% off for their grand opening!) Support local businesses! We hope this one sticks around. read more

Nice, small Vietnamese restaurant. No real seating though. Pick-up and go! Nice menu selection and food came out in about 15 minutes! I wanted to add clearer menu pictures, since most were blurry. read more

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The food here is absolutely delicious! Everything tastes fresh, flavorful, and well prepared. I was really impressed with the quality, especially for the price--it's very affordable and definitely worth it. The portions are generous, and the service is friendly too. I'll definitely be coming back again and highly recommend this place to anyone looking for great food at a good price! read more

This was my first time trying this new business that is close to where I live. This is a friendly, loving and caring establishment. The smell that comes from here is outstanding. It makes you want to eat everything. My favorite is the Vietnamese Pho and also the Chicken Fried Rice. But overall, I have too many favorites. This is how great this establishment is. read more

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Super nice people! Order this banh mi when you're hungry because it's STUFFED. And make sure you eat it asap or else it will soak the bread and you'll be left with a soggy sandwich that you can only blame yourself for because you did not heed this warning. read more

Food was quick and delicious! Reasonable price and staff was friendly. Parking is annoying but that's the only issue I have. read more

Yen Cafe & Sandwich - Vegetarian banh mi sandwich and Vietnamese iced coffee - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Service was excellent. Man was easy to understand over the phone, he got my order the first time i said it. Called ahead of time to order and food was ready to be picked up in 10-15 minutes. Parking may be a pain if it's lunchtime but good thing it's all take out restaurants there so you could get lucky when a spot opens up. There's only like 5 stalls right in the front of like four restaurants. Foodwise all the flavors were there so I could appreciate that. We ordered bun Bo hue, hu tieu mi and beef combo pho. Bun Bo hue had major BBH flavors but the beef was so tough and chewy!! If you want to grow your jaw muscles then this could be the dish for you! The other two dishes were for other family members so I don't know how those were. However, with three different noodle dishes, we only got one bag of fresh veggies that I don't think were enough for all three, in my opinion. Wish they gave more fresh veggies since I like the bean sprouts and herbs but it was missing the shredded morning glory that is usually eaten with bun Bo hue. I guess times are hard so understandable. Overall, I liked that we tried this new location. read more

My husband and I are both in this bahn mi craze. I found this place on yelp and decided to give it a shot since its close to work. We both tried the yen special and omg it was so delicious. For the price you pay, the portion is generous. This shop is a to go and not a dine in place. The man in the front, I believe who is the owner is super friendly and welcoming. We would definitely try this place again. read more

I was craving a banh mi and my to go place was closed so I decided to go to yen and try it out. I got the number #13 yen speical. The sandwich felt heavy. I like that the aunty loaded it up with all the deli meats and pickle veggies with extra pate and mayo. It was so thick. The bread was crispy outside and soft on the inside which is how I like my sandwich bread to be. Anyways the banh mi is super good and the price is reasonable!! Definitely coming back here. Please come support this small mom n pop shop. They serve good food with good customer service. read more

Ordered food that what seemed like sweet sauce was poured and drenched in it. No real flavor. Not sure how they have such high ratings. 50.00 later I learned my lesson and will not be going back:( I had high hopes. read more

Pass by this place almost everyday and finally stopped by. They're in the same building as Itchy Butt and Keeaumoku seafood. Parking can be difficult here. I found metered street parking. Small space but lots of variety on the menu. There were a few seats available for you to wait for your food while they make it. Uncle took my order but was also on the phone while taking my order. Kudos to his ability to multitask. Banh mi is always on my mind and that was what I went for. Got the yen special. Good size sandwich - generous on the meat and pickled vegetables. A little too much mayo, but overall a pretty good sandwich. Price point is also good. Also got their iced Vietnamese coffee. That was good. Not as strong as a usual Vietnamese coffee but still good - it was like a shaken one. Worth a visit. I'll be back to try a few more items. read more

Staff was very friendly and helpful. I was craving kalbi and theirs hit the spot. It came with a sauce I didn't try because I thought the meat was already flavorful enough. Comes with A LOT of rice. Also tried the salt cream coffee and it was tasty and creamy. Tasted butterscotch-y. A nice sweet treat/pick-me-up! I'd get both of these again! I'll definitely be back. I hope they do well =) read more

Yen Cafe & Sandwich - Kalbi & beef chow fun - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Stumbled upon this place while visiting Honolulu and seemed like a delicious option for a late lunch! As a vegetarian, I appreciated the variety in 2 options of tofu or vegetarian ham - I went with tofu. It was such a great deal for the price in terms of size and only $11! My boyfriend got the pork one and we both devoured our food. Only thing is there is no seating if you are looking for a place to sit down and eat, but we just grabbed them to go! Service was great, hardly took more than 10-15 mins to get both our sandwiches. Would definitely go back if ever in town. read more

Everything I've ordered here has been delicious. Big portions, good prices, nice service. Def recommend.

I came back for Banh mi (sandwiches). I ordered chicken Banh mi and special Banh mi sandwich. It's so delicious. It is fresh and tasty. I think it's the best Banh mi sandwich in Waikiki. You should try it. read more

Cute hole in the wall! The have very generous portions and the food is really tasty! Lots of flavor. The service was quick & kind. The prices are reasonable for what you get! Def recommend read more

Yen Cafe & Sandwich - BBQ Pork Bahn - the length of my forearm and lots of meat! - Vietnamese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Just tried the chicken sandwich (bánh mì gà) at Yen Café -- so delicious !!! Definitely coming back for more.

Really fresh and yummy with fast friendly service! The ordering counter is very clean and bright, and my lunch was ready right on time after ordering ahead on the phone. I got the bun (vermicelli) with BBQ pork and spring rolls. Nice filling portion and lots of crunchy veggies. read more