After fasting for 36 hours, Yummy Quan was our first stop -- and at that point, we would've eaten…read morealmost anything... but luckily, we didn't have to settle. This place delivered where it mattered most, especially with the highly reviewed appetizers.
Probably one of my favorite drinks here was the Thai Green Tea. It has a really interesting flavor that stands out from regular Thai Tea -- more earthy, but not quite like matcha (we guessed there might be pandan in it). Just a heads up: it's definitely on the sweeter side. My partner and I actually let the ice melt a bit before continuing to drink it, which helped balance things out. I came back a second time and still loved it just as much.
The dipping sauce felt like a truly authentic representation of Vietnamese cuisine. It was a lightly diluted fish sauce with spicy red pepper and plenty of garlic -- simple but really flavorful. I also appreciated that the table setup let you customize it to your taste.
In my first experience here, we ordered the Bánh Xèo, Bánh Khọt, and Bánh Bột Chiên. I was hands down a huge fan of the ginormous Bánh Xèo -- crispy, flavorful, and just overall my favorite (though I'll admit I'm a little biased toward it already). Meanwhile, my boyfriend completely fell in love with the crunchy Bánh Khọt. That said, I did notice a slight graininess in the Bánh Khọt, which took away a few points for me. The Bánh Bột Chiên was solid and got a pass from us, but it wasn't our top pick -- mostly because we've had better versions elsewhere.
Other worthy notes: the herbs were fresh and crisp, and the pickled vegetables were refreshing as well (though my boyfriend thought they could've been a bit more strongly pickled). Eating everything the traditional way -- wrapping it in lettuce with herbs -- made the whole experience even better. Honestly, I would come back just to order two Bánh Xèo.
I actually came back a second time before posting this review, this time with my family. We ordered the Bắp Xào, Cơm Chiên Bò Lúc Lắc, and a simple rice dish. This visit was a bit different -- across the board, we all agreed the dishes leaned too salty this time around. I could also tell the staff was overwhelmed, with only two people handling both the front and the kitchen, so it was tough to get their attention at times.
That said, the Bánh Xèo still held its ground. My parents were genuinely impressed by the size, and for me, it's still an absolute banger -- something I'd come back for again and again purely for flavor and value.
The Bắp Xào really stood out to me in a nostalgic way. I loved the use of traditional Vietnamese corn, and the sautéed dried shrimp brought back memories of flavors from dishes I grew up eating, even if I couldn't quite pinpoint which one. While my mom thought it was too salty, I actually felt like it would pair perfectly with a bowl of plain white rice.
I also tried some of my brother's Cơm Chiên Bò Lúc Lắc and found the beef to be tender and flavorful, though not particularly standout compared to other places. I've had very similar versions nearby, but it's still my brother's go-to -- though I suspect that might also be his way of loading up on protein.
Overall, even with the inconsistency during the second visit, I still really enjoy Yummy Quan -- especially for the appetizers. It's a place I'd bring family and friends to try, and I'm still curious about more of the menu... but realistically, I could live life on Bánh Xèo alone. At the end, you also get to grab some guava candy, and for anyone who's never had these, don't forget to pick some up -- they're simply delectable!