Why did we dine here? – Pho Ha Noi is a Vietnamese restaurant located in an outdoor mall Vietnam Town Plaza in San Jose. The area is full of high quality Asian restaurants and shops. Their pho is some of the top in the SF Bay Area. This restaurant also has a location in Cupertino and added Palo Alto in 2023. Best Pho in San Francisco Bay Area Our last visit is in the Spring of 2026 when they added outdoor seating during the Pandemic. Pho Hanoi Elite was a high end try that closed. Decor is nicer than most Vietnamese restaurants. They have nice happy hour specials Mon-Thur 5-11pm. Insider Tip – Come hungry. Afterwards, get a Boba tea drink across the parking lot at cool Tea Lyfe. Cuisine – Vietnamese Location – San Jose Vietnamtown Opened – 2016 Service – Pho Hanoi had fair service. Not enough server = hail them to get stuff done. The young server did know the menu well. You pay by going up to the cashier. Verdict – Pho Hanoi serves up some of the best Vietnamese in the SF Bay Area. Excellent Pho and Bun Cha that we have not see anywhere […]

This post originally from Pho Hanoi, San Jose, Cupertino, Palo Alto

Why did we dine here? – Lily is a Modern Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco is inner Richmond District. Sort of a neighborhood joint kicked up a notch. The Chef Rob Lam used to run restaurant Butterfly on the waterfront. There are a ton of VERY good restaurant options nearby including Burma superstar, Chapeau!, Wako, and Mamahuhu. Traditional Vietnamese restaurants are a block away. We have been here 3 times for lunch during the Pandemic, last visit Spring 2024. During the Covid 19 Pandemic in 2021, we visited them for indoor dining. We were trying to support local restaurants, so they can survive. All will get a 4 star review for being open. Safety Pluses – Online menu, Delivery services available, online ordering, outdoor dining. Minuses – Insider Tip – Eat Family style to share the fun. Hit nearby Arsicault Bakery for killer bakery items. Cuisine – Modern Vietnamese Location – Inner Richmond District San Francisco Opened – 2020 Service – Service was fine for the small restaurant. Pricing was inline with sit down restaurants of this caliber. Yes, you can get a $10 pho noodle from cheap Vietnamese spots. Automatic 20% service charge. Verdict – Lily serves up very […]

This post originally from Lily, San Francisco

Hanoi Vietnam is known for its dynamic street food scene.  The language and culture are definitely big barriers to going it on your own.  A street food tour was definitely a must. We took our hotel’s Street Food tour to sample the local restaurants in the Hanoi Old Quarter. This was a fun and useful tour. We dined at several places that we would have been scared to approach ourselves. The guide explained the different types of local food and asked us about specific items we wanted. It lasted about 3 hours, cost $30/per person and included all food and drinks. Cheaper than other tours we saw. This tour was not listed on Trip Advisor. It was offered by our hotel, La Siesta Trendy Hanoi Try not to visit Hanoi during the Tet New Year, as several restaurants on our hit list were closed for several days. In closing, the guide gave us several places to visit when the Tet holiday was over. Restaurants Visited: Bun Cha from Bun Cha Hang Manh – Trip Advisor Unlike versions we have had in the USA, You need to assemble the dish your self. The pork comes in little patties with slices of […]

This post originally from Hanoi Street Food Tour Review