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Vien Cafe
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
6118 W Pico BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90035
Neighbourhood: West Los Angeles
(323) 651-2888
- Hours:
Tue-Thu, Sun 11:30 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
53 reviews for Vien Cafe
53 reviews in English
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Review from katsuji t.
Los Angeles, CA
5/17/2012
great little restaurant with a big flavor and greats service , i love that the owners are in the kitchen and serving you .
they really want you to have a great experience and the food is great
the broth in the soup so good and the coffee is great
well done chef well done -
Review from Katherine P.
Beverly Hills, CA
5/16/2012
LOVE that there's a pho place so close to me.
Egg rolls, spring rolls, and pho were all very clean-tasting and fresh and the decor is cute too. The people there were super friendly as well. -
Review from Amanda M.
Beverly Hills, CA
5/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
OH MY GOD! The friendliest, nicest, most attentive Pho place I have EVER been to. The staff was so pleasant and so eager to help.
They just opened a few months ago, so the place is really clean and cute inside.
The pho was pretty good might I add. We also got the eggrolls, where we had the option to have a shrimp and chicken or just chicken. I've been to manyy Pho places and never had the option so choose.
I've been here twice in three weeks, and will probably visit again! -
Review from J M.
Santa Monica, CA
5/24/2012
Absolutely the best Vietnamese food ran by folks who who deliver on quality of the food 9/10 times.
The dishes are all traditional Vietnamese dishes prepared with fresh produce and cook well. i've had everything but I keep coming back for the pho because it is very well made. Why should you drive all the way to garden grove or sgv when all you need is on westside. I've been here about 10 times and only once was I given some old looking basil otherwise every visit has been a 5star occasion.
Lastly please patronize this place because everytime I go they are not too busy but the food is great, maybe its the location but anyways let's not let them go under because I don't feel like driving 30miles and dealing with the bad Asian drivers in sgv and garden grove.
Oh and double lastly if the owners read this, you need to make sure there is consitency in the quality leaving the kitchen because like I said the herbs were very old once and I was suprised it left the kitchen like that.. -
Review from Tricia R.
Park La Brea, CA
5/4/2012
Love the chicken pho!! Noodles are just right.
Clean, fresh, delicious.
Love the spring rolls and peanut sauce.
The neighborhood really needed this spot! -
Review from Mundi M.
Los Angeles, CA
4/20/2012
So happy to have a Pho place close to home! The food is great; love the staff. Great pho and small dishes.
Easy, casual and great food! -
Review from Lissa -.
Los Angeles, CA
5/12/2012
Eh. Rice was good. Didn't like the vegetables so much.
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Review from Daphne B.
Los Angeles, CA
4/23/2012
Yay, finally a good Pho place in west LA. I really hope they stay open, please tell all your friends so they do!
Great Chicken Pho, claim to be no MSG, and the broth was yummy tasting. The pork in the spring rolls not so fresh, would maybe go for vegetarian rolls, seems like they make them the day before. The pho was very fresh, and yummy, my tummy was a little off after, which makes me question the no MSG, but could've just been the pork in the spring roll which made me suspicious.
Overall, for simply Pho= great! -
Review from Mike R.
Los Angeles, CA
4/1/2012
Came here on a friday night. Walked in and shouldve walked right out when i didnt see a single asian patron in the place.
Bottom line: The place is cute, hence the 2 stars. Food is just mediocore. Spring rolls did not taste fresh at all and it took 30 minutes to get my pho. If ur used to real vietnamese places and getting quick service, u will be dissappointed if you come here. Prices are a bit high as well. -
Review from Cole C.
3/26/2012
Vietnamese sandwiches are so much better than anything Jewish or American delis serve up. Even pulled pork sandwiches (quite possibly my favorite) don't hold a candle to Vietnamese spiced pork on that crusty yet oh-so-soft white baguette bread. They're spicy and sweet at the same time... fresh, flavorful, and altogether wonderful.
We ordered the Pho Dac Biet and the Pork Bahn Mi Sandwich. The Pho broth was incredibly flavorful, but I'd pass on the meatballs next time. Service was slow, but prices were good, and the two of us left with our stomachs full for under $20. -
Review from Scott O.
Los Angeles, CA
5/21/2012
nice to have a good place in the neighborhood. excellent pho, great vietnamese coffee, a good sampling of appetizers and friendly if harried service (we were there at noon on a friday and, though full, there was only one waitress). definitely recommend for some good pho and vietnamese food.
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Review from T T.
Canoga Park, CA
5/2/2012
Pho was good. We asked if our friends could bring food from the pizza place next door and eat with us. The owner girl said it was no problem. I liked that. Service was a tad slow, but I wasn't in a rush. It's open late which is good.
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Review from Amie C.
3/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
I absolutely LOVE Vietnamese food and I wish any Vietnamese restaurant in LA success. If I didn't frequently visit Orange County, I would definitely be all over this restaurant. Unfortunately, the prices are about twice as high as what I'm used to paying. In the case of banh mi, it's about 4x what I'm used to paying (3 for $5!!!). I will give them credit for having flavorful pho that uses fresh ingredients (no MSG). It certainly tastes vastly better than Pho Show over in Culver City. If I need an emergency pho or banh mi fix, I'm definitely coming here!
One of my favorite Vietnamese proteins is nem nuong and it would be awesome to see it offered on the menu. ;) *wink wink* -
Review from Armenoid B.
West Hollywood, CA
2/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
5 stars for Pho for THIS AREA. IMO that' is a totally relevant valuation because the fact that one has to normally drive to Asia (San G, Alhambra etc) has to be taken into account.
So once we accept that we're evaluating this pho for this area, we accept the pricing. Very happy with the qpholity of the bowls. Beef is top notch. Chicken is nice and light but could use some fried onion.
Good times anyway and happy to have the spot as an option for every day rather than the once a month one is able to drive east. (or settle for So 1 up north)
Look forward to trying the Bahn mi and the stir fry -
Review from Steve V.
2/29/2012
This place has the best pho outside of Westminster and El Monte in So. Cal. A definite welcome in this neighborhood and the area. The service was a bit lackluster and thus the reason for the minus one star. There was one other table occupied in the restaurant and yet it took a good 15 minutes to pay. We finally just brought the check up front.
As for the pho and banh xeo, both excellent. You actually get a decent amount of meat and the broth is clear and flavorful. Not a lot of oils. The prices are a bit higher than Westminster, but expected. English is fluent here and the ambiance is a nice modern. I will be back! -
Review from Yohan P.
Los Angeles, CA
2/23/2012
First off, I want to say I really wanted to like Vien Cafe. It's within walking distance from my apartment and there's not a whole lot of asian choices in general in this area so I was excited to see this new restaurant pop up.
Let's cut to the chase. FOOD: 3 stars.
Spring rolls: Something is wrong with the wraps they use. Too thin, not fresh tasting. Thumbs down. Some of the other reviewers seemed to like the egg rolls though.
Pho: Broth is good and clean tasting. Noodles cooked to perfection. Not enough meat. Felt a little cheated.
SERVICE: 1 star. Poor and extremely slow service. Waiter could not even pronounce the menu items, nor could he remember who ordered what between the two of us, nor did he refill our drinks at any time during our meal. -
Review from John S.
Los Angeles, CA
3/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
Best VN food we've had anywhere. This new little place is trendy, modern and has a good feel. And the service is warm and very friendly!
This restaurant represents a continuation of the trend of innovative cuisine to Pico. -
Review from Dan Y.
Los Angeles, CA
4/29/2012
This is one of the only restaurants I'll drive out of my Hollywood 2 mile radius for. The food is amazing! The soups are homemade, the sandwiches are a wonderful, and the atmosphere is great. If you want real pho with homemade soup stock this is the place to go. Forget the msg crap at most pho spots. This is a must try!
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Review from Tim B.
Los Angeles, CA
2/17/2012
Without a doubt the best Pho I have ever had. Seriously.
The broth was amazingly flavorful and the meat was delicious. It was everything I could ever want in Pho, beefy, tasty, warm, and filling.
I went with a friend and we split an order of the Shrimp and Chicken egg rolls, which (as the the super nice and awesome hostess pointed out) was hand rolled daily. Again, easily some of the best egg rolls I've ever had. And egg rolls aren't even that exciting, but these were. Not oily or greasy, but perfectly crispy with the right balance of chicken shrimp and veggies inside.
The location provides easy street parking on Pico or the non permit side streets. Decor is clean, modern, and very comfortable. Prices are pretty standard and what I would expect to pay for 2 delicious bowls of Pho and some egg rolls (along with a couple of sodas)...around $30 total.
All in all, I am super excited to see this place pop up so close to me...next up will be their Bun and Bahn Mi. -
Review from Drew H.
Los Angeles, CA
3/19/2012
Really good Pho for the West Side! The broth was really flavorful. They have a lot of great vegetarian options as well.
I had the Pho Tom (mushroom and shrimp) and I put all the fixin's in. It was delicious! My boyfriend had the vegetarian brown rice noodles (I forgot what it was called) but he left a clean plate!
When we went they were only accepting cash because the card machine was down. I think they had a flood recently or something, but you should call ahead to check.
The tofu spring rolls were tasty and I can't wait to go come back for lunch to try the Bahn Mi. The servers were really quick and friendly. We all enjoyed our meals and would definitely go back again! -
Review from Michelle B.
West Los Angeles, CA
2/18/2012
Had a late lunch here on a Saturday. Chowed down on the following:
Pork Goi Cuon (spring rolls w/pork)
Pho Bo Vien
Pho Tom
Thai Iced Tea
Vietnamese Coffee
The bill came to about $30.
Really good service, and the pho was great (though beef broth wins). A bit too pricey. But it's within walking distance from our house, so we'll definitely visit again. :) Perfect meal for a cold! -
Review from Laila W.
Memphis, TN
4/19/2012
Ive been here a couple times. Very hit and miss. I live very close by so I was SUPER excited when they opened as I love viet. food.
I tried thier Banh Mi combo. No bueno people. Very dry. Not flavorful. Don't recommend. I gave them two stars because on a couple other occasions ive tried the typical pho soup and it's been alright. Maybe their just getting started and and vamping the flavor up soon? I hope so!!! Its pretty pricey for what it is as well... -
Review from Taka T.
Los Angeles, CA
4/9/2012
We ordered the chicken and shrimp vermicelli. It was okay.....good for the Westside I suppose. The accompanying sauce was good but nothing spectacular. The meat to noodle ratio was definitely lacking. They only gave 4 small slices of grilled chicken and 3 shrimps. I definitely felt short changed by what little meat was given.....obviously others here on YELP felt the same way.
Compared to the more authentic Vietnamese restaurants in Alhambra this place has limited drink selections and NO VIETNAMESE DESSERTS (??!!!!). The only dessert available were banana or apple fritters (basically fried bananas or apples).
What happened to the more traditional 3 color or French coffee?????
Overall our meal was okay, the service was nice but slow and the ambiance was descent (not sure why they made you enter from the side door instead of the main entrance). We may consider going back again....only if we have an uncontrollable craving for Vietnamese food and are too lazy to drive to Alhambra for better. -
Review from Benjamin C.
Los Angeles, CA
2/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
Best pho place west of downtown. Is that saying much? Not really, since most pho places in West LA suck!
I live for pho and probably eat pho twice a week in multiple cities. The broth is good, they're frugal on the meats and the price is high for what you get. However, prices are probably normal for a pho place outside of downtown or Alhambra. -
Review from sara l.
LOVE that someone finally had the idea to open Vietnamese restaurant near me! We come all the time. Everything's good, but the pho is especially great. Yum! Go Paul!
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Review from Tobin B.
Los Angeles, CA
3/29/2012
Great food. Flavorful fresh yummy.
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Review from Rengie M.
Los Angeles, CA
3/15/2012 4 Check-ins Here
I love their pork banh mi....
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Review from H K.
La Habra, CA
2/9/2012 2 photos
i ventured into vien cafe not expecting much considering the distance from westminster/garden grove, but was pleasantly surprised. the wife and i ordered our usual which is a pho dac biet (for me) and a pho tai (for her). mine came with white rice noodles which were boiled to perfection (which happens to be a bit al dente), and hers came with the brown rice noodles which tasted almost better than the white noodles (and healthy to boot).
whenever we find a new vietnamese restaurant we usually order the bun xiao (mung bean crepes) and the gia gio (eggrolls) to see how good they really are. both orders came out promptly and both were cooked to perfection. the crunch from both the bun xiao and the eggrolls punctuated an already excellent bowl of pho.
i am a bit of a skeptic whenever i stumble across any pho establishment north of the 91 freeway because they are usually korean owned and the soup base is ladened with msg, but the broth at vien cafe blew vietnamese butterfly kisses at me. when the first drop of the broth hit these lips the trumpets sound, the angels sing.
PHO sho.
*oh no he dint
*ah, but alas he did -
Review from Coco C.
Los Angeles, CA
3/14/2012
This place is about a block or so away from my apartment. I really want pho that day, but don't want to drive 20 some miles out to the valley to get decent pho.
I ordered to-go, a little over priced for pho, but then again the rent in this area is expensive.
The beef broth was rich in flavor and great for the area. What's disappointing was that there's lot's of noodles, green onions, and I have to fish for meat. The bowl was half of the size what I use to get in the valley too.
The spring rolls are not fresh, tasted like it was made yesterday. And I love the peanut sauce for the spring roll, they gave you fish sauce. What happen to the peanut sauce? Also wasn't too impressed with the chicken banh xeo, opened it up I cannot find any chicken, 4 pieces of shrimp lots crepe, feel cheated for $7.75 Again, it doesn't taste very fresh, more like just microwaved.
overall, the quality of the food is OK for the area, hence the 3 star. I would probably go back again if i really really really want pho. -
Review from Jen J.
Los Angeles, CA
3/8/2012
I come here at least once or twice a week. Slowly but surely ordering everything they serve and everything is fucking awesome, no place in the area compares. Pho broth is cooked for 12 hours. Best cold vermicelli I've ever had. Brown rice noodle stir fry is amazing. Vegetarian friendly
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Review from Charles L.
Arcadia, CA
3/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
the best pho i've had east of the 710, but it's a bit expensive.
the cha gio was not as good as the pho, and pretty expensive (5.95 for 3).
service was awesome (i think that was the lady owner that helped us).
would come here again, but it's kinda too far to be a regular lunch spot. too bad. -
Review from Dekay K.
Downey, CA
Went for opening night with a friend-- pork chops on a bed of vermicelli noodles for myself, chicken pho for my friend and vietnamese coffee. I've never had coffee so good in my life-- my friend and I drank it in 5 minutes, it was insanely delicious. The food was great, tasty and fresh. My friend loved the fact she had an option for wheat noodles and raved about how savory the chicken broth was. The prices are definitely reasonable-- this place is not one of the typical pretentious pho spots, which is what the west side definitely needs. The cooks know what they're doing. Definitely going back for more.
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Review from Marilynn L.
Los Angeles, CA
The location is awesome because there isn't really any vietnamese nearby. The decor is simple and modern and there's effort there, which is more than can be said about most viet joints but the food was standard quality and overpriced. Perhaps I'm spoiled by bigger portions in little Saigon in Westminster but my vermicelli noodles were seriously lackluster with a few knobs of weird BBQ beef (that didn't have the usual flavoring...had more of a curry powder color and taste) and iceberg lettuce instead of the usual mint, cilantro, bean sprouts mix. They did give a lot of noodles but the good stuff (greens and meat) were lacking and fish sauce dressing was too sweet, not spicy at all. Will go back simply bc I don't have another option but would appreciate more authenticity and bite to my food.
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Review from Alex P.
2/15/2012
Apparently this place has been open for about a week. The two owners greeted me and my friend at the door. The female owner checked in on us and the male owner cooked our meals! They were very attentive. And the food was delicious! I had the beef with vermicelli and the Thai tea and my friend had the pho soup with the banana dessert. It was all very amazing! I loved it. My only complaint was that the restaurant's layout isn't as nice as it looks on their website and it was half full when we went during a normal dinner hour.
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Review from Steve E.
Los Angeles, CA
2/7/2012
I was so excited about vien cafe... We live close by, and it feels like we are in food Siberia, so this cafe- serving on of my very favorite cuisines- seemed like an early birthday present.
HOWEVER-
They just opened and we went in for a Bahn mi, fully aware that any place is iffy when they just open, but we were already fans, and rooting for them.. So, ok, we can forgive the 40 min wait for a sandwich to go, but the real disappointment came upon the revelation that ONE banh mi is eight dollars!!
Overpriced?yes!
Generous portions ( as we were told it would be), no.
Flavorful? Not really...
Sadly, don't think we would go back if they don't do something about their pricing and their spicing.. Hopefully, they will! -
Review from Bradley K.
Los Angeles, CA
2/20/2012
Got food here for the very first time today. I ordered take out and was VERY happy with the traditional bahn mi sandwich. I will definitely be back.
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Review from Michael B.
Los Angeles, CA
2/8/2012
had lunch here today and got the pork with vermicelli noodles; it was delicious!
price was fair, service was attentive and atmosphere was comfortable. will definitely be back. -
Review from Christina Tina K.
Monterey Park, CA
2/7/2012
I ordered Pho and it was amazing!!! I eat Pho 2-3 times a week and I have to say this Pho was delicious especially with the brown noodles! The broth was tasty and not greasy at all. I would highly recommend this restaurant love it!!!
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Review from Michael J.
San Diego, CA
2/19/2012
Walked over for Saturday night dinner after reading reviews here. Great food, reasonable prices,nice people, but the staff was a bit overwhelmed by the Saturday night crowd. I will definitely support this great new addition to the neighborhood!
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Review from Ada B.
Los Angeles, CA
2/18/2012
Amazing food though the meatballs in the pho sucked and their service wasn't so good but it's convenient because it's four blocks away from our house.
