“Between their 2,169 reviews (and counting) and the fact that this is the third Ben Tre that I've written about, it'd be fair to say that whatever I write isn't exactly going to be groundbreaking. Really, what are the odds it would be anything that hasn't already been said before? And yet...here we are. Not because I think what I have to add is so important, but because I just think Ben Tre is just awesome! Granted, nothing that I've had is the best that I've had before, but it'd be hard to find something as consistently good across multiple trips and multiple locations as what Ben Tre has to offer! Compared to their spot in Millbrae (and their now-shuttered location in San Mateo), this Ben Tre looks pretty generic. However, what it lacks in trendy or eye-catching decor, Ben Tre makes up for in the basic fact that it is super clean. Also, and most importantly, their all too familiar menu is full of the same tried and true favorites that all of their locations have to offer - a bunch of appetizers, including less common dishes like Banh Xeo (Vietnamese crepe) and fried quail, pho, various noodle soups, bun/vermicelli bowls, rice plates (including their awesome yellow rice), claypots, vegetarian dishes, soups, salads, and garlic noodles. In all, their menu has something for just about every taste! -- (#1) BEN TRE APPETIZER COMBINATION - Imperial Roll, Shrimp Roll, Grilled Pork Meatball, Sugarcane & Crispy Shrimp, Rice Vermicelli, and Lettuce...$19.95 ( I've long wanted to try this, so I was stoked when my friend suggested splitting an order. Of the bunch, I thought the imperial was the best followed closely by the pork meatball. Honestly, though, nothing about this was bad. -- (#28) CA RI GA - Chicken Curry Noodle Soup...$17.95 ( Not quite as good as the one I used to always get in Millbrae, but still pretty solid. While the curry isn't as rich and robust (it's a bit thin), the chunks of chicken are both big and juicy and the noodles have a nice bite to them. -- (#18) PHO TAI CHIN - Beef Noodle Soup with Rare Beef & Well Done Brisket...$16.95 ( Such a basic dish, I know, but still great! The portion is fairly generous, the noodles are tender, and there's a good meat to noodle ratio. The broth is the best part, though (rich, not fatty), so it's hard to go wrong with any of their pho choices. Also, even though I haven't tried them at this Ben Tre, I would assume that some of my favorites at their Millbrae location are just as good here, like their Bun Rieu (Tomato & Crab Pho), Pho Thit/Tom Nuong (BBQ Pork, Beef, or Shrimp with Bowl of Pho Noodle Soup), and their Ben Tre Com Vang & Thit Dac Biet (Yellow Rice with BBQ Pork or BBQ Beef). And that's without even mentioning some of the other dishes on the menu that have caught my eye, such as their Bo Buc Lac (Shaking Beef) and Com Vang Tay Cam (House Special Yellow Rice in Claypot). After all, why would I have any reason to doubt the OG location of the Ben Tre/Gao Vietnamese empire?“
“This was the best vegetarian pho I have ever had. The broth was rich and flavorful. The fried tofu was yummy. The noodles were chewy. Personally, I would have preferred smaller carrot chunks, but everything else about the soup was overwhelmingly positive. I would come back again any day of the week.Vegetarian options: There is vegetarian pho and the buddha sandwich.“
“4/5.Needed a pick-me up in the morning, and Little Green Cyclo was walking distance from the hotel. Decided to give their Viet Coffee a try, because why not.The Food: With this place being the only place close to my hotel for some Viet coffee, I decided to stop by and give it a try. The coffee was decent, came in a nice little carton. Wasn't the best Vietnamese coffee I've had, but did the job for a quick stop.The Service: Service was good. You order through a kiosk and the staff prep your orders. The staff were pretty fast with getting orders out, so that w nice.The Atmosphere: Plenty of seating inside. It is located inside of a work/office building and the sign outside is a little small. So it's easy to miss if you don't know. Very spacious and modern looking inside.Overall, a 4/5. Decent Vietnamese coffee. Quick service for on the go or just to stay and relax.“
“I ordered food via a food delivery app. I was happy how they packaged the food. I ordered a tofu and Veggie Bahn mi which was rubber banded and wrapped in the usual paper. I ordered a veggie eggroll vermicelli and it was packaged in a plastic clamshell. I also ordered a thai iced tea with coconut milk. The hole was taped closed and bagged separately from the food. I enjoyed both my sandwich and vermicelli. The sandwich had a mayo and flavor that I wasn't familiar with, but it wasn't bad. The tofu was fried and filled with veggie. It was great, I finished it all. I also enjoyed the vermicelli. The carton used for fish sauce was just enough for me. Three eggrolls is very generous; I enjoyed the cabbage and mushroom filling. Since they were not precut, I picked it up and ate it in between noodle bites.“