Mai Phung

Fyi - they close at 3pm for lunch since we showed up around that time the first time and we had to leave We finally came at 11am on a Saturday and there was already a line and you put your name down on the list. I found Mai Phung from an influencer saying this place had the best banh canh so I knew I had to try it. They're very efficient in that they take your order while you're waiting outside so they bring your food a couple minutes after you sit down. This was my first time trying banh canh and wow this place is the place to try it. It has a sort of sour and thick broth with lots of crab. The udon noodles are cooked perfectly to a bouncy texture. Basically every table inside had this dish.We also got the pho which was the same price at $17. It has a darker broth and thicker noodles than the pho places I've tried but still amazing. The beef was a bit dry and pricy for pho. I loved that they drowned both soups in lots of black pepper

No frills no thrills - the kind of restaurant there is. It's so hard to find a good banh canh restaurant in the Bay Area and coming to Orange County - you have too many to choose from. Based on the reviews, this seemed like the perfect place to eat. Located in a busy strip mall, parking can be hit or miss. When you get there, there is most likely a line and somebody will put you on a list. You should probably start looking for a menu and determining what you are going to order BEFORE they seat you. The food basically gets to your table as they seat you. I wished I looked over all the reviews before ordering because every single table had the egg rolls. I should of ordered the egg rolls - so filled with regret! I could hear everybody's crunch and slurps of soup at the same time. Inside is pretty small and not ideal for large parties. Number 1 was absolutely delicious and your classic banh canh crab paste broth LOADED with crab on top! The broth was so thick and flavorful. The noodles were bouncy and chewy - not overly cooked and soft. The Number 5 was just as delicious with more of a clear pork broth. Honestly you can't go wrong with either options of banh canh and for the price, you are getting a steal! Highly recommend this to be a stop! They also take credit card.

The perfect dish on a rainy day!Their signature dish is udon style noodles with shrimp, pork, and crab in a thick broth. You can dress it up with lime, fish sauce, and spicy pepper. There's other items on the menu, but I've never made it past the first item. The service is good, quick and efficient, my water cup was never empty. The ambiance is that of a small family owned restaurant. Not a lot of seating, come early or wait for a few minutes to be seated, but the wait is always worth it. If this isn't on your "to try" list I'd certainly recommend putting it on. :)

Came by for lunch the other day and it was a decent experience. Parking was available in the private lot or on the street. There are half a dozen tables indoors and a few stools outside for waiting. There is a wait list outside the restaurant and the staff takes orders while waiting for tables.It was interesting to see the competition amongst the restaurants as it appeared that the restaurant a few doors down kept on soliciting diners in line to check out their restaurant instead with no line...Once seated, the order arrived quickly. The queue for a table took about ~20 minutes. The iced Vietnamese coffee was strong and quite tasty. I wasn't able to finish.The cha gio was decent although a touch pricey at $16 for a plate of fried egg rolls served with a side of lettuce.The banh canh that seems to be a house special was decent. Portions were on the smaller side and the udon came out slippery and al dente. The crab tasted like it was frozen and/or from a can.~$27/head for lunch. Menu prices seem to be "tax included" and I didn't see anyone leave any tip on the table or with the staff.

I am in love with these small mom and pop shops around OC and need to start dining more at this places. Parking in this plaza is a little tight and inside is small too. There are 23 food items on the menu. We got the crab noodle soup (#1) and fried rice (#23).Bánh canh tôm cua had a thick broth with udon like noodles. So yummy. Squeeze a few lemons and it's perfect. I was surprised how much I liked the fried rice. It had that crispy rice burn from the wok. We will be back to try more dishes.

The restaurant itself is very small with about 10 tables. They give pretty good amount of semi/ quality meat and seafood in their dishes. The service was fast. All menu item was at $17. The parking can be hard to find at peak lunch and dinner time.

One of the best banh canh places you can try. Small location, so you can expect a bit of a wait, but definitely worth it. The chili sauce is outstanding. Would recommend!

A friend brought us here to eat banh canh cua, my first time ever trying the dish, and I'm obsessed! Banh canh cua is a creamy crab udon-like dish with a thick, savory broth. We were advised not to stir too frequently so that the broth would remain thick. Order #1!Tips - Parking: This restaurant is small, located in a local plaza with parking available, though limited. Availability: There was a 15m wait for a party of 6 on a weekend afternoon. They took our orders while we waited (we all ordered the same thing) and it arrived within mins of us getting seated. Payment: They take credit card!

Great stop for some hard to find crab udon noodles or a crabby take on dry noodles. Prices feel a bit high but these are crab items.

This place was decent. The noodle udon soup was good, and the crab flavor and meat are definitely there. I got the egg rolls since I wasn't as hungry and it came with lettuce, chicharrones and fish sauce for dipping. The wait was long since they only have 5-6 tables. We waited almost one hour for a table of 3. It's a hole in the wall place, but those have the best food usually. I will come back, but maybe get it to go or go during non peak hours.