HEM Kitchen and Bar

Hands-down, one of the best most authentic Vietnamese restaurants in the city of Houston nearby of Bellaire Blvd, I mean it's one of the meccas of fine true Vietnamese cuisine. Great dining room and décor, it's like stepping into a cafe in Saigon.I don't know where to start from the crispy, to the cheese scallops. I ordered over 15 dishes and too bad. The Yelp app only allows me to upload 10 pictures.To stand out and survive in Houston, the food has to be memorable, and you have to have a signature dish. In my opinion. Signature dish was the buttered, conch, flavored, Thai flavors in a very strong seafood taste.Amazing menu with different types of seafood dishes, such as coconut snails, clams with crispy onions on top with house green sauce, and look the beef carpaccio. I mean it's rich, buttery, silky, and the nice raw meat flavor comes through. Mixed with fish sauce, lemon juice, lemon grass, crispy fried shallots. I recommend this restaurant to any food connoisseur because every single food dish stands out on its own and it's a must try. I would only say the drawback is it is a little pricey for the amount of food that you're getting the dishes can range between $14-$20 for 6 to 8 pieces of seafood.I wasn't a fan of the cheese scallops, the scallops were over cooked, dry, and the cheese when it wasn't warm, tasted like plastic, just not a good dish. Overall come, drink, have fun, and bring your wallet. If you're counting calories, don't because it's all full flavored. The overall experience has CAPITAL U for umami.

First time trying out HEM, and it was a great experience! We came during dinner time, as soon as they reopened at 5pm. Their selection is huge, so we ended up getting a wide variety of things. Stars of the show were the crispy pork belly and mini egg rolls- both of which were fried to absolute perfection. The asmr that came with the crunch from the pork belly was insaneeeee. I wasn't the biggest fan of the grilled skewers combo. Some of the meat was too tough, and the texture was just not my favorite. The pineapple seafood fried rice was okay- flavor seemed to be lacking and there were lowkey way too many peas LOL. Grilled pork cheeks were also alright, it's chewy and fatty. Not a big fan of the sauce that comes with it, so I dipped it in a different sauce that came with another dish. Vibes were super cool inside, and our server was extremely attentive and patient with us as we were deciding on what to order. Would love to come back and try other items on the menu! There is plenty of parking, but I have heard this spot gets really busy at times with lines waiting outside the door, so just keep that in mind!

Saw a few mixed reviews but wanted to give this place a try anyway. Will say was NOT disappointed at all!! We came around 5 for dinner, there were already quite a few people there for a thurs night. They have happy hour and discounted drinks and foods! Genuinely LOVED every item we got. We got the happy hour grilled oysters ($8 for 8 oysters, SOOOO GOOD), beef carpaccio (A MUST), goi with surf clam (even better than I expected), and the coconut snails (YUUUUM). The service and decor was top notch also, everything came out quickly. I came here a few days ago and have been thinking about it since. DEF COME VISIT, I genuinely think its worth the hype

From the very moment you set eyes on the exterior signage, you know this place is going to be something special. You walk inside and immediately you can feel vibe of Vietnam - street life. My party ordered the Vietnamese iced coffee and coconut coffee, which were both delicious. For our food we got the Five Spice Beef and Bo Luc Lac, which were tender and tasty - not dry. Service was personable, attentive and accommodating. We went for lunch and while it was busy there was no wait that day (weekday). Plenty of parties enjoying each other's company over good food. The decorations and interior are trendy and very unique. Next time I will have to try sitting at one of the 3 tables by the wall that are each inside a rounded off pipe looking space, which I assume provides a little more privacy and sound deadening as I'm sure it can get quite loud when it's busy and the bar is packed.Definitely enjoyed my lunch here and I bet dinner is even more exciting.

I've been meaning to try this place out for a while and I regret not trying it sooner! I went on a Saturday night and it was pretty packed but we didn't have to wait for a table since it was just a party of two. I saw that people were eating outside on plastic chairs and tables and it took me right back to Vietnam, before even going in I could already tell that this place was truly authentic. The inside was popping! The environment was loud and bustling the lights were dimmed along with the moody colorful lights and Viet music was also playing in the background. The interior was decorated so nicely so they hit the mark with that one. The menu had a variety but they were mostly snack finger food for large parties. I think that's where my fault came in, I feel like we didn't get the full experience since we were looking for a full meal instead of a family-style dinner like everyone else in the restaurant did. Nonetheless, the food was still tasty and it seemed like the majority of the staff and consumers were FOBs. Our server was nice and efficient.I think I saw almost every other table order the pineapple fried rice and that was another fault of mine because it's probably one of their most, if not, popularly dish. So in conclusion, I will be back to try that and more! With a larger party next time too!

This is an amazing place for authentic Vietnamese food. My friend and I did family style and shared the crispy pork belly, seafood fried rice, and chicken cartilage. The seafood fried rice was my favorite out of the 3 things I tried and the portion was large. I was not expecting that since the establishment is known more for street food with smaller portions to allow guests to try multiple things. The pork belly really lived up to its name with really crispy skin and paired well with the sauce and sides provided. For the chicken cartilage there are 3 options of sauces but we opted for the salted egg. It was super delicious even for someone who is not a big fan of chicken cartilage. The service was good considering how busy the staff were. There is an option to dine inside or outside but my friend and I opted to eat outside in order to get the feel of being back in the streets of Vietnam enjoying our food. If you do choose to eat outside, still go inside and inform a host that you would like to be seated outside. The inside from what I saw looked aesthetic. Also be aware about their hours as the morning and evening menus will be different.

Good new and hip Vietnamese restaurant in Bellaire Chinatown area. Loved the five spice grilled beef - it reminded me of a crying tiger but with five spice seasoning. The nuoc mam (fish sauce) wings are also good. The only reason I am giving it 4/5 instead of 5/5 is for the premium pricing - it is not the best value for money.

My friend and I had a nice lunch at Hem this past weekend.We split their mini egg rolls and their steak and eggs. It was my first time having egg rolls in miniature form, but I think it came out crispier that way! Their steak and eggs were tasty as well. The bone marrow was rich and went great with the thick pieces of French bread. Our meal came with a nice salad as well.The coffees were also great. We got a coconut coffee and egg coffee. They were both slightly sweet, and the coconut coffee was blended.Service was very attentive and friendly, and I can't wait to return to try their dinner.

HEM me up! Lunch menu only. Met a friend for lunch. She has been there before but it was my first time.The aesthetic of the restaurant was pretty and open. We were seated immediately. They have a diverse menu. I was trying to order skewers but he said they weren't available during lunch so meh.Ordered the com Chien Bo luc lac, pork and shrimp fried spring rolls and the banh mi bone'. The cha gio were filled with deliciousness. The sauce was a bit bland for me. Com Chien Bo luc lac - delicious. The meat was so tender and perfectly marinated. The rice was also cooked well and the fried egg was the perfect topping. My friend said the banh mi bone was good too. There are a ton of things that I was interested in trying so will def go back. The staff was friendly and helpful. The pricing is a bit high especially for Chinatown but you are also paying for the experience and atmosphere. The restroom was very clean, spacious and cute. There is also some outdoor seating. Overall will def be back.

Service was exceptional! Everyone was super polite and friendly. The wait was not long at all, we were seated right away. This restaurant is more of a social restaurant , somewhere to drink, chill and eat with your friends. I wouldn't take your family here unless you're just trying to eat hotpot. The ambiance of the place reminds me of the alleyway restaurants in vietnam. Does give me the night vibes! I went here with my family but since we didn't drink or anything, we just tried some popular dishes and left within the hour. Will definitely come back with friends one night to get the full experience.