The Most Delectable Vietnamese in Saint Paul

Lotus Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.3 (907) • $$

"I was in the area for work and this restaurant was recommended by the hotel I was staying at. The portions are large, however, the soup was bland and the pork egg rolls were very salty. Service was great, the food came out quickly, and staff were very attentive."

HAI HAI

★★★★☆ 4.1 (916) • $$

"James Beard winner? Yes Please!Ladies night. At least a half hour wait with no reservation on a Saturday night in the summer. We sat outside. Cute environment but the little bugs all around- awful! My ankles got eaten alive!The Brussel sprouts were the major win for me here. It was almost like a sweet and sour sauce was drizzled on top. With a little tang. Very flavorful. The ribs were ok. White rice is white rice. We had a good time but it didn't knock my socks off."

iPho by Saigon

★★★★☆ 4.1 (503) • $

"I've been going to IPho for years. The best part of this place is that the service is so fast that it's become my go-to work lunch spot. I always get the pho. I've gotten the bun & bahnmi but not as satisfying as pho. If you're not as hungry, get the kid size but I usually get regular size and take home leftovers. I've recently discovered their jalapeño cream cheese wontons & really enjoyed them. I also recommend getting an avocado boba to treat yourself, but it's only available in the summer months. Service is efficient. Great spot when you only have an hr to go to and from the office & have enough time to eat & catch-up with colleagues."

Lu's Sandwiches

★★★★☆ 4.2 (444) • $

"Update: The mock duck bahn mi is still my favorite here. I like that the bread is softer. I also ordered pork egg rolls with dipping sauce. I never find street parking and always park in the back lot. The back entrance is nasty with clutter and supplies and a dirty door. So, it's not the best first impression. I ordered my bahn mi large, so I had 2 meals from it. Reheats well in chef Mike."

MT Noodles

★★★★☆ 4.2 (337) • $$

"Several tables that can accommodate various group sizes.I ordered #15, Com Tam Heu Nuong, Bi Cha. It was delish, and everything tasted fresh. The flavors were well balanced; not overly salty, greasy, or seasoned. The prices were pretty reasonable, although $3.25 for a soda seemed like a lot. However, I got it anyway and made sure to enjoy a refill. To go, I got the Pandang Coconut Flavor cake. It was tasty, light, and fluffy. An overall good experience, and I'd go back."

The Lotus Maple Grove

★★★★☆ 4.3 (272) • $$

"Had been meaning to try Lotus for a long time and finally did. Ample seating and quick and friendly service. We ordered a Lo Mein and Stir Fried Rice noodles. Went with medium heat, but ended up asking for chili oil to add more heat to both dishes. Asides from the heat level, everything was very tasty. The happiest surprise of the meal were the Banana Wontons. Could've had 10 of them!Great option for Asian food in MG!"

Simplee Pho

★★★★☆ 4.3 (243) • $

"Simplee the best...I'm Pho realWife: "you should take me on a date night."Me: "where do you wanna go?"Wife: "let's get some pho"So I proceed to browse Yelp, see a couple spots that have a couple of reviews, but I want the real deal cus I've never had Pho before. Found Simplee Pho. Now I didn't know what to expect, I never had Pho before, I told my wife "wasn't it just soup and ramen?" Nope. It's so much more than that.We entered the restaurant with one hour left before closed. They happily greeted us, sat us right away and brought us water immediately. Looking at the menu, I didn't even know it was a Vietnamese restaurant, so I got excited. I glanced at the menu but I didn't want anything I've tried before so I went for the Pho. The spicy bowl. My wife asked for chicken instead of beef and at first the waitress wasn't sure if the cook would do it, but she clapped her hands and said I will ask for you. Came back in seconds and said Yes! He'll do it for you! (She got the same spicy bowl as I did). And I ordered the egg rolls.The egg rolls are loaded, mega egg rolls, loaded with the good stuff, loaded with flavor and after just one bite, all I could do was nod my head and say wow....Not gonna lie, hands down, thee best egg rolls I've ever eaten in my life. When the spicy bowl arrived, I grabbed the chop sticks, grab some beef and noodles and took a bite. first thing out my wife: "WHY HAVENT I TRIED THIS BEFORE?!? WHY HAVENT YOU TOLD ME PHO OS THIS GOOD!?!So I added the Ben sprouts and whatever else they put o the extra plate and added it to my bowl. I ate, I grubbed, I was in food paradise, and I ate some more. When it was all said and done, my wife and I were full, I'm talking full Pho real!!' And we still had a full bowl of spicy Pho left, and my wife even gave me some of her chicken and noodles cus she mainly wanted the broth.So we're beyond satisfied with the service Beyond satisfied with the foodBeyond satisfied with the flavorBeyond satisfied with the amount of foodBeyond satisfied with the amount to take homeAnd we will be backWe do recommendLike Billy Bob from Varsity Blues: I give it a 10!!! I give it a 10!!!My wife says I'm pronouncing Pho wrong (PHOH) and she says (Pha)Fee FiPho Phum, this restaurant is Pho Real, Fee Fi Pho PhumThis place is yum!!I was so full, but when I got home later that evening l, I finished off the whole container I took home, cus it was just that good. There was like this magnetic pull to the flavor screaming eat this pho, man oh man!!! I'm going back!!!"

Que Viet

★★★★☆ 4.1 (246) • $$

"Just go for the eggrolls, you'll feel a lot happier. This restaurant has this food down pat, and it's difficult to just eat one of them.The rest of the food is bland, unfortunately. You can't get anything spicy (maybe spice isn't a part of Vietnamese cuisine?) and there's nothing distinctive about it.The service is friendly, quick, and efficient."

Pho Tau Bay

★★★★☆ 3.9 (256) • $$

"Best pho in Minneapolis! We are regulars and are never disappointed in the service or the food. Our typical order includes a G2 banh mi, an order of the spring rolls, and two #1 pho. The broth in the pho is my favorite in the cities and I love the portion size. The peanut sauce that comes with the spring role is my favorite. And I think most of the banh mi sandwiches are delightful - we tend to mix it up on which one we order. Finishing it off with a tarp bubble tea is my favorite treat after the main corse :)"

Gion Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.9 (250) • $$

"Spring rolls and classic pho, also had the basil stir fry!Great meal!$38.37 after tax before tip!"

Jasmine 26

★★★★☆ 3.9 (241) • $$

"I'm really torn with how to feel about Jasmine 26. The space has been really nicely updated with all new decor and tables, the service was outstandingly warm and welcoming, and the food was high quality and tasted great. Easy 5 stars it would seem! The issue is pricing here. Each personal hotpot starts at ~$20, and comes with a small plate of meat, noodles, and veggies depending on which one you order. We tried the Tom Yum and Classic Szechuan broths, and both were great. If you have a modest appetite and are ok with how the sets come as-is, I'd say it's a strong value. However, upgrading to all-beef (beef and chicken mixed is standard) is an upcharge, and since the base comes with only 7 pieces of beef, you'll likely want to order another plate for ~$5. If any appetizers or a drink catch your eye, you're looking at $45 out the door--typical hotpot pricing--for a fairly small number of items by hotpot standards. If Jasmine 26 existed in a vacuum where you couldn't go to other all you can eat hot pots in the city (Little Szechuan on University or Kung Fu hotpot also in Uptown) for a similar price, or other personal pot places (Tasty Pot in Dinkytown) for half that price, I'd recommend this wholeheartedly. As it stands, unless you really want to try some of the Vietnamese-inspired broths, Jasmine 26 doesn't offer the best value proposition. I have no issue spending a lot on food, but when other places do it better and cheaper, it's tough to feel good about it. I truly hope they do well with this new concept though, as the service was truly fantastic and I love to see the growth of restaurants like this in the city."

Duc's Vietnamese

★★★★☆ 3.7 (242) • $$

"Delicious! I could not believe Duc's has been around for 29 years and this is the first time I've tried it. I ordered the Beef and Broccoli lunch special so it was a little over $13. The amount of food is generous. There was plenty of fried rice, big pieces of beef and lots of broccoli and vegetables. The 2 cream cheese puffs were crunchy and sweet. The whole lunch was great. I definitely had some leftovers. I will be back with my mini me to try more dishes but so far I'm impressed."

Thanh Truc

★★★★☆ 3.7 (237) • $$

"Excellent food. I've ordered quite a few times during the last few months. Good portions and tastes great. We have ordered pad Thai, fried rice, Singapore noodles etc. I would give 5/5 for all of the dishes. We ordered pho once which was good but I've had better.I usually go to St. Paul for Thai/Vietnamese food but since this is so close and the food is great we get it from here now"

Jasmine Deli

★★★★☆ 4.3 (160) • $

"I've been visiting Jasmine Deli for over a decade. It was 5 stars when I first reviewed it in 2008 and it's still 5 stars today. For the record: they make the best banh mi in the United States, especially for vegans.This hole-in-the-wall is a staple for quick, delicious, inexpensive Vietnamese dishes with numerous vegan options. They don't label their vegan options, but do call out the vegetarian dishes (most of which are vegan, but ask questions to be sure).The deli revolves around their delectable banh mi. For vegans, you can get a tofu, mock duck or curry mock duck sandwich (mock duck is seitan from a can); just make sure to specify "no butter" and you got yourself the best vegan banh mi in the United States.The tofu banh mi ($4) is ridiculously cheap but oh so good. The tofu is fried and lightly covered in a savory soy-based sauce; the carrots, cucumbers, cilantro and daikon are fresh. And the bread---oh man, this is the best Vietnamese baguette around. It's light, flaky, warm and delectable. The vegetarian (vegan as long as you get rice noodles) noodle soup ($8) is hearty, savory and delicious.I've been living in Southern California for the last 7 years and there's no shortage of banh mi in this area. But none of them match the one in Minneapolis."

Pho 79

★★★★☆ 3.7 (196) • $

"Good food with great service! The pork Bahn-Mi was very good. I will definitely be back."

Pho 83

★★★★☆ 3.7 (194) • $

"A nice little family ran restaurant. Friendly staff. I ordered the pho with noodles, sliced beef, and meatballs. I don't remember what it was called on the menu. I tried it exactly the way it was delivered to my table, and it was a bit bland. However, it was served with a lime wedge and there was a variety of sauces on the table. I squeezed the lime wedge in and added some hoisin and sriracha sauces and in no time the bland flavor became exquisite.I ended up really liking it. I was a little disappointed with the initial bland flavor, but having the ability to add some citrus flavor and other sauces greatly enhanced the flavor and experience. The menu described it as a "big bowl", and that description was accurate. The serving size is immense. You're doing something wrong if you manage to walk away hungry after eating an entire bowl. It was more than I could finish. And unfortunately, I am traveling for work and don't really have a way to carry the leftovers with me and eat them later."

Cam Ranh Bay

★★★★☆ 3.9 (160) • $$

"This is one of my favorite spots for takeout in Burnsville! The staff is very friendly and welcoming. I've only gotten takeout, but they do have a spacious dining room if you prefer to dine in. There is a large parking lot out front so no issues with parking. They have a great lunch special for just under $12 that comes with soup, an appetizer, an entree and rice. My go-to order is the chicken lomein and egg rolls. Hands down my favorite egg rolls! The only down side is that if you're ordering takeout you do have to call in your order as they don't have online ordering."

Zen Asia

★★★★☆ 4.3 (126) • $$

"Zen Asia is a family-owned restaurant. They used to own Vietnam Star (Maplewood) and Vietnam Restaurant (Woodbury) so I have tried most of the food their food. The food is made fresh to order and always flavorful. At Zen Asia, it appears the owner, Nancy waits the dining area alone when I have visited a few times post-COVID era. She builds rapport with every customers that comes through. It feels very welcoming and like visiting an old friend. The ambiance is casual. Nancy will give you enough time to see the menu, will check on you frequently, and if you'd like and based on the busy level, she might chat with you. I recommend the Vietnamese spring rolls are my all-time favorite, egg rolls, and cream cheese wontons. For entrees, Hot & spicy chicken is all-time customer's favorite; as a person who doesn't like spicy food, it is actually flavorful and can be done without the spiciness. Pho, Mongolian beef, com dac biet (combination rice platter), bun bowls (rice stick noodle salad bowl), chicken pad Thai, and various stir-fry are great."

Em Que Viet

★★★★☆ 4.1 (138) • $$

"Our waiter was phenomenal and the food is delicious! We've ordered takeout from here before and were excited to try this place during Restaurant Week. We tried the egg roll, cheese puffs, and State Fair cheese wontons- all delicious with a crispy outer layer.I ordered the Bo Luc Lac and it was excellent- flavorful and refreshing. I'm drooling thinking about the honeycomb cake for dessert. Great beers on tap and a good selection of other drinks on their menu. We did wait over 30 minutes after our reservation time with no updates from the hostess. Overall, happy to return to dine take out."

Pho 400

★★★★☆ 4 (131) • $$

"Closing this out. Best Pho broth in the cities. Service is faster than Jimmy John's. Sadly the music section is very uninspiring."

Bona Vietnamese

★★★★☆ 3.5 (162) • $

"My friend told me this was her favorite place for pho so I decided it was worth a shot. They're easy enough to find and is located on the U of M campus (where it is easy enough to find other pho shops as well). My standard for pho is to always try the pho dac biet. So that was what I ordered. And honestly, I wasn't super satisfied. The flavor depth fell short. There wasn't much to the broth at all. At one point, it may have been a good broth, but it seems like maybe water just kept being added. I also remembered that it didn't come out really hot...but more just warm. I'm not sure I'd go back as there are so many other choices, but if you're in a pinch and you're in the area and looking for an inexpensive bowl of hot noodle soup, they're not a terrible option."

Tay Ho

★★★★☆ 3.8 (135) • $$

"This is one my of favorite go to places for pho. It gets busy quickly so be prepare to navigate around for parking if the lot and off street parking are full. Today, we've arrived before 11 o'clock and got our choice of parking spot. The lines are faded so we did our best to make room for others.Not long after we arrived, other customers started trickling in.Today we ordered:Egg rolls - cut in halves, came with egg roll sauce, has pepper flakes and fish sauceBun Bi Special - cut in halvesPho Special - side of bean sprouts, Thai basils, jalapeño and lime.Shrimp Rice Platter - lettuce leave under the food, a broth with cilantro and a dipping sauceThe food were delicious and shared between the two of us. The services were fast and friendly. We will definitely go there ago next time."

Hoa Bien Vietnamese Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (134) • $

"I've been on a Vietnamese kick lately, which shouldn't be a surprise, I'm Vietnamese. In the past several months though, it's all I crave. I hope this phase in my life never ends and lasts until I'm into my ripe old age. When I'm too lazy to make my own dishes at home, there's a handful of Viet places I tend to go to for specific dishes. When I'm just a little lazy but still can make an effort, I'll venture out to Brooklyn Park and MLPS. But super lazy days when everything is a chore, I hit up places closer to me that I know I'll enjoy, like Hoa Bien. I usually get their vermicelli bowls, banh cuon, and canh chua, which you must order the ca kho to accompany. I've also tried their bun bo hue, unfortunately, that was a let down, no flavor. So, I just stick to what I know is good there. Service is always fast and efficient, that's all I need."

Thanh Vi

★★★★☆ 3.7 (139) • $

"We did take out online which was very easy to navigate. First time eating here and wish I tried it sooner since I pass by on 85th all the time. The price and portions are great. You get so much food! My iced coffee was delicious and very strong. The Bun Thit Nuong Cha Gio was so fresh, pork & shrimp cooked perfect, and the dipping sauce ties it all in together. The egg roll was soooo good. Outside had such a nice crunch and lots of filling. My husband enjoyed his fried rice and they made it spicy like he had requested. Definitely will be coming back and hopefully can dine in next time!"

Banh Appetit

★★★★☆ 4.3 (101)

"The Dirty Bird is the sandwich that converted me to a Banh Appetit truther.I had previously just found Banh Appetit to be okay, back when I was vegetarian--I had tried the grilled tofu sandwich which I felt was just fine compared to other tofu banh mi that I'd had before. However, I recently tried the Dirty Bird (hot chicken) sandwich for the first time and I've been absolutely HOOKED since then.It has a really aromatic and flavorful five spice(?) seasoning, and it IS hot--but the perfect amount of spice that actually enhances the other flavors rather than just drowning them out. The fries are always crispy and on point too, and you just cannot beat the price of their combo deal--the combo of the Dirty Bird, fries, and a can of soda is a steal at $11.74. This is the go-to place of pretty much everyone I know who went to the U, and for good reason. There's a little covered parking lot at the corner of 13th and 5th that has designated free spaces for patrons of the JJ's/KFT/Banh Appetit/etc strip, which I only just found out about recently which absolutely rocks too! One of the absolute best places to get a cheap and delicious bite on the East Bank."

Sweet Basil

★★★★☆ 3.7 (129) • $$

"Made a delivery order for two things and had polar opposite opinions on them. First was the Pad Thai with beef, pork, and chicken. I had several issues with this dish. I really wish I'd just gotten it with only chicken - the beef was pretty bland but the pork was just awful. It was chopped up bits of bbq pork like you might find in a Chinese pork fried rice, but which was not what I was expecting a pad thai dish. What was really unappetizing was that half the bbq pork was just inedible bits of fat that had to be spit out. As for the dish itself there was way too much fish sauce, almost no bean sprouts, and oddly it came with a lemon wedge instead of a more traditional and better tasting lime. This was not something I enjoyed and I would not order it again. For flavor I'd give this thing a 2 or 3, but dropped down to a 1 given that it had inedible blobs of unrendered fat that had to be spit out while eating.Which left me very shocked to find how delicious the egg rolls were. Wonderfully crispy on the outside, very well seasoned and flavorful in the middle with ground pork and a mix of veggies. 5 stars for these, and the only reason this review is getting 3 stars on average.I would go back here just to get egg rolls, but given how little I enjoyed the Pad Thai I'm not sure I trust spending money on trying anything else at this point."

Indochin Vietnamese Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.7 (125) • $

"This is a cute little restaurant on the edge of Grand Ave. My mom & I were visiting a brownie shop nearby and stopped in here for dinner.Now, we are extremely Scandinavian. My mom barely seasons her food with salt, so it's always a little stressful for her at new Asian restaurants due to the spice level, but I digress. The menus here are quite extensive. Want pho? Sure. Stir fry or chow mein? Done. Thai food? Absolutely. You can have a bland food palette or yearn for something authentic and both can be satisfied here. My mom ordered a chicken stir fry which came with pea pods, broccoli, and bell peppers (and chicken of course) with rice on the side. I ordered shrimp pad Thai. They have all meat options available for every dish (mock duck, tofu, chicken, pork, steak, shrimp and a few others). Shrimp was always the most expensive, with mock duck and tofu being the cheapest. The food was amazing. The pad Thai was different from what I was used to- it was more saucey, which is fine by me, but didn't have the typical crunch of any added peanuts. This was fine, but just an observation. The pad Thai has mild spice but you can always add more. The food was great but I should also note the atmosphere. It's very dim lighting (we arrived around 6:15pm and because this is winter, it was already dark outside) but it was atmospheric, I liked it. I would definitely visit again. I was told their chicken lo mein is the best in the city, so give it a go if you're in the area."

Pho Pasteur VN

★★★★☆ 4.2 (97) • $$

"Parking lot is available and the place is clean. Service was also good. The food was pretty good, not the best I've eaten but certainly not the worst. The spring roll-egg roll was massive and very unique."

Que Viet Village House Three

★★★★☆ 3.6 (129) • $

"We absolutely love this place! Egg Rolls are 10/5 stars, my absolute favorite in MN!Super friendly staff & always very clean! Love their new remodel! We have dined in & also done take-out. We love both options but always prefer to dine in.Our Favorites:-Egg Rolls w/Fish Sauce-Cream Cheese Wontons -Fried Rice (Pork)-Lo Mein (Beef)-Sweet and Sour (Chicken)-Sweet and Sour (Pork)"

Wild Orchid

★★★★☆ 3.6 (128) • $

"The more things change, the more they change. My relationship with Wild Orchid is complicated. I loved 'em. I hated 'em. I loved 'em again. I felt the sting of disappointment. I sorta felt like I'd ended the relationship. But wait-- after a couple of years of not seeing my former favorite... I decided it was time to pay a visit, once again... and Magic, thy soul is a place. I don't know how long it will last, but this may be the best Hmong restaurant in town. New owners? I don't know or care. Just be sure to speak slowly to the guy at the register. His English is a little lacking. The food is so good I actually considered not posting this update-- to keep this place to myself. Yeah, right. Thank you, oh Gods of Asian Food, for granting us such yummies."

Vietnam Star Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.6 (118) • $

"My second visit and the food and service were just as good as the first time. The staff (owners?) were super friendly and our food came out quickly and did not disappoint. I recommend the spicy chicken, the pho, egg rolls, and wontons. The store and restrooms were also well kept and clean. I was shocked to see the approx 3.5 yep rating as of my writing this, I expected to see a 4.4 - 4.6. Keep up the great work and food!"

Saigon Uptown Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.9 (100) • $

"I'd maybe call this a hidden gem of Uptown/LynLake? I don't hear much about Saigon and have never visited until now!When you walk in, the first thing you'll notice is how much space there is and how clean it is! They are currently only open for takeout but post-covid I can imagine this place will be full of life, they've got huge booths and tables perfect for groups! Also spotted a coatrack aka Minnesota essential. I was greeted by a very kind gentlemen who gave me a few minutes to look at the menu. After deciding everything looked too good to decide, I just asked him what he recommended which was the Hot & Spicy Lemongrass Chicken. I ordered this mild, cream cheese wontons, and a crispy coconut roll. He told me it would only be about 10 minutes and it was! The grand total for 3 items was only $13!!! What a fantastic price! The entrée came packed with white rice separately. The lemongrass chicken was truly mild for my lame low spice tolerance, but packed huge flavor! The chicken was cooked with some sauteed onions and I can see why he recommended it!The cream cheese wontons came with a ton of wontons, maybe 7, and they were all HUGE! Seriously the biggest cream cheese wontons I've ever gotten at a restaurant. These came with the classic red sauce as well. The wontons were not as crispy I've had in the past but they also weren't as oily so I think I prefer it this way! They're also cream cheese wontons so you can't go wrong. Lastly, I got a crispy coconut roll which they had in a jar by the register. I've never really seen this at a restaurant but for $1 it was a no brainer! It was light, airy, yet crispy! There's a strong coconut flavor and it's not too sweet!I can't wait to try more menu items from Saigon!"

Thai Asian Pho

★★★★☆ 3.7 (110) • $

"The Hu tiu soup was quite good, and the place friendly and clean.It's really nice to be able to get food like this in the outer suburbs, as 30 years ago it would not have been possible. The food revolution is not just happening on the coasts and in cities, but in many places across out state."

PhoValley Vietnamese Cuisine

★★★★☆ 4 (93) • $

"My girls wanted pho for dinner and I was craving for bun bo hue so we were going to stop at Simplee Pho in Apple Valley but on the way I remembered that there's another pho place closer so w stopped at Pho Valley. It was a bonus that they also offer bun bo hue. My girls are on the no meat pho so just noodles and broth with bean sprouts and lime. The bun bo hue was a little bland but it was good. It was a little pricier than most Vietnamese restaurants in town and has less cha (meatloaf) too since it's sliced super thin versus big chunks like I'm used to at other Vietnamese restaurants. Service was minimum after we got our waters and order in for food. They got busy and had to flag someone down to order some bubble tea for my girls. Overall, good food, ok service and ok pricing."

iPho

★★★★★ 4.5 (72)

"Had the Combination Pho. It was the Pho I have had and I've been to many in the Twin Cities. It was loaded with noodles and meat. Broth was also good and not salty. Service was very friendly and fast!I will be coming back even tho it was 30 minutes away."