Venus Cafe

This establishment is a Hong Kong-style café, reminiscent of similar venues found in Los Angeles. It features a menu that offers a fusion of traditional Chinese and Western-style dishes, typical of the Hong Kong dining experience.While exploring the menu, I faced the challenge of choosing from a wide array of appealing dishes. Ultimately, I opted for the baked pork chop, which closely resembled my previous experiences and was quite enjoyable. Additionally, we ordered the Hainan chicken rice, a dish where the quality of the rice is crucial. While it was satisfactory, it didn't quite meet the standard of what I had previously tasted in LA. Another noodle dish we tried was also quite good.As I currently reside outside of the West Coast, I may not have the opportunity to return. However, for those who live in the area and are seeking authentic Hong Kong café cuisine, this restaurant is worth a visit.

Here's my review of Venus Cafe.Day of Chinese New Year, Year of the Snake which is "me".I've always had a love inside for Hong Kong style cooking.It isn't about what they got on the menu. It's the sauce, portions, service and being in the comfort of your people.Saying it loud and proud. Big Brother you are so fine and tasty, I can eat you over and over and just flip them wings.There is so much packed inside, you don't know what to do with it. Didn't try it though but I will next time. bae and my son had it. Youngest had beef and broccoli. Which is fine, you can never go wrong with your typical Chinese dish. I had the half and half and it was plentiful. I mean a few bites, the portion feels like as if I was eating for 3. The tomato sauce just reminds me of VIP in SF Chinatown but I think Venus hit it right out of the park. The pork cutlet is so generous I could not even finish it. Half rice Half spaghetti. Guess what, it's my lunch for tomorrow. I'm excited to be able to enjoy such a meal.

Came on a Friday night around 9:30pm! So nice to have places that open late . There was a few occupied tables and lots of open tables to be picked!We ordered the House combo, spam instant noodle, beef brisket wonton noodle (which was not on the menu but I asked if they have it and they said yes), also a HK French toast.The French toast came out first as well as the HK milk tea that was part of the House combo. The milk tea was ok, not hot at all. The French toast was not too crispy but soggy on the outside. Maybe I had it after my entree. I wish they would bring that out after our entrees.All the entrees tasted not bad. We all enjoyed our meal.

Great food as always at this cozy hongkong style diner. Many locals come and it's always a hit with their unique rice dishes with flavorful sauces. The hainanese chicken and scallion sauce is always delish. The red sauce goes good with everything, but I don't think I'd order it with spaghetti this time. Do sauce lo mein was delishious and greasy. Venus cafe is always a hit

This is a great spot for Hong Kong style food. The beef chow fun and the beef brisket lo mein are my favorites. The chili oil is pretty good as well and adds some nice heat. Service was friendly and the waiters constantly stopped to refill our tea. The salt and pepper chicken wings were also tasty, with a good crunch and flavor but it had more of a spicy flavor than salt and pepper. While it doesn't quite match up to the options in SoCal, it's still a great Hong Kong style cafe and I'm glad to have found this place.

Venus Cafe is a gem for anyone craving authentic Hong Kong comfort food. It's one of the more traditional Hong Kong-style cafes around, offering classic dishes like baked rice, noodle soups, and milk tea that taste just like they would in Hong Kong. The prices are average, making it a great spot for a casual meal that won't completely break the bank. Whether you're in the mood for a hearty breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Venus Cafe delivers on both flavor and authenticity. Service is quick and the workers speak Cantonese, English, and Mandarin.

I've visited plenty of Chinese restaurants, but I'm not sure if I've ever been to a Hong Kong Style Café. And if I have, I had no idea. I wasn't even aware that such places existed.Restaurant front - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=E5varI-CH_TtzIl30_IwVgQ: What is a Hong Kong Style Café?** A: A Cha Chaan Teng (Chinese: 茶餐廳; Cantonese Yale: chàhchāantēng; lit. 'tea restaurant'), often referred to as a Hong Kong-style café or diner, is a type of restaurant that originated in Hong Kong. Similar to a greasy spoon cafe or an American diner, these cafés are known for their eclectic and affordable menus featuring both Hong Kong cuisine and Hong Kong-style Western dishes. They have a casual setting, often revolving around coffee and tea, much like Western cafés. Source: Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cha_chaan_teng)After some research, it seems that Hong Kong Style Cafés/Diners are becoming a rising trend.The first thing I noticed was the eclectic menu--tomato soup, SPAM, BLT sandwich, pork belly with jalapeño, hot & spicy fries, wor wonton soup, and more.Hot Chili Oil - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=sv9JRWxJSuqRy3hCv6C-gwWhile in the SF Bay Area, I met up with my good friend, HM, who's a San Jose local, and I let him pick the restaurant. It was fairly busy, and the service was typical of a straightforward, no-nonsense Chinese restaurant--strictly business.HM arrived before me and was seated at a booth near the front window. Shortly after I sat down, I was served a cup of hot tea in a plastic cup. As our meal was coming to an end and our cups were nearly empty, the waitress came by to refill them without us having to ask. - "Cheers!"Hot Tea - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=h8Jlokcv4JSk8qR5jJtW_wWe were then served a small bowl of complimentary soup. When I asked HM what kind of soup it was, he simply said, "Tomato." This was a first for me--tomato soup at a Chinese restaurant. It was surprisingly good! Tomato Soup - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=cYEV1TVVjwAlC2UbJwpMEgHM ordered his usual, the Shanghai Shredded Pork Thick Noodle Soup. (He lives about 15 minutes from the restaurant.) Photo - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=ZQTVHgGCfX7WiuYW263_5AI was considering the lunch specials, but after seeing HM order the thick noodle soup, I decided to follow suit and try it too. I went with the Braised Beef Brisket Thick Noodle Soup. It was very good. Photo - https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ&select=bi3PYHGDC4DIYpOMa8tnkAThe food was good, with decent portions, attentive service, and fair value. I'm not sure when I'll be back in the San Jose area, but I'd definitely return to try some of the other tempting dishes on the menu.Overall rating: 3 StarsFood: 4Ambiance: 3Service: 3+Value: 3

My mom got the baked seafood in white sauce, which was too rich and not very flavorful even though it had calamari and fish. I enjoyed the hainan chicken, the picked veggies were delicious and the peanuts were very crunchy. The udon has a strong seaweed flavor since it had a lot of seaweed in it, but I liked the added veggies. The noodles were breaking a bit as well.

Venus Cafe is a cozy, restaurant with very filling food. The service was nice, but nothing special. The atmosphere of the place was also pretty casual, and the wait times to get a table and food are not that long.The best thing about the food is that you get a lot of bang for your buck. A lot of the meals you can either split into 2 different meals or you can share with another person.I ended up getting the Big Brother with rice. It contains pork cutlet, red sauce on one side and white sauce on the other, a chicken wing, and a fried egg. The chicken was crispy, juicy, but not too flaky. The white sauce is more a thick creamy texture with a sweet taste to it. The red sauce is not as thick, and it has a tomato taste to it, with vegetables inside for flavor. The pork itself is tender and not too much breading. The egg was pretty standard.

This place used to be very busy and but any more at lunch rush. We were greeted and complementary soup was served. I like their soup that is not spicy compared to the same one offered in Top Cafe. We ordered Guilin noodle soup, white cream sauce over baked chicken rice, white and red sauce over baked rice, and 3 treasure rice (egg, ham and sausage). Other than the rice noodle, everything comes slow. If you order their clay pot rice it's a 20 mins wait, so I was thinking baked rice should take less time but I was wrong. Food tasted good, no complaints. Tea was also refilled and overall friendly service. Lunch special is $17.50 with coffee or milk tea.