Que Huong Restaurant

This place is wack!
Never tried the food but the service is pitiful. I called an hour before this place said they were suppose to close. Told him I was coming in to order phở.
I get there and the restaurant is closed 30 mins early. Sign on the door still said open but the doors were locked. Called back and the idiot who I talked to tried to get fresh with me and tell me that they ran out of phở. Oh really? Why didn’t you tell me this over the phone before I drove 15 miles???
This place gets zero stars.

This has some of the most regionally authentic food ive ever had. You really do need to be used to eating things that are little out there. If you do, this place won’t disappoint. Great flavor! A little bit pricier than your typical phở place but it makes sense when you take a glance at the menu.
Must get!!! Escargot/​snails in coconut curry. This was one of the best things I’ve eaten ever. I’d dunk anything in that amazing curry sauce. And the escargot were super fun to eat.
I love everything noodley and soupy so I enjoyed their soup very much. My favorite is canh bun. A seafood noodle soup. They put some great Asian vegetables in there. My friend got their bun rieu and enjoyed it.
Another yummy thing to get here if you’re with a group is the baked cat fish. They’re known for it here and do a great job. They brought out the whole fish and didn’t remove the meat for you. Personally, I like that way better.

Do not come here, horrible service if you are not Vietnamese. Lol this place is a joke.

I was a pretty frequent customer because of the good food even though the service wasn’t that good, they treat you different if youre not vietnamese. after the experience I had today I’m never going back. And I’m not allowed to. I went in with 3 of my friends and my 4 month old baby we were seated and givin menus. and while a Vietnamese couple walks the male worker who always wears hats and tight clothes grabs my menu from the table while I’m still looking at it and walks off to seat the Vietnamese couple I was kinda shocked but I brushed it off cus I knew all that I wanted was shrimp spring rolls, it was my first time ordering spring rolls so I didnt know that they were made with pork I thought it was only shrimp, so 20mins later the guy brings my spring rolls and as soon as I saw them was like «ohhh … Maaan» the guy asks me if everything was alright so I explain to him that I don’t eat beef, pork, or chicken only seafood and he says well that’s how all spring rolls are made and asked me if that was what I ordered on the menu and i said «yeah but I didn’t know that there was pork in it I thought they only had shrimp» he doesn’t say anything to I just say «Okay i guess I’ll just take out the pork then «and he walks off so Im trying to take it out and there’s little pieces still stuck on the rice paper so I rip off the pieces with it and I’m left with a mess to eat so I decided that when the guy comes back I would ask if he can take the other one back and trade me one with out the pork. mind you we still haven’t gotten our waters and its already been 30 mins since we got there! my friend had to say something so that we can get some water, when the worker brought the cups I asked him politely if he could bring me a spring roll with out the pork and he says he’s gonna charge me for another order and I’m like you can’t just bring me one without meat and he says if he does it for me then everyone’s gonna want to trade their food and he says that it says on the menu that it has pork at this point I’m annoyed and I tell him well you took the menu away from me when I was still looking at it so I didn’t know. My sister in law steps in and tells him nicely if we can just get a new one and he says no it takes a long time to make them and she says its okay we’re gonna be here for a while we can wait. Hes still being rude and ends up angrily saying that he’ll bring one. Ive lost my appetite by now so I say nvm its fine I don’t want anything from them anymore and he tells us I know the customer is always right but right is right, and wrong is wrong and youre wrong and he walks away im pissed off now so we end up getting up to leave my friends still hadn’t gotten their phở’s which is premade and shouldn’t take that long to bring out after 40mins of being there so I walk towards him and try to give him 3 $ for the one spring roll that I ate (they were around 5 $ for 2) and he ends up saying that were wrong and that he never wanted us there again so we left. I was SO shocked and mad because we went there frequently! Disgusting service !!! Shame on you Que Houng !!!

I will always come here for their fish sauce chicken wings. So bomb diggity.
Usually we always order the beef cubes and catfish soup, which are delicious over there. This time we only got the beef cube rice plate, which ended up tasting mediocre.
Always wipe your plates/​utensils down before eating here. There was a black spec of something on my husband’s plate. The worker saw it after he put it down and used his hands to wipe it off, and left the plate there. Shivers.
While picking up the dirty plates, he asked if we used our bowls cause they looked clean. I don’t think they were planning on washing those.

Service is seriously so bad I had to up date my review. Came here 2 times in the last 3 weeks and both times were terrible. Server kept standing by the cash register and the «break table». I waved my hand like a crazy person trying to get their attention! They sat us at the only table that didn’t have table linen on it even though the whole restaurant was empty and had plenty of table that had linen on it! I will not ever come here again.

Food was indeed delicious for being my first time here. The fish sauce chicken will be a favorite of mine, previous reviews helped me to prove that right.
Called ahead for getting a to go order, food was ready in a timely manner and of course, still warm. I was looking for a busy restaurant when I walked in, turns out it looked like I was the only customer, maybe because it’s still early in the week.
I wouldn’t mind coming back here again, I can’t say I can eat it everyday though.

First thought when I drove up: Wow, where am I and I definitely need to lock my car. I know they say never judge a book by its cover and they are right! This place is located in what I would say is kind of a shady area. Granted– I was going at a pretty late hour (10PM) so everything is a lot scarier/​shadier at night.
There’s plenty of parking in the parking lot (not sure about in the daytime haha). The inside of the restaurant is completely different from the outside. It’s huge and it’s decorated very authentically. It was clean and it definitely made me a lot more comfortable. They have a huge variety of food although they are traditionally vietnamese. Portions are very generous and they are opened late!

It was cold outside, so I was craving chao (rice porridge).
Their chao ca (rice porridge with fish) is divine. It is seasoned with pepper, ginger, and cilantro (my favorite herb). There are several large pieces of white fish, and the whole dish is only $ 6.95!
We also had the Thai hot pot (the small is $ 29.95), and it came with mussels, squid, clams, octopus, fish, mushroom, bean sprouts, and other greens. These two dishes provided plenty of food for 3 people. If your party is hungrier, you can get the large hot pot for $ 36.95. They had several types of hot pot, and they all sounded very tasty. I’ll try another flavor next time!
The restaurant is decorated as if it’s perpetually ready for a wedding. All the chairs and tables are covered with linen, and there are decorations on the ceilings. There’s a bar area and a karoake area as well.
Though there is a parking lot, it was packed when we arrived. Only one spot left – for us!

This is not your typical Vietnamese restaurant. They have phở, but that’s really not the focus here. Try the family-​style dishes for a better understanding of home-​cooked Viet food.
I pretty much liked everything that we ordered for 4 people:
— Braised catfish clay pot– extremely saucy and flavorful, pair this with the…
— Crunchy rice! You know the crunchy rice at the bottom of your dolsot bibimbap? This is a plate full of that stuff and topped with green onions and caramelized onions.
— Shredded fresh banana flower salad– this may have been my favorite dish. Light, flavorful salad with chicken, banana flowers (taste like a cross between bamboo and leek), cabbage, mint, and basil in a fish sauce-​like sauce.
— Beef steak cube rice– marinated steak and onion on a hot plate with fried rice. Fried rice was really delicious. Steak was good, but nothing special.
— Chicken wings in fish sauce– chicken was a little overdone this time, but the sauce was good. And there’s a salad underneath the chicken that absorbs all the juices and flavor.
The area is a little sketchy, but the restaurant is very banquet hall style. Lots of traditional decorations and garish colors. I will happily make this drive though for some more of that banana flower salad.

Huge selection of different types of food, not your traditional Vietnamese restaurant I’d say. But still good! The portions are very generous and they are great for late night eats so that’s always a plus!
I’ll definitely be back to try other items that they have on the menu. The restaurant itself is pretty roomy too, looks like they have a karaōke area set up so maybe they do that at times?
It’s kind of in a shady looking area where everything is barred up, but it was relatively quiet, and was overall pretty normal, even at around ⁹⁄₁₀ at night.

This is my late night phở spot (9:30−10) b/​c it’s always open late for a good enough phở fix ! The servers & owner are very nice & will try their best to explain any items you have questions on …
The spicy beef noodle soup (like phở but with a spicy broth) is not my favorite, I’ve got it twice & it lacks flavor but does come with baby bok choi & other fresh vegetables but the broth is so bland & it’s just spiced with chili oil :(
Phở is my favorite their broth is tangy, salty, a little sweet & hot as fuhhh lol. They’re pretty large portions & ask for your rare steak on the side so it’s not totally cooked by the time you get it.
Fish sauce chicken wings & the quarter crispy chicken are hella good esp. If you’re not looking to have phở .
The ambiance & «hall» type ensemble doesn’t bother me neither does the huge parties of Vietnamese families! I’m always almost tempted to ask them what they get since I want to try more of their regular hours dinner menu (vinegar beef fondue?! Does it taste like sinigang?! I’m dying to know lol)

This is one of my favorite Asian restaurant. I usually come here with my family and literally order a feast! I highly recommend ordering the fish sauce chicken wings (SO DELICIOUS!), lemongrass Tofu, and Mango Salad. There is always one or two workers so service is kind of slow. They also don’t have AC in there so it gets a little warm when there is a lot people in there especially on hot weather.
The employees are always nice and attentive when you need them. This place is great for big family dinners and almost all plates are sharing size. I would say that this place is reasonable on price. Another thing that’s cool is that they also offer exotic food such as frog legs, snails, and other creatures! Haha. Today with a party of 4, We ordered about 7 plates and it came out to $ 75​.so about $ 10 a plate. So that’s not bad at all and the food is amazing! I left this place stuffed and satisfied! I’ll be back soon (:

The only thing good about this place was their chicken wings.
we had their phở, their bun with cha gio and their bun bo hue. It wasn’t that great especially when you have to wait 30 mins and we were the only people there (party of 4). Their service was extremely slow and there were so many flies everywhere! I’m not sure why this place got such a high rating but I wouldn’t go back there are wayyyyy better Vietnamese places to eat!

oh yeah baby.
THANK YOU for gracing san diego with your vietnamese comfort food.
your menu brings me absolute delight, especially with dishes like:
1) oc len xao dua — escargot in coconut milk (which I usually have to go to OC to get)
2) hen xuc banh trang — baby clams w/​sesame seed rice cracker (MUST GET)
3) chicken wangs — no explanation needed
4) bo luc lac — shaken beef sexyness. dip this in the lime + salt /​pepper sauce.
5) burnt /​crispy rice — eat this w/​everything
my family and I ordered the 5 – 6 person family meal and added a few extra dishes on there. It was more than enough and everything was very good. Even the thai style canh soup which I was not expecting to be good. There was SO much flavor in every dish, you could taste each individual herb and spice that went into it.
Yeah, the service is whatever + don’t let the décor deter you, come for the food.
FYI, don’t be a noob and order things like phở and egg rolls and expect them to be on point with your favorite local phở shop. because it won’t be.
This place specializes in homestyle cuisine as well as some exotic dishes
(deer, frog, etc)
Go with the family style meals and you’ll be happy :) Happy eating! xo
P. S. I will be back to try more dishes soon and update this when I do.

My Vietnamese boyfriend says this is the spot for traditional home-​cooked Vietnamese dishes. Lots of options beyond phở and banh mi. (They don’t have bun bo hue though.)
P. S. Don’t bother the servers with your questions about the menu because, as my boyfriend likes to say, ain’t nobody got time fo’ that. #serverpopquiztime #whatishutieu #whatistripe #keepingitreal #keepingittooreal

Wow, the chicken porridge I just had surpassed anything I had in Vietnam or China. It very simple but packed with flavor. The ginger, onion, and garlic stood out in perfect harmony. They seasoning of salt and pepper couldn’t be improved. It was on the thin side, but I enjoy that more than very thick porridge. Whenever I get served a thick porridge, I suspect it’s been sitting on heat for hours. Anyways the best porridge ever!
The ambiance is nice, nothing special. It feels generically Asian. Round tables with lazy Susan’s.
We also had the fish hot pot, while I was in a bit of sticker shock from the 30 dollar price tag. It was tons of food and delicious. The broth was out of this world.
Anyways I can see why this place was Troy Johnson’s pick for best Vietnamese in San Diego Magazine’s 2015 Best restaurants.

Wings, wings, wings!!! They serve only the mid wings, no drumettes or tips. That is actually my favorite part of the wing. The skin is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
In addition, I’ve been here many times for family style dishes — ong choy, clay pot fish, crispy rice are some of my favorites here. They have other unusual meat dishes that you could order as well (e.g. crocodile, deer).
I have to rave about the crispy rice — it’s $ 8.50 on the rice dishes menu, but in order to fully enjoy it you have to order another dish to go with it. Something with sauce or soup. The serving is huge, and can easily fill up 2 – 4 people depending on the size of your appetite.

I heard they had delicious chicken wings here, so I jumped at the chance to check it out.
We started off with two types of wings: in fish sauce and in tamarind. The ones in fish sauce did in fact smell funky, but once I got past the aroma, I tasted crisp parts and salty goodness. The ones in tamarind had a slight kick to them, and I really enjoyed the slight sweetness and sourness from the tamarind. I think I actually liked these more than the fish sauce version.
We also ordered the onion burnt/​crispy rice and the family-​style meal for 3 – 4 people. The crispy rice was flattened and browned on the top and bottom. It was sprinkled with what looked like fried onions and fresh chopped scallions. This was the second time I’ve had burnt rice, and unfortunately, it’s just not my thing. To me, it tastes like someone left the rice cooker on too long. I prefer my rice fluffy and moist; not overdone. Although, I do enjoy fried rice, but even the rice in fried rice is not crispy. However, if I was a fan of burnt rice in general, I think I would really like this one.
The family style meal came with four dishes. There was a soup that had ground meat of some sort and Ong choy, which tasted really similar to spinach but with thicker stems. The broth was light yet flavorful (almost phở-​like). I really enjoyed this soup. My favorite dish was the braised catfish in clay pot. It arrived at our table at a full rolling boil. This had a little spice to it, and it was so delicious. The sauce was rich, and it contained chopped up pieces of pork belly. The catfish steaks were tender. This dish would have gone so well with my kind of rice. But it wasn’t too bad with the crispy rice.
The other two dishes were sautéed Ong choy (pretty much tasted like sautéed spinach) and baby clams in a steam pot. The clams were not memorable, but not a bad dish either.
The food I had here was overall pretty good. There were two at my table who ordered their own main dishes instead of partaking in the family style option, and it seemed like they got the short end of the dining stick. One of our friends ordered a beef phở, and I noticed that they really skimped on the meat. There were only a few pieces in his big bowl. Another friend ordered some kind of sautéed beef squares, and while it did arrive sizzling on a skillet, there was a pitiful amount of meat. The lesson these two learned was that this place is stingy on the beef serving. But if they want to complain about their food, they’ll have to write their own review.
As far as my experience here, it was good. I would definitely recommend the wings and the braised fish clay pot.

I’m pretty sure every single Vietnamese family in San Diego used to go here quite often years back. I remember this place as a child as well. But me and my friend stumbled upon this restaurant last night because she wanted some late night Phở.
This restaurant stays open until midnight !
SETTING:
Old school formal cloth covered tables and chairs, the kind you see at Chinese dim sum restaurants. They have quite a variety of asian décor such as bamboo, rice picker hats, Buddha statues, koi fish pond/​fountain, and much more.
This is the type of place you would have an asian wedding reception at.
FOOD:
Deep Fried Chicken Wings in Fish Sauce (Small) $ 9.95
This dish was recommended by the server and seemed to be the most popular.
I am glad that we decided to try it. It was fried to a crispy outer skin layer. The fish sauce was caramelized onto the skin. It was sweet and delicious. Even the bed of lettuce and cucumbers that the wings were sitting on went really well with the dish.
Mi Thap Cam $ 6.75
My noodle soup was specially ordered with half egg noodles and half rice noodles. Unfortunately they also ran out of BBQ pork so I got beef as a substitute. The beef was too dry for my taste, but the soup broth was delicious and authentic. I also had fish and shrimp balls and lots of fresh veggies. They give you a ton of noodles too. I couldn’t finish it but yes i would recommend it.
Generally, I was highly impressed with the huge variety of options they have on the menu for you to choose from. I thought it was really rare and special that they offered items such as deer, wild boar, frog legs, and much much more.
I just didn’t feel like spending that much last night, so I went with the basics.
But I will definitely be returning to try their specialty items !
P. S. Most of their specialty items range from $ 13-​$ 50
P. P. S. They also have hot pots !!!