Best Vietnamese lunch specials I've seen in a long time. The bun bowl was huge, prices were great, and staff was helpful and friendly. No wait, and the joint was very clean (including bathrooms). Will definitely be back.
(5)
Kimmi D.
I remember coming here whenever my parents didn't feel like cooking and wanted Viet food when this place was Pho Bong Sen. Today was my first time coming back after they changed their name to Viva! This place is about 10 minutes away from my house and its perfect for whenever I want Viet food but don't want to drive further. I ordered the banh bot chien and spring rolls togo. The banh bot chien is soooo good! I'm a sucker for any of these at any restaurant. Tan Tan's banh bot chien was #1 for me, but this place quickly moved up to be tied to it! I also ordered the pork and shrimp spring rolls. They were 4 for $5.25 so I thought why not try it? But I think I'll be skipping out on the spring rolls next time. I really hate how a lot of Viet restaurants use Vietnamese ham instead of actual pork meat in their spring rolls. Also the rolls were thin and the sauce was not very good. I'm sure there's other items on the menu that are great. But for now, I'm gonna give this place 3 stars. Its a good place to get your Viet fix if you don't want to drive far!
(3)
Cindy H.
Wow! What is not to like about this place? It's one of the best, if not, THE best authentic Asian restaurant in the Cypress area. They're still growing but it is definitely a hidden gem. I got the soy milk (which is homemade) and it was the perfect mix. It wasn't too sweet nor soy-y. I love the up chao, the combination flat iron noodles. They never fail me! And the banh bot chien is a must, especially when Tan Tan is too far. On top of the good food, the owners are always so welcoming and helpful. Coming back for sure!
(5)
Nancy G.
This place has great food! I love their Vietnamese sandwiches! They are a good size, delicious, and only $3.50! The food is fresh and good. The servers are nice. But they need more servers. I went in to place a to go order, and left after about 10 minutes. The guy at the front was taking phone orders, running food to tables, and taking orders at tables. Not the first time I've had that issue there with service. They aren't rude or anything, just too busy! Hence the 4 stars.
(4)
Rebecca R.
Update: Last night, this restaurant served us scorched/burned shaken tofu and vegetables (it even smelled of smoke); 5 whole cloves of garlic planted in my stir fry like land mines; and the saddest chicken fried rice we have ever seen. We will never be back here for takeout again.
(1)
Gary R.
I visit Houston on business once per month and yelp led me here. I asked the owner what a fried rice cake was and he told what was in it. I made a face of disapproval and he encouraged me to try it and if I didn't like it he would not charge me for it. Sure enough it was great! I order my standard pork vermicelli bowl with egg roll and that was equally tasty. I am here on my second visit and asked the owners wife to make a recommendation. She said I should try the shaken filet mignon. I did and wow....another great meal. I absolutely live this place! Great prices, great food and most of all really nice people own the restaurant and care about you leaving with a smile. This place is a must try!
(5)
Weili W.
It's rare that I try a new restaurant and I was so impressed that I wish I lived closer to it. I'll start with the service. As soon as we walked in with our baby, the waiter is already walking toward us with the menus and a high chair. Usually in other restaurants at best they would ask us if we want a high chair then we would stand around and wait for a few minutes for it. Our waiter was very friendly and courteous. He noticed that our baby was playing with a pair of chopsticks and dropped them and he came almost immediately with a new pair. We ordered Banh Bo Chien, BBQ Pork Banh Mi and pork chop rice. The Banh Bo Chien was very good, crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. It was hard for me to decide whether I like theirs better or Tan Tan's, my previous favorite. The BBQ pork in the Banh Mi was very good too, and juicy full of flavor. The pork chop rice was also good, and the rice was very well done. When we tried new restaurants in the past, we never liked all the dishes we ordered.
(5)
Monica G.
This restaurant is amazing! The new chef just took over about a month ago and has changed the menu. The food is very fresh and the quality of the ingredients is excellent. Make sure to try the garlic wings!
(5)
Thuy N.
I and my hubby used to pass by this restaurant many times, wonder it is good or bad. I saw Viva has a pretty good reviews on yelp so we decided to give it a try. Overall experience: it is ok restaurant!!! - Service: 4/5 star, they are understaff, just 2 waiters in Friday night but they are polite and take care us very us during our dine-in. - Food: 3/5 We ordered 3 dishes: - Rare beef salad: yeah beef is supposed to be rare by lemon but it is well- done by stir on heat with oil, not the right way to do. My hubby said maybe because they don't want to make the beef rare because they are afraid of suing. By the way, it tasted ok for me, the sauce was good, lemon supposed to mix with beef but they just sliced them around beef. - Fried squid with salt: first when I taste it, I didn't even realize it was squid, Im not sure it was fresh or not but this dish was not impressed at all. - chicken sweet and sour: the sauce was good. We has to ask for white rice bc it didn't come with our dishes. It didn't bother me bc I knew that not everybody asks for white rice. It seems a lot people love this place. When we was there, it was lots of people in and out. Maybe because it was Friday night. Maybe I would come back to try another dishes and hope it will be better!!! Don't forget to checkin on yelp to get 10% off the total bill!!!
(3)
Mei Lene Thai R.
So glad we decided to go here after reading some yelp reviews. Delicious Vietnamese food with excellent service. The Banh Bot Chien is so good & perfectly crisp - my favorite! The spring rolls & vermicelli bowls were fresh. The restaurant was clean. I think we found our new place for Vietnamese. I also liked the little candies they give with the check!
(5)
Martin D.
Surprisingly good! Excellent for the area! I've only been once but so far so good.
(4)
Don Q.
Soup is too salty. Spring rolls too mushy and the sauce to it seem to use peanut butter rather than crushed peanuts. Meat way way too fatty and greasy. However best service compared to nearby Vietnamese restaurants so far hence two stars.
(2)
Rose D.
I love this place ! I take my family from out of town here every time they are in Houston. I have had a family party here as well with 40 people and the staff was amazing. Food was great and they waist staff made sure to take care of all our needs in a timely manner!
(5)
Elizabeth T.
Food and service is pretty great here. Probably the best one on this side of town. Been here multiple time and will continue to return.
(5)
Myrna Y.
Love the food here! Hands down best authentic southeast Asian food on this side of town!
Finally, some respectable banh bot chien on the NW side! I might actually like Viva's better than Tan Tan's - heresy, I know. Everything else was good too. Portions are healthy - we ordered too much. We used to come to pho bong sen semi-regularly, but we fell away in the last few years. We'll come back again now that it's Viva....
(4)
Chrislynn D.
This place was a bit difficult for us to find on our first trip since we're not familiar with the area, but it was worth it! I was skeptical at first, but the food was actually really good. The service was great even late at night near closing time. I would recommend this place.
(5)
Taylor N.
Feeling good and satisfied! I've heard so much about this restaurant from my friends and was lucky to finally dine in today. The food is fabulous. They have a good variety to choose from. Love love love their BANH BOT CHIEN (pan fried rice cake)! It was delish. A must try is their beef cai lan fried rice noodles & pork ribs & pickled cabbage soup. There's so much more on the menu that I want to try. I will be back! Thank you Viva!!!!!!!!!! #iWorkOutToEat
(5)
Qooking T.
Hu Tieu Bo Xao Cai Lan = Average
(2)
felisha n.
This place is the best Vietnamese restaurant in the north side! Hands down. No need to drive down to bellaire anymore. They have everything on their menu over 150 items of beef, chicken, shrimp dishes. Rice and noodle plates, pho and even hot pot!!! Nice and friendly staff, always welcoming and very attentive. Clean and modern restaurant, too! But nothing beats the food here. If you like Banh bot chien, this is the place to be! Way better than Tan Tan, don't believe me? Try It for yourself. You will leave satisfied.
(5)
Mishel F.
...Saturday lunch was decided on delivery...I called a few places listed, but they required a minimum amount that was ridiculous for one person...So, Viva was it for me...$20 minimum before taxes...I read reviews of what to have for lunch, but it didn't help...So after combing through the menu, I decided on the Special Pork Egg Rolls, BBQ pork on rice and Deluxe Crispy Fried Egg Noodles (beef, chicken, and shrimp)...I was hungry when I ordered-don't judge me...hehehe...I was told 20-25 min delivery time...They arrived a bit shy of 25 minutes...Food was very warm and smelled amazing!...I tried the deluxe crispy noodles-I should've stuck with one meat...It wasn't salty enough and my meal didn't come with condiments...I would've liked to have added some chili sauce or soy sauce...The egg rolls were so flipping good!...Very warm, crunchy on the outside and sinfully delicious on the inside...No fish sauce...My BBQ beef was surprisingly delicious!...A lot meat and a tons of flavor!...I had a few bites cuz the egg rolls ruled the lunch...I am very satisfied, very full, and very excited for the next time I order...BTW, I normally order pho only at viet restaurants, so these are somewhat new viet dishes for myself...Usually I sneak a taste from others...From my experience today, I highly recommend this place...
(4)
Nilay R.
Good food, chicken curry little more spicy and its just awesome. Definitely we will have to come back.
(4)
Lee-Lee P.
Came here on a Sunday afternoon thinking it was still Pho Bong Sen. Rolled up and saw that it said Viva Restaurant, which got me confused cause it sounded like a Mexican restaurant name. But underneath Viva Restaurant letters said Chinese and Vietnamese so I knew it was my people's food. LOL. Seemed like new owners so we went in and gave it a try. Now like other reviewers said, when it was Pho Bong Sen, the food was average, sometimes hit or miss. Nothing spectacular. However, this Viva Restaurant experience for me was OUTSTANDING. I am not giving it 5 stars yet cause this happened to be my first time so I am going to judge the next time I come. But the service was great, everyone attentive, and the food was fresh and flavorful! I ordered the following with hubby to have for lunch and dinner for the next two days: 1) Banh Bot Chien - Good stuff! It's crispy and chewy and topped with french fried onions. Yummy. This place makes a good banh bot chien up in the northside. 2) Dau Hu Xao Xa Ot - Lemon Grass tofu - Get this! It is marinated perfectly as the tofu soaks up the wonderful lemon grass flavor. If you have never had tofu before, this will get you to like ti! 3) Mi Xao Don Thap Cam - Pan Fried Crispy Noodles with beef, chicken, and shrimp with vegetables - This came out in a big plate and all crispy! No oily taste to it. Again, very flavorful dish. 4) Salted Fish Fried Rice - If you never had this, get it! IT's a perfect balance of fried rice and seasonings as the salted fish has a nice taste when added to the fried rice. It's chopped up in small pieces so it blends well. 5) Mi Hoanh Thanh - Egg Noodle Wonton Soup - This was an impulse order cause hubby wanted wonton. We shared this as with the other dishes. Egg noodles were good and chewy and plenty of wontons. Large bowl that we shared and took the remainder home for a one person sized meal later. Viva Restaurant is really changing Viet food up in the northside. Thank you for bringing flavor and good prices to the northside!
(4)
Deedee D.
Steve V. and I used to eat here quite a bit when they had just opened as Pho Bong Sen. We haven't eaten it for a year until Steve's boss invited us out to eat so we were very surprised to see that they changed owners and evidently, cooks! I would have given PBS three stars because their food was average and not better than Mom's home cooking. Viva, however, I give five stars because the food is absolutely divine and the service is top-notch. I would definitely recommend the Rau Muong (the flavor is not too garlicky, but not too plain either), the Banh Bot Chien (fresh and crispy, however, I seemed to be the only one that still preferred Tan Tan's Banh Bot Chien over Viva's), Hu Tieu Ap Chao (extremely fresh and the noodles have that perfect medium between crispy and soft), and lastly but definitely not least, the Bo Luc Lac. The Bo Luc Lac is easily my favorite thing on the menu. We had originally ordered one order but received two orders so we sent one back. However, after Binh N. had a bite of the beef, he told the waitress that she could leave the second one on the table because it was SO good. The beef was marinated well and it was a perfect blend of sweet and salty. Additionally, it had a slightly smoky taste to it as if it was just taken off a mesquite grill. Needless to say, this place definitely benefited from the switch. Granted, the prices ARE higher than PBS was, but the ingredients are fresher and the food is well prepared. Three thumbs up.
(5)
Aline D.
Came here with some family member to celebrate Chinese/Vietnamese New Years and really enjoyed the food. Their banh bot chien came highly recommended so we ordered that. Really good I must admit. We also had their special Bo Tai Chanh (forgot their unique name for it) but that was REALLY a hit. We also ordered traditional VN dishes like Canh Chua Ca, Ca Kho Tho (and they even put the pork version in the same dish). Overall, the food is authentic and very good. Service was good too. Owners came by often to check on us and made sure we were taken care of. I will come back and recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting VN comfort food.
(4)
Stevebo H.
The food here are excellent but I can only give them 2 stars. Why? Well I was very pleased and impressed the first time my family was there ordered the family dinner package for 4. At the time I thought the portions were barely enough, but the dishes were oustanding. To make my frustration short, I brought some friends to this same restaurant just few weeks after. This time we ordered the dinner package for 8 people. Did I say 8? Yes! Yes! It was an embarrament night for me and my family. The dishes came out with the same portion as designed for 4 people. Yeah they did add in 3 additional dishes to this dinner package, but man the portion for these dishes were pathetic! Not even enough for 3 small kids! Why? why? why? How can you stay in business if you can not distinguishing between serving for 4 and 8 people! Anyway, we ended up ordered as many additional dishes before the night was over. Yes we paid twice as much in the end and still left there feeling hungry. Sorry but I will not recommend this place to anyone ever again, nor do I want to come back. Unless, the managements/owners of this restaurant can convince me otherwise. Cheers Steve H.
(2)
Shermane C.
I am in love with this place! The atmosphere is perfect and the food is yummy!!
(5)
Quynh N.
Used to be Pho Bong Sen. They remodeled and it looks more open and bright. Their food is a definite upgrade. Favorites: Banh bot Chien- it's the #1 on the appetizer, it's soooo good, just the right amount of crisp, loaded with flavors. I eat them with the dip and pickled jalapeño Pho- not overloaded w/ MSG, and yet still delicious. Comes out hot and has plenty of meat & flavor. Canh chua ca (sweet and sour hot pot fish soup) my sister had it w/ chicken. It was full flavored; sweet, sour, and spice. It included just the right amount of vegetables, they were fresh and it had a bite to it. Better than my Mother's! Hu tieu ap chao (flat crispy fried rice noodle) w/ beef and Chinese broccoli. Delicious!!! A must try! My boyfriend's favorite. Add some chili oil for some spice!
(5)
Hope H.
The spring rolls and bahn bot chien were amazing. The bahn bot chien wasn't greasy like Tan Tan's is, instead it was crispy and delicious. Great service and inexpensive too.
(4)
Kyle K.
Food isn't that good at all. The orange chicken was ok but the rice was hard and bland. The workers are friendly tho.
(1)
Ben C.
Well.. I've eaten there twice.. the first time, the reviews made me think if I ordered something.. the delivery would be terrible.. so I picked it up.. The place looked pretty descent.. The food and everything was pretty good. Compared to other Chinese food in this jones/1960 are it was great.. lol.. The second time I ordered deliver, they forgot some sauce but everything else was right.. at least the delivery guy apologized. I will say the food is pricey.. enough that I don't plan to order from them but maybe 3 or 4 times a year.. And it wasn't that much food.. I don't feel like I got my money's worth, but it was tasty.. update: so I ordered from them again.. they must have been out of dumplings, because the brought some mini egg rolls instead.. this time, the food was more average than good.. I wasn't impressed.. one note was, it was a busier time of the day..
(3)
Andy P.
The food is great we had soup, salad, rice, and more. The Vietnamese dishes taste truly authentic and rich. A truly tasty place to eat. Also the location is great for people up north to get some great Asian food! The Bo luc lac and ca kho to is amazing!
(5)
Harrison P.
Very good place to eat. There's not really any good places to eat up north, but this place serves authentic Vietnamese food. From Banh bot chien to Bo luc luc. Service was fast and quick and most importantly very polite.
(4)
Amrita S.
We went to viva because we saw the reviews on yelp, and yet again we were pleasantly surprised! I'm not into Pho so I was happy to see that they had such a variety of food. I got the shakin beef (#88) it was so tender and juicy! As a table we also ordered crab wontons, Kung pow chicken, and Pho all of the food was Delish! The only reason I didn't give them five stars is because the service was a slow, they only had like 2 actual waiters for the whole Resturant. I'll be back next time I'm craving Asian food!
(4)
Chris L.
Amazing food and amazing service. If you're looking for great Vietnamese cuisine come here, you won't find any place friendlier or any pho more delicious.
(5)
Joel G.
Tried it this evening for takeout for my wife and I. Previous. visits under old owners was always satisfactory. I was excited to see the reviews of even better food, so I stopped by to fulfill my dinner obligation. I ordered the shrimp curry which was OK...The curry flavor could have been stronger, but the dish was satisfactory. I ordered the lemon grass chicken for my wife, as it was mentioned in a review and she likes chicken. He lemon grass chicken was over salted, over cooked and stringy. She could not eat it and it went down the disposal . She could not find any lemon grass at all and thought they gave me the wrong dish. I was really disappointed She commented that it seemed like leftover chicken. Since I do not eat chicken I took her word. The spring rolls were OK. I was really hoping for a more exciting and satisfying dining experience. I may try it again and see if I get a better result, perhaps a sit down meal instead. Previously, under old owners I had the seafood soup, and I took a client to lunch and the food was very good.
(2)
Victoria T.
Viva is a good Vietnamese restaurant for NW Houston. The menu selection is huge, and the food really does deliver. So far, I've had the salt toasted calamari, egg rolls, Vietnamese "fajitas", Banh bot chien (house rice cake), bo tai chanh (rare beef slices "cooked" in lemon/lime) and Bo luc lac (shaking beef). Calamari was good but I've had better, egg rolls were good and larger than you'd get anywhere else, their chargrilled BBQ pork has a nice flavor, bo luc lac is juicy and tender, bo tai chanh is "meh", and the Banh bot chien is good but I prefer it at the OG of BBC, Tan Tan. Service is nice and attentive, there are 3 tvs around the restaurant, and they're able to accommodate large groups. Only gripe I have is that the egg rolls came with only lettuce and cilantro. No mint, no pickled carrots or cukes. And although they came out piping hot and beautifully golden brown on the outside, the middle was still slightly pink. 10% discount when you check in on yelp!
(4)
Melissa S.
It's really good! I think it's kind of hidden though,and too spacey inside. But customer service was good and it's like a mini Tan Tan version. Which is great,saves me time! I don't really have to drive 30min for good food hehe. I would definitely go back for more. Keep up the good food! And great customer service.
(4)
Vy N.
Not bad.
(3)
Daquynh N.
I had bot chien to go and it was okay. I think it was because the steam in the to go box made the bot chien a little soggy. Maybe i will try again and try it in the restaurant instead of to go.
(3)
Steve V.
This is Bellaire caliber food up NORTH if you live in Houston and know what Bellaire is. Anyway tried several dishes yesterday and were amazing. Lastly, service was great as the crew really made sure they took care of you even while they had their own family/friends function going on at the restaurant.
(5)
K N.
The management (it's a young girl) was trying to rip off us with extra charge for the substitute fish by shrimp in the 3 course dishes for 2, which is we have never paid for this extra charge when we ordered the same things in last 4 previous times. Also, when my hubby was paying for the bill to the waiter at the counter, that young girl came to the counter & tried to remind the waiter don't for get to add extra charge into our bill!!! What kind of business & management is that?!?! So disappointed and feel sorry for this Asian restaurant management & services! After this time, we will NEVER come back to this restaurant and we will tell our friends, relatives, coworkers should not dine in/out to this restaurant ever!
(1)
Stella T.
Our pho tasted so bland we had to cover it with chilli sauce. Customer service was slow and not really attentive. We had ordered 3 bowls of pho but only 2 came out. Seemed like the staff had forgotten us while serving two other tables. Place was pretty empty... We have avoided Viva Restaurant since then. :(
(2)
John C.
i was driving by 1960 and craving some vietnamese food and i was thinking about makin the drive to bellaire but it was getting kinda late and i heard people talking about how good the food was on my facebook so i thought i would try it out , wow the food was really good best vietnamese resturant in the northside period . this wasnt your typical pho resturant or chinese buffet u normally would find in the area ,this was gormet vietnamese food u would only find down southwest like tan tan or kim son ..really good portions really good price ...really good soy bean milk ...next time i go there im goin to take home that ducati i see there in front ...seems like its collecting dust from noone riding it lol
(5)
Madeline L.
Viva has brought Bellaire to our side of town! Instead of driving all the way down to Bellaire for Authentic Vietnamese food, come here. The food is great. Try the fish or pork rib clay pot and add the sweet and sour fish soup for a complete delicious meal. You won't be disappointed. Go Viva!!
(5)
Cindy L.
This place is more like a restaurant rather than a typical Pho joint, so I was actually getting very good service! It's a very nice and clean place, and they also serve very delicious Vietnamese food! The Banh Bot Chien is definitely worth a try!!
(5)
Tiffani N.
Great place, nice atmosphere, reasonable price. Best Vietnamese restaurant in town ive been to so far. Staffs are nice and their services are excellent, they always come to your table many times to make sure everything is good. I always leave there a happy camper. I would recommend their egg rolls, pan fried rice cake and shaken beef.
(5)
Tony N.
ok i've been here twice and the first time i would have given this 4 stars. The second time i came which was a week ago, it now gets 1 star. The first time i went, service good, food good, cleanliness good, parking lot was even clean. The second time, issues. Service is still nice and friendly though, but they seem to be running short. I only noticed 1 or 2 guys running around the whole restaurant. Drinks: water this time, wow, wtf? sewage? then we ordered soda which comes from their fountain drink machine and it was shocking that the flavor from their fountain drink was low and then the carbonation from the soda was gone. Oh and guess what? the same sewage water. The food this time was ok. I usually like to order gen tso's chicken and they didnt have it or something some other to's chicken. Wasn't as tasty and the other food was ok. Quality seems to have gone downhill.
(1)
Loc N.
Came here last Friday and have family meal. This place was packed. Had to wait 25 min for food. Though they're all excellent. Great environment for family to gather so the wait is ok. Pro: great tatste, presentation for price paid. BYOB. CONS: was packed so wait is expected.
(5)
Mel N.
Not bad. It was only our family of four and another family inside the restaurant. But like everyone else says, why is it always empty?! We wanted to try out some dishes and pho. Honestly, you can get better pho with more meat anywhere else in this area. But if you are really desperate for some late night pho in the area, Viva is open until 11pm on some days. But, probably the worst restaurant pho I had, ever. LOL. We got salt and pepper calamari, salt and pepper roasted tofu, general tso's chicken, and the shaking beef. Every dish comes with lots of vegetables, so if you don't want any rice, you can probably eat the entree alone and pretend it's a salad. Calamari is good, but maybe too hard and chewy? The breading on the calamari and tofu is hard and a little thick. I wish the tofu was seasoned more. General tso's chicken has snap peas, carrots, chilis, and pineapple in it. Pretty good. The shaking beef wa delicious; the amount of meat given could've been a bit more. Our server was very nice and the food came out in a reasonable amount of time. I would come back to try more dishes! They also honor the 10% off yelp check in. Don't forget to tell them when you pay your bill!
(4)
Pokai M.
Viva is great! I don't know why every time we're there, we're the only table. They need more customers. I think it's the road, it's a pain in the butt to get to the restaurant during traffic hours. Anyways, get the crispy baked chicken dish. It comes with a side of fried rice and a huge portion of the crispiest chicken you'll ever bite into. And it's only like 8 bucks! Awesome! It does take about 25-30 to make so make sure you have lots of time or call ahead. Check in on yelp to get 10% off entire bill.
(5)
Christen T.
We ordered food at 1040a and was informed that they couldn't cook until 11a (which was fine). Here it is, 1243 pm and no food yet. I've called and they have returned our call saying they were in their way (3 miles away). They even called to find out which floor we are on (we ordered from North cypress medical center), 30 mins ago. Incredibly angry and dissatisfied and can't even put a review about the food up. It is also over priced!!! Our food finally showed up around 120p, only 2 hours and 40 mins after ordering. They did take care of the bill, and apologized many times. The food was decent and the order was correct.
(1)
Eddie S.
Different name same interior. Is this one of those "death locations" where you see within a decade the place change names 4 times? Located on the end cap of a strip center it still holds it's "newness" look to it as well as the ample parking that time has also been good too. There are two televisions for viewing while you are eating. The service here, at least for a non busy Wednesday is excellent. I did not get one of those hardcore Asian style request to take your order as soon as I got sat down. You could almost set your watch to get a check with you about every 15 minutes. The bot chien which I had at this location a few years ago was ok but not as good as before but really not bad. They do not use the usual "flour" that you can find at any Asian grocery store but instead I'm sure they use egg. The execution of the presentation was lack luster even with just the fried onions on top but missing a little more color. The tofu which was deep fried with "rock n roll" sauce was very crispy. You could tell it was fried in very light batter that gave you that thin crunch when you bit into it followed by a very light coating of the sauce it was prepared in. Bits of jalapeno, green onion, garlic parts , lettuce and of course white onions. The "pork in the clay pot" as most of us are used to seeing comes out on a medium sized plate with it's sauce a little on the light side. The meat was pretty tough but still held a good finish when you got past that part. I believe they could have cooked it a little longer to get it to the semi tender part but still worth ordering. Not the best in the neighborhood but if you factor in the lower price of $9 instead of the usual $11 at places, great service, atmosphere then you have something worth returning for if you are in the neighborhood. They also deliver now which I believe did not before. Smart move since there really aren't that many Vietnamese restaurants in the area but reading the other reviews I can surmise that it's a hit or miss thing. Don't forget to check into here when you can remember because you get a Yelp 10% discount when you do. A saving of $3.47 was had by using the discount and switching my insurance to Geico.
(4)
Mr And Mrs G.
MR says ... new owners, that's why :) MRS says ... drove by Viva and thought it's been months since we've dined in Place is under new management and it's for the better. Fresh ingredients and food was tasting better. Only at Viva we get fried egg rolls with lettuce leaf and cilantro. Didn't know you could wrap the fried egg rolls and make it a mini salad appetizer. Must try: - Shaken beef (cuts of filet mignon) We didn't know what this shaken beef until our server recommended it for our next visit. Well, we tried it and boy he was right. It comes with a lemon+pepper dipping sauce which enhances the entire dish.
(4)
Clara L.
No way... I am going bad the pho is no good. I am actually not exactly sure what type of restaurant they are. They said they are viet and Chinese I ordered the pho my husband ordered the soft styled stir noodles and both were a big fail. The services was too much I order a side of fish sauce and before I even get to use it the waiter took it away already not too sure why? This is not goner be a restaurant I will want to come back to.
(2)
Tiffany W.
Three stars at best, but two stars because I just don't like this place. The food in general is just mediocre and unmemorable. My sister and I ordered the banh bot chien (pan fried rice cake) to share; I got the com bo luc lac (shaking beef rice plate) and she got the canh chua ca (sweet + sour with fish soup). The banh bot chien was crispy and amazingly delicious but our other two entrees were nothing of the sort. I ordered fried rice with my shaking beef, which is an additional cost, and it sucked more than plain ol' jasmine white rice. The three pieces of beef I got were salty, drenched in sauce and chewy... did I mention I literally got three pieces? And my sister's soup was not sour to say the least so that was a disappointment. More irritating than the food itself was the fact that we had to wait over an hour before my sister got her soup. We got our banh bot chien and I got my entree and finished it before she was even able to start her meal. Every time we'd ask our waiter where her food was, he would respond "the kitchen is just really slow right now." Are you kidding me? There's like ten people in the restaurant and it's SOUP. It got to the point where we were about to leave since we had been waiting for literally ever, but lo and behold her lackluster bowl of soup finally came out. Just to make it clear, we came in for lunch on a weekday around 11:40-ish where there were only like three or four parties there. We immediately ordered our food and by 12:00pm, we had just received the banh bot chien. I can get behind why it took a while because it normally does anywhere else, but I didn't get my entree until close to 12:15pm and my sister didn't get hers until about 12:45pm. She had to scarf her food down because we had to get back to work. To make matters worse, when I got up to pay, the manager made eye contact with me and instead of trying to close me out right then and there, he went on a smoke break or whatever and had me waiting for another five-ten minutes. When he thoughtfully finally returned, I tried to pay with my AmEx because I had seen it's logo with all the other major credit cards on the front window but of course being an Asian restaurant, they don't accept it so that just irritated me even more. Better go scrape that logo off, bro.
(2)
Bao N.
The place changed owner, food sucks, sad tummy Bottom line: will come back if there's nothing else to eat
New management, same menu This place used to be my favorite Viet restaurant in the Northwest. New management has yet to get their stuff together. They are very slow now. We ordered an hour ago and they haven't brought food out yet. Good food, slow service. Give them a month or so to get up to speed.
(3)
A. S. C.
Tempura shrimp = flat, breaded fried shrimp looked and tasted like something from the frozen foods section of a supermarket. It was NOT tempura. Very misleading. Honeydew shake = Mostly vanilla ice cream with a dash of honeydew flavor, watery. Was brought out first. it separated and was unpleasant, especially since... Food took so long to come out. There were few vegetarian and few non-pork offerings. I opted out of the fried rolls that came with my entrees because they refused to make them without pork. THAT tells me they were not freshly made and probably came from some premade mixture or were pre-rolled. Service was lousy and inattentive. It was a feat to get a glass of water. I understand saving water, but you should be prepared to provide if asked and not make the customer seem as though they are doing something wrong by asking. Gross. Vietnamese food always makes me happy. That is until my visit here to Viva. It was not authentic, fresh or good. I also understand it being under new management and the challenges there must be to make money. You'll not survive if you do not provide quality product and service. It pains me to write such a review when I know people need to work and earn a living. I cannot however, stand idly by and watch Vietnamese food take such a shaming. The location is perfect for me, but I will travel further for better food and service. To the management: You are not unaware of the deficiencies of your restaurant. You know where you cut corners and provide inferior product. It is disrespectful to Vietnamese culture and cuisine as well as to your guests. I strongly urge you to make necessary fixes and you will enjoy longevity in your business.
(2)
Yelpper Y.
Definately recommend! At night is when it gets busy.., but still great & fast service & good food
(5)
Bao N.
Always on point. The food is delicious, the quality just shows the moment you taste it. Every single time I go here I never leave disappointed. Vietnamese restaurants tend to have rude to ok service waiters, not here. I wished I asked the young gentlemen's name that served our table, because he made sure our drinks were never empty. He does everything he can to make sure we got what we ordered. The second to the last time I went there, I had a stomach flu so I couldn't finish what I ate, which was about half the portion. The owner visited me the last time I went, and asked me if that course had any problems, like if it was too sweet or too salty... How many owners would go out of their comfort zone to make sure their customers were satisfied with their meal? Good food, amazing service, fantastic ambience. What are you reading more for?! Try it! Oh, and get the banh bot chien as an appetizer... Yum! :)
(5)
Jacob R.
Been eating at this restaurant since it was Pho Bong Sen and it's consistently been my favorite Asian cuisine I've tried. Delivery takes a little while, but carry out is always so fast. Dine in is my favorite, the wait staff is really attentive. It's under new management (again) so I had to go in and make sure it was just as good as before, which it is. Great and affordable.
(5)
Cindy L.
For the location, it is probably the best Vietnamese food you'll get on the north side without having to drive all the way to China town. They even deliver! That's a plus. (At certain times. Check website) they have a very unique online ordering system and I love it. More places should have it. My only thing is that I wish they would send out a confirmation when you food is being delivered. For an Asian restaurant, they have pretty good service. Drinks were refilled and the servers actually check up on you at a timely manner. I enjoyed their variety of appetizers, no complaints here. However it's their main rice dishes that I'm disappointed in. I love Bo luc lac (shaking beef) and so I would always try to give a place a shot to prove their flavors. The first time I tried it was so impressed. So I continued to order it since it was a liking to my taste buds with a good portion of meat and rice. I have tried it here about 4 times. And each I tried it, was more disappointing than the last. The last time I tried it my plate only had 4 small cubes of meat and 6 whole garlics with tons of onions and lettuce. I couldn't believe I paid $10 for 4 cubes of meat. The server asked me why I didn't finish my plate and I stated "I did. I only received very little meat. Everything that is left was all garlic and onions." he apologized and that was it. The times I come in are usely never busy. Only 1 or 2 would be in the restaurant. So I would never understand why my foods would have poor quality.
(3)
Lynn N.
Very impressive with the food and service. Nice and clean restaurant. The food is really delicious. Recommend the banh bot chien and bo luc lac.
(5)
James N.
Came to this place for a small company lunch. They gave me the wrong order then later told me it's out. Overall terrible service and will not come again.
(1)
Robert C.
It doesn't get much better than pho and a good iced tea, both of which this place has. The pho is very good and has a lot of flavor and the broth is really smooth. The vietnamese sandwiches are good, but not the best. Everything on the menu is well pruced, and the servers are very friendly and quick.
(4)
Hieu T.
I'm pretty picky when it comes to Vietnamese food and I can get super critical at times, but imma tell you the truth, this is some of the best Vietnamese food in Houston, inside or outside of Chinatown. The location is a bit hard to find and is a little off the beaten path, but trust me when I say you should check this place out if you are on the northside. Everything I ordered tasted very fresh and delicious. The chicken fried rice was exceptional and doesnt have peas and carrots like chinese fried rice. The banh bot chien (flour and egg cake) tastes better than Tan Tan's i thought, and the banh mi thit nuong was awesome, even the next day. Wish there was more signage or visibility because people should definitely check it out if they can find it.
(5)
Claudea H.
Spring rolls are delicious! Had the pork and egg roll vermicelli and it was great! Not bad for the price ($6.50) either. I will definitely be back!
(5)
Canh-Lien N.
Great service, delicious food and so much closer to home than Chinatown. Came here with the folks a couple of hours before closing time. There were a handful of tables but only one waiter yet service was still great. The waiter kept our drinks always refilled. We had the fried rice cake (banh bot chien), house special crispy pan fried noodles (mi xao don thap cam), Viva chicken, and water spinach with fermented tofu (rau muong xao chao). The water spinach were and fresh and crisp. Loved it! The Viva chicken was so tasty and crispy I begged for the recipe. Prices were very reasonable especially with the 10% off Yelp deal.
(4)
Syed S.
I have been coming here for a while now, a great place go bring you family and friends. The staff are great and if you need help choosing just ask them. I usually get the pho, and whatever else I'm feeling that day. The food overall has pleased my palate, one food to avoid is the rice cake, plain and bland. Try this place it's good
(4)
Anuj A.
Once every couple weeks, I visit my aunt in the Jersey Village area, watch a movie with her and grab dinner. I used to live with her for about a year after I moved to America. It is also a refresher for me, since I don't get out of the city that much, and sometimes a chaotic like me also deserves some peace! After looking through Yelp for about thirty minutes and debating if we wanted to get the usual Panda Express that my aunt loves (easy to order, she's Indian and keeps it simple) or try one of these Chinese restaurants that have food names in English with a Chinese translation below it for authenticity purposes, we ordered food from here for pickup from the EAT24 App. They told me it would be ready in about 25 minutes, which isn't too bad considering we ordered a lot of shit. I pulled into the huge parking lot of the strip mall and located the place, and as I got near I found out that that is the place where my beloved Pho Bung Sen used to be. I used to go there so much for the Pho!! Went inside, it was the same layout as Pho Bung Sen, I'm not sure if they just changed the name or moved somewhere else. Staff was friendly too, my order was ready and out when I got there. Now about the food. Nothing out of the ordinary at all. We got the Rice Cake, Veggie Lo Mein w/soft noodle, Seafood Fried Rice, Chicken w/ Ginger and Scallions, and Orange Chicken. My aunt very specifically told me to order soft noodles, and they only had to mess up her order, as they gave me Crispy Noodles instead. The Chicken w/ Ginger and Scallions was wayy too salty and went straight to the trash. The Orange Chicken could be better if the pieces were normal sized and not the size of a small beef patty! The Seafood fried rice and the Rice Cake were really good though! The lo mein was okay for me since I have an adaptable palate, but my aunt wasn't impressed. Overall, good restaurant I wanna say, maybe I need to try other stuff before giving a good opinion about the food. THREE STARS for now!
(3)
Christopher M.
Good food, great service and reasonable process. It's also byob, so bring some beer and you get 10% off when you check into yelp! Oh, I forgot they play the solid jams of the 80's.
(4)
Tiff S.
I've eaten here twice, no complaints. Food is good. I ordered delivery and dined in, both times service was great.
(4)
Ro M.
Highly recommend the banh bot chien. Wait is a bit long though. One waiter currently with 6 tables seated. Food is delicious but the quality of the physical place seems to be deteriorating over the years.
(3)
Ashley Y.
I kinda like this restaurant. You can't compare the food with some good Vietnamese restaurant in Sw side of Houston. However, it is pretty good in Cypress area. So far I had tried beef pho, chicken pho, spring roll and BBQ pork chop rice. Besides the spring roll, I really feel the other foods were not bad at all. I would come back to try more stuff in their menus if I have chance to visit this area again.
(4)
Linda W.
I think its the only place on the north side to get authentic Vietnamese food. Like ca kho to and canh chua. I prefer going here instead of driving all the way to Bellaire. Lau thai, hot spicy hot pot is pretty good too.
(5)
Matt B.
Favorite Vietnamese spot around this area! Big portions with great prices. Owner's are super nice too. Awesome everytime we go!
(5)
Dennis C.
WOOOOWW!!.. I AM SPEECHLESS... I remember my first visit to this place, it was not pleasant but the food was so great that I could not give up keep trying the food. I took my brother, who now is a Big fan of this place, i have been here more than 15 times in the last 3 months, now there is nothing bad i can say about it, service has improved so much, the food its even better, price are very affordable, IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO EXPERIENCE A GOOD MEAL YOU MUST COME HERE.. I LOVE THIS PLACE..
(5)
Ashley M.
Got some take out from here tonight. We got the deluxe bun bowl, pork sandwich, and fried rice cake. For everything we only a paid $20. The pork sandwich was absolutely amazing. It was only $3.25 too! I would seriously come back just for the sandwich at lunch. It's the perfect lunch size. The bun bowl was a large portion that my friend and I shared. My favorite part was the pork balls. The fried rice cake was ok. A little lacking on flavor, but the dip it comes with helped. Would like to come back and dine in.
(4)
Jacinda L.
Once again this place did not disappoint..pho, beef vermicelli bowl, and pork egg rolls were all so fresh tasty!
(4)
Mike S.
Ate off the lunch menu. The portions are perfect and the food was very tasty! Our sever was very courteous and accommodating. We will be coming back.
(5)
Preston H.
Hour and 45 minute delivery time and the food was cold upon arrival, obviously. On top of that, the food was not good at all. It was mediocre at best. This was my first and only experience so it could have been just a bad day, but everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. Won't be going back anytime soon.
(1)
Carlos C.
Amazing place! I come here at least once a week if not two. Great food and atmosphere. Service is very good too. Egg Rolls, Shaken Beef Filet, Pork Sandwich, and the soup and amazing.
(5)
A F.
One of the best Pho places in Jersey Village! You must try it! Since I moved out of the area, I make this my first stop everytime I travel to JV. Get the egg rolls and the large Pho Thai.
(5)
Thuy H.
I tried Viva restaurant after reading the positive reviews. The location was easy to find. It's in a strip center with ample parking. The dining room was very tidy and large. It looked clean. I didn't visit the restroom, so I can't comment on that. Many restaurants have dirty restrooms, which is often an indication of how well they keep their kitchen. I have concerns about the restaurant when their restrooms are dirty. Like many of the other readers, I was intrigued about the banh bot chien that was comparable to Tan Tan. I stopped by on a Sunday and ordered several dishes for take-out. I ordered: banh bot chien, Viva fried rice, Vietnamese spinach (hollow stem veggies), beef pan fried rice noodles, and shrimp with snap peas and cashews. First, the banh bot chien was not as good as Tan Tan's. It was crispy, but too crispy. Plus, it was bland. You had to put on a lot of soy sauce to make it palatable. The same applied to the Vietnamese spinach. Too many stems and not enough leafy parts. The shrimp and snap peas were okay. There weren't that many cashews. The beef pan fried noodles and Viva fried rice was good. The beef was very tender and the sauce was flavorful. I would order the latter two again. Would I return? Maybe, but not for the banh bot chien. I'd rather wait and go to Tan Tan on Westheimer or Bellaire before I'd order these from Viva again.
(3)
Linda P.
The food is delicious and the service was outstanding! I had a craving for bun and was very pleased with what I ordered. We will be back!
(5)
Clay C.
This place offers some really amazing dishes. The food was flavorful and they offered some more authentic cuisine than most restaurants out in cypress. The rice cakes and wonton noodle soup were both amazing. I loved the rice cakes. We also had the shaken steak which was good, general tsos, and pork ribs. They were all very good but there was just one problem. The portions were way too small for what you payed for. It normally wouldn't be a big deal if it was on the small side but these were some of the smallest portions I have seen anywhere. Besides the portions I definitely would come back but with a more pointed approach in trying to avoid EXTREMELY small portions.
(3)
David T.
This place is great. Best overall Vietnamese restaurant in cypress/north west area. Service is great. I recommend #48 on the menu, com tam suon, ask them to throw a fried egg on there for even more deliciousness. Also, the staff here are very friendly and helpful. Great food, service, price, location, and a relatively large selection on the menu = five stars
(5)
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
Address :10541 FM 1960 Rd W,Ste 290
Houston, TX, 77070
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Joe S.
Best Vietnamese lunch specials I've seen in a long time. The bun bowl was huge, prices were great, and staff was helpful and friendly. No wait, and the joint was very clean (including bathrooms). Will definitely be back.
(5)Kimmi D.
I remember coming here whenever my parents didn't feel like cooking and wanted Viet food when this place was Pho Bong Sen. Today was my first time coming back after they changed their name to Viva! This place is about 10 minutes away from my house and its perfect for whenever I want Viet food but don't want to drive further. I ordered the banh bot chien and spring rolls togo. The banh bot chien is soooo good! I'm a sucker for any of these at any restaurant. Tan Tan's banh bot chien was #1 for me, but this place quickly moved up to be tied to it! I also ordered the pork and shrimp spring rolls. They were 4 for $5.25 so I thought why not try it? But I think I'll be skipping out on the spring rolls next time. I really hate how a lot of Viet restaurants use Vietnamese ham instead of actual pork meat in their spring rolls. Also the rolls were thin and the sauce was not very good. I'm sure there's other items on the menu that are great. But for now, I'm gonna give this place 3 stars. Its a good place to get your Viet fix if you don't want to drive far!
(3)Cindy H.
Wow! What is not to like about this place? It's one of the best, if not, THE best authentic Asian restaurant in the Cypress area. They're still growing but it is definitely a hidden gem. I got the soy milk (which is homemade) and it was the perfect mix. It wasn't too sweet nor soy-y. I love the up chao, the combination flat iron noodles. They never fail me! And the banh bot chien is a must, especially when Tan Tan is too far. On top of the good food, the owners are always so welcoming and helpful. Coming back for sure!
(5)Nancy G.
This place has great food! I love their Vietnamese sandwiches! They are a good size, delicious, and only $3.50! The food is fresh and good. The servers are nice. But they need more servers. I went in to place a to go order, and left after about 10 minutes. The guy at the front was taking phone orders, running food to tables, and taking orders at tables. Not the first time I've had that issue there with service. They aren't rude or anything, just too busy! Hence the 4 stars.
(4)Rebecca R.
Update: Last night, this restaurant served us scorched/burned shaken tofu and vegetables (it even smelled of smoke); 5 whole cloves of garlic planted in my stir fry like land mines; and the saddest chicken fried rice we have ever seen. We will never be back here for takeout again.
(1)Gary R.
I visit Houston on business once per month and yelp led me here. I asked the owner what a fried rice cake was and he told what was in it. I made a face of disapproval and he encouraged me to try it and if I didn't like it he would not charge me for it. Sure enough it was great! I order my standard pork vermicelli bowl with egg roll and that was equally tasty. I am here on my second visit and asked the owners wife to make a recommendation. She said I should try the shaken filet mignon. I did and wow....another great meal. I absolutely live this place! Great prices, great food and most of all really nice people own the restaurant and care about you leaving with a smile. This place is a must try!
(5)Weili W.
It's rare that I try a new restaurant and I was so impressed that I wish I lived closer to it. I'll start with the service. As soon as we walked in with our baby, the waiter is already walking toward us with the menus and a high chair. Usually in other restaurants at best they would ask us if we want a high chair then we would stand around and wait for a few minutes for it. Our waiter was very friendly and courteous. He noticed that our baby was playing with a pair of chopsticks and dropped them and he came almost immediately with a new pair. We ordered Banh Bo Chien, BBQ Pork Banh Mi and pork chop rice. The Banh Bo Chien was very good, crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. It was hard for me to decide whether I like theirs better or Tan Tan's, my previous favorite. The BBQ pork in the Banh Mi was very good too, and juicy full of flavor. The pork chop rice was also good, and the rice was very well done. When we tried new restaurants in the past, we never liked all the dishes we ordered.
(5)Monica G.
This restaurant is amazing! The new chef just took over about a month ago and has changed the menu. The food is very fresh and the quality of the ingredients is excellent. Make sure to try the garlic wings!
(5)Thuy N.
I and my hubby used to pass by this restaurant many times, wonder it is good or bad. I saw Viva has a pretty good reviews on yelp so we decided to give it a try. Overall experience: it is ok restaurant!!! - Service: 4/5 star, they are understaff, just 2 waiters in Friday night but they are polite and take care us very us during our dine-in. - Food: 3/5 We ordered 3 dishes: - Rare beef salad: yeah beef is supposed to be rare by lemon but it is well- done by stir on heat with oil, not the right way to do. My hubby said maybe because they don't want to make the beef rare because they are afraid of suing. By the way, it tasted ok for me, the sauce was good, lemon supposed to mix with beef but they just sliced them around beef. - Fried squid with salt: first when I taste it, I didn't even realize it was squid, Im not sure it was fresh or not but this dish was not impressed at all. - chicken sweet and sour: the sauce was good. We has to ask for white rice bc it didn't come with our dishes. It didn't bother me bc I knew that not everybody asks for white rice. It seems a lot people love this place. When we was there, it was lots of people in and out. Maybe because it was Friday night. Maybe I would come back to try another dishes and hope it will be better!!! Don't forget to checkin on yelp to get 10% off the total bill!!!
(3)Mei Lene Thai R.
So glad we decided to go here after reading some yelp reviews. Delicious Vietnamese food with excellent service. The Banh Bot Chien is so good & perfectly crisp - my favorite! The spring rolls & vermicelli bowls were fresh. The restaurant was clean. I think we found our new place for Vietnamese. I also liked the little candies they give with the check!
(5)Martin D.
Surprisingly good! Excellent for the area! I've only been once but so far so good.
(4)Don Q.
Soup is too salty. Spring rolls too mushy and the sauce to it seem to use peanut butter rather than crushed peanuts. Meat way way too fatty and greasy. However best service compared to nearby Vietnamese restaurants so far hence two stars.
(2)Rose D.
I love this place ! I take my family from out of town here every time they are in Houston. I have had a family party here as well with 40 people and the staff was amazing. Food was great and they waist staff made sure to take care of all our needs in a timely manner!
(5)Elizabeth T.
Food and service is pretty great here. Probably the best one on this side of town. Been here multiple time and will continue to return.
(5)Myrna Y.
Love the food here! Hands down best authentic southeast Asian food on this side of town!
(5)Van N.
Came here on a weekday for dinner in a group of 15. We had salt & pepper fried squid, sizzling beef, & shrimp sautéed. All dishes were very good! A big group can be challenging, but the service between only two servers was great! They were very accommodating and provided us with plenty of plates for our cake. Our glasses were kept full & that's not likely at Vietnamese restaurants. Will definitely return in the future!
(5)B. C.
Finally, some respectable banh bot chien on the NW side! I might actually like Viva's better than Tan Tan's - heresy, I know. Everything else was good too. Portions are healthy - we ordered too much. We used to come to pho bong sen semi-regularly, but we fell away in the last few years. We'll come back again now that it's Viva....
(4)Chrislynn D.
This place was a bit difficult for us to find on our first trip since we're not familiar with the area, but it was worth it! I was skeptical at first, but the food was actually really good. The service was great even late at night near closing time. I would recommend this place.
(5)Taylor N.
Feeling good and satisfied! I've heard so much about this restaurant from my friends and was lucky to finally dine in today. The food is fabulous. They have a good variety to choose from. Love love love their BANH BOT CHIEN (pan fried rice cake)! It was delish. A must try is their beef cai lan fried rice noodles & pork ribs & pickled cabbage soup. There's so much more on the menu that I want to try. I will be back! Thank you Viva!!!!!!!!!! #iWorkOutToEat
(5)Qooking T.
Hu Tieu Bo Xao Cai Lan = Average
(2)felisha n.
This place is the best Vietnamese restaurant in the north side! Hands down. No need to drive down to bellaire anymore. They have everything on their menu over 150 items of beef, chicken, shrimp dishes. Rice and noodle plates, pho and even hot pot!!! Nice and friendly staff, always welcoming and very attentive. Clean and modern restaurant, too! But nothing beats the food here. If you like Banh bot chien, this is the place to be! Way better than Tan Tan, don't believe me? Try It for yourself. You will leave satisfied.
(5)Mishel F.
...Saturday lunch was decided on delivery...I called a few places listed, but they required a minimum amount that was ridiculous for one person...So, Viva was it for me...$20 minimum before taxes...I read reviews of what to have for lunch, but it didn't help...So after combing through the menu, I decided on the Special Pork Egg Rolls, BBQ pork on rice and Deluxe Crispy Fried Egg Noodles (beef, chicken, and shrimp)...I was hungry when I ordered-don't judge me...hehehe...I was told 20-25 min delivery time...They arrived a bit shy of 25 minutes...Food was very warm and smelled amazing!...I tried the deluxe crispy noodles-I should've stuck with one meat...It wasn't salty enough and my meal didn't come with condiments...I would've liked to have added some chili sauce or soy sauce...The egg rolls were so flipping good!...Very warm, crunchy on the outside and sinfully delicious on the inside...No fish sauce...My BBQ beef was surprisingly delicious!...A lot meat and a tons of flavor!...I had a few bites cuz the egg rolls ruled the lunch...I am very satisfied, very full, and very excited for the next time I order...BTW, I normally order pho only at viet restaurants, so these are somewhat new viet dishes for myself...Usually I sneak a taste from others...From my experience today, I highly recommend this place...
(4)Nilay R.
Good food, chicken curry little more spicy and its just awesome. Definitely we will have to come back.
(4)Lee-Lee P.
Came here on a Sunday afternoon thinking it was still Pho Bong Sen. Rolled up and saw that it said Viva Restaurant, which got me confused cause it sounded like a Mexican restaurant name. But underneath Viva Restaurant letters said Chinese and Vietnamese so I knew it was my people's food. LOL. Seemed like new owners so we went in and gave it a try. Now like other reviewers said, when it was Pho Bong Sen, the food was average, sometimes hit or miss. Nothing spectacular. However, this Viva Restaurant experience for me was OUTSTANDING. I am not giving it 5 stars yet cause this happened to be my first time so I am going to judge the next time I come. But the service was great, everyone attentive, and the food was fresh and flavorful! I ordered the following with hubby to have for lunch and dinner for the next two days: 1) Banh Bot Chien - Good stuff! It's crispy and chewy and topped with french fried onions. Yummy. This place makes a good banh bot chien up in the northside. 2) Dau Hu Xao Xa Ot - Lemon Grass tofu - Get this! It is marinated perfectly as the tofu soaks up the wonderful lemon grass flavor. If you have never had tofu before, this will get you to like ti! 3) Mi Xao Don Thap Cam - Pan Fried Crispy Noodles with beef, chicken, and shrimp with vegetables - This came out in a big plate and all crispy! No oily taste to it. Again, very flavorful dish. 4) Salted Fish Fried Rice - If you never had this, get it! IT's a perfect balance of fried rice and seasonings as the salted fish has a nice taste when added to the fried rice. It's chopped up in small pieces so it blends well. 5) Mi Hoanh Thanh - Egg Noodle Wonton Soup - This was an impulse order cause hubby wanted wonton. We shared this as with the other dishes. Egg noodles were good and chewy and plenty of wontons. Large bowl that we shared and took the remainder home for a one person sized meal later. Viva Restaurant is really changing Viet food up in the northside. Thank you for bringing flavor and good prices to the northside!
(4)Deedee D.
Steve V. and I used to eat here quite a bit when they had just opened as Pho Bong Sen. We haven't eaten it for a year until Steve's boss invited us out to eat so we were very surprised to see that they changed owners and evidently, cooks! I would have given PBS three stars because their food was average and not better than Mom's home cooking. Viva, however, I give five stars because the food is absolutely divine and the service is top-notch. I would definitely recommend the Rau Muong (the flavor is not too garlicky, but not too plain either), the Banh Bot Chien (fresh and crispy, however, I seemed to be the only one that still preferred Tan Tan's Banh Bot Chien over Viva's), Hu Tieu Ap Chao (extremely fresh and the noodles have that perfect medium between crispy and soft), and lastly but definitely not least, the Bo Luc Lac. The Bo Luc Lac is easily my favorite thing on the menu. We had originally ordered one order but received two orders so we sent one back. However, after Binh N. had a bite of the beef, he told the waitress that she could leave the second one on the table because it was SO good. The beef was marinated well and it was a perfect blend of sweet and salty. Additionally, it had a slightly smoky taste to it as if it was just taken off a mesquite grill. Needless to say, this place definitely benefited from the switch. Granted, the prices ARE higher than PBS was, but the ingredients are fresher and the food is well prepared. Three thumbs up.
(5)Aline D.
Came here with some family member to celebrate Chinese/Vietnamese New Years and really enjoyed the food. Their banh bot chien came highly recommended so we ordered that. Really good I must admit. We also had their special Bo Tai Chanh (forgot their unique name for it) but that was REALLY a hit. We also ordered traditional VN dishes like Canh Chua Ca, Ca Kho Tho (and they even put the pork version in the same dish). Overall, the food is authentic and very good. Service was good too. Owners came by often to check on us and made sure we were taken care of. I will come back and recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting VN comfort food.
(4)Stevebo H.
The food here are excellent but I can only give them 2 stars. Why? Well I was very pleased and impressed the first time my family was there ordered the family dinner package for 4. At the time I thought the portions were barely enough, but the dishes were oustanding. To make my frustration short, I brought some friends to this same restaurant just few weeks after. This time we ordered the dinner package for 8 people. Did I say 8? Yes! Yes! It was an embarrament night for me and my family. The dishes came out with the same portion as designed for 4 people. Yeah they did add in 3 additional dishes to this dinner package, but man the portion for these dishes were pathetic! Not even enough for 3 small kids! Why? why? why? How can you stay in business if you can not distinguishing between serving for 4 and 8 people! Anyway, we ended up ordered as many additional dishes before the night was over. Yes we paid twice as much in the end and still left there feeling hungry. Sorry but I will not recommend this place to anyone ever again, nor do I want to come back. Unless, the managements/owners of this restaurant can convince me otherwise. Cheers Steve H.
(2)Shermane C.
I am in love with this place! The atmosphere is perfect and the food is yummy!!
(5)Quynh N.
Used to be Pho Bong Sen. They remodeled and it looks more open and bright. Their food is a definite upgrade. Favorites: Banh bot Chien- it's the #1 on the appetizer, it's soooo good, just the right amount of crisp, loaded with flavors. I eat them with the dip and pickled jalapeño Pho- not overloaded w/ MSG, and yet still delicious. Comes out hot and has plenty of meat & flavor. Canh chua ca (sweet and sour hot pot fish soup) my sister had it w/ chicken. It was full flavored; sweet, sour, and spice. It included just the right amount of vegetables, they were fresh and it had a bite to it. Better than my Mother's! Hu tieu ap chao (flat crispy fried rice noodle) w/ beef and Chinese broccoli. Delicious!!! A must try! My boyfriend's favorite. Add some chili oil for some spice!
(5)Hope H.
The spring rolls and bahn bot chien were amazing. The bahn bot chien wasn't greasy like Tan Tan's is, instead it was crispy and delicious. Great service and inexpensive too.
(4)Kyle K.
Food isn't that good at all. The orange chicken was ok but the rice was hard and bland. The workers are friendly tho.
(1)Ben C.
Well.. I've eaten there twice.. the first time, the reviews made me think if I ordered something.. the delivery would be terrible.. so I picked it up.. The place looked pretty descent.. The food and everything was pretty good. Compared to other Chinese food in this jones/1960 are it was great.. lol.. The second time I ordered deliver, they forgot some sauce but everything else was right.. at least the delivery guy apologized. I will say the food is pricey.. enough that I don't plan to order from them but maybe 3 or 4 times a year.. And it wasn't that much food.. I don't feel like I got my money's worth, but it was tasty.. update: so I ordered from them again.. they must have been out of dumplings, because the brought some mini egg rolls instead.. this time, the food was more average than good.. I wasn't impressed.. one note was, it was a busier time of the day..
(3)Andy P.
The food is great we had soup, salad, rice, and more. The Vietnamese dishes taste truly authentic and rich. A truly tasty place to eat. Also the location is great for people up north to get some great Asian food! The Bo luc lac and ca kho to is amazing!
(5)Harrison P.
Very good place to eat. There's not really any good places to eat up north, but this place serves authentic Vietnamese food. From Banh bot chien to Bo luc luc. Service was fast and quick and most importantly very polite.
(4)Amrita S.
We went to viva because we saw the reviews on yelp, and yet again we were pleasantly surprised! I'm not into Pho so I was happy to see that they had such a variety of food. I got the shakin beef (#88) it was so tender and juicy! As a table we also ordered crab wontons, Kung pow chicken, and Pho all of the food was Delish! The only reason I didn't give them five stars is because the service was a slow, they only had like 2 actual waiters for the whole Resturant. I'll be back next time I'm craving Asian food!
(4)Chris L.
Amazing food and amazing service. If you're looking for great Vietnamese cuisine come here, you won't find any place friendlier or any pho more delicious.
(5)Joel G.
Tried it this evening for takeout for my wife and I. Previous. visits under old owners was always satisfactory. I was excited to see the reviews of even better food, so I stopped by to fulfill my dinner obligation. I ordered the shrimp curry which was OK...The curry flavor could have been stronger, but the dish was satisfactory. I ordered the lemon grass chicken for my wife, as it was mentioned in a review and she likes chicken. He lemon grass chicken was over salted, over cooked and stringy. She could not eat it and it went down the disposal . She could not find any lemon grass at all and thought they gave me the wrong dish. I was really disappointed She commented that it seemed like leftover chicken. Since I do not eat chicken I took her word. The spring rolls were OK. I was really hoping for a more exciting and satisfying dining experience. I may try it again and see if I get a better result, perhaps a sit down meal instead. Previously, under old owners I had the seafood soup, and I took a client to lunch and the food was very good.
(2)Victoria T.
Viva is a good Vietnamese restaurant for NW Houston. The menu selection is huge, and the food really does deliver. So far, I've had the salt toasted calamari, egg rolls, Vietnamese "fajitas", Banh bot chien (house rice cake), bo tai chanh (rare beef slices "cooked" in lemon/lime) and Bo luc lac (shaking beef). Calamari was good but I've had better, egg rolls were good and larger than you'd get anywhere else, their chargrilled BBQ pork has a nice flavor, bo luc lac is juicy and tender, bo tai chanh is "meh", and the Banh bot chien is good but I prefer it at the OG of BBC, Tan Tan. Service is nice and attentive, there are 3 tvs around the restaurant, and they're able to accommodate large groups. Only gripe I have is that the egg rolls came with only lettuce and cilantro. No mint, no pickled carrots or cukes. And although they came out piping hot and beautifully golden brown on the outside, the middle was still slightly pink. 10% discount when you check in on yelp!
(4)Melissa S.
It's really good! I think it's kind of hidden though,and too spacey inside. But customer service was good and it's like a mini Tan Tan version. Which is great,saves me time! I don't really have to drive 30min for good food hehe. I would definitely go back for more. Keep up the good food! And great customer service.
(4)Vy N.
Not bad.
(3)Daquynh N.
I had bot chien to go and it was okay. I think it was because the steam in the to go box made the bot chien a little soggy. Maybe i will try again and try it in the restaurant instead of to go.
(3)Steve V.
This is Bellaire caliber food up NORTH if you live in Houston and know what Bellaire is. Anyway tried several dishes yesterday and were amazing. Lastly, service was great as the crew really made sure they took care of you even while they had their own family/friends function going on at the restaurant.
(5)K N.
The management (it's a young girl) was trying to rip off us with extra charge for the substitute fish by shrimp in the 3 course dishes for 2, which is we have never paid for this extra charge when we ordered the same things in last 4 previous times. Also, when my hubby was paying for the bill to the waiter at the counter, that young girl came to the counter & tried to remind the waiter don't for get to add extra charge into our bill!!! What kind of business & management is that?!?! So disappointed and feel sorry for this Asian restaurant management & services! After this time, we will NEVER come back to this restaurant and we will tell our friends, relatives, coworkers should not dine in/out to this restaurant ever!
(1)Stella T.
Our pho tasted so bland we had to cover it with chilli sauce. Customer service was slow and not really attentive. We had ordered 3 bowls of pho but only 2 came out. Seemed like the staff had forgotten us while serving two other tables. Place was pretty empty... We have avoided Viva Restaurant since then. :(
(2)John C.
i was driving by 1960 and craving some vietnamese food and i was thinking about makin the drive to bellaire but it was getting kinda late and i heard people talking about how good the food was on my facebook so i thought i would try it out , wow the food was really good best vietnamese resturant in the northside period . this wasnt your typical pho resturant or chinese buffet u normally would find in the area ,this was gormet vietnamese food u would only find down southwest like tan tan or kim son ..really good portions really good price ...really good soy bean milk ...next time i go there im goin to take home that ducati i see there in front ...seems like its collecting dust from noone riding it lol
(5)Madeline L.
Viva has brought Bellaire to our side of town! Instead of driving all the way down to Bellaire for Authentic Vietnamese food, come here. The food is great. Try the fish or pork rib clay pot and add the sweet and sour fish soup for a complete delicious meal. You won't be disappointed. Go Viva!!
(5)Cindy L.
This place is more like a restaurant rather than a typical Pho joint, so I was actually getting very good service! It's a very nice and clean place, and they also serve very delicious Vietnamese food! The Banh Bot Chien is definitely worth a try!!
(5)Tiffani N.
Great place, nice atmosphere, reasonable price. Best Vietnamese restaurant in town ive been to so far. Staffs are nice and their services are excellent, they always come to your table many times to make sure everything is good. I always leave there a happy camper. I would recommend their egg rolls, pan fried rice cake and shaken beef.
(5)Tony N.
ok i've been here twice and the first time i would have given this 4 stars. The second time i came which was a week ago, it now gets 1 star. The first time i went, service good, food good, cleanliness good, parking lot was even clean. The second time, issues. Service is still nice and friendly though, but they seem to be running short. I only noticed 1 or 2 guys running around the whole restaurant. Drinks: water this time, wow, wtf? sewage? then we ordered soda which comes from their fountain drink machine and it was shocking that the flavor from their fountain drink was low and then the carbonation from the soda was gone. Oh and guess what? the same sewage water. The food this time was ok. I usually like to order gen tso's chicken and they didnt have it or something some other to's chicken. Wasn't as tasty and the other food was ok. Quality seems to have gone downhill.
(1)Loc N.
Came here last Friday and have family meal. This place was packed. Had to wait 25 min for food. Though they're all excellent. Great environment for family to gather so the wait is ok. Pro: great tatste, presentation for price paid. BYOB. CONS: was packed so wait is expected.
(5)Mel N.
Not bad. It was only our family of four and another family inside the restaurant. But like everyone else says, why is it always empty?! We wanted to try out some dishes and pho. Honestly, you can get better pho with more meat anywhere else in this area. But if you are really desperate for some late night pho in the area, Viva is open until 11pm on some days. But, probably the worst restaurant pho I had, ever. LOL. We got salt and pepper calamari, salt and pepper roasted tofu, general tso's chicken, and the shaking beef. Every dish comes with lots of vegetables, so if you don't want any rice, you can probably eat the entree alone and pretend it's a salad. Calamari is good, but maybe too hard and chewy? The breading on the calamari and tofu is hard and a little thick. I wish the tofu was seasoned more. General tso's chicken has snap peas, carrots, chilis, and pineapple in it. Pretty good. The shaking beef wa delicious; the amount of meat given could've been a bit more. Our server was very nice and the food came out in a reasonable amount of time. I would come back to try more dishes! They also honor the 10% off yelp check in. Don't forget to tell them when you pay your bill!
(4)Pokai M.
Viva is great! I don't know why every time we're there, we're the only table. They need more customers. I think it's the road, it's a pain in the butt to get to the restaurant during traffic hours. Anyways, get the crispy baked chicken dish. It comes with a side of fried rice and a huge portion of the crispiest chicken you'll ever bite into. And it's only like 8 bucks! Awesome! It does take about 25-30 to make so make sure you have lots of time or call ahead. Check in on yelp to get 10% off entire bill.
(5)Christen T.
We ordered food at 1040a and was informed that they couldn't cook until 11a (which was fine). Here it is, 1243 pm and no food yet. I've called and they have returned our call saying they were in their way (3 miles away). They even called to find out which floor we are on (we ordered from North cypress medical center), 30 mins ago. Incredibly angry and dissatisfied and can't even put a review about the food up. It is also over priced!!! Our food finally showed up around 120p, only 2 hours and 40 mins after ordering. They did take care of the bill, and apologized many times. The food was decent and the order was correct.
(1)Eddie S.
Different name same interior. Is this one of those "death locations" where you see within a decade the place change names 4 times? Located on the end cap of a strip center it still holds it's "newness" look to it as well as the ample parking that time has also been good too. There are two televisions for viewing while you are eating. The service here, at least for a non busy Wednesday is excellent. I did not get one of those hardcore Asian style request to take your order as soon as I got sat down. You could almost set your watch to get a check with you about every 15 minutes. The bot chien which I had at this location a few years ago was ok but not as good as before but really not bad. They do not use the usual "flour" that you can find at any Asian grocery store but instead I'm sure they use egg. The execution of the presentation was lack luster even with just the fried onions on top but missing a little more color. The tofu which was deep fried with "rock n roll" sauce was very crispy. You could tell it was fried in very light batter that gave you that thin crunch when you bit into it followed by a very light coating of the sauce it was prepared in. Bits of jalapeno, green onion, garlic parts , lettuce and of course white onions. The "pork in the clay pot" as most of us are used to seeing comes out on a medium sized plate with it's sauce a little on the light side. The meat was pretty tough but still held a good finish when you got past that part. I believe they could have cooked it a little longer to get it to the semi tender part but still worth ordering. Not the best in the neighborhood but if you factor in the lower price of $9 instead of the usual $11 at places, great service, atmosphere then you have something worth returning for if you are in the neighborhood. They also deliver now which I believe did not before. Smart move since there really aren't that many Vietnamese restaurants in the area but reading the other reviews I can surmise that it's a hit or miss thing. Don't forget to check into here when you can remember because you get a Yelp 10% discount when you do. A saving of $3.47 was had by using the discount and switching my insurance to Geico.
(4)Mr And Mrs G.
MR says ... new owners, that's why :) MRS says ... drove by Viva and thought it's been months since we've dined in Place is under new management and it's for the better. Fresh ingredients and food was tasting better. Only at Viva we get fried egg rolls with lettuce leaf and cilantro. Didn't know you could wrap the fried egg rolls and make it a mini salad appetizer. Must try: - Shaken beef (cuts of filet mignon) We didn't know what this shaken beef until our server recommended it for our next visit. Well, we tried it and boy he was right. It comes with a lemon+pepper dipping sauce which enhances the entire dish.
(4)Clara L.
No way... I am going bad the pho is no good. I am actually not exactly sure what type of restaurant they are. They said they are viet and Chinese I ordered the pho my husband ordered the soft styled stir noodles and both were a big fail. The services was too much I order a side of fish sauce and before I even get to use it the waiter took it away already not too sure why? This is not goner be a restaurant I will want to come back to.
(2)Tiffany W.
Three stars at best, but two stars because I just don't like this place. The food in general is just mediocre and unmemorable. My sister and I ordered the banh bot chien (pan fried rice cake) to share; I got the com bo luc lac (shaking beef rice plate) and she got the canh chua ca (sweet + sour with fish soup). The banh bot chien was crispy and amazingly delicious but our other two entrees were nothing of the sort. I ordered fried rice with my shaking beef, which is an additional cost, and it sucked more than plain ol' jasmine white rice. The three pieces of beef I got were salty, drenched in sauce and chewy... did I mention I literally got three pieces? And my sister's soup was not sour to say the least so that was a disappointment. More irritating than the food itself was the fact that we had to wait over an hour before my sister got her soup. We got our banh bot chien and I got my entree and finished it before she was even able to start her meal. Every time we'd ask our waiter where her food was, he would respond "the kitchen is just really slow right now." Are you kidding me? There's like ten people in the restaurant and it's SOUP. It got to the point where we were about to leave since we had been waiting for literally ever, but lo and behold her lackluster bowl of soup finally came out. Just to make it clear, we came in for lunch on a weekday around 11:40-ish where there were only like three or four parties there. We immediately ordered our food and by 12:00pm, we had just received the banh bot chien. I can get behind why it took a while because it normally does anywhere else, but I didn't get my entree until close to 12:15pm and my sister didn't get hers until about 12:45pm. She had to scarf her food down because we had to get back to work. To make matters worse, when I got up to pay, the manager made eye contact with me and instead of trying to close me out right then and there, he went on a smoke break or whatever and had me waiting for another five-ten minutes. When he thoughtfully finally returned, I tried to pay with my AmEx because I had seen it's logo with all the other major credit cards on the front window but of course being an Asian restaurant, they don't accept it so that just irritated me even more. Better go scrape that logo off, bro.
(2)Bao N.
The place changed owner, food sucks, sad tummy Bottom line: will come back if there's nothing else to eat
(2)Mari-Beth C.
My fiancé and I really enjoyed his pace! He had the pho and I had the orange chicken, both very good! The dumplings were delicious as well. The service was amazing, they were very friendly and you can tell they take a lot of pride in their restaurant as they shouldn't it was a great lunch! :)
(5)Alan S.
New management, same menu This place used to be my favorite Viet restaurant in the Northwest. New management has yet to get their stuff together. They are very slow now. We ordered an hour ago and they haven't brought food out yet. Good food, slow service. Give them a month or so to get up to speed.
(3)A. S. C.
Tempura shrimp = flat, breaded fried shrimp looked and tasted like something from the frozen foods section of a supermarket. It was NOT tempura. Very misleading. Honeydew shake = Mostly vanilla ice cream with a dash of honeydew flavor, watery. Was brought out first. it separated and was unpleasant, especially since... Food took so long to come out. There were few vegetarian and few non-pork offerings. I opted out of the fried rolls that came with my entrees because they refused to make them without pork. THAT tells me they were not freshly made and probably came from some premade mixture or were pre-rolled. Service was lousy and inattentive. It was a feat to get a glass of water. I understand saving water, but you should be prepared to provide if asked and not make the customer seem as though they are doing something wrong by asking. Gross. Vietnamese food always makes me happy. That is until my visit here to Viva. It was not authentic, fresh or good. I also understand it being under new management and the challenges there must be to make money. You'll not survive if you do not provide quality product and service. It pains me to write such a review when I know people need to work and earn a living. I cannot however, stand idly by and watch Vietnamese food take such a shaming. The location is perfect for me, but I will travel further for better food and service. To the management: You are not unaware of the deficiencies of your restaurant. You know where you cut corners and provide inferior product. It is disrespectful to Vietnamese culture and cuisine as well as to your guests. I strongly urge you to make necessary fixes and you will enjoy longevity in your business.
(2)Yelpper Y.
Definately recommend! At night is when it gets busy.., but still great & fast service & good food
(5)Bao N.
Always on point. The food is delicious, the quality just shows the moment you taste it. Every single time I go here I never leave disappointed. Vietnamese restaurants tend to have rude to ok service waiters, not here. I wished I asked the young gentlemen's name that served our table, because he made sure our drinks were never empty. He does everything he can to make sure we got what we ordered. The second to the last time I went there, I had a stomach flu so I couldn't finish what I ate, which was about half the portion. The owner visited me the last time I went, and asked me if that course had any problems, like if it was too sweet or too salty... How many owners would go out of their comfort zone to make sure their customers were satisfied with their meal? Good food, amazing service, fantastic ambience. What are you reading more for?! Try it! Oh, and get the banh bot chien as an appetizer... Yum! :)
(5)Jacob R.
Been eating at this restaurant since it was Pho Bong Sen and it's consistently been my favorite Asian cuisine I've tried. Delivery takes a little while, but carry out is always so fast. Dine in is my favorite, the wait staff is really attentive. It's under new management (again) so I had to go in and make sure it was just as good as before, which it is. Great and affordable.
(5)Cindy L.
For the location, it is probably the best Vietnamese food you'll get on the north side without having to drive all the way to China town. They even deliver! That's a plus. (At certain times. Check website) they have a very unique online ordering system and I love it. More places should have it. My only thing is that I wish they would send out a confirmation when you food is being delivered. For an Asian restaurant, they have pretty good service. Drinks were refilled and the servers actually check up on you at a timely manner. I enjoyed their variety of appetizers, no complaints here. However it's their main rice dishes that I'm disappointed in. I love Bo luc lac (shaking beef) and so I would always try to give a place a shot to prove their flavors. The first time I tried it was so impressed. So I continued to order it since it was a liking to my taste buds with a good portion of meat and rice. I have tried it here about 4 times. And each I tried it, was more disappointing than the last. The last time I tried it my plate only had 4 small cubes of meat and 6 whole garlics with tons of onions and lettuce. I couldn't believe I paid $10 for 4 cubes of meat. The server asked me why I didn't finish my plate and I stated "I did. I only received very little meat. Everything that is left was all garlic and onions." he apologized and that was it. The times I come in are usely never busy. Only 1 or 2 would be in the restaurant. So I would never understand why my foods would have poor quality.
(3)Lynn N.
Very impressive with the food and service. Nice and clean restaurant. The food is really delicious. Recommend the banh bot chien and bo luc lac.
(5)James N.
Came to this place for a small company lunch. They gave me the wrong order then later told me it's out. Overall terrible service and will not come again.
(1)Robert C.
It doesn't get much better than pho and a good iced tea, both of which this place has. The pho is very good and has a lot of flavor and the broth is really smooth. The vietnamese sandwiches are good, but not the best. Everything on the menu is well pruced, and the servers are very friendly and quick.
(4)Hieu T.
I'm pretty picky when it comes to Vietnamese food and I can get super critical at times, but imma tell you the truth, this is some of the best Vietnamese food in Houston, inside or outside of Chinatown. The location is a bit hard to find and is a little off the beaten path, but trust me when I say you should check this place out if you are on the northside. Everything I ordered tasted very fresh and delicious. The chicken fried rice was exceptional and doesnt have peas and carrots like chinese fried rice. The banh bot chien (flour and egg cake) tastes better than Tan Tan's i thought, and the banh mi thit nuong was awesome, even the next day. Wish there was more signage or visibility because people should definitely check it out if they can find it.
(5)Claudea H.
Spring rolls are delicious! Had the pork and egg roll vermicelli and it was great! Not bad for the price ($6.50) either. I will definitely be back!
(5)Canh-Lien N.
Great service, delicious food and so much closer to home than Chinatown. Came here with the folks a couple of hours before closing time. There were a handful of tables but only one waiter yet service was still great. The waiter kept our drinks always refilled. We had the fried rice cake (banh bot chien), house special crispy pan fried noodles (mi xao don thap cam), Viva chicken, and water spinach with fermented tofu (rau muong xao chao). The water spinach were and fresh and crisp. Loved it! The Viva chicken was so tasty and crispy I begged for the recipe. Prices were very reasonable especially with the 10% off Yelp deal.
(4)Syed S.
I have been coming here for a while now, a great place go bring you family and friends. The staff are great and if you need help choosing just ask them. I usually get the pho, and whatever else I'm feeling that day. The food overall has pleased my palate, one food to avoid is the rice cake, plain and bland. Try this place it's good
(4)Anuj A.
Once every couple weeks, I visit my aunt in the Jersey Village area, watch a movie with her and grab dinner. I used to live with her for about a year after I moved to America. It is also a refresher for me, since I don't get out of the city that much, and sometimes a chaotic like me also deserves some peace! After looking through Yelp for about thirty minutes and debating if we wanted to get the usual Panda Express that my aunt loves (easy to order, she's Indian and keeps it simple) or try one of these Chinese restaurants that have food names in English with a Chinese translation below it for authenticity purposes, we ordered food from here for pickup from the EAT24 App. They told me it would be ready in about 25 minutes, which isn't too bad considering we ordered a lot of shit. I pulled into the huge parking lot of the strip mall and located the place, and as I got near I found out that that is the place where my beloved Pho Bung Sen used to be. I used to go there so much for the Pho!! Went inside, it was the same layout as Pho Bung Sen, I'm not sure if they just changed the name or moved somewhere else. Staff was friendly too, my order was ready and out when I got there. Now about the food. Nothing out of the ordinary at all. We got the Rice Cake, Veggie Lo Mein w/soft noodle, Seafood Fried Rice, Chicken w/ Ginger and Scallions, and Orange Chicken. My aunt very specifically told me to order soft noodles, and they only had to mess up her order, as they gave me Crispy Noodles instead. The Chicken w/ Ginger and Scallions was wayy too salty and went straight to the trash. The Orange Chicken could be better if the pieces were normal sized and not the size of a small beef patty! The Seafood fried rice and the Rice Cake were really good though! The lo mein was okay for me since I have an adaptable palate, but my aunt wasn't impressed. Overall, good restaurant I wanna say, maybe I need to try other stuff before giving a good opinion about the food. THREE STARS for now!
(3)Christopher M.
Good food, great service and reasonable process. It's also byob, so bring some beer and you get 10% off when you check into yelp! Oh, I forgot they play the solid jams of the 80's.
(4)Tiff S.
I've eaten here twice, no complaints. Food is good. I ordered delivery and dined in, both times service was great.
(4)Ro M.
Highly recommend the banh bot chien. Wait is a bit long though. One waiter currently with 6 tables seated. Food is delicious but the quality of the physical place seems to be deteriorating over the years.
(3)Ashley Y.
I kinda like this restaurant. You can't compare the food with some good Vietnamese restaurant in Sw side of Houston. However, it is pretty good in Cypress area. So far I had tried beef pho, chicken pho, spring roll and BBQ pork chop rice. Besides the spring roll, I really feel the other foods were not bad at all. I would come back to try more stuff in their menus if I have chance to visit this area again.
(4)Linda W.
I think its the only place on the north side to get authentic Vietnamese food. Like ca kho to and canh chua. I prefer going here instead of driving all the way to Bellaire. Lau thai, hot spicy hot pot is pretty good too.
(5)Matt B.
Favorite Vietnamese spot around this area! Big portions with great prices. Owner's are super nice too. Awesome everytime we go!
(5)Dennis C.
WOOOOWW!!.. I AM SPEECHLESS... I remember my first visit to this place, it was not pleasant but the food was so great that I could not give up keep trying the food. I took my brother, who now is a Big fan of this place, i have been here more than 15 times in the last 3 months, now there is nothing bad i can say about it, service has improved so much, the food its even better, price are very affordable, IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO EXPERIENCE A GOOD MEAL YOU MUST COME HERE.. I LOVE THIS PLACE..
(5)Ashley M.
Got some take out from here tonight. We got the deluxe bun bowl, pork sandwich, and fried rice cake. For everything we only a paid $20. The pork sandwich was absolutely amazing. It was only $3.25 too! I would seriously come back just for the sandwich at lunch. It's the perfect lunch size. The bun bowl was a large portion that my friend and I shared. My favorite part was the pork balls. The fried rice cake was ok. A little lacking on flavor, but the dip it comes with helped. Would like to come back and dine in.
(4)Jacinda L.
Once again this place did not disappoint..pho, beef vermicelli bowl, and pork egg rolls were all so fresh tasty!
(4)Mike S.
Ate off the lunch menu. The portions are perfect and the food was very tasty! Our sever was very courteous and accommodating. We will be coming back.
(5)Preston H.
Hour and 45 minute delivery time and the food was cold upon arrival, obviously. On top of that, the food was not good at all. It was mediocre at best. This was my first and only experience so it could have been just a bad day, but everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong. Won't be going back anytime soon.
(1)Carlos C.
Amazing place! I come here at least once a week if not two. Great food and atmosphere. Service is very good too. Egg Rolls, Shaken Beef Filet, Pork Sandwich, and the soup and amazing.
(5)A F.
One of the best Pho places in Jersey Village! You must try it! Since I moved out of the area, I make this my first stop everytime I travel to JV. Get the egg rolls and the large Pho Thai.
(5)Thuy H.
I tried Viva restaurant after reading the positive reviews. The location was easy to find. It's in a strip center with ample parking. The dining room was very tidy and large. It looked clean. I didn't visit the restroom, so I can't comment on that. Many restaurants have dirty restrooms, which is often an indication of how well they keep their kitchen. I have concerns about the restaurant when their restrooms are dirty. Like many of the other readers, I was intrigued about the banh bot chien that was comparable to Tan Tan. I stopped by on a Sunday and ordered several dishes for take-out. I ordered: banh bot chien, Viva fried rice, Vietnamese spinach (hollow stem veggies), beef pan fried rice noodles, and shrimp with snap peas and cashews. First, the banh bot chien was not as good as Tan Tan's. It was crispy, but too crispy. Plus, it was bland. You had to put on a lot of soy sauce to make it palatable. The same applied to the Vietnamese spinach. Too many stems and not enough leafy parts. The shrimp and snap peas were okay. There weren't that many cashews. The beef pan fried noodles and Viva fried rice was good. The beef was very tender and the sauce was flavorful. I would order the latter two again. Would I return? Maybe, but not for the banh bot chien. I'd rather wait and go to Tan Tan on Westheimer or Bellaire before I'd order these from Viva again.
(3)Linda P.
The food is delicious and the service was outstanding! I had a craving for bun and was very pleased with what I ordered. We will be back!
(5)Clay C.
This place offers some really amazing dishes. The food was flavorful and they offered some more authentic cuisine than most restaurants out in cypress. The rice cakes and wonton noodle soup were both amazing. I loved the rice cakes. We also had the shaken steak which was good, general tsos, and pork ribs. They were all very good but there was just one problem. The portions were way too small for what you payed for. It normally wouldn't be a big deal if it was on the small side but these were some of the smallest portions I have seen anywhere. Besides the portions I definitely would come back but with a more pointed approach in trying to avoid EXTREMELY small portions.
(3)David T.
This place is great. Best overall Vietnamese restaurant in cypress/north west area. Service is great. I recommend #48 on the menu, com tam suon, ask them to throw a fried egg on there for even more deliciousness. Also, the staff here are very friendly and helpful. Great food, service, price, location, and a relatively large selection on the menu = five stars
(5)