Binh Minh Quan

1/8/2025* This time, I ordered the #36 Rice Plate, which includes shrimp, chicken, beef, an imperial roll, and a shrimp cake. The standout for me was definitely the imperial roll, it was delicious! The chicken and beef, while well-seasoned, had similar flavors and were a bit too salty for my taste. The shrimp was overcooked and quite dry. Despite this, I really enjoyed the experience of having a plate with a variety of dishes. It was a fun way to try a little bit of everything. 8/8/2024 This was a takeout order that I placed online. When I arrived at the restaurant, the food was ready for pickup—easy and convenient! I tried their Pho Noodle Soup. Let me share my thoughts: Broth: The savory broth was clear and light, which I appreciated. It didn’t leave me feeling overly thirsty afterward—a definite plus! Ribs: The tender ribs were a highlight. They added a rich flavor to the dish, complementing the other ingredients perfectly.

One of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants! Great food, great service. Totally clean and good place to eat, not really a place for "atmosphere" but you wouldn't expect it to be. Get the combo rice plate with the pork hop and shrimp cake!

My family friends showed us this spot & we enjoyed it. The stuffed chicken & green muscles were delicious as well as my avocado smoothie!

Came here for pho on a rainy day and it was great! Staff is mad friendly and service was number one. I came in about 20 minutes after they opened so I could skip the lunch wait. They filled up pretty quick even though it was pouring. Portions are more than enough there was plenty rare steak and noodles and the broth here is among my favorites. The spring rolls and vermicelli is real good too. They have a fountain in the front that sets the mood perfectly making the whole spot really coY.

Seven courses of beef was insane - everything was so fresh and delicious and it was quiet and a good atmosphere. Muzak smooth jazz pop covers and service attentive and friendly without being pushy.

Was happy to find a pho spot at 3pm, but sorely disappointed. Had to walk 20m to the register to make every order or request, despite restaurant being empty, while front-of-house person (Connie) sat below the counter watching a TV show. When asked, finally, to speak to a manager (clearly, the responsible people were behind the scenes and in kitchen - I figured, parents or grandparents) Connie said, “I am the manager.” She then refused to further fulfill orders and declared the restaurant closed. Whether this is just post-Covid ennui, or a laundering operation, I would steer clear. In the 1.5 hrs I was there, I was the only customer.

This place is much bigger than it seems from the outside. Plenty of seating and nicely organized. I had the rib and flank PHO and it was really savory! Great service too!

Been going to this place for well over a year now definitely my favorite pho spot in oakland.

The pho here is hit or miss. I ordered the real pho and it was missing tripe and rare beef. It had this other beef with hard fat on it, didn't look like flank or brisket from the menu. It can be really hard to get the meat off the big rib that comes with the pho, it's like glued to the bone and not exactly tender. The other menu items look pretty decent though, like the Bún Đặc Biệt and combo rice place. I don't have a lot to complain about in terms of service, but I'd like there to be a napkin dispenser on the table. Eating noodle soup can get messy and require multiple mouth wipes. We were left with one and had to ask for more. I often come here during lunch, sometimes theres a lot of people and sometimes it's as empty as can be. There's no music in the background, there's tables that can seat 6-8, and there's a discrete bathroom upstairs. Among the Vietnamese restaurants in or around oakland chinatown, I think it's one of the best.

Update, 02/10/25: *DO NOT ORDER VIA DOORDASH. Felt hopeful, and wanted to give them another try. Don't even bother if you're ordering through DOORDASH. You'll get scammed into the smallest portions, with leftover quality meat. (See last photo.) Owners, you have lousy morals. DoorDash shouldn't be an option if you're giving small, leftovers for the price you charge.

This time, I ordered the #36 Rice Plate, which includes shrimp, chicken, beef, an imperial roll, and a shrimp cake. The standout for me was definitely the imperial roll, it was delicious! The chicken and beef, while well-seasoned, had similar flavors and were a bit too salty for my taste. The shrimp was overcooked and quite dry. Despite this, I really enjoyed the experience of having a plate with a variety of dishes. It was a fun way to try a little bit of everything.

I come here at least once a month. I crave their "beef in aromatic lot leaf" and imperial beef sausage - the sauce is to die for. This place is such a treasure, it reminds me of Anh Hoang in Milpitas but less crowded. Things I get: Beef in aromatic lot leaf: 10/10 meat is so flavorful and it's served with veggies to wrap them. Then you can't forget the sauce Imperial beef sausage: 11/10 same as above Banh xeo: 7.5/10 sometimes it's perfect sometimes it's a little too stuffed with filling but overall really good. Crispy and full of deliciousness Roasted catfish: 8/10 I've had this a few times and it's so good sometimes are better than others. I would def try if you've never had it before it comes with veggies that you wrap the fish in and dip There are lots of other things that are great here (like the rice dishes). But I would say those are my favorites.

I'm not sure why people leave bad reviews for this place. It is a gem. I go there all the time. They serve well priced unique Vietnamese food I haven't been able to have any where. Their drinks are amazing. It is a family business, and Kahn the lone waitress does an amazing job with her beautiful smile and cheerful presence. Yes, sometimes they can get a bit overwhelmed, but there is heart in this restaurant I see in few places. Although their pho is good, this place does not specialize in that. They specialize in meat plates that allow you to make your own spring rolls. Their specialty is a roast carp. If you get that, call it in 30 min ahead because it takes a while to roast. I always get the steamed vermicelli noodles and the Vietnamese crepe. This amazing well priced combination allows you to make your own spring rolls and they are rice paper wrapped bliss. Their drinks are also amazing. The salty plum soda with its crazy curly-q stir stick is so fun, and such a unique and delicious drink. I will never stop singing praises of this place.

Despite one of the other reviews, I tried Binh Minh Quan via DoorDash. I think it was OK. I usually reheat the broth if I get pho delivered. The broth was more herb forward than some others. The piece of rib is a fun, yummy extra touch. Overall flavors wise I like other places more. The spring rolls' sauce is more sweet and savory and not as peanut heavy. The quail and the sauce had a delicious flavor to it that's quite umami. The coffee was pretty standard. I may want to try other appetizers in the future.

Awesome Banh Mi! Meat was super fresh, bread was still moist plus their mayo was flavorful. Ordered for takeout and it was ready once I arrived. Ambiance is fast casual with lots of dine in seating.

I got the appetizer sampler here and it was huge, lots of delicious pieces to eat and choose from. I got the rice plate combo and it was decent, meat was lacking in quantity and quality was mediocre. This is also based on my comparison of San Jose rice plates though. Service was quick and fast here. Staff are friendly. The place is quite spacious and clean. Apparently my friends told me I ordered the wrong items and their fish dishes with rice paper is bomb. Next time I will try it. Overall positive experience and worth another try.

Great vegetarian menu. All the food was delicious. Nice staff. Very comfortable atmosphere. I'm jealous of people that live nearby. I would be here all the time.

I went here for lunch with some coworkers and ordered the Bun Rieu. The service was not the best but that's probably due to how busy the restaurant was. The dish was disappointing. I've never had a bun rieu that tasted sweet before. I'm not sure if that's how it usually tastes, but I was not impressed. I would come back to try other dishes because my coworkers all had good experiences with their food, but for now I didn't like my experience here.

I love this place. Love all the dishes. Especially the fresh wrap your own spring rolls. The sauce!!!!!! Delicious

This place is the bomb ! The portion is highly appreciated , the notice of direction and detail with my soup order was tremendous ! Food was delivered hot ! And it was tasty ! I most definitely will be going back again and again !

Wanted to try out a new pho spot and was recommended to try out Binh Minh Quan. I was feeling under the weather so I had ordered my food for delivery via DoorDash. The photos on their DoorDash menu and on Yelp for in person orders showed great portions. However upon receiving my order I was shocked to see how little they gave us. I unfortunately did not take photos as we were starving and quickly ate our food. The pho broth was pretty bland and had to spruce it up at home to taste better. The noodles and meat portion was disappointing, maybe less than a handful of noodles and a 1/4 cup of meat - I mean seriously, my partner ate everything in about 4 bites. Luckily I had also gotten a rice plate (beef, chicken & shrimp). That also was not the best portion, he devoured it in a few bites as well. The rice plate was ok, of all the proteins only the beef and shrimp cake were had some decent flavor going on. I got the special vermicelli noodles which also barely had any noodles and also agreed that only the beef was the most flavorful protein as the shrimp was not seasoned and the chicken was bland, shout-out to the sauce because that made up for the lackluster flavor. Surprisingly the highlight of our entire meal was the mango shake, which actually was really great. It wasn't too sweet, tasted very mango-y and the shake was not too thick. Doubt I'll ever try order here for take out again. And if I do try this place again then it'll definitely be an in-person experience as apparently they don't skimp out on the portions in person.

When we arrived around 6:30 on Sunday it was pretty empty, food was served pretty fast, waitress was nice Pretty chill place, not fancy but standard pho decor The grilled meat in the vermicelli is pretty good, super flavorful. Raw beef pho is standard

Just like Detroit's side-by-side competitive coney dog businesses, it must be challenging to serve Vietnamese food at a restaurant that sits next to a restaurant that serves Vietnamese food. Unless you're in Vietnam or at least Little Saigon. But in Oakland, it just appears to be two restaurants serving similar menus. The other one, Tay Ho, has taken a more populist route and was praised unanimously by the three guests on "Check, Please! Bay Area" (my review: https://bit.ly/3bKO0Bw). This one presumably gets overlooked, but we tried it the one day that Tay Ho was closed (Monday), and we were pleased with the dishes we ordered. We started as we usually do with the $8 Spring Rolls (Goi Cuon), and these were prepared with the right level of fresh crunch with the thinly cut shrimp particularly tasty (photo: https://bit.ly/3QtlPFM). For his entree, Jamie went for one of their signature dishes, the $18 Special Vermicelli with Grilled Chicken (Bun Dac Biet). It featured a full bowl with plenty of poultry, shredded cucumber and pickled carrot, mint leaves, bean sprouts, and peanuts (photo: https://bit.ly/3QdfoqL). He was quite satisfied as was I with the $15 Lotus Root Salad with shrimp, shredded cabbage, pickled carrot, mint leaves, and sesame crackers (photo: https://bit.ly/3JGxCyx). Our takeaway on this spot was that they focus on serving traditional Vietnamese with a strong priority on freshness. We'll come back and not just when Tay Ho is closed. FOOD - 4 stars...traditional Vietnamese done right AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...a darker space than Tay Ho with authentic decor SERVICE - 4 stars...quietly attentive TOTAL - 4 stars...a fine restaurant on its own without the competition next door RELATED - Exploring Oakland? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2ObVcpQ

I don't know why they have a good rating, i trusted the rating & I am here now to bring them down so others don't get tricked. I ordered on DoorDash & they charging crazy prices for the smallest bowls, if it was good I wouldn't have minded the price. Meat was chewy & from other reviews I've seen on here they just probably have low meat quality & they're cheap w their portions. Noodles were all clumped up, & the broth was flavor less. I also got a soda and it was warm. Save yourself don't get food from here it's not at all worth

After our yoga class we were hungry and Binh Minh Quan came to mind and it is open on Tuesdays! Missed their food as during the pandemic, we have ordered take out a few times but it isn't the same as eating it there! The food tastes the same as before and all our favorites were there and we ordered two dishes to go for our daughter. We started with #14 Spring Rolls with shriimp and peanut sauce and hubby remarked that they were delish as he normally doesn't like shrimp and they were fresh and tasty #8 Combination Noodle Soup and there was plenty of meat, like beef ball, squid, shrimp and the broth was just right, not salty at all #3 Combination fried egg noodles with lots of veggies and meat and the noodle were crispy #77 for our daughter fried eggplant with chicken with a sweet sauce Shaken beef and the meat was tender and juicy I also ordered a sour sop smoothie which is one of my favorite drinks. Not every restaurant makes this. It hit the spot after a great work-out! Miss their food and the service was attentive with only one server working in the restaurant. There were about 6 tables total that she was serving during our meal there.

Came here on Thursday around 7:00 and there was no line. Street parking only. I frequented this restaurant pre-covid and it's my first time back and there are a lot less diners, which is sad. Whenever it's a hot day, or whenever i feel like a lighter dinner, I would come here. This time, I ordered Special Steamed Fine Vermicelli, it comes with chicken, egg rolls, marinated pork, shrimp, shrimp cake, and fine vermicelli. This dish comes with a bunch of veggies and spring roll sheets for you to wrap your own spring rolls. This feeds 2, and it truly does. There are 2 sauces for this, but they usually give you the fish sauce with vinegar, but they also have a shrimp paste sauce that is really good with it, but it's not for the faint of heart as it is a little fish. I usually use the shrimp paste sauce and add a little pepper that is on the table. The pepper is really spicy, so go light on it and add more as needed. I also ordered fried stuffed chicken wings (not pictured). It comes with 2 and it's cut in half. It's really good with the sauce it comes with. It is stuffed with glass noodle and some meat. I also ordered cube beef steak and it's very tender and pairs well with the lemon salt and pepper sauce as well as the lettuce that is sitting in a vinegar sauce. I could just order this with a bowl of rice and I'd be contempt. Lastly, I ordered the hot and sour soup with fish. The soup isn't really spicy, but it's a sweet/sour soup, with tomatoes, pineapple, and a veggie that soaks up the soup. This is a must try! Service is pretty good, as you can easily flag someone if you need extra water or something. When your check comes, they give you some guava candy, which is always a plus!

I Highly recommend "The Real Pho". When I am craving pho I want something that has a decent meat portion , noodle cooked just right so I get the nice slurping sensations as well as a good broth. I got all of the above. I suppose the broth can still bring out more aroma and meat-ness. I had the feeling of my body sweating all the coldness inside my me after drinking the broth. "Yummy" Good vibes and the service was great. Did i mention it was $19. not bad for good pho.

The singular worst bahn mi and pho I have ever had in my life, the tofu in the bahn mi was dry and the bread soggy, my wife has a cilantro allergy as well and we told them no cilantro, they did not listen. The only reason my pho had any flavor was because of the hoisin, it was even ENTIRELY CLEAR im not convinced i wasn't seved warm water. The chicken in my pho was barely there and if it was it was either chewy tendon or not even chicken at all but tofu. And ya know honestly if this was for delivery id get it but this was PICK UP!!!!! Never go here

Amazing food and in an area with a lot of Vietnamese options, they stand out. Superb service always and even better food. I love the atmosphere because it's good for alone eating, big groups and even take out. Whether you want pho, bahn mi, or full plates - this is the spot. They even have those beer towers for groups. It's always a good time when I go to Bing Minh Quan. Thanks for all the yummy food over the years!!!

Very good service, but the food really wasn't up to par. My partner had soup with shrimp and they were not fresh, I had a noodle bowl and the noodles were one solid lump. My Thai iced tea was good, and like I said, the hostess was very nice.

Came here for a later meal one night, and I was really surprised with the food quality. We ordered a combo broken rice place, and a vermicelli bowl, and both items was fresh, tasty, and great value for the amount of money that you pay. Located right next to Tay Ho, I would opt in to this place instead given that they both serve Vietnamese food, and how affordable this place was in comparison.

I'm torn between wanting the restaurant to thrive and not wanting to have to show up and wait for a table. The food is fresh and affordable. My favorite is the crepe and the quail. There are many great dishes for people who don't eat beef.

Here was the situation: went to Binh Minh Quan for my friend's birthday. My only prior exposure to Vietnamese food was bahn mi, which I LOVE. But it was show time to try some new dishes!! Very welcoming environment. We ordered and then everyone was brought what I thought was a little starter soup (in my defense, my bowl had carrots in it). After some investigating, my other friend I determined it was NOT soup, but fish sauce! Anyway, soup/sauce mistake aside, I ordered the broken rice combo plate and it was simply DELISH! Especially with the fish sauce on it

I have been coming here for several years now for their combo plates, but I never sat down to eat their pho... MAN, was I missing out! The broth was super tasty and very fresh. The iced coffee was super strong and not too sweet. The server is always super friendly and quick. Love, their little fountain out front, makes it a very chill vibe.

Amazing place and looking forward for the time when they will have full service because their menu is quite expansive. I'd like to try an assortment here but prefer dining-in for that especially for soups. It just taste so much better especially when they are piping hot. Didn't know where to start but gotta say, their beef with lemon grass was just fantastic. Their vermicelli was also really good and nicely portioned, and super flavorful. All in all, I'll definitely be back and recommend you check them out. Cheers!

Everything in this restaurant is good A's always The food 10/10 Service 10/10 the lady servers on Monday in lid Ambiance so good now they got Beer on tab 10/10 Very recommended

Cube beef steak is a must-try dish--it's incredibly flavorful, with tender beef stir-fried to perfection alongside savory onions. The combination creates a mouthwatering meal that's both simple and satisfying!

This is not a stereotypical Vietnamese restaurant. They have items other than the usual comfort food such as banh mi, pho etc. the food is delicious ( a bit pricey though). I would try this place again. Parking was a challenge for us since we went in the latter hours and parking decks were closed

This is one of our favorite restaurants, and whenever we bring guests, they love it too. There is only only problem, especially if you come after dark: their street frontage is small, and overwhelmed by the neon lights at the store next to it, and it lies directly behind a bus stop, so it can be difficult to find. But trust me - it's there, and well worth the hunt. I'd give it 6 stars if it was possible.

I was craving Vietnamese food for lunch and this place hit the spot. It was recommended by my coworker. We were sat right away. The menu was a bit overwhelming because there's so many choices and everything sounded delicious. Everything tasted fresh, portions were hearty without feeling heavy. My broken rice plate #33 came with a small side of soup broth. I'll be back again to try some more items I was eyeing!

It's been years since I came back to this restaurant. Food has never disappointed me. We ordered the canh chua with catfish and the grilled catfish. Both dishes were delicious! Even though they had a full house, the waitress was very attentive and friendly during our visit. Normally, when we're in a small setting it gets super loud, that we can't hear each other, I didn't have that experience here. Definitely will come back again soon.

Ok my lunch from BMQ was simply fantastic. It ranks at the top of my list in all categories of all of my orders from here. I had a egg noodle dish with pork and shrimp. Dish was hot still when I got back to the office. The pork was very tender and cooked perfectly. Eating it with the dipping sauce was sooo good. Shrimp was all de-veined and cooked perfectly. Wasn't ready when I got there but that's ok. I work around the block so I get there fast. And they used the time wisely and it was worth the couple min wait for me to have a perfect lunch. Thank you! I'll be going back!

solid vietnamese food but it was a bit on the pricier end. the banh xeo was super crunchy and I was happy with every bite I took. my friend who had never had banh xeo before was equally impressed. we also split the vermicelli w pork - this wasn't bad but I felt like the noodles were a bit overcooked & soft. that's probably the only con from my experience. for a party of 8, there wasn't even a wait on a friday night a 7:30pm. waitress was really attentive, I appreciate the service!! overall positive experience but like I said, it is definitely more expensive than viet food in the south bay

I think this restaurant serves good Vietnamese food when you are looking for a quick fix but some of their dishes needs some improvements. We ordered the bánh hỏi platter which included the nêm nướng (grilled pork sausage), grilled chicken, egg rolls and fried tofu skin cakes (?). It comes with fresh herbs, and rice paper for rolling. I felt like the grilled chicken was too fry and the egg rolls were also overcooked. I would probably not order this dish again. The things I did like is the nêm nướng wraps (pork sausage wraps), bò tái chanh (beef carpaccio), the grilled fish wraps and their chè desserts!

Love that I found this gem in my work neighborhood . They serve delicious and authentic Vietnamese dishes. Pho broth was so yummy you can drink it lol. Broken rice is on point (love shrimp sticks!) and the chili pepper is

In an effort to try all the pho everywhere, I found this little spot on yelp thanks to all of you's. It's not far from Broadway, so I walked right over and sat down quickly. Service was so fast. Like speed lunch fast, which was excellent. You know how much time the photos take and to eat it, I was in and out. I love rare beef pho, love when they serve it like you order too. It was perfect and delicious. Highly recommended, like all these other friendly foodies on yelp too.

Best pho so far. Broth is delicious, ingredients taste fresh and the customer service is just top notch. The restaurant looks to be family owned and it's a warm atmosphere open to all ages.

Great food!! I ordered for takeout today and got the vermicelli noodle bowl ( beef and shrimp) along with Nuoc Da Me ( tamarind drink with peanuts). Both were so delicious and fresh I highly recommend.

Good food at reasonable prices! What's not to love? This establishment goes beyond the Vietnamese offerings more widely recognized by American audiences (banh mi, pho et al) with delicious offerings like banh xeo chay (veggie moon crepe) and tau hu kho to chay (tofu stew in a clay pot), both of which we ordered off the atypically extensive vegetarian portion of the menu and enjoyed tremendously. The pancake-like portion of the bahn xeo was easily the best part. Flavor and texture on point. The one area where this dish could have improved was with a more flavorful filling, which was mostly bean sprouts, but I still really enjoyed. The tofu stew was delicious. It had this tomatoey, tangy flavor that wasn't at all what I expected but was so enjoyable. Each of these dishes was $9 or $10. We left only set back about $25 after tip. Very good value for the quality of the food. The space is large and spacious with lots of tables. I imagine they may get busy around lunch but I otherwise can't imagine you ever having a hard time getting a seat. Service was quick and polite. Between the convenience, the price, and the unusually large amount of quality veggie options for a Vietnamese restaurant, this is a solid choice!

Anh Hong will forever hold a special place in my heart since it's the restaurant that introduced me to the wonders of seven courses of beef (bo 7 mon), but BMQ takes the experience to a whole other level. Most of the dishes are comparable in the sense that they're trying to execute the same thing (e.g., lot leaf wrapped beef, beef carpaccio, beef rice porridge), but BMQ has two dishes that Anh Hong does not have: - beef dipped in hot vinegar - doesn't sound too terribly appetizing, but it's not straight-up Heinz style where you want to scrunch up your face. Instead, they bring over a hot pot style set-up with a vinegar based broth and other aromatics. Delicious! - grilled beef - doesn't sound terribly fun, haha, but this was the star of lunch yesterday. Take a gander at the photos - they bring you this cast iron like skillet and a large slab of butter. We waited for the butter to melt and coat the surface of the skillet before putting the sliced beef on it. Honestly, I want to put butter on darn near everything now. BMQ does not skimp on the assorted vegetables you can use when making your own rice paper rolls, either. I had a great experience here, but would probably come back on a non-workday lunch to really take my time and enjoy the full spread. Highly recommended!

Binh Minh Quan is definitely amongst the top Vietnamese restaurants in the East Bay. One of my childhood favorites for special occasions was Cá nướng, or Roasted Catfish. It's a fantastic dish when you want to introduce people to authentic feast-style Vietnamese food. Pro tip is to order a side of mini rice vermicelli or Banh Hoi and wrap it with the catfish. I always eat this fish with regular rice vermicelli or banh hoi! The fish is super delicious, it's choice of two sauces. My favorite is the anchovy sauce which is very sweet and pungent, definitely NOT entry level sauce for those getting their first taste of Viet food!

A good hole in the wall pick me up food :) large portions and relatively reasonable price, decent quality Food: I got the broken rice plate and that was actually a pleasant surprise. A lot of times I don't like what the restaurant already has structured and this let me choose exactly what I wanted my plate to come with or the ones already premade. I got the one with pork chop, pork cake, and shredded pork. Overall, the taste was decent but def not the freshest or best tasting. I also got the fried bananas with ice cream and it was a solid 7/10. Interesting flavor and texture and looked a lot like an egg roll. However, I think I like fried Oreos more LOL However, a big plus for portion size and opening hours till very late Ambience: large place with lots of seating, wasn't full at all when I came in late at night Service: lady was super nice and polite and I overall enjoyed this place a lot! I will be back if I ever crave viet food late at night in Oakland lol

Food was pretty good but the portions were tiny for a $20 lunch. I had tofu & veggie curry.

Over the last 10 years this place has transformed itself into a modern Vietnamese eatery and no longer the hole-in-wall place with better service. Their menu has also been through a revamp along with their prices which is average for the ever-changing Downtown Oakland. I've tried their soups, bun, rice plates, and appetizers and unfortunately the vermicelli/noodle soups are not my fave (the few times I've tried) and mainly enjoy their rice plates, bun and appetizers. These are my usual go-to items: * #17 STUFFED CHICKEN WING (2) accompanied with pickled cabbage/carrots - wings stuffed with ground chicken, carrots, cabbage - sure its an appetizer but add a side of rice makes a yummy meal * #11 BMQ TASTE - sample of shrimp rolls, Jícama rolls, spring rolls, stuffed chicken wing and a tofu/cabbage salad with carrots and fresh mint - a lot of texture and freshness with this dish - enough for 2. Lighter fare * #74 CUBED BEEF with onion rice plate - tender beef accompanied with a lemon and pepper dipping - delicious * #77 EGGPLANT rice plate - slightly sweet and spicy with their house sauce If you're looking for delicious food and not sure what to get, try some of these items. I would definitely try their vermicelli noodle soups and decide for yourself...just a preference since I have my faves in the area.

I had a hankering for salad this evening, but as it turned cold (in June, hi bay area), I also wanted soup. I also didn't want to walk more than 10 minutes lol. Anyway, was perusing the Yelp and found Binh Minh Quan. Wow! The photos looked delicious and I was sold when I say they had hot and sour soup on the menu, plus lotus root salad. That told me right off the bat that this place was legit, since it had some less common dishes. While some of the old reviews mentioned it being a "hole-in-the-wall", it looks like some remodeling might change that description. The restaurant was pleasantly decorated, with ample seating. As of June 2021, they were open for dine-in and there were several parties when I walked in about 8:45 after phoning in my order. I noticed that most of the Asian patrons had a large roasted fish in front of them, and lots of veg on the table for wrapping their own spring rolls. Whoa! This is definitely not your pho or broken rice spot - this place is for a MEAL. Not sure who I overlooked this spot in all the trips I've spent traveling to Oakland, but maybe it's because I've been mostly vegetarian. Now that I eat fish, many more restaurants in the Chinatown area are available to me. The phone order was easy and the soup, which I had back at my hotel, was delightful. Maybe missing a green that I'm used to my family using, but the flavor was the right balance of salt, sweet, and sour. The fish was packaged separately to ensure that it wasn't soggy or overcooked, and it came with fish sauce and chili for your own seasoning I suppose. It didn't need it. I'll definitely be back!

Beef lovers, here's your spot! We came here for the 7 courses of beef, and it was excellent. Our server graciously explained how this traditional feast meal is eaten (each course has beef prepared in a different style, beginning with a tartare, progressing to a vinegar braise, then butter-sautéed thin slices, grilled preparations, and a rice porridge - you take each one and enfold it in a rice wrapper with fresh herbs and leafy greens, plus a pungent fish sauce and other condiments). We also really enjoyed our bun dish with shrimp and shrimp cake, and the soursop shake was a perfect counterbalance to the salty spiciness of the meal. All around a great experience, and very reasonably priced given the quality and quantity of food.

Definitely an A-OK neighborhood joint. I ordered takeout from caviar and yelp when sick and tried the seafood noodle, pho, and spring rolls. All were fine. The seafood noodle came with generous tender pieces of fish, shrimp, fish balls, and squid. The beef balls were a bit tough. Spring roll was standard. For $9-10/bowl the price was much more reasonable than the $11-14 charged at neighboring places (cough cough Pho84). They have a few unusual items on their menu that are atypical, including jicama rolls, 7-courses-of-beed, crab meat friend rice, goat fire pot (!), fried frog with butter (!). The variety of food is much greater than other Vietnamese restaurants in the area (but i have yet to try these). I also noticed they have kid sized bowls of pho for $5. Great idea for families! For delivery, I appreciated that they separated the soup from the noodles (so that the noodles didn't get soggy). Menu: https://menupages.com/binh-minh-quan/338-12th-st-oakland