Gao Viet Kitchen

Delicious northern-style Vietnamese dishes are served at this popular restaurant in downtown San Mateo. The pho soup flavor was outstanding, and the beef and noodles were perfectly cooked. Imperial rolls were also perfectly cooked. Now I understand why there’s always a long line. Possibly my new favorite Vietnamese restaurant. Fast and efficient service, with several parking lots nearby.

My favorite garlic noodles in the bay! Fried rice and drinks were pretty good too! Its always crowded and there’s usually a long wait (specially on the weekends) so it is advisable to sign up on yelp waitlist beforehand.

Huge portions. Ingredients were fresh. Great meat and vegetarian options. Got the lemongrass chicken (pictured) with garlic noodles — noodles were a game-changer, really good. Friends said the cocktails were dangerous; tasty and can’t tell how strong it is.

Always a line, so come early. Huge portions for the soups. All the ingredients are super fresh and top quality. The soup bases are lite and not as herbal and complex as soup styles from Southern Vietnamese cooking.

We are a group of four and ordered the Wrap N Roll and Phozilla. The portions were generous, especially the beef brisket and pork, but the taste wasn’t significantly better than other pho restaurants. Considering the price, it felt a bit expensive. That said, it was still a good meal. We were here to celebrate, and everyone enjoyed it.

Upscale Vietnamese restaurant with most of their popular dishes starting at $30+, including their pho. Generally slightly larger than normal serving sizes, but their tableware makes it look much bigger. While they do use a good broth, I wouldn't say that their pho is legendary or life-changing, although I haven't had their $120 phozilla. The waiter also recommended the 3-Way, a beef dish over garlic noodles. The beef felt oversalted but was well cooked, but once more, I didn't feel like it was extraordinary. Service is also a little slow and our server never checked in with us. Menus are digital, so I've attached the QR code for easy access. It does have a beautiful interior and looks quite nice, but tables and space are a little squished.

This is my 2nd time visiting this famous high end Vietnamese restaurant. The price is fair and both quantity and quality are above expectations. They don't take reservations, so if you have a group of friends, you have to have someone to get the table before all people arrive.

Was the food worth the 45min wait? Absolutely!!! It was possibly the best Vietnamese we’ve ever had. The pork belly vermicelli was amazing!

Service was great . Got lemongrass tofu .. Superb ! Very enjoyable . If you ask for something, it is brought immediately' !! This place doesn't play around . The servers seem to really enjoy what they do - I'm glad because I enjoy what they do ! Fabulous

Loved all the food here! Keep in mind that there is usually a wait, we waited about 30 minutes. They have pho shots, which is something that not a lot of places have and it was amazing together. They have a lot good cocktails too! All the food was great, my favorite was the five spice chicken and the house fried rice! Definitely recommend both of those dishes.

My family and I love this place it's basically our default special occasion dinner spot. It can take a while to be seated when it's busy, and a while for the food to come out though. Otherwise, the service is prompt and nice. The chubby pho is super yummy. I love the broth and its slight smoky taste. It's always served hot! The garlic noodles with beef were good too. I loved the garlic noodles, which had a big and strong garlic butter taste to them. I honestly like them better than thanh long. The meat came off as a bit chewy though. I also love their banh canh! I love the soft shell crab that goes with it and the soup is super yummy.

Great food. Terrible hospitality. They kicked us before we finished, because people were waiting. We were there just about an hour when the waitress announced it was time for us to wrap it up. So if you want to catch up with a friend or simply finish your meal this may not be the place

I've probably made 3 attempts to eat at Gao Viet in San Mateo until I finally succeeded a few weeks ago. We came right at opening time on a weekend and luckily got in without a reservation or waiting at all. If this is a spot you want to try and you don't want to wait an hour or more in line, go right when they open for dinner. Parking: no designated parking lot but you can park on the streets or in the city lots nearby Ambiance: open, airy, 2 level seating. The place radiates a modern Vietnamese restaurant vibe. Service: good. We were seated immediately since the restaurant is still empty. We were given waters right away and time from ordering to food arrival was quick. I could tell they were getting busy and packed when we were almost done with our food but we were never pressured to leave. Food: 4.5/5. We ordered the banh hoi 2 item with sugar cane shrimp and imperial roll, what da duck and house fried rice. The standout was the house fried rice with amazing flavors and a lot of ingredients. Portion size for all our dishes were generous. The duck was just ok while the banh hoi was also very delicious. We both loved the imperial roll. Cost:$$ Will we return? Definitely yes but only if there is no wait or the wait is less than 20 minutes.

Came here on a Saturday night for dinner with a group of four. We heard it gets busy, so we put ourselves on the Yelp waitlist while driving over. The wait was around 45-50 minutes. Since the area is packed with restaurants, parking was a bit of a challenge--even with nearby garages--but we eventually found a spot within walking distance. Once we checked in, we were seated in about 10 minutes. There's a QR code at the table for the menu, which made browsing easy. Our server was attentive, quick with taking our order, and made sure we had water and condiments right away. I ordered the Old School Bun Bo Hue and my husband got the Beef Boy Pho. Both bowls were generous in portion and super flavorful. The broths were rich and hearty, and there was plenty of meat in each one with the meat being on the fatty side. A heads-up: the noodles in the beef pho weren't the typical type you'd find at most pho spots--just something to note if you're picky about noodle texture. My bun bo hue wasn't very spicy, but it was definitely on the oily side. We also shared a plate of imperial rolls. They came out hot and fresh, though pretty standard--nothing too memorable compared to other places. Overall, a solid spot for pho with bold flavors, good portions, and fast service. Just plan ahead for parking and wait times.

I've been here twice and both times I thought they had good pho. I don't remember what I got the first time but the second time I tried the chubby pho and was pleased with how rich and fatty the broth was. A lot of pho in the Bay Area feels really watered down but not here! There was also a fair amount of meat in the soup. I had a lot of tendon pieces which I don't like to eat too much so I gave them to my spouse. Noodles were nice and chewy. There is seating upstairs. We've had parties of 6-8 before and the restaurant can accommodate these party sizes but the upstairs doesn't feel particularly big to me so it can feel a little crowded.

Food was good but for the price I was really expecting a wow factor! The pork belly in the clay pot was a little too chewy, I was expecting something a little crispier. The garlic noodles were my favorite but the "lemon grass" chicken didn't really taste like lemon grass. The service was also meh, but maybe we just came at a bad time due to the business of the restaurant.

Food is 5/5- not my first time here. I order the wok pho every time because is my favorite. Had most of the other items on the menu before and everything is delicious. Ambiance 3/5- typical Asian restaurant, nothing to rave about. The only gripe I have is the price and the wait. The wok pho is $23, definitely one of the pricier pho around. The wait can sometimes be an hour long but I think you can now use yelp to wait in line which makes it much easier

Taste wise, the food was so good . It was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented. The service was good. Very clean and pretty establishment. However I feel like the prices were a tad too expensive for what you're getting. All in all I am glad I experienced this place and got to try it out, however I don't think I'd go again considering I could get good Vietnamese food much cheaper elsewhere. But you can't beat a beautiful ambiance so I can't complain!

The appetizers here are amaaaazing. You get a taste of everything in them and I could eat just the appetizers!! The pho was amazing too and had the wider northern style noodles which were delicious. The broth truly did taste like it took 24 hours to make and it was decadent. The vegetables all tasted very fresh. The staff is very attentive and fill up water consistently. The big gao pho had a huge rib bone and my brother enjoyed it. This place is fun for groups and next time I'll probably stick to more appetizers!

Amazing Viet restaurant in Downtown San Mateo. It's located by their garages. I only came here 1x & I was impressed with the following: -Ginger lemongrass tea! So delicious & refreshing -Pho: great broth & meat -Tofu: idk how they fried it or made the sauce, but it was amazing!!! Cooked to perfection :) Can't wait to come back for more dishes :)))

There's more than enough reviews so I do want to keep it short. Decor inside, nice. Huge Menu. Love that they have yelp waiting. Great service received. Parking garage is right above it. Favorite thing though? The coconut iced coffee! OMG Not to sweet, but a good thickness, and mix with the coconut ice cream, chef's kiss* Bo Luc Lac with garlic noodles $32 were good. Good portion, beef wasn't overcooked. Even the noodles can't complain. Bahn Khot $19. Perfectly crispy edges. Good fish sauce. Pork Belly Starter $17. Good, no complaints. Gaozilla $110 they said it's for 2-3 but more than enough for us 4 with other items. Steak was actually cooked pretty good. They had this green dipping sauce, taht was a little thick. They just say it's a house chili sauce but its SSOOOOO FLAVORFUL. probably some jalapenos in there, but it wasn't too spicy. A little too much noodles and not enough soup though. Ordered the pho shots for us too. Tequila. They had two options, Casamigos and don't remember the other one. It's a fun drink just to try, don't feel the need to order it again though. Ordered another bigger bowl drink called the Tequila Pho Ever Mama for 4 people. Pretty good and refreshing but it's not as savory as it's described with the pho syrup, and fish sauce. So again, don't need to order again. Just stick with the cocktails. They do have a pretty bar, but i remember it being pretty small, maybe on 4 seats.

Third time I've gone to this place and I highly recommend!! Cocktails are creative and great. Had the lychee martini and it did not disappoint. Appetizers and main meal are still good. They have been consistent in the preparation and the cooking. Ordered the phozilla again and my friends and I thought that it can do without the lobster? More marrow please!! 4 stars because they limit your stay (1 1/2 hours). But I get it. It's super busy and it's worth it. I'll def come back :)

To start, service and restaurant were super good. The fried rice dish was super flavorful and loved the way the shrimp on top was cooked. The pho on the other hand felt really bland and flavorless. The meat was also just okay. I also ended up with the wrong type of noodles I asked for.

This place's always busy so remember to put your name down on the waitlist before heading there! What the Duck - juicy meat, great flavour Marrow - good bite, flavourful marrow Fish Sauce Chicken Wings - pretty mid, not really worth getting Beef Carpaccio - just a tinge spicy but good balance of flavour Bo Luc Lac - Tastes great as always with the garlic noods, but comes with way too much veg. If you're into drinks or dessert, they have a decent selection to pick from! Toilets are clean. Parking might be tough to find when it's super busy, but there's street parking or garage nearby.

Solid bougee Vietnamese food in the peninsula! It is a little pricy compared to the Vietnamese restaurants in SJ but it is yummy. My boyfriend and I ordered wayyyy too much so that could also be why lol. We ordered banh beo, banh khot, mussels, banh canh, and pork vermicelli bowl. I would skip the banh beo, it was super thick and doughy. I loved and would reorder the mussels and banh khot. The fish sauce here is sweet and kind of bland though. The chicken wings were good but not memorable. I enjoyed the banh canh and pork vermicelli but would love to try more of their dishes.

It was nice to be able to make a reservation on Yelp! However, other than that, the entire dining experience was just okay. The staffs weren't attentive nor friendly and all dishes were on the sweeter side. The item that was especially disappointing was the Bone Marrow Cracker - the rice was not crispy, can't tell there's bone marrow in it and honestly it's just a greasy mess to eat. The Pig Out - the pork was good, but the rice was overcooked and gooey. The Five Spice Chicken with Garlic Noodles - chicken was good but again, noodles were overcooked and mushy, plus missing the garlic. It was also loud inside of the restaurant, so if you are looking to have a conversation with a meal, that's something to consider.

Came here on a Saturday night with some friends! It was pretty busy so we had to wait in a designated waiting area beforehand. The restaurant itself is cozy and lively, but maybe not the best for larger parties since it gets kind of cramped. I ordered the Garlic Noodles 3 ways and it was delicious! Every part of the dish was flavorful and I think the ratio of noodles to meat was solid. My table also orders some beef carpaccio and fish sauce chicken wings to share. The beef carpaccio was light and had a nice bright flavor but I personally liked the fish sauce chicken wings more! The wings had a nice crisp. Waitstaff were very nice and patient! Overall good experience. Would definitely recommend coming when it's less busy.

The dish that stood out to me the most was the beef carpaccio and the sizzling plate. I enjoyed the red onions and herbs that complimented the beef really well. I squeezed some fresh lemon on there and it was perfection. The sizzling plate had everything u needed to make a yummy banh mi. Good quality meat, sweet Chinese sausage, eggs, and creamy pate. 4.5/5 Honestly, the pho broth shot with tequila repasado was also really delicious (just don't chase with green onion, u might choke). The broth was fragrant and heart warming. 4.5/5 I enjoyed everything else too, but maybe not the gizzard (that's an acquired taste) 4/5.

I liked their chubby pho and really liked their lychee coconut slush! Big sizes that are good for sharing and every dish will be good Made a reservation for 10 people on yelp and they have strict instructions- arrive 10 minutes before and anyone in your party being late 10 minutes will forfeit reservation with charges (not sure if they heavily enforce but we came early anyways) also 20% tip for large parties fyi!

Came here to grab a drink. They have such refreshing, balanced, and innovative cocktails!! Service is exceptional and friendly. Highly recommend!!

Came here for dinner on Saturday. I recommend you queue up on the waitlist virtually because the wait can be pretty long. When I arrived at 6 pm I was 30th on the list which was about a 1-1.5 hour wait. There is a side building with limited chairs for waiting so you have to wait around there or outside. They seem pretty strict with seating once your at the top of the list. They require your whole party to be there. The food was good and the service was fair. We got served our food pretty quickly. Also we were notified at the beginning of our meal that we only had the table for 90 minutes which is plenty of time to finish dinner.

Review is just for the sugarcane drink. There was a huge line waiting but since I just wanted to order takeout, I walked inside and the host took my order. Juice was ready within 5ish minutes after paying. The drink itself was fine, a bit watered down in my opinion, but not bad. I drink sugarcane a lot when I go back to Vietnam and it's hard in general to get the same flavor. Overall decent and at least satisfies the craving!

This has been on my list to try in San Mateo and I was finally willing to wait. At around 6:20 we joined the waitlist from the Yelp app which estimated 50-70 min. We ended up waiting closer to the 70 min mark, but since we joined before we left home we only waited a bit outside the restaurant. The restaurant has two floors and we were seated on the second floor. For drinks we ordered the ginger mint fizz and the tequila pho ever, both were really good! Ginger and mint will always go well together, but the pho syrup in the tequila pho ever drink seriously tasted like pho!! Bonus points for the cup being an interesting vessel For dinner we shared the 3 item banh hoi and the big rib bbh. They brought small bowls for us to share which was very convenient. Bun bo hue is my favorite vietnamese soup, and this bowl was excellent! The broth was so flavorful and there was a lot of meat included on the rib. I would have loved more cabbage and herbs with the bbh. The banh hoi was good, but I wish there were more herbs! My favorite was the nem pork sausage on the sugarcane. Overall, I would rate this 4.5/5. It was delicious but a bit pricey. I would definitely return!

Gao Viet is consistently one of my top 5 restaurants in San Mateo. The food is always flavorful, and the drinks are always delicious. There are tons of options. They don't take reservations, and the place is packed by 5:30pm. They have a Yelp waitlist that you can join online. The star of the menu - anything lemongrass. Lemongrass tofu, chicken, noodles, juice, etc. A lemongrass dish is a MUST. My hack - the lemongrass tofu appetizer is pretty large, and it's the exact same thing as the lemongrass tofu entree. So I just get the appetizer version and rice, and it's more than enough while being slightly cheaper! Only caveat - the ambiance doesn't match the prices. It's not bad by any means, but it's a bit podunk. I think the food quality (and prices) are enough for this to be a "nice" or "occasion" restaurant, but they're not trying to be upscale. I guess they're so popular, they don't feel the need!

Food was lackluster. The bone in pho was lacking flavor was almost like they ran out of soup stock and started to remake it and didn't add any new flavor. We got the mango papaya salad was super bland and tasteless however the shrimp were cooked perfectly. My cousin did order the steak and egg dish and it was really yummy The service was ok they never checked on the table to see how anything was. They are friendly so that was nice. I enjoyed the Up cycling approach the art on the walk of the restaurant made it super warm and inviting. I would t be back for any of their soups they are super overpriced and overrated for no good reason.

Scrumptious !! My first time here and it did not miss! We got the fried rice (not pictured), five spice chicken with garlic noodles, and garlic noodles with marinated beef and shrimp. Everything was delicious and generously sized! We also had a lychee martini which was perfect ,and it was late night happy hour (9pm - close).

Went here like twice in a matter of three weeks. It's that good. I follow Mr. Gao on Instagram and admire his positive demeanor and the way he treats his followers in the comments, but more than that, I enjoy the amount of fun he has in the kitchen. Whether it's over the top ingredients or just his infectious smile, he's a great follow. When I found out he had a restaurant in San Mateo, I had to go. So I brought my girlfriend here during the weekend of our dating anniversary. Here's the funny thing -- I've been here before, and I didn't realize it. I was put off by the prices, and I ordered the shaken beef, which honestly I wasn't a fan of. You don't go here for shaken beef. You go here for pho. I wanted to order the phozilla, but I decided to take it easy and order the Big Gao first. If I liked it, I know what I'm getting next time. My girlfriend ordered the big boy pho, and she LOVED it. She doesn't even like fatty beef or bone marrow! So we came back this weekend for my mom's birthday. She got the soft shell crab banh canh. Loved it, but didn't finish it. My brother got the duck pho. Loved it. My girlfriend got the big boy again. Loved it. I got it. The Phozilla. There was much meat in there, I forgot there was lobster, and that came with a house butter sauce. The bone in marrow was fantastic. Was it worth the $110? Absolutely. Would I get it again? Probably not. Unless I knew I was sharing. But I finished it, just not the broth. All the drinks are amazing too. Treat yourself!

Last time I dined at Gao Viet was during the pandemic when all you could do was dine outside. Fast forward 4 years later and I finally get to sit inside. They had a short wait on a Friday afternoon. It gets a little noisy inside. Service was prompt. Menu is via QR code and looks like they had some happy hour items and lunch specials. Prices have certainly increased: $32 garlic noodles 3 way-- Imperial Roll, Garlic, Egg Noodle, Lettuce, Bell Pepper, Onion, Green Onion, Pickled Carrot and Daikon, BBQ beef and shrimp -- the beef was tough. I had to ask for scissors to shred the pieces so that I could actually chew through them. The price is steep but this is a good sampler plate if you're wanting variety. Noodles weren't all that garlicky or special tasting. $29 BBQ Pork Rib, Coconut Sticky Rice, Cucumber, Pickle Carrot and Daikon, Fried Shallot, Green Onion -- another expensive item, you get 5 large pork ribs which were tasty but not as tender as I prefer. The coconut sticky rice was deep fried, which I thought was unnecessary and did not care for it. $29 Softshell Crab, Egg/ Corn Starch Batter, Pork Meatball, Ham, Tofu, Egg Drop, Tomato, Shrimp Paste, Vermicelli, Green Onion, Cilantro, Fried Shallot -- you can get this bowl in San Jose for half the price and there's nothing that justifies the outrageous markup price. All in all, I think a lot of people might come here because of their heavy promotion via social media but it's not worth the price. Total bill for 3 items was $98.69 I brought some cake slices from a pastry place that I wanted to eat for dessert after the meal but was told by the server that they don't allow outside food. I can understand if you brought in a burger but cake slices, cmon really? I want my $20 tip back

Overall, delicious food that reminds me of my aunt's cooking, but the aunt that actually knows how to cook. Everything we got was solid: banh canh cua, pho, and bo ne. However, I think that the food at the SF Irving location tastes better. There was a line that started 10 minutes before they opened for dinner on Sunday. There is free parking in San Mateo on Sundays, even in the public owned garages/lots, so I would definitely take advantage of that. Gao is pricey, but the food is good (I don't think it will blow you away though). They limit your dining time to 90 minutes.

We live in San Diego and come to the Bay Area just to visit Gao Viet!! Everything is always amazing. The restaurant is kind of small, but it's totally worth the wait. I'm Vietnamese so I'm very picky about pho. This is one of the best pho I've ever had aside from Mom's home-cooking!! The PhoZilla was totally worth it. It fed 4 of us. The service is great too. Super sweet crew. Looking forward to my next trip!

It was a solid meal. I wanted to try a different dish but settled for something a little smaller. While I liked the food, it won't be my regular pho spot because of the price. While it was good, it didnt knock me off my feet and justify the price. Definitely woth a try. Im going back to try the other dish I wanted.

Food is always good. We haven't had one bad experience here. If there's a wait, you can sit at the bar where you have access to the full menu.

I was genuinely surprised at how good this place was!! There's so much hype but in my experience, it was worth it. I came with a group of 4 on a Thursday night and had seating right away. We came early at 5 pm but it started to get busy as we left at 6:30. Theres 2 stories so they layout is pretty unique. Probably better for smaller groups but i did see some larger tables. We decided to get small apps and then share 1 entree. Marrow Crackers: what the hell where was this my entire life. Super juicy and tasty marrow + pork belly on toasted and slightly crunchy Beef carpaccio: super tasty, nothing crazier than i;ve tried Banh khot : crispy, tasty, and overall solid! Gao fried rice + steak (forgot the name): def the star of the show, was like $70-80 but we all agreed it was super worth it get. Most flavorful fried rice I had in a while

6/19/24 I came here with my family (party of 5) to treat my dad out for a Father's Day lunch. I have been wanting to come to Gao Viet Kitchen and Bar, but I was deterred by the long line and wait time. Gao Viet Kitchen and Bar is located in downtown San Mateo. Zach and I parked in the residential area for the free parking so we had to walk about 4 blocks. We met up with my Mom, Dad and sister who were in line. My mom told me that it was going to be a 20 minute wait. That wasn't too terrible considering that the restaurant had just opened a few minutes ago for the lunch period. After 20 minutes, we were seated upstairs, squished into a corner near the waitstaff area. We were given a special lunch menu to which our waiter said to "Don't bother looking at the regular menu because this (special lunch menu) is what we are currently offering." The special lunch menu was smaller than the regular menu with less choices. He mentioned this was a new thing that they were trying out Wed and Thursdays. I don't remember what everyone else got, but we ordered the Chef Choice platter for the table and I got myself the garlic noodle with 5 spice chicken. To say the least, our experience was very chaotic and not what I expected. The food itself was okay, but that's only because our choices were so limited. There was a lot of back and forth between us and the waiter asking what else could be made that day. Maybe our waiter that day was new too since he didn't seem very confident when we were asking him questions about the menu. I'm willing to try Gao again since I have heard good things about it, but I think I will skip the Special Lunch Menu since it's so limited.

After trying this place for the first time a few years ago, I've been dreaming of their banh beo ever since. I moved out of the bay area after that and finally came back. Unfortunately this time, I ordered a Mango Beef Salad that tasted strongly of dish soap. I thought I was going crazy and asked my friend to try it, and she confirmed that she tasted it too. The waiter immediately offered to replace the dish with a new one, but unfortunately the new one also tasted like dish soap, albeit a bit more subtly. I don't have the cilantro gene and have never experienced this before. It made me wonder if the ingredients were contaminated with dish soap, and I consumed it. Although I had an overall great experience here with great food, plenty of options, and friendly service, this incident makes me hesitant to come back.

My friends and I came here for lunch on a Saturday morning. People were already waiting in line before their doors open at 11:30am. The restaurant is kind of small, but with the upstairs level, there's more room to seat people. We ordered the Marrow Cracker, the Vermicelli bowl with pork and shrimp, Gao Fried Rice with BBQ shrimp and sweet sausage, and What da Duck with garlic noodles. The Marrow Cracker had good flavors, but I didn't like the sticky rice sticking to my teeth. This is my personal preference. My friends like it a lot. We did family style and had a taste of everything. The Vermicelli bowl is my favorite! The fish sauce over the noodles and salad were delicious. I also love the fried spring rolls. The crunchiness of the skin with the tasty filling made it my number one dish! I thought the duck and garlic noodles tasted great. The duck meat was tender with just enough skin/fat to moisten the white meat. The noodles tasted great and the garlic flavor was subtle and not overpowering. The fried rice had a fried egg, shrimp and Chinese sweet sausage. The sausage was cut up into small bite size pieces. The dish was a bit too salty for me. Otherwise, everything else in the dish tasted good! Gao Viet is one of our favorite places to go. It does get crowded and you may have wait, but the food is worth it! Also, parking is easy with several public parking garages within walking distance!

GAO Viet never disappoints, no matter you go fancy or just want a simple meal. Tip: Sign up via Yelp waitlist before you come. Dinner wait time can be very long. My favorites are all the appetizers. They are easy to share, and each unique with their own flavors. Occasionally I order a bunch of appetizers to myself. Personally think the crispy pork plates are the best. Pho is also very good but do be cautious that it has a ton of meat!

my partner recently ordered delivery since he wasn't feeling that great, but WAS feeling pho. And me being me, I will never say no to pho. Review is for vegetarian items only as we ordered 2 of the same phos + got a Tofu Clay Pot with Szechuan peppers, mushrooms, and eggplant. Both the plain white rice and the fried rice were the best I've had in a long time. Prepared perfectly -- they deserve a special mention because if thooose are done so impeccably, I can only imagine the execution of the rest of the menu. All of the tofu, from the clay pot to the large pieces in our pho, was flavorful and still crispy even after being drenched in broth. Never had the tofu clay pot dish before so can't speak on how legit it is Portions are MASSIVE; tons of veggies and tofu, enough noodles and toppings for 2 meals, large containers of rice. Very fresh veggies too.. the carrots were my favorite. Big YES to dinner here!

Modern Vietnamese with great execution! Gao is tucked into San Mateo's downtown, with street parking lots and the Central garage nearby. Waitlisting on Yelp is key as they get busy. I'd recommend 45 minutes ahead of time at least if you're going for dinner. If your party is smaller, they do turn tables rather quickly and have a 90 min limit. BÁNH BÈO 8/10: 7 small plates of this app are ricey, heavy on umami and get crispy textures from the fried shallots and shrimp crisps. Comparable to mom-pop viet iterations but the portions are bigger here. Not a must-try though! Filet Mignon Pho 8/10: Meat quality was great, thin strips of filet. Definitely a home run for a broader audience if you are like me and find some of the traditional textures (tripe, tendon) slightly off putting. The broth was good but nothing special and the noodles were much thicker than usual pho. Lemongrass Ginger drink 9/10: Only a hint of ginger (coulda used more) and overall tasty. I'd get it again, the date garnish was sweet and a nice touch. Milky Pandan drink 9.5/10: Delicious. Coconut milk is the base so my girlfriend was very happy as she is mildly allergic to soy milk. Pandan flavor was fresh and not overpowering, though I'm sure it was an extract. Overall, food was not bad but I'd lean towards their meat entrees which all looked great. Service was awesome despite being sat next to the restroom and POS system which I didn't love, but certainly not a deal breaker.

We ordered the Filet Mignon Pho & Duck + Garlic Noodles and both were top tier. We did have to wait almost 2 hours to be seated so use the Yelp Waitlist ahead of time. The pho meat was really tender and high quality. The garlic noodles were also well seasoned. Overall great restuarant but I wouldn't wait 30+ min so definitely try to secure a spot on waitlist.

Gao Viet Kitchen is freaking delicious. I will come here again and again. I don't even know if I've repeated a menu item yet because their menu is so expansive and everything is delicious. The mango salad is refreshing and delicious. I enjoyed the garlic noodle 3 way as well as the refreshing salad balances out the saltiness. The shrimps are huge, full of meat, and delicious. The pho is delicious and tastes "clean" while still being flavorful. Their cocktails are also good and strong! Counting down the days til I get to eat this again!

Gao Viet Kitchen & Bar in San Mateo is one of those places where you walk in with high expectations and still walk out surprised. From the service this place hits. We started with the Chef's Choice Rolls platter, and it was the perfect way to set the tone. Each roll was thoughtfully crafted fresh you can taste Herbs (capital H), and generous fillings. The grilled meats were tender and flavorful, while the shrimp rolls were packed with brightness and crunch. Not every dip scored but they were fun to try. And then came the main event: Phozilla. Yes, it's $110. And yes, it's absolutely worth it. A whole lobster, grilled and split dramatically across a giant bowl of pho. Over the top? I thought so. Then I saw it. Nah, it works. The broth: rich, deep, and I will put this in top 10 (coming from a lifetime to San Jose Pho, mind you). The noodles had perfect texture, the rare steak was tender, and even the tendon and brisket felt elevated. It's a massive bowl, meant to be shared, but DO NOT SHARE. Struggle to finish it. That's OK. Your first one should be your own to experience so you know to tell others about this. If you're a pho lover, this isn't just a meal, it's a bucket list dish, and your duty to test and tell others. What really tied the whole experience together, though, was the service. The staff was attentive without hovering, clearly proud of what they serve, and always ready with suggestions or extra herbs without being asked. They know this is a special meal and treat it that way. Also, excellent with the beer refills. Top notch. If you're in San Mateo or even just passing through, make the stop. Whether it's for a casual night, a poorly planned business lunch, or a special occasion, Gao Viet makes you feel like you're part of something special and full, in the best way. I will be back for the Gaozilla with the ribeye steak option. Put the beer on ice for me.

Solid Vietnamese food though a bit pricey. The beef pho with filet and beef rib was big and meaty. While the meat was flavorful, the broth was just a tad thin. The five spice chicken was yummy but not as flavorful as at Ben Tre in Millbrae. This is probably one of the top 5 Vietnamese restaurants in the Peninsula, but I don't think it's quite worth the high price tag.

Food is always flavorful, and food arrives quickly. Highly recommend the Big GAO fried rice! Don't forget to put yourself on Yelp waitlist or prepare to wait for a long time! Restaurant also won't seat you unless everyone in your party is present.

The food was probably a 4 for me, but the end of the meal was ruined when the waitress spilled the entire cup of fish sauce on my lap when she was picking it up at the end of the meal. How does that happen? I guess I got a "sorry" out of it and a couple extra napkins, but that was still pretty shocking to me. Anyway, I got the garlic noodle 3 way. It had beef, shrimp, came with an imperial roll, etc, It was good, but nothing spectacular. We got there early before they opened to make sure that we got a table. We were a group of 8. Portion size was pretty good. I'd seen this place on social media before coming and friends wanted to come here, so we gave it a try. Based on my experience, I probably wouldn't go back.

Food: 4/5 Order the bowl of old school BBH, giant prawn, soft shell crab BBH which were all extremely delicious! Awesome portion, great flavor and thank you for all the fresh chilies. Service: 5/5 Great servic, very quick and offered recommendations. The staff here is wonderful. Ambiance: 4/5 Small and a little tight but not too bad. They also have a second level. The decoration fit the style of the location but have the feel that you sit down and enjoy your dinner with friends and family. Definitely going back!!!

Have been wanting to try Gao for about a year now and finally had the chance to go on a Wednesday. It was still packed even for a weekday, and I see why since the ambiance and vibe was very cozy and inviting in there! There is seating both downstairs and upstairs. The only thing, as someone who eats Vietnamese food more than any other cuisine, is that the food is extremely overpriced for Vietnamese food and you can 1000% find the same dishes for a fraction of the price scattered all around the South Bay. Our total for 3 drinks and 3 dishes came out to around $180 after tip which is outrageous. The portions are pretty big but I still don't think I'll be returning due to the price and for the food just tasting okay. You're better off going to Vietnam Town or something similar.