Nick R.
Yelp
Alright y'all the fact that Hoa Bien only has 3.5 stars (mostly because of old reviews) is a crying shame. Tl;dr one of the most diverse Vietnamese menus in St. Paul, where nearly everything is well-executed.
Full disclosure, I've probably been going to this restaurant for twenty years. Yes, back when it looked totally different and the waitstaff were the parents of the current waitstaff. Back then it was nice but not remarkable (honestly) Viet food on University. By about five years ago, Hoa Bien had expanded. The atmosphere improved, food stayed reliable. But generally speaking, among University Avenue's "old guard" of Vietnamese restaurants (Trieu Chau, Saigon, etc), I generally would tend to go to Saigon (now iPho) for comfort level.
Then, about two years ago, my mother went back and was pleasantly shocked. Hoa Bien had redecorated, expanded its menu, and gotten even better. Staples are well-executed. light and fragrant pho broths (I even like the chicken base Shock!), beautiful grilled meats on bun salads, my mother's favorite seafood soups. You will not be disappointed with Standard Vietnamese Fare.
But there are also things you don't find at most Vietnamese places that feel really homey to Asians. I'm not just talking the Banh Xeo's of the world (you can find this elsewhere though Hoa Bien's is light, crispy and huge). I mean hot pots, catfish soup, more. The weekend special menus of beef smorgasbord and steamed sticky rice small plates. The latter are super finicky to make and rarely make it onto menus - even Hoa Bien sometimes can't offer certain dishes on Sunday because the homemade batch didn't come out. (Yes, everything is made by the matriarch of the family. This is not fool-proof cooking, and it tastes so much better as a result.) The wonder of Hoa Bien is that anyone can find something to satisfy them, whether you want American Chinese, regular Vietnamese or Really Super Vietnamese.
Is this enough to convince you that Hoa Bien deserves your patronage? I may just go in a few hours.