Kim Hoa Hue Restaurant, El Monte
Vietnamese restaurant · El Monte ·
Hue specialties like Hue combo, banh beo, banh nam, com hen
Hue specialties like Hue combo, banh beo, banh nam, com hen
"One of several Vietnamese restaurants in a San Gabriel Valley hub that the writer dubs "GarViet"; the hub highlights dishes like banh mi and pho alongside rarer specialties from Central and Northern Vietnam." - Rebecca Roland
"Operating in the shadows of Orange County’s Little Saigon can be tough for Los Angeles’s Vietnamese restaurants. Comparisons between the two regions are inevitable, with Little Saigon’s veritable cornucopia of Vietnamese restaurants mostly edging out those found in Los Angeles. Kim Hoa Hue, however, can hold its own anywhere. The original location in El Monte opened in the mid-aughts and a second restaurant came online in Temple City in June 2024. Every meal at this central Vietnamese specialist should begin with the Hue combo, a sample platter of banh beo (steamed rice cakes topped with shrimp and cracklins), banh nam (rice cakes embedded with shrimp and steamed in banana leaves), and banh bot loc (shrimp and pork dumplings). Follow it up with a green papaya salad topped with sweetish beef jerky and plenty of liver. The com hen — a bowl of steamed rice, baby clams, sesame seeds, and fresh herbs served with a light clam broth — is a regional delicacy that every Vietnamese food lover should experience. — Cathy Chaplin, former senior editor" - Eater Staff
"Every meal at this temple of central Vietnamese fare should begin with the Hue combo, a sample platter of bánh bèo (steamed rice cakes topped with shrimp and cracklins), bánh nậm (rice cakes embedded with shrimp and steamed in banana leaves), and bánh bột lọc (shrimp and pork dumplings). Follow it up with the cơm hến — a bowl of steamed rice, baby clams, sesame seeds, and fresh herbs served with a light clam broth." - Cathy Chaplin
"The gỏi đu đủ or Vietnamese papaya salad at Kim Hoa Hue is topped with tender morsels of chicken liver in addition to fresh Thai basil and spicy beef jerky. While liver can sometimes overwhelm the palate, the preparation here provides an unexpected oomph that’s worth experiencing. Kim Hoa Hue recently opened a second outpost in Temple City." - Cathy Chaplin
"Along Garvey Avenue I encountered unrivaled Central Vietnamese specialties at Kim Hoa Hue." - Eater Staff