Mai Phụng Restaurant

One of the best places to get bánh canh cua(Crab Udon Vietnamese style). The place was busy so come in early! The flavor was exquisite. Would definitely recommend to others!

Overall rating is primarily about food. Service was great and shop was clean. I ordered the banh canh dac biet with extra crab and pork on the side. I wanted the thin broth. The broth was not flavorful or had any umami. The extra meat came cold on the side. Crab was ok cold but pork tho? Specific to the food, not a repeat for me.

We were here for Bánh Canh Tôm Cua (Crab Soup)! I ordered Crab Soup and my husband had Beef Phó. But WOW the Beef Phó is surprisingly blown my mind🙀. The beef itself so tender and the broth was flavorful.

Those egg rolls!!! Wrapped in pork skin!! Wow. Those were so damn delicious and packed with goodness. The famous crab soup was a little too viscous for my liking amd I really didn't taste the crab but it's clearly its the house specialty. My guy had the beef pho which he enjoyed. .Our server was awesome, food came out fast, fair pricing.

Mai Phung, won't let you down! Banh canh Cửa is so good, look at all the crab on it! Canh bun was also very solid dish! Smaller menu but they nail it! Check out their cha gio too, also fantastic!

Best Banh Canh tom cua spot in all of Orange County imo. Broth is thick and savory, comes with clumps of real crab meat, and 2 shrimps. The only downside of this place is they close up early whenever they feel like it, and there is a long wait sometimes cause they only have 8 tables.

Wait quite long to get the table on Sat morning. The bánh canh is good. U need need to eat fast when it is still hot to keep the texture of the soup.

Banh canh is the best

Modest little place with some cheap tables and chairs. And the customer service...it's a true Asian restaurant. The food though...out of this world. The only place I have had "better" Banh Canh Cua was My Canh in San Francisco. Definitely a "hole in the wall". And worth it for authentic Banh Canh Cua in Orange County.

Cozy little hole in the wall restaurant that serves amazing Banh Canh. Banh Canh is my favorite vietnamese dish and this place takes the cake on making it perfect every single time. Currently the Banh Canh price is $17. The portion is crazy. It's so much food. I always have a hard time finishing it all. The crab bits with shrimp is chefs kiss. The thick broth is the star of the show. The umami goodness intertwined with the banh canh noodles works so harmoniously well. I've tried every Banh Canh place in OC and this place is still my favorite spot. Their take out hours differs from their regular restaurant hours.

Hole in the wall spot. Small restaurant, fast service, delicious food. Be prepared to wait 1-1.5 hours to be seated on a busy day! My sister introduced me to this spot, and at first, I debated if the wait was really worth it (given I have a baby too). It is. You put your name down, place your order before being seated, and then once you're seated, the food comes out. We ordered #1 around the table, and it did not disappoint. The noodles were chewy, the broth was tasty, and the bowl was filled with protein! You can make a dip on the side- I did fish sauce, chili and lime. Their house made chili is SPICY but soooo addicting. If you love it, you can buy a jar to go for $10! There's maybe 6 tables of 4 people and 1 table for 2 people. They will accommodate large parties by putting the tables together so that's nice. The parking lot is small and busy, so I recommend dropping someone off to get on the waitlist while you're finding parking.

I love banh canh and have been eyeing this location for so long! A small hole in the wall restaurant serving delicious bowls of banh canh and egg rolls. There was a wait when due to limited seating but they take your order while you wait and the food comes out as soon as you sit down. I love that the banh canh noodles are chewy and broth was full of crab flavor and was piping hot. I was told the hot sauce was spicy so I added 2 drops and squeeze in a little bit of lime. Definitely get the eggroll. They are crispy and hot. Wrap them in some lettuce and herbs for the perfect bite. They do charge for water so I just bright in my own bottle.

Mai Phung is highly recommended on Yelp for its Banh Canh noodle soup, so I had to give it a try. I ordered the Banh Canh Tom Cua ($17), and it was flavorful and hit all the right notes. The noodles were soft and thick, served with just enough shrimp and crab meat. The broth is on the thicker side, but the lime wedges on the table help balance it out nicely. I also tried the Bun Thit Nuong Cha Gio ($17). It was solid, but it didn't stand out compared to similar dishes at other Vietnamese spots. Service was quick and friendly. The restaurant is quite small, so expect a wait during peak times. My only complaint is the price, at $17 per bowl, it feels a bit steep. Still, I would come back for the Banh Canh when the craving hits.

My friends said this is the best spot for banh canh so I wanted to try it out. The restaurant is small with about 6-8 tables. I heard it gets very busy on the weekends, but I came on a Sunday around 11:40 AM and luckily there was only 1 party ahead. It did get more crowded after 12:00 PM. They're very efficient and quick though. They take your order before your table is ready so make sure to check the menu that's posted outside beforehand. Once your table is ready, your food comes out very quick after you sit down. I ordered two of the recommended items: * Banh Canh (Vietnamese udon) with crab, shrimp, and pork - $17 Comes with a good amount of crab. Wish the noodles were a little chewier, but would definitely get it again. * Bun Thit Nuong Cha Giáo (vermicelli with pork and egg roll) - $17 The pork and egg roll were very flavorful. I think the egg roll was a little hard on the outside, but still good! They do charge $1 for iced water or you can get iced tea for the same price and it comes with refills. I also don't think there's AC in the restaurant so it can get a little warm, especially if you're having hot soup. Overall, the food was good and I would come back. My mom enjoyed the banh canh and said the flavor is good.

My friends wanted to come here after seeing it on tik tok and I had this place bookmarked so I was excited to go. There are a lot of places on tik tok that has steer us wrong but this is not one of them. Parking is easy with a good amount of parking. This place is small so write your name and wait for your call. Please look over the menu because you do put in your order before seating just to keep the line moving. We ended up getting four items, we got the banh Canh which is the Vietnamese udon which is their house specialty. We also ordered the hu tieu, stir fry clear vermicelli, and egg rolls. Most of the dishes we picked came with crab, pork, and shrimp. Everything came out great. Surprisedly, my favorite was the stir fry vermicelli, the flavors on that dish kept me wanting to eat more. It was made really well. The service was quick and outstanding. The man was running around and was on it. He was like doing four jobs at once and killing it. Overall, if you're cravings for some comforting Vietnamese food, this is definitely a place to try.

10 out of 10! When people say hole-in-the-wall joints hit, this is exactly what they mean. I was on TikTok and saw a video of a girl eating Banh Canh, so that got me craving Banh Canh since I'd never tried it. Then found another video of someone recommending this place. Man, it did not disappoint especially for my first experience of this dish. We tried #1, the Banh Canh, #3, the dry noodles, and #16, the stir-fried clear noodles. I loved all of them! What really stood out was how much filling they packed into these dishes. When they say there's crab, they mean it. There was so much crab laced into the soup and noodles. I also love that the Banh Canh soup is a little thick so the broth perfectly coated the thicker udon noodles. This has quickly become one of my favorite spots, and I highly recommend it! Prices aren't bad considering the amount of seafood you get with each dish. Parking is easy as they're in a strip mall. There might be a little bit of a wait considering how good they are.

Came here because everyone online says they have the best banh canh. This tiny hole in the wall only have several tables so it makes a long wait. We were there 10 mins before noon. Got seated almost an hour later. We got their popular items which is #1 banh canh with pork and crab, pho tai and egg rolls. We have some better Eggrolls in Dallas so these don't impress me that much. My husband says the pho is normal. While the banh canh is good, I didn't think it was an hour wait good. The soup contains lots of crab meat and the consistency of the broth is thick to my liking but the flavor is mild. The chili sauce is so spicy which I like.

Came by for lunch the other day and it was a decent experience. Parking was available in the private lot or on the street. There are half a dozen tables indoors and a few stools outside for waiting. There is a wait list outside the restaurant and the staff takes orders while waiting for tables. It was interesting to see the competition amongst the restaurants as it appeared that the restaurant a few doors down kept on soliciting diners in line to check out their restaurant instead with no line... Once seated, the order arrived quickly. The queue for a table took about ~20 minutes. The iced Vietnamese coffee was strong and quite tasty. I wasn't able to finish. The cha gio was decent although a touch pricey at $16 for a plate of fried egg rolls served with a side of lettuce. The banh canh that seems to be a house special was decent. Portions were on the smaller side and the udon came out slippery and al dente. The crab tasted like it was frozen and/or from a can. ~$27/head for lunch. Menu prices seem to be "tax included" and I didn't see anyone leave any tip on the table or with the staff.

I am in love with these small mom and pop shops around OC and need to start dining more at this places. Parking in this plaza is a little tight and inside is small too. There are 23 food items on the menu. We got the crab noodle soup (#1) and fried rice (#23). Bánh canh tôm cua had a thick broth with udon like noodles. So yummy. Squeeze a few lemons and it's perfect. I was surprised how much I liked the fried rice. It had that crispy rice burn from the wok. We will be back to try more dishes.

This restaurant is so small for the amount of traffic that goes on here due to popularity. They literally have 8 small tables of two. I waited about 30 minutes until we were seated at 12 noon on a weekday. They took our orders while we were waiting. Service was good but to an extent because the main guy was working all the tables and the cashier stepped in when needed. The guy and gal were attentive and professional even when it was super busy. We got the #1 banh canh, #5 vermicelli noodles, #15 egg rolls, and the mung bean pandan drink. The banh canh had so much lumps of crab meat and loaded with protein. At first it didn't look like a lot but it filled me up and I was stuffed. The flavor was good but maybe I'm just not that into banh canh. The vermicelli noodles had grilled pork that was charred and had good flavor. The egg rolls were delicious and fried with rice paper and not egg roll wrappers. They gave us plenty of veggies to wrap the egg rolls and plenty of dipping sauce. The mung bean pandan drink was so good we bought a gallon of it to bring home. It was worth the try coming here but for the price and wait I'm not too crazy about it. Maybe ordering takeout would be better.

Food was so good. There's only one size to their banh canh. You can taste the freshness of the ingredients. It is a small mom and pop restaurant with only 6 tables. We waited about 5 minutes, the staff took our orders before sitting down.

This place was decent. The noodle udon soup was good, and the crab flavor and meat are definitely there. I got the egg rolls since I wasn't as hungry and it came with lettuce, chicharrones and fish sauce for dipping. The wait was long since they only have 5-6 tables. We waited almost one hour for a table of 3. It's a hole in the wall place, but those have the best food usually. I will come back, but maybe get it to go or go during non peak hours.

One of the best banh canh places you can try. Small location, so you can expect a bit of a wait, but definitely worth it. The chili sauce is outstanding. Would recommend!

No frills no thrills - the kind of restaurant there is. It's so hard to find a good banh canh restaurant in the Bay Area and coming to Orange County - you have too many to choose from. Based on the reviews, this seemed like the perfect place to eat. Located in a busy strip mall, parking can be hit or miss. When you get there, there is most likely a line and somebody will put you on a list. You should probably start looking for a menu and determining what you are going to order BEFORE they seat you. The food basically gets to your table as they seat you. I wished I looked over all the reviews before ordering because every single table had the egg rolls. I should of ordered the egg rolls - so filled with regret! I could hear everybody's crunch and slurps of soup at the same time. Inside is pretty small and not ideal for large parties. Number 1 was absolutely delicious and your classic banh canh crab paste broth LOADED with crab on top! The broth was so thick and flavorful. The noodles were bouncy and chewy - not overly cooked and soft. The Number 5 was just as delicious with more of a clear pork broth. Honestly you can't go wrong with either options of banh canh and for the price, you are getting a steal! Highly recommend this to be a stop! They also take credit card.

A friend brought us here to eat banh canh cua, my first time ever trying the dish, and I'm obsessed! Banh canh cua is a creamy crab udon-like dish with a thick, savory broth. We were advised not to stir too frequently so that the broth would remain thick. Order #1! Tips - Parking: This restaurant is small, located in a local plaza with parking available, though limited. Availability: There was a 15m wait for a party of 6 on a weekend afternoon. They took our orders while we waited (we all ordered the same thing) and it arrived within mins of us getting seated. Payment: They take credit card!

If you're looking for the best banh canh, Mai Phung is your spot. They have the most flavorful, satisfying bowl of banh canh. The broth is rich, thick, and packed with savory goodness. The crab meat is plentiful and shrimp are large. The wait can be crazy because there's only a few tables, but banh canh is not the same to-go. It's worth the wait!

Apparently listed as closed on Friday but that wasn't the case today. They only served soup options when I came in which I had ordered the Bun Rieu. I can see why people would line up for this type of food. Very authentic and gives nostalgia home cooked vibes. They dice their tomatoes into perfect cubed portions. Self serve bottle of mam Tom is always a plus!

Mai Phung is always a must have when we're in the area. We will always get the egg rolls, banh canh and crab fried rice. They are super efficient and nice when it comes to ordering and getting the food to table. Pricing has stayed consistent over the years and they definitely maintain their hole in the wall vibe, which is great. I also recommend the lime soda if you need something by bubbly, not too sweet and very refreshing!

I asked my OC friends for the best banh canh recommendations & they all said Mai Phung. This was mom & dad approved (they are super picky w their food). This is def a hole in the wall place but a true gem once found ! The banh canh was so flavorful & rich + the broth was thicccc. The best part of it all is how fresh the crab meat, shrimp and pork are. What's even better is they're not stingy at all with the meat xD I feel like nowadays most places will skimp you out on the meat portions. The prices on their menu are after tax & for $16 a bowl is saur worth it in my opinion. My dad ordered the pho tai and absolutely loved that as well. There was almost no wait when I went (probably because it was the end of the lunch rush), but I can see why the wait would be so long because they have such a small space. They also take your order while you're waiting to get seated which I found super efficient. Overall I'm so grateful & content I got to try out Mai Phung :-)

I haven't tried any other banh canh spots in OC, so I can't compare this to much, but Mai Phung is delicious none the less. Although there can be a lot of people waiting and the place is very small, they move very quickly. I came here with 2 other people and we waited probably about 20 minutes despite there being 7 groups ahead of us. The host will take your order while you're in line to speed things up, so I do recommend you not leave the area because they will call your name and if you're not there they will skip you. When you sit down, the food comes out super quick! We ordered #1 with the crab, shrimp, and pork with the tapioca noodles. The broth is delicious, very flavorful and has a nice body to the soup consistency, but not super thick either. There are big pieces of crab and shrimp, and the noodles are perfect! Still have a bite to them and not overcooked.

I've been meaning to try this place for a while. I've seen this place talked about around social media and was excited to try their Banh Canh Tom Cua which is hard to find in other Vietnamese restaurants in California. The place is small and kinda warm inside. I came right before the lunch rush and got the last table before a long line of people who had to wait. From what I've seen on the other people's table, most got a bowl of Banh Canh Tom Cua Thit Heo ($16) which is the most popular item and what they specialize in. The food comes quickly and it's a thick orange broth seasoned nicely with pork slices, shrimp, cooked crab meat with thick udon-like noodles called banh canh. The noodles were not overcooked or overly starchy. The shrimps and crab meat were plentiful and the broth was thick and flavorful. The guy who took my order was nice. No restroom and parking can get packed.

Picked up a box of grilled pork, egg rolls with vermicelli today. It came nicely packed with a bag of salad to go with the meal. Definitely will come back to try their menu items. Friendly service.

The portion is kinda big for me and the food comes out quick. It has a good amount of seafood which I love.

The perfect dish on a rainy day! Their signature dish is udon style noodles with shrimp, pork, and crab in a thick broth. You can dress it up with lime, fish sauce, and spicy pepper. There's other items on the menu, but I've never made it past the first item. The service is good, quick and efficient, my water cup was never empty. The ambiance is that of a small family owned restaurant. Not a lot of seating, come early or wait for a few minutes to be seated, but the wait is always worth it. If this isn't on your "to try" list I'd certainly recommend putting it on. :)

Average banh canh. Not sure why there was a wait to get seated. Their glass noodles is not really stir fried like other places. It's more of just a mixed noodle salad. Lacks flavor.

First time trying Banh Canh (Vietnamese thick noodle soup) and I'm a fan! Order the #1 (tapioca noodle soup with crab, shrimp and pork ). They use REAL crab! The broth is rich, thick and flavorful.

The restaurant itself is very small with about 10 tables. They give pretty good amount of semi/ quality meat and seafood in their dishes. The service was fast. All menu item was at $17. The parking can be hard to find at peak lunch and dinner time.

I arrived in town and knew that I wanted to check this spot out for their Banh Canh Cua! I came here with my mom and cousin, we placed our name on the waiting list and it was estimated to be about 30-45 minute wait. Given this restaurant is fairly small with six tables inside and no outdoor dining area, it would take a minute but we also came on a holiday. They take your order before you're seated to speed things up and upon being seating the food and drinks arrived in a standard length of time. The banh canh cua was decent, I wished that the broth could've been piping hot to enjoy it more myself but it wasn't bad overall. It definitely needed the fixings like the chili paste and lime provided on the table along with fish sauce. I would come again but during a day when it's not busy.

Smaller busy business, good Crab udon ( vietnamese style), Delicious eggs rolls ( vietnamese rice paper) Service okey

The crab and shrimp noodle soup here is delicious. The broth has a thicker consistency but the taste itself is light but hearty. The eggrolls are also delicious. We came on a weekday and there were 8 tables ahead of us. Despite this, we were seated within 20 minutes or so. The restaurant itself is small so it's good for parties of 4 or less. They only have about 7-8 small tables inside. People pretty much eat and get out. It's not really a place to linger. Highly recommend if you're looking for authentic vietnamese food.

Food is excellent. Out of all the restaurants in OC, my wife wanted to come to one of her favorite restaurants for her birthday on May 18. We appreciate the gentleman that helps us with lighting and servicing the cake. We know they are busy during lunch hours and taking the time out to help me celebrate my wife birthday means a lot. Thanks

My favorite Hu Tieu Kho in Little Saigon. Cash only. It comes with a good amount of pork, shrimp, and fresh crab. This is one of my favorite to go items period. The hot sauce is fire! You can buy a glass container of it for $10. They are also known for their banh canh and imperial egg rolls. The rice paper egg rolls are far superior than the egg wrapper. I guess that's why they are called imperial. Probably not, but let's pretend that's the case. As for the venue, it is small inside and there's no AC. It's a hole in the wall place and if it had the tiny plastic chairs, you would think you are in Vietnam.

Came to this place because I was craving bánh canh, and I have to say their bánh canh is AMAZING! I've never been to a restaurant to order bánh canh specifically, but this place changed the game for me. This place is on the smaller side, and is more ideal for 2-4 person parties. Their service was very quick and efficient - took our order before we even sat down! I ordered Bánh Canh Tôm Cua. Very flavorful! They have a spicy sauce that is a great addition to the Bánh canh, but if you're bad with spice like me, I'd recommend at most putting 4 drops in there before it gets too spicy and you start sweating haha. They also provide lot of limes for you to add in! Definitely a great lunch place for if you're craving a warm noodle soup of some sort. Also as a head up they do charge $1 for water. Overall, great experience and will be coming back here again!!

Great stop for some hard to find crab udon noodles or a crabby take on dry noodles. Prices feel a bit high but these are crab items.

Banh Canh Cua was decent, the broth is thick, with real crab meat, shrimp, and meat. We loved their egg rolls, it was crispy enough but not too oily, came with lettuce, rau song, and fish sauce for dipping. There is always a line but they take order when you waiting for the table, that reduces the wait time. Place was quite small, only few tables, which explains for the line as well. But it was clean, restroom is inside the kitchen.

I got the #1 which is banh canh with cua (crab), tom (shrimp), and pork. My friend got the noodles with soup on the side. His egg noodles looked delicious, and he seemed to really enjoy the meal. I loved the soup of my entree, the noodles are similar to udon noodles. Service was great, and there is somewhat tight parking in this small plaza. Casual family friendly restaurant with few tables to be seated at a time. Very authentic Vietnamese restaurant. Since it was busy but the wait wasn't more than 20-30 minutes, they took our orders ahead in line.

The food here is absolutely delicious! Every dish we tried was bursting with flavor and cooked to perfection. Highly recommend the Vietnamese udons crabmeat. The staff is friendly, attentive, and goes above and beyond to ensure a memorable dining experience. It's a little small place but Charming ambiance made for a memorable experience.

The first time I tried to come here the wait was sooo long! I came again and there was maybe 5 parties before me. The restaurant is very small, it gives hole in the wall vibes but busy. The workers waste no time! They gave everyone a menu as we waited and took our orders down so by the time we were seated our food would come out shortly. Impressive! I got the egg rolls which were delicious! My husband and I shared their famous banh canh cua. The thick noodles with starchy soup reminds me of the lao soup Khao piek but much more flavorful with the crab. Don't forget to add some hot sauce at the table for an extra kick. Their food is on the pricier side which would make me think twice about coming back.

Every single dish here is solid. All their noodle- from beef pho, to seafood banh canh and seafood mì hủ tíu trộn are 10/10. The prawns are cooked to perfection. I love how the crab meats come in small chunks. I usually add their homemade spicy chilli sauce to my banh canh and it's so delicious. Also, don't forget to order their mung bean drink, it's thick and flavorful. It's the best in OC, 7 Leaves mung bean is nothing close to this. The place is tiny so expect there's usually a long queue but it moves quickly. I have been going to this place over 10 years and now that I live near LA, every time I go down OC I must eat here.

Most delicious bánh Cảnh I've ever had!! Highly recommended. Will definitely be back for more, they close Fridays.

The Banh Canh here is sooooo good, drenched in crab!! Thick broth with so much umami flavor. Love love love. I was full when I came in here to eat it but I still wanted to try it, and I finished about 90% of the bowl. It was so good. I need to come back.

This place has the best banh canh. We have been coming here for a while now just for the banh canh tôm cua . There is always a ton of protein and ground pork with mushroom in fish sauce as a topping . There are 2 different types of broth we personally like the less starchy kind but both are delicious and full of flavor . Yumm ... They are always packed as it is a small mom and pop restaurant so we usually get it to - go . They always pack it nicely and have it ready for us . Great Service . My kids love the "Vietnamese udon " here .

Came on a Tuesday at noon. Placed was packed so I added my name to the waitlist. Good sign right? Got seated about 20 mins later. So many options for Banh Canh! Any option would have been the right answer. I did choose the thicker broth option and I'm glad I did. The bowl came out very hot and I couldn't shove it down any faster! I enjoyed every single bite. Ingredients were notably fresh! They also have it posted that are 100% MSG free if anyone needs that info lol. Definitely coming back!

Been having their bun thit nuong for years (to go) and finally ate in the restaurant. Delicious as usual. Also ordered their pho dax biet and banh cahn. Top notch, consistently good.

Fyi - they close at 3pm for lunch since we showed up around that time the first time and we had to leave We finally came at 11am on a Saturday and there was already a line and you put your name down on the list. I found Mai Phung from an influencer saying this place had the best banh canh so I knew I had to try it. They're very efficient in that they take your order while you're waiting outside so they bring your food a couple minutes after you sit down. This was my first time trying banh canh and wow this place is the place to try it. It has a sort of sour and thick broth with lots of crab. The udon noodles are cooked perfectly to a bouncy texture. Basically every table inside had this dish. We also got the pho which was the same price at $17. It has a darker broth and thicker noodles than the pho places I've tried but still amazing. The beef was a bit dry and pricy for pho. I loved that they drowned both soups in lots of black pepper

We had to go a bowl of pho, one bánh canh, and one chả giò! They all too salty, far too salty..that we had to toss away our money! Really disappointed since the hype we had by reading previous reviews!

Line was long but service was quick. Food was delicious, hot, and on point. I have nothing to complain. I love this place and will definitely come back. Crab udon soup had a thick consistent and orange color, just like how a Vietnamese crab udon soup should be. Each topping adds enough flavor. I only added extra chili for higher spice level.