The best Vietnamese restaurants in Los Angeles

The hospitality might be blunt and to the point here, but the namesake soup is second to none at this longtime pho specialist with outposts in South El Monte and Rosemead (the latter named Pho Filet 2). At Pho Filet, northern-style pho gets pared down to the essentials: an aromatic, soulful broth with depth accrued from long-simmered bones; slightly softer, wide, flat noodles; and your choice of beef cuts. Skip the fresh rolls here, with their tougher than normal skins, but you should still venture beyond Vietnam's most well-known dish for affordably priced broken rice and vermicelli plates, as well as a solid, fairly hard to find com gà ro ti—the succulent Cornish game hen atop tomato-enriched red rice is the Vietnamese take on rotisserie chicken.

This small old-school establishment inside Chinatown’s Far East Plaza might only be open during the day, but the zippy, clean-tasting bowls of steaming hot pho, budget-friendly banh mi and other well-executed dishes all make a morning or afternoon visit here worth the time, planning and money. One of the most centrally located spots on this list, Thien Huong is the rare restaurant where everything—and I mean everything—is solidly delicious. In recent years, the former cash-only spot has begun taking credit cards, and a remodeled dining room and extra outdoor seating have made this place our go-to place for Vietnamese food around Downtown. Note: This place fills up quickly on the weekends, so head here early or you’ll have to wait for a table.

This restaurant with outposts in Alhambra and San Gabriel traces its culinary lineage to Pho 79, the James Beard Award-winning eatery down in Orange County. Run by another branch of the Tran family, Saigon Eden offers a bright, clear beef pho simmered for 12 hours—and so much more. The dizzying all-day menu offers a breadth of well-executed Vietnamese cuisine you won’t find outside of the 626, but you can winnow your focus with a few of our personal favorites: the banh cuon, which folds springy wood ear mushrooms and ground pork into steamed rice paper crepes; the bun rieu—a northern tomato-rich broth full of shrimp and crab; and a solid version of bright yellow banh xeo. Unlike other spots around town, Saigon Eden also serves chao—a simple, nourishing rice porridge perfect for sick days or cold weather.

Since 2017, this tiny shop in Rosemead has churned out freshly made bowls of organic chicken pho—and the crowds that still come in daily reflect that quality hasn’t dipped in the slightest. Choose from glass noodles (mien ga) or rice noodles (pho ga) for a taste of Hai Phong, the northeastern port city where chef-owner Phan Tran originally hails from. You’ll also find amazing steamed chicken here, as well as Hainan-style chicken rice—byproducts of culinary influence from Vietnam’s northern neighbor. Beyond chicken, Tran also offers a mix of regional specialties and familiar standbys, including the best banh cuon in L.A. Her take on the delicate steamed rice roll dish arrives filled with shrimp and pork; served with cucumbers, bean sprouts, ham and a drizzle of nuoc cham, it’ll leave you wanting to come back for more.

A world of no-frills culinary delight awaits those who visit this cash-only strip mall restaurant in Alhambra. From the parking lot, you can already smell the heady, fragrant spices used in pho, but Nem Nuong Khanh Hoa is better known for its namesake grilled pork sausage served in fresh rice paper—a.k.a. nem nuong cuon—and saucers of banh beo, a specialty from central Vietnam. Topped with shredded pork or dried shrimp, the delicate cakes made of rice and tapioca flour draw the subtle flavors out of their accoutrements, especially when doused in chili-spiked nuoc cham (fish sauce vinaigrette). For a family-style feast for two to four, order the dac biet cho ("special order") for a build-your-own summer roll affair that includes lettuce, three kinds of meat and ultra-thin shrimp egg rolls, plus a green mountain of herbs.

As a funkier, spicier alternative, many pho shops offer bun bo hue, a pungent, offal-studded red soup originally from Hue, a city in central Vietnam. Few in L.A. do it as well as this food court vendor inside Thuan Phat, a longtime Vietnamese grocery store in South El Monte. Tricked out with herbs, lime and raw onion, the lemongrass-heavy broth here tastes flavorful and bright—not exactly an easy task in a dish incorporating oxtail, pork hocks and pork blood. 5 Stars Hue also offers other regional delicacies like banh beo (steamed rice cakes) and banh ram it  (glutinous rice dumplings set atop fried dough); if you’ve never had these khai vi, they also offer a combination plate of all five hard-to-find savory rice cakes. We also enjoyed the nem lui: Thai satay-like pork skewers paired with a rich peanut sauce, pickled veggies, cucumbers and a mess of herbs.

Literally translating to "sizzling cake," the namesake dish of Banh Xeo Quan is a crepe-like delicacy originally from southern Vietnam. Deriving its bright yellow hue from turmeric, each half moon-shaped crispy pancake at this daytime-only Rosemead specialist comes stuffed with shrimp and pork, fish filet or a vegan-friendly mix of mushrooms and mung beans. Served with lettuce, herbs and nuoc cham, the banh xeo here is easily the best in Los Angeles. Best ordered to go but eaten ASAP (there's little atmosphere inside, and banh xeo gets soggy fairly quickly), each one feeds one or even two people—but if you're on the hungrier side, there's four other well-executed homestyle menu items to take home, including the delicious Cornish hen over tomato rice and a warm, comforting bowl of egg noodle soup topped with duck.

Broken rice reigns supreme at this San Gabriel spot located a stone's throw from Hawaii Supermarket. Once a subsistence dish cooked by Vietnamese rice farmers with leftover product, these soft (and now intentionally broken) grains accompany a bounty of proteins, pickled vegetables and aromatic pork broth at King Com Tam. Choose from various styles of beef, pork, chicken and shrimp for a lighter com tam fix, but the combination plates containing steamed egg loaf (cha trung hap) also offer the hard-to-find traditional side dish. For a lighter, more playful texture, King Com Tam's enormous menu includes banh hoi—molded squares of rice vermicelli—as well as the usual bun. Don't skip the delicious cornmeal-battered cha gio either.

In my honest experience, most restaurants offering 50/50 Asian menus tend to falter at one or another, but that’s far from the case at Golden Delight, a sleekly designed eatery in Rosemead that fills up early thanks to a deftly executed mix of Vietnamese and Chinese dishes—particularly the hot stone pho. Flavorful and light, the clean-tasting aromatic broth stays warm for what feels like hours in the stone bowl. Across the menu, smaller details shine through: the vermicelli-studded egg rolls atop the bowls of bun thit nuong; the shower of herbs that accompany the cha gio. For carnivores, there’s also decent renditions of Hainan chicken and bò lúc lac—listed as "French style beef cube."

The freshly made French rolls and crispy, chewy baguettes at this no-frills, cash-only deli in Rosemead take the top spot for the overall best banh mi in Los Angeles (though for chargrilled lemongrass pork specifically, I prefer the one at Banh Mi My Tho across the street). With either style you choose, the bread comes nicely warmed and generously slathered with housemade pate and mayonnaise, particularly on the banh mi dac biet, the trio of cold cuts by which Vietnamese sandwich shops are judged. The housemade bread makes every bit of difference here; Hue Thai’s version skips cucumbers but piles on the jalapeno slices and pickled vegetables. The prices also can’t be beat—it’s around $6 for one sandwich. While you’re at it, I recommend picking up some summer rolls, banh beo (savory steamed tapioca rice cakes) or a few trays of Vietnamese sweets to take home.

If you know, you know: This nondescript restaurant at the edge of Chinatown is home to some of L.A.’s best pho. With a deep, almost funkily beefy taste, Pho 87’s delicious namesake has drawn hungover Angelenos from near and far on late weekend mornings, but even the stone-cold sober will appreciate the affordable, steaming hot bowls of noodle soup. The family-run shop also offers a solid array of khai vi and combination plates with your choice of rice, vermicelli or banh hoi, but the reason to come to this lonely and desolate stretch of North Broadway is the pho.

For the last 30 years, this daytime sandwich counter with three locations (two in Rosemead, one in Alhambra) has served some of the best budget-friendly banh mi in Los Angeles. Though you can’t beat the price, the tender lemongrass charbroiled meats and soft tangles of pickled vegetables have kept generations of SGV locals from straying to other Vietnamese sandwich shops. There’s also yummy steamed rice, vermicelli and banh hoi platters in takeout styrofoam containers, as well as a tub of hearty ca ri ga (yellow chicken curry)—the latter comes with both rice and a French roll to dip into the turmeric-laden stew reminiscent of Indonesian gulai kambing.

Since 2003, this strip mall restaurant has quietly kept the South Bay fed on the kind of breadth of high-quality Vietnamese cuisine that wouldn’t be out of place in OC’s Little Saigon. You’ll find a deeply satisfying beef pho and the familiar Vietnamese takeout appetizers, but a step outside of your comfort zone yields solid versions of bo luc lac, broken rice combo plates and even the usually lackluster bun bo hue. A separate section offers Teochew-style egg noodle dishes (reflecting the Chinese ethnic group’s cultural influence in Vietnam). An expanded outdoor seating area and remodeled dining room have given Saigon Dish a more polished look and feel, but the brisk, no-frills service and weekday crowds showcase the fact that this busy spot in Lawndale hasn’t lost touch with its neighborhood roots.

It’s easy to get caught up in the flashier new restaurants and dining pop-ups in Chinatown, but this classic banh mi shop—pronounced "Me-YOOMB"—at Broadway and Ord offers one of the cheapest and best Vietnamese sandwiches in the city. Besides crates of also-affordable fruits and vegetables in a rainbow of colors, the sizable $6 sandwiches come with fillings like grilled pork (sausage), chicken and pâté—and they all involve cilantro, jalapeño, shredded carrot and pickled radish on a crusty French loaf. Just note: This spot is cash-only.

This community-driven takeout spot in Silver Lake serves fresh, comforting food that’s so delicious (and budget-friendly), you’d be wise to order the whole menu, especially if it’s your first time there. Offering lighter snacks like fried shallot-topped grilled street corn and the area’s most delicious banh mi, chef-owner Uyên Lê strives to keep her vegan-friendly fast-casual fare affordable without compromising on ingredient quality or fair wages—not an altogether easy task. In practice, this means Bé Ù offers a smaller menu, though you can still find mouthwatering caramelized pork and eggs (thit kho kau), a refreshing cup of herbaceous rau má (pennywort juice) and even a hearty chicken-based rice porridge. On the weekends, Le offers creative specials and rotating pastries by Lo Huang (@largwa), the onetime pastry chef at now-closed Pearl River Deli.

This family-run pho shop with locations in Little Tokyo (recently rebranded as Vui Ve), Gardena and Alhambra offers a deceptively simple menu that packs flavor into excellent versions of Vietnam’s greatest culinary hits. While you’ll find matriarch Lani Nguyen steaming up made-to-order artisanal mooncakes and a few more creative dishes at the newest location in Alhambra, both Downtown and South Bay locations offer impeccably made broth simmered for 16 hours, as well as a bountiful cold-cut banh mi served with a side of the same delicious pho for dipping. Pho Ever’s approachable take on bun bo hue, tasty combination plates and cafe sua da (condensed milk coffee) are also worth an order—if you can tear yourself away from their delicious, flavorful bowls of pho.

Run by a pair of siblings, this two-location restaurant stretches from Chinatown all the way to the Westside—and there's a perfectly good reason for it: a crowd-pleasing, milder pho with springy noodles, high-quality beef and plenty of bean sprouts and herbs. Stop by Sage Blossom (the Chinatown location) for the larger menu, but even the more pared down offerings in Santa Monica will satisfy those in search of a decent bowl of pho. Food aside, the stylish interiors and friendly staff also set Blossom apart from the rest of the pack—the presence of some semblance of hospitality, in truth, actually makes a huge difference.

While we’ve found better versions of bun bo hue, nem lui and the various regional rice cakes at South El Monte’s 5 Stars Hue, this nearby restaurant offers a few hard-to-find, delicious central Vietnamese dishes worthy of seeking out. For seafood lovers, there’s the com hen, a bowl of rice mixed with regular and miniature clams, sesame seeds, elephant ear (a type of celery-like vegetable), pork rinds, crushed peanuts and fresh herbs. Bites are meant to be eaten in between sips of a light clam broth. Fragrant banana leaf-wrapped pieces of cha hue (Hue-style pork sausage) are sold by the piece, best dunked into the delicate, multilayered nuoc cham. We also recommend the Vietnamese-style papaya salad and the bun mit mam nem, a delicious rice vermicelli bowl topped with pork sausage, minced shrimp, jackfruit, peanuts and herbs. The fermented anchovy sauce served on the side gives the dish a pungent, but unforgettable flavor.

Originally from Ventura, this newer restaurant serves the best bowl of pho in Koreatown, and thus most of Central L.A. Each batch of soup is made with Wagyu beef and simmered for 12 hours, and unlike most of the watery, one-note soups you’ll find in the neighborhood, the pho here offers a complex blend of aromatics in each sip. For those in the mood for spice, there’s a house special spicy pho, plus chicken, veggie and shrimp pho varieties, but the main draw here is still the beef version. The cheapest option includes lean brisket, but you can also jazz up your bowl with Wagyu beef slices, beef belly or bone-in beef ribs for a few dollars more. Help yourself to toppings at the self-serve station by the cashier after you order and enjoy.

The undisputed pho king of the greater San Fernando Valley (with a stray location in the South Bay), this neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant offers the 818's best beef noodle soup and a plethora of other solid menu items, including hard-to-find rice porridge and traditional sweet iced drinks. Transparent slices of onion, strips of beef brisket and glistening cubes of beef tendon mark Pho So 1's delicious, murky broth with notes of charred onion and cloves. The meal is completed by a plate of garnishes that catches the light like an herbaceous still life, if you sit by the window at the right time of day.

The South Bay offshoot of a popular Fountain Valley eatery, Pho Hue Oi has brought even more high-quality Vietnamese cuisine closer to Los Angeles. A solid bowl of pho, serviceable garlic noodles and banh mi slathered with housemade pâté might cater to the less adventurous, but this Redondo Beach strip mall gem distinguishes itself with its regional offerings from central Vietnam: banh beo and bun bo hue. Saucers of delicate rice cakes sprinkled with ground shrimp, pork rinds, scallions and fish sauce vinaigrette this far from the San Gabriel Valley (or Orange County, for the matter) are not to be overlooked. Those who love funky, lemongrass-heavy bun bo hue would do good to visit as well—while by no means our all-around favorite, Pho Hue Oi's version is a cut above the usual version offered alongside pho on restaurant menus.

Since 2018, this bright, airy strip mall eatery along Lincoln Boulevard has delighted Marina del Rey and Venice residents with a rich, dark brown pho with strong notes of anise, cloves and cardamom. Simmered for 72 hours (versus just 12 to 16 at other spots), Camp Pho’s namesake soup showcases the deeper, funkier but no less delicious side of Vietnam’s national dish. On the appetizer side, the restaurant offers well-executed creative takes on Vietnamese classics, from a delightful shrimp toast riff on goi cuon to a baby-back rib version of ram rang, or traditional caramelized short ribs. A handful of vegan-friendly items, including two kinds of plant-based pho, help round out the menu selection—and the all-around delicious offerings mean Camp Pho easily ranks as one of the best Vietnamese options on the Westside.

Run by the second generation of a family of SoCal pho restaurant owners, this workhorse Vietnamese restaurant in the South Bay and Long Beach offers the convenience of later hours (the Gardena location is now open until 2am) and a straightforward, vegetarian-friendly menu centered around pho and familiar khai vi. Pho Daily’s namesake nourishing broth delivers flavor with minimal grease and plenty of herbs, while the summer rolls with pork sausage arrive with a tasty, high-quality peanut sauce. Beyond pho, there’s also a vast array of other common Vietnamese dishes, some more well-executed than others—making Pho Daily a great option for any and all late-night Vietnamese cravings and a solid takeout and delivery go-to for locals.

A decade later, prolific South Bay chef Tin Vuong’s flavorful dishes still make for a delightful upscale-casual meal rooted in the fundamentals of Vietnamese cooking. Now with locations in Downtown, Redondo Beach, El Segundo and Irvine, the eclectic East-meets-West concept offers modern takes on bo luc lac, nem nuong and imperial rolls, caramelized shrimps, banh mi and even pho and chao (the latter two only at lunch). Not every dish completely lands, but the ambitious genre-bending menu, lively dining room atmosphere and a couple of standout dishes—we’re looking at you, escargot poppers—keep Little Sister top of mind whenever we’re in the mood for an elevated Vietnamese dining experience.

We searched far and wide among Koreatown's many strip mall pho joints for the area’s best Vietnamese dining options, but none came close to Khanh and Helen Tan's pho shop hidden along a busy commercial stretch of Western Avenue. Though consistency and excellence aren't words we’d necessarily apply to every dish, Tan's above-average pho stands out from the crowd with a beautiful, deeply aromatic broth and high-quality toppings. Unlike other pho shops in the neighborhood, Ktown Pho excels in other areas, with excellent banh mi, combination plates and delicious fresh rolls whimsically named after all four seasons.