Lam’s Garden

Had there pork vermicelli and rare beef phở v7. Both were really good. Will have to go again this week.

I have to give Lam’s garden 5 stars because it’s one of the best restaurants in Hilo.
friendly service & great selection of Vietnamese and Chinese dishes.

Lam’s Garden located in Downtown Hilo is open from 10am to 8pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, closed on Tuesday, 10am to 9pm Friday and Saturday and Sunday 11 am to 8pm. There’s been a lot of Vietnamese/​Chinese restaurants popping up all over the Hilo area lately and Lam’s is one of the newest ones to open.
The building itself is huge which is 2 stories and I believe the second floor is for big parties and banquets. I say that because before it was originally Mon Chong Lau, then changed to New Star Restaurant and now Lam’s Garden. The 2 previous used to hold banquets all the time. Oh and by the way, parking is plentiful.
So we came here for lunch just to try it out. I got the Crispy Chicken and to me it was okay. The other 2 dishes were the Grilled Pork and Egg Roll Vermicelli and Sweet n Sour Chicken. Both of those were alright, were lack luster to say the least. This place ain’t bad, it just didn’t have that «wow» factor you know what I’m sayin’?!
Well service was great, the dining room area was spic and span and the atmosphere was nice. The food was okay in my opinion but that’s just me. Oh and they got Phở for 7.99! Go check it out… phở yourself! Haha…

My boss took us out to lunch one day and I was skeptical to try eating at a new place. She ordered us Thai teas, green papaya salad with shrimp, Singapore noodles with the curry in it & salt and pepper pork. All of it was so yummy. It wasn’t really that busy at any point when we were eating there either.

First and foremost, it’s BYOB! Second, the Phở was not bad at all, in particular the Meatballs. Third, the Vegetarian sandwich is phenomenal, very tasty and all the ingredients compliment each other! Fourth, the Egg Rolls were up to par thanks to the sauce.
The environment is solid. Very spacious, lots of ceiling fans, and did I mention BYOB? What is also extremely helpful is the load of parking stalls.

Tried this out for the first time the other evening and was pleasantly surprised … great service and the taste of the food was great — the fact they have onsite parking is also a bonus and finding a spot doesn’t seem to be a big issue will be back to enjoy other pickings from their menu.

This review and the 4 star rating is for the Phở solely, as it’s the only thing I order from Lams since it is not my Go To for Chinese or Vietnamese food on the island.
I’ve had both the chicken and rare beef Phở. Both are super fresh and delicious.
The chicken Phở tastes like chicken Phở! Maybe not exactly authentic, but it’s great to get close to it around here where all the Phở places put a Chinese twist on their chicken Phở (I think). You know that light lemony feel? However this place still falls guilty to that. In a good way.
I always order the rare beef on the side so I can dunk them in when my bowl arrives, leaving it as tender as possible. Usually I find the meats at Phở places on this island to be very inconsistent, but so far Lams has been steady with really nice looking and thick slices of rare beef. Not fatty, grisly or gamey tasting. So far. Hopefully they keep it up. This is the main reason it has become my husband’s favorite and why we have made the switch.
Noodles are normal, traditional and all the same in size, unlike Hilo Rice. That’s important to me.
If you’ve tried Phở Viet’s take on Phở and if you are a fan, then you know what to expect from Lam’s Garden and I would go as far to say that you will like it. The reason being I find the Phở very similar tasting. That fresh broth with a milder aroma style. Maybe less star anise or cardamom? More water and less salt?
If you’re used to a murky or dark broth, you’re in for a treat… or a perturbed time. I was surprised to find myself enjoying this lighter version of Phở and now I sometimes prefer it over the heavier fragrant and deep broth phở.
Though nothing beats traditional stinky and steeping phở, so beware if that’s what you are searching for. Some folks from Oahu that I’ve brought here say that it tastes as if it’s a brand new batch. The plus they mention is that it tastes amazingly fresh. The negative would be the idea that it needs to stew longer. I seriously never mind the distinction.
I wonder how it’s done in Vietnam.
All of the flavors you crave and want are there at Lams. That healing power for hangovers comes to the rescue like any other.
All in all it does its job. For devoted Phở lovers, when you get that craving, just about anything will do as long as it’s not terrible. Try it here, nothing near terrible and very close to excellent.
THE BEST PART IS THAT THEY ARE OPEN ON SUNDAYS! So party people, keep this in mind. You will want to marry them the morning after when you are in Hilo.
All the normal condiments provided. Easy access to necessary utensils and dishes right on your table.
Nothing exceptional as far as ambience or staff, besides a very clean space that’s pretty big and works well for parties. It also stays cool so you won’t sweat all over your Phở on a sunny day. Oh and humorously the non Asian, Haole male servers have always been the best in my experience.

This restaurant is not a «hole in the wall» type of place. It’s nice enough for a first date and spacious enough for a family dinner, large tables and clean. I ordered the chicken stir fry bun (noodle bowl) and it was delicious! Stir fried chicken in a light sauce over rice noodles with fresh chopped veggies and a dipping sauce that was perfect: sweet, sour, salty and spicy. Too bad I live in Kona, their banh mi looks delicious as does their phở. Will have to make it a point to return when in Hilo.

Delicious phở and lemongrass grilled pork chop and shrimp stuffed tofu. Beautifully prepared! Great place to get your Vietnamese fix.

So glad we found this place. Seems to be the best Asian restaurant in the area. Phở was decent (if you wonder why I requested steamed bean sprouts, it’s because I particularly prefer my phở broth to be really hot throughout the course of my meal. The fresh raw bean sprouts will cool my broth but the steamed doesn’t). Claypot rice was tasty. Staff was friendly and there’s big parking on the side.

As a Vietnamese person, I grew up eating delicious homemade phở and being a Californian native, most phở places I’ve eaten at are relatively good and the prices are very cheap. Hilo, on the other hand, is very limited when it comes to good Vietnamese food… I have tried many of their dishes (many of which were sub-​par), but today I will review their phở.
I saw the $ 7.99 phở sign outside their building and thought, «what a great deal in Hilo!» I gathered some friends and went there today to fulfill my craving. Let’s just say my craving was not fulfilled. The broth was one of the worst I have tried. It was so watered down and, and other than the sweetness (probably from MSG), it was flavorless. Sadly, it did not taste like phở… One of my friends constantly added hoisin sauce bc he couldn’t stand how bland it was. What a shame! I guess you get what you pay for…
In conclusion, if I could give them zero stars, I would. However, the service was nice so one star is ok. I probably won’t come back to eat, though.

Husband and I have eaten here a few times and it’s becoming to be our favorite place. Food are delicious!

Best phở in Hilo. Some friends and I went to Lam’s after an afternoon at the beach, and the phở really hit the spot. Lam’s features Chinese/​Vietnamese food — some with a local twist. My family enjoys the Chinese chicken salad, lemon chicken, and the sea spinach. The service is really nice, and the space is big enough for groups or parties. Order family style so you can try more things.

Went to Lam’s Garden tonight! Ordered Thai Tea… Awesome, best in Town!
We ordered the Vietnamese Chicken Salad with Basil… Crazy good! The Beef Chow Fun is great with light spicy peppers.
Friendly service, food with a Vietnamese twist that will keep me going back for more, very clean and relaxing environment!

This is my favorite place to get phở. It’s nice and spacious and every time I have ever gone, it’s always been practically empty. One thing I dislike though is their utensils are already there on your table in this plastic holder all bunched up together. Good thing I use chopsticks! Haha. Another thing I dislike is sometimes their service is real slow when it shouldn’t be.
Oh yeah. The BBQ pork is amazing by the way. That’s the only other thing I have tried there besides phở.
I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who likes phở and BBQ pork.

This is our new favorite place for phở!
The Service:
is always very friendly and welcoming. We are always greeted as soon as we walk in. They are very prompt to bring us water and to refill them as needed. We’ve never had to ask.
The servers are very attentive. The food comes out fast.
The Food:
The phở is phenomenal. They are served in stainless steel bowls and is always piping hot. The broth is very flavorful and the smell is divine. There is ample portions of meat and the noodles are perfect.
The summer rolls are smaller than most places but you get 3 pieces instead of 2. We love it this way because they are easier to eat. They are also wrapped tightly and the wrappers hold instead of falling apart because the rolls are made too big. The sauce that comes with the summer rolls is very complementary. Add in a little sweet chili sauce and sriracha and the whole thing is a flavor explosion.
We’ve also had some of their Chinese food and they are also just as good. Phở, I think, is their forte.
The Restaurant:
I like the openness of the restaurant. The tables are spaced perfectly so you’re not bumping into other people. Chopsticks, soup spoons, napkins, and condiments are on the tables already. I love it this way. You don’t have to ask for any of those things before you start eating. My husband always needs extra napkins and it’s nice to not have to bother the servers, or wave until they hopefully notice you, or wait until they bring it.
There is plenty of parking space. This is especially important because this restaurant is located in downtown Hilo.
Very definitely recommend!

Hubby and I came after another long day at work. He wanted something ‘fresh’, I took that to mean ‘different’. He’d never been to this restaurant— which hasn’t been open that long. We glanced thru the doors as we passed by— it seemed empty. Not a good sign. When we walked in, we saw diners were at tables along the wall, hidden from view.
First thing he noticed: we weren’t greeted by «how are you ‘guys’ doing tonight». That got points with him.
No alcohol? No problem, KTA just around the corner and they let you bring it in.
Appetizer came out just as hubby left for his beer; green papaya salad w/​shrimp. Delicious!
Two menus: Vietnamese dishes, Chinese dishes. Complete with pictures in a cute notebook. Clever!
We ordered family-​style: chicken lemongrass curry and claypot fish. Winnah, winnah chicken dinnah (local expression here)! The fish was catfish— who serves catfish in Hilo?
Everything was very tasty and came out hot, served by friendly, polite wait help. Water glasses kept full (flavored with lime slices).
We were used to Vietnamese food when we lived in Houston. But these dishes were just a bit different— just like hubby wanted.
This restaurant is a keeper. We are going to come back for lunch because they are fast, too!

After a windy day of fishing, phõ sounded like the perfect thing to eat. Being Sunday, most phõ places were closed so I turned to my handy Unilocal app. on my cellie and found great reviews for this fairly new restaurant. I’m all for trying out new places and I am very happy that I did!
My boyfriend and I were the only two in this spacious restaurant which would be great for big parties. We were greeted by a very nice waitress who served us our menus and lemon water as we sat.
I was surprised to see that they had two different PICTURE menus. Vietnamese and Chinese. I love… Picture menus. I like to see visuals of what I would like to order.
We ordered a #7 Rare Brisket Phõ which was super tasty. Very delicious! The broth was perfect! My boyfriend demolished the whole bowl! I ordered #35 Cold Vermicelli Noodles w/​Pork & Egg Rolls. It’s one of my favorite Vietnamese dish. It was great!
We will deff. Be back !

Went back for the Peking Duck. Did a takeout since part of the household is under the weather. If you’re not digging in right away, a quick reheat of the duck and some steam under the buns and this dish is quite good. Pair this up with a light salad or some veggies and you have a meal that is hard to beat.

The aluminum bowls they serve Phở in are a bit weird, but the Phở itself is solid. Everyone in my party enjoyed their food and we are Vietnamese people from California, so yea…
The bathroom was oddly clean for a Phở place, so it has that going for it as well.