Kim Son

We’ve been patronizing both this and the Sugar Land/​Stafford location for several years. What we’ve noticed is that things aren’t quite as «sharp» as they used to be … nothing that would cause us to cross it off our list, but then again nothing that would make it our first choice for dinner. We just can’t put our finger on what has changed … we simply know it’s not quite the same vibe. They’ve expanded to include cafes and noodle houses … perhaps corporate has spread things a bit too thin, thus not paying as much attention to matters as before. The ambiance is as pleasant as always, and the menu, while pared down somewhat, remains huge.
The Vietnamese selections here resemble the authentic dishes about as closely as the San Francisco-​created Chinese cuisine is akin to true Cantonese cooking … I guess that’s what they call Asian fusion. My primary issue is that dishes containing shrimp should be re-​named «skimp,» referring to both quantity and size. Nothing that we’ve tried has had more than three (although we were lucky to get four once … someone must have lost count in the kitchen), and each can be consumed in a single bite. It’s not that they have no flavor (although as often as not they’re overcooked), there just aren’t enough of them for the price … and in this instance, size does matter.
The Chinese dishes are pretty typical, and taste about the same as at other westernized Asian restaurants. Vegetarian and vegan dishes, though, are really tasty … our son adheres largely to such a diet, and says that they’re very well-​prepared and quite good. He particularly enjoys those made with tofu. We’ve sampled several … not bad.
My benchmark for restaurants is, where would I take out-​of-​town guests for a great taste of Houston? We have several such places on our short list … Kim Son isn’t one of them.

I love Kim Son. Especially this location. I know they try to cater to the taste of non Asians clients and yet their food is authentic enough to enjoy. The service is excellent

This review is for the first (and probably only) time coming here.
Came here with co-​workers for a quick lunch. Upon getting to the restaurant, I pleased that there was ample parking lot parking, and the façade of the building is very grand.
The inside is very nicely appointed as well with nice furnishings, painting, and and overall sense that you are in for some great Vietnamese food, which is probably one of my favorite cuisines. So, on one good note… the lunch WAS in fact very quick, although the quickness was good for the wrong reasons (happy it was over).
Myself and another co-​worker ordered the same dish, Kung Pao Shrimp (why I ordered a Chinese dish in a Vietnamese restaurant, I’ll never know, but it’s the only reason I might give them another try). Let’s just say that this was the most shrimpless Kung Pao Shrimp I’ve ever had. It was more like Kung Pao 4 Shrimp. There were a farmer’s market full of limp blandly seasoned vegetables, and of course rice, but overall, I was not impressed even a little bit.
Perhaps it was my mistake in what was ordered, but I would think for the price, no matter what is ordered, you should leave satisfied. But, I’m crazy like that.

I was in Houston for a visit and was told Kim Son is the place to go for Vietnamese food! It’s been open for quite awhile and pretty popular since it’s opening. I heard they’re booked solid for weddings for 3 years… that’s pretty impressive. I will say the food is quite good and I enjoyed everything I ate while I was here! I particularly enjoyed the Chicken & Sweet Rice! I came here twice on my visit to Houston and I would come back just for this dish! I love the sauce that goes with it and the way the sweet rice is good– perfectly fried and sweet. :) The Peking Duck with the buns was also another delicious dish! The duck is cooked well and has a ton of flavor with the buns. You can get a half order of it, there’s plenty to eat. I would definitely recommend Kim Son if you’re craving Vietnamese food in the Houston area.

It’s your typical Asian food, but in a little nicer presentation. Mostly everything about this location is good from what I have experienced both times of coming here.
The food is good. They have a sizable menu with your traditional Chinese dishes as well as some Vietnamese specialties.
The menu is Vegeterian and vegan friendly, and they have a category for that on the menu as well.
The prices are fair considering the massive portions they give you. Most plates are in the range of about $ 10. What I like about Kim Son compared to most other Asian places is that they offer brown rice as an option, and for no extra charge. The food was better than most Asian restaurants I’ve had and very fresh.
The atmosphere is nice. Beautifully decorated, not too loud, rather intimate.
The only negative that I have to say is just a minor one. Both times I’ve been, the staff has been a little unfriendly. You can really see that they’d rather be somewhere else.
Other than that, this place is a great restaurant in a good location. If you’re looking for a nicer sit-​down meal in the downtown area, this should be one of your top picks.

My family has come here for years, and it still is on my short list of place I want to come when I visit Houston. We almost always start with the crêpe or egg rolls– both are flawless. I switch my main dish up between fish in clay pot, and the Vietnamese beef fajitas. Both are oozing with flavor and depth– just depends if I want warm fish in a rich broth with rice, or perfectly grilled beef with lemongrass and fresh veggies wrapped in rice paper.
I would give this 5 stars, but the last two times I have been there some of my favorite dishes have changed or all together disappeared. Never mess with perfection!

This place has great food and friendly service. The place is huge and can fill a lot of people.

For several years now, I’ve been coming to Kim Son for work lunches. Every experience (interior, menu, service, food) is consistently the same, but that is in no way a bad thing when it comes to finding a reliable spot for a midday meal. They have found a method for success and are sticking to it!
The service is extremely organized which is great for large groups. We call orders ahead to reduce wait time and the food is hot and ready by the time everyone is seated. Drink orders are filled efficiently with minimal whirring around by waitstaff. They don’t mind individual checks which is fantastic when eating with an entire department.
My favorite option for lunch is one of the vermicelli bowls. The noodles will fill you up but the cucumber, carrots, and sprouts keep it light. Chargrilled pork with a couple spoons of fish sauce adds some savory and salty to this tasty dish. The lunch specials are a bit pricey but the portions are large. Most people could probably stretch it to two meals.
Kim Son is a safe option with a group because the menus have something for everyone. The Vietnamese offerings are a bit more authentic but there are definitely Americanized fried and sweet dishes for the less adventurous. Because of the price and wealth of authentic Vietnamese restaurants in the area, I don’t dine at Kim Son when eating alone, but for large groups they make sure everyone leaves satisfied.

My mother and her friend have wanted to come here for so long, before a play we went ahead and tried it out!
Large building and parking lot– plenty of open seating on the first floor on a Friday at 6:30pm! We sat at the bar for a bit and tried a few drinks. I had the Apple martini which was fantastic!
We started off with shrimp spring rolls. Wrapped in soy paper– however, they put some pork in it as well. Never had that before but good! They also serve heavy portions of the peanut sauce!
I had the orange beef which was delightfully sauced and lightly fried. Other orders at the table were Mongolian beef, mediocre. As well as general Taos chicken, which was wayyy too fried and not spicy at all.
Would go back for the orange beef. That’s about it.

I usually come here for the dim sum on Saturday or Sunday mornings. I don’t know when it starts, I know it ends at 3 pm. They push the carts around and have traditional dim sum food. I think it’s better than ocean palace’s dim sum. The service is usually not too shabby and the food is reasonably priced. I usually get the hai cao and the banh cuon with shrimp in it. The Chinese broccoli is good. The BBQ pork buns are tasty as well.
The buffet however is only ok. There’s a lot of selections but there’s actually not that much to eat. Everything is only ok and not that WOW. So if you do decide to come here, go for dim sum or family style.

This place is always consistent with the food and service. They seat you right way and servers are attentive. Food is always coming out quickly and lots if it, just watch the kitchen door sometime.
It’s a good place for small or big group.

Kim Son is a throwback to where old Chinatown used to be. The interior is very clean, and pretty well decorated with an asian feel. There are two levels, and it wasn’t very crowded when I came for Friday lunch. We were promptly seated and found that the menu had a lot to offer, so it would probably easy to find something for anyone.
As far as food goes, I ordered the deep fried squid. Alas, while it looked mouthwatering, the end result was disappointing. The squid itself didn’t have much flavor, but the sauce that came with it was pretty bitter. On the up side, the dish had very good texture and the batter basically melted in your mouth. I also had some egg rolls, and I found they were too oily for my taste. Additionally, they were hard to bite into, which is not something I want in an egg roll.
While the food wasn’t great, it was good enough where I was satiated. Service could use some work too, as our server always had a disgruntled look on his face when we asked for something, but I will say that, without asking, he consistently returned to refill our drinks. Would I go back? Probably.
Service ³⁄₅
Food ³⁄₅
Ambiance 3.5÷5

Went there for lunch. Had the honey glazed pork with vermicelli. I added siracha to it and the sweetness followed by the spiciness made it a decent meal. It was alright, nothing to write home about but it was a lot of food. My colleagues had to roll me back to the car. The inside was really nice though, totally did not expect that considering what the outside looked like.
I would be willing to go back to try something from the dinner menu. They didn’t win me over but they did enough to make me pay a second visit.

Kim Son is a long time Houston restaurant serving Vietnamese food long before it caught on as a popular food. I’ve been 3 times and each time was pleasant. Parking is around the building and across the street. The building is big and busy, so parking can be tricky at times.
The interior is nicely done with an Asian Hellenistic fusion.
The menu is extensive. If you can’t find something there to eat, you have a problem. I ordered my typical: spring roll and phở thin sliced steak. Both were delicious.
The wait staff left a bit to be desired, Not the most prompt to refill drinks. It was not the busiest night and I had to flag them down.
Clean place.
Recommended

Asian fusion. Tasty options and great lunch specials.
KS is one of those restaurants that defines Houston. They have had many awards over the years in various publications and their food quality never dies. KS has multiple locations across the Houston area. There was another downtown location at one time, but this location is larger and has a nice, warm atmosphere.
I have lived in Houston the past 25 years and have been to a few different Kim Son locations many times over. This restaurant never disappoints. Vietnamese roots, but many different Asian flavors. Ramen, sweet and sour chicken, General Tso’s chicken, and fusion items such as Vietnamese fajitas.
We always start with the soft, shrimp spring rolls. I like that KS includes chicken in the roll. Very tasty.
Nice lunch options. Chicken/​pork and shrimp specials. On our last visit, my family had sweet and sour chicken and enjoyed it. Very crispy. I had the shrimp curry. The curry sauce was slightly spicy and had a great taste. The dish did only have 5 medium-​sized shrimp in my lunch portion, but it had plenty of bell pepper and onion. I didn’t specify what kind of rice I wanted, and fried rice was brought by default. I’m not usually a fried rice fan, but the rice was very good.
I ordered a Vietnamese hot coffee with my meal, but was brought an iced version. It was still good, though.
My daughter wanted a Vietnamese jelly drink for dessert, but we were told those were only available at the Bellaire location. Expect more fusion menu items at the downtown location over traditional Vietnamese.
I have had free birthday dinners at KS in the past. You may have to sign-​up on their website to get the perk.

The last time Kim Son crossed my lips was at the International Fest. I had the spring rolls. I have always enjoyed those.
I ordered them today. They were ok, just not as yum as I remember which is a shame. I had always said they were the best in town. I’m not sure if something changed or if I found better ones. Maybe my taste buds altered.
I also ordered an entrée and my husband Phở with no veggies. Here comes the tricky or odd part. Mine came out. I placed my food on my plate and waited. My mother raised me to be polite and wait until everyone has their food. And I waited. Waited some more. I think there were crickets chirping because we waited a long time… there was a pregnant wait between the time my food arrived and his.
Also, throughout this time, the server did not come over and apologize or anything or give us any assurance. Now maybe it is just me, but food should be served at the same time.
If you read other Unilocal of mine you will know I was raised in a restaurant. I may not be industry now but I have all sides of experience and my husband works at a top notch restaurant. Therefore, I deduce a two top should have their food served at the same time and there should not be an extended amount of time between the placement of the dishes.
The server was pleasant. Perhaps he forgot to put in the order. That happens. BUT the place was not hopping and I know that it gets a rocking. It was far from busy. Maybe they did did not have the broth ready, I don’t know.
As I said, my husband requested no veggies. Well they still came out on the side. Bringing them on the side is still bringing them to the table. Not bringing them to the table means we never see them and no veggies are within eye sight. I know that is a very difficult and challenging concept for some to grasp.
I asked my husband if the Phở was good. He said Mai’s is still better in fact the best in town. This Phở had way too my cilantro. He does not mind a little bit of cilantro… little bit… but he does not want it overpowering the dish and it seemed to be very powerful.
The meal was not fatally horrible by far. It just did not meet my expectations that I held in my memory bank.
10 Halley puppies sitting down.

Kim Son has some of the best Asian food in Houston. I’ve been coming here since I was a little kid with my parents. Throughout the last fifteen years, the food has always been consistent and delicious.
My favorite dish has to be the General Tso’s Chicken. The chicken is perfectly crispy in a sweet and spicy sauce. It even comes with a side of broccoli. The portions are so large that you always need a take-​out box. My second favorite dish would be the Mekong Seafood. It comes with a spicy basil sauce that is simmered with onions and scallions. The combination of the sauce and the various types of seafood produces a perfect combination.
Overall, I would definitely consider Kim Son to be one of the top Asian restaurants in Houston. The service is always perfect with friendly waiters. Parking is always ample, and there are plenty of seating options in the restaurant. I will be coming back in the future for sure!

Easy to access, easy to park, large facility with lots of seating options and tasty food, definitely worth another trip to Kim Son.
I ordered the General Tso’s entrée and was able to eat about half and then pack up the other half to tomorrow’s lunch. I’m always happy when The entrée is reasonably priced and big enough for me to cut into two meals. #Winning
When interacting with the waiter our table started some fun banter that initiated a game between the four of us and him. He challenged us to guess his age and if we guessed correctly he’d buy our next drink. We played 4 rounds and none of us correctly guessed but at the end of the night he brought out a free dessert for us, a banana split cake with oreo crust. He said we were such good sports and had such a good time with us that he felt we deserved a treat on him. Our waiter made our visit memorable and started our night off on the right foot!

My husband and I hopped over to Kim Son earlier this week since we both came home from work at the same time and thought, «we already look nice, so let’s go out.» Since we’d never been to this «landmark» Houston restaurant and didn’t need a reservation, we went.
As soon as we entered, we noticed that it was packed — — on a weeknight! It was filled with families, couples, work groups, etc, and we realized that we didn’t need to «look nice.» The place is pretty casual.
The décor is lovely. The food is reasonably priced, but since my husband and I went out to eat post-​work, we were the «nicest» dressed. Oh well, we were hungry.
Between us, we ordered The Triple Delight and the Treasure Fish Fillet. The triple delight was quite tasty. It was basically lettuce wraps with shrimp, chicken, and beef. This is what my husband ordered, but I really enjoyed my one bite I had of it. I think I’ll order this the next time I’m there.
I had the Treasure Fish Fillet, and it was okay. The fish was HUGE — — like the size of my face HUGE. On top of the fillet were scallops, vegetables, and shrimp. I usually LOVE scallops, but something didn’t taste right here. The shrimp was good, but each time I took a bit of scallops, I began to question what it was that was pretending to be a scallop… the more I thought about it, the less appetizing it seemed.
This place such a large menu that I’m sure I’ll be back and have something else the next time I’m there.
I won’t go running back, but I may consider a gentle stroll.

I don’t often give low rated reviews, but Kim Son is just alright. I’ve ordered the lunch special twice now. One time I got the Moo Goo Gai Pan and recently I got the curry chicken with steamed rice. The lunch specials are the quality expected from fake Chinese restaurants. The spring rolls were stuffed with too much rice noodle and did not contain the Vietnamese herbs that really give it their unique, fresh flavor. They only contain shrimp instead of shrimp and boiled pork loin. The eggroll was good, not the best, but did contain a lot of pork I think. The curry chicken came with almost raw onions which really turned me off. There was not enough curry flavor in the sauce, which was mostly a corn starch slurry. Very disappointing and also left me with indigestion for the whole day.
My coworkers got the phở and the «Killer Combo» rice noodle salads (bun). The meats look much better in these entrees, so I suggest staying away from the fake Asian food and getting the phở and rice noodle salads.
I wouldn’t return to this place because you can get cheaper, better Vietnamese and Chinese food elsewhere, such as Phở Saigon, Les Givral, and places in Sharpstown. The only thing I like there is the interior decorations.