Coriander Vietnamese Restaurant

Are you down to phở!!! You better be you naughty son of a gun. You like to phở a lot I’m sure… but know the spring rolls (summer rolls?) whatever season of rolls it is… with tofu (pork is ok but the tofu ones are better) and the dipping sauce… is legit as a mother phở’er!!! Treat yourself to those cold rice paper rolls because they will phở you up in a good way. Amazing.
The phở? Ah yes. Phở’ing amazing. I had the chicken and added a ton of the spicy paste from the jar (and it was bliss). Broth was nourishing and tasty (not super salty either). Plenty of noodles and meat provided… and a large size bowl of warm belly joy.
Everything you want in a Vietnamese restaurant is here… and they have a few TV’s on the wall for sports if you are so inclined.

Coming from someone who loves Vietnamese food and has eaten all over Sac: I wouldn’t recommend this place.
The food was decent, sure, but the menu is so small! My friend and I shared the nem nuong spring rolls, which we really liked. The bun bo hue was too sweet and the pork chop plate was just alright.
Service was good and attentive. Although there are only 10 – 15 tables so I can’t imagine it otherwise.
This place is nothing spectacular especially for $ 15 per person; I’d rather hit up a hole in the wall with authentic food.

Delicious! My favorite place for lunch Teresa and Bi are the bomb! So hospitable…

I’m Vietnamese and this is pretty damn good Vietnamese food. Their phở is amazing. Very complex broths — something I’d expect out of a Vietnamese mama’s kitchen, not a midtown restaurant! Bun Bo hue is also unexpectedly authentic, cooked blood cube and all! Banh xeo (crêpe) is also the crispiest I’ve had in town. Banh beo leaves something to be wanted though. Can’t compare to Westminster’s Quan Hy but I hope they keep working to improve their recipe. Even compared to all the Stockton Blvd restaurants, Coriander brings me closest to my mom’s cooking and makes me just a little less homesick whenever I indulge. Happy hour is from 2 – 5 pm, some not all appetizers are $ 5 and a small discount on beers. I would suggest trying phở beef, phở chicken, bun Bo hue, banh canh, banh xeo… In that order

We were reminded today why we don’t try different restaurants in Sacramento.
Here’s some things wrong with our experience:
1. We ordered iced tea and requested some type of sweetener for it. They did not have anything but granulated sugar. Really? Go to the dollar store and get some.
2. When we turned to Unilocal to see pictures of the food offerings, the waitress saw us doing so and kindly showed us a real-​life bowl with what she said was a really popular dish. Seeing the dish, I said wow that looks like a lot of food! She suggested asking for rice instead of noodles, so my boyfriend did so. When we got the food, it was COMPLETELY different than what she had shown us. And she knew it did! She offered him a bowl so he could «mix the Ingredients» but that didn’t hide the fact that it was a tiny @$$ portion! We didn’t want to be rude so we didn’t say anything. My boyfriend ate the food begrudgingly and noted that he wouldn’t be coming back because of that.
HOWEVER my dish, the lemongrass chicken was delicious and well proportioned. I would only order that, and order it TO GO. it was definitely not worth $ 38 for what we got.

Walked in here with hubs about 12pm on a Friday it’s pretty busy here. Was greeted by the servers with a smile and was seated quickly. It’s a very beautiful place modern accents and granite table tops. Colours are earth tones with dark brown and white with a touch of black. Our server brought us waters and handed us the menu. As I looked over the menu I realized how simplify it was. It had 7 appetizers, 12 mains entrees, 11 drinks and 3 desserts. Not use to something like this because most of the time when you go into a Vietnamese restaurant it’s a book for a menu. So it was nice to have a more simple menu but it did have all the basic Vietnamese dishes like bun bo hue, phở, vermicelli and spring rolls. We ended ordering: Garlic & Chili chicken wings to start and share, hubs got the Avacado smoothie shake to drink and I got the Vietnamese coffee, for our mains he ordered the Pork and egg roll vermicelli and I was Craving the Beef Phở.
Food came out fairly quickly, the garlic & chili chicken wings really, really good. The beef phở was really refreshing and not oily like some places. The Vietnamese coffee was good, I tried hubs avocado smoothie and it was ok, it was too watery for my liking. The servers are attentive and check up on you often.
Parking is really hard to find sometimes you might have to park elsewhere like we did a few blocks back and walked over. Make sure you check at the time limit.

My friends and staff from work has been telling me about this place for awhile now, so finally had a chance tonight to try it out.
My first impression was it looks modern with out door seating which I think is awesome. It’s a little small inside so I can’t image during rush hour lol but it’s definitely would be worth the wait. We came in about 9:00 and they close at 10:00 but What I love was all the staff there were so friendly unlike some places that are rude when you come in towards closing time. We got seated right awhile. I Love the décor of the place.
So I got their bun bo hue with a Vietnamese coffee, husband got the bun Tom thit nuong and my daughter got the Vietnamese sandwich, let me just say everything was amazing! The staff kept checking on us to make sure everything was good and I like how it’s not just one waitress helping out but they work as a team to make sure the customer is happy (I rarely see that now and days at restaurants) all have I definitely will be back. Awesome service and delicious food!

I totally forgot to write a review about this place when I was there about a month ago. It’s become one of my favorite Vietnamese next to Phở Le. I really like the way the restaurant look when I walked in with its modern deco. They also have outdoor seating but the day I was there it was a little cold so we dined in. We were seated right away and given the menu. There were so many great reviews about Coriander and their pork chop meal, I was really looking forward to coming here.
As I looked over the menu, it looked like they had a lot of wonderful over rice dishes. But I stuck with what I came here for so I ordered the pork chop with rice and my wife had the shaken beef over rice.
Our waiter came back with our iced jasmine tea and that was my first time I’ve had it and it was totally refreshing. Kind of nice way to start your meal. Soon after that our meals came and I was ready to dive in. Rich L was so right about their pork chops. It’s one of the best I’ve tasted. I can easily eat four of them along with my rice and salad. In no time I plowed through my pork chop meal and finished it. Of course I was not satisfied so I ordered the lemongrass chicken with rice. I look over to my better half and she was enjoying her shaken beef but wasn’t talking so much.
Minutes later my lemongrass chicken came. Man you can’t get any better than this. Felt like I haven’t eaten at all bc this lemongrass chicken was the bomb. After the lemongrass chicken I had a smile of satisfaction on my face. One last craving was a nice strong cup of Vietnamese coffee. I told the waiter not to put much condensed milk and little bit on the bitter and strong side and I want it to go. He smiled and nodded,“Coming right up.“
I paid my bill and my wife and I got up and the waiter handed me my Vietnamese coffee. I took a sip and it was a perfect cup of Vietnamese coffee. I will definitely be back and I want him to supersize my coffee next time I come here.

We had dinner there tonight and everything was delicious. We had basically everything in their menu. Their Banh canh was on point. Their bun bo hue & tofu soup was very popular at our table and let’s not forget about their jackfruit salad. Also we had their tofu spring rolls. I was kind of hesitant to come here today since it was good Friday/​lent, I am glad my SIL got us out! Even my daughter who cleaned her bowl of phở approves!
Now let’s talk about the service. Our waiters were very attentive and always made sure we have everything we needed. I have 2 toddlers and we all know going out with young kids might be difficult, but our waitress did not once make us feel like it was all too much. Great customer service!

This place is clean, open but cozy, and provides friendly service! I had dinner there with friends for the first time recently, and everyone loved their food. The menu is not overwhelming, consisting of one page. I wanted to try everything but unfortunately, had to restrain myself at this first visit, so I’m looking forward to dining there again soon!
There’s no parking lot, but plenty of street parking in the evenings.

This is a simplified and updated Vietnamese restaurant.
It is very clean! Service is really fantastic as well.
The menu here is very simple, there are only about 10 appetizer and about 15 entrée, and they all highlight the classic cuisine of Vietnam. My favorite here is Bun Bo Hue, very delicious broth, I only wish they give me more pork blood.
Also the chicken wings are yum yum yum here.
Would stop here after a long day at Tahoe.

I don’t always opt for a «Girls Only» mid afternoon lunch date, but when I do this is the kind of place for such an occasion.
when you arrive to the corner location of Alhambra and S street you will notice a parking garage attached to the building… Parking not marked «future Residents» is up for grabs if your lucky to score one!
When you enter the open, slightly intimate restaurant you are immediately drawn to the idea of outdoor seating-​a perfect option for these mild winter days. Then you find yourself stalking every dish that walks by and just wanting a sample of it. If you are not familiar with Vietnamese Cuisine like myself you can easily navigate through the menu, identify foods you know and never imagine how satisfying they can be combined into a aesthetically stimulating dish.
This was a Culinary adventure for me and I can not wait to come back for more!
The Bun Thit Nuong is out of this world and I think anyone that loves fresh, crisp flavorful food would be happy to experience this bowl of heaven.
The Dish: An over sized bowl filled with thin rice noodles (white) 2 grilled shrimp, thin sliced grilled pork (tender), crispy egg rolls (cut), grated carrots, green onions, chopped peanuts, sliced crisp iceberg and cilantro fill this bowl of deliciousness. A dish of light vinegar «sauce» is served on the side be generous… Pour the whole bowl on! Add: Hot chili oil or sriracha. Phenomenal.

I biggest pet peeve has always been service. You can bring me a mediocre meal and give great customer service and I will leave smiling and tell all my friends. On the other hand… you can bring me a spectacular meal with a terrible attitude (Morimoto’s Napa) and I will tell everyone.
I thought I was getting «special» service here but the truth is, their servers bring it for everyone. Upbeat personalities, kindness, and fairly efficient are the servers here.
Recently rated as one of the best Vietnamese restaurant in the Sacramento area, their menu is a solid staple.

SURPRISE FOOD ADVENTURE #13
(How it works: One person in the group picks a secret place for food and only gives the other members of the group the address of the place without telling them the name. Everyone shows up to the secret location and surprise food adventures follow!)
I am genuinely very impressed with Coriander (and so are my Vietnamese friends!)
Located at the corner of Alhambra and S St., Coriander has fast become one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants in the Sacramento area, and one of the few that isn’t on Stockton, where all the rest seem to be clustered. Coriander is bright and inviting, with a very fresh and modern to feel to it.
What I like most about Coriander is the variety of food options that they offer here, while still maintaining a high level of quality for each of their dishes.
+ BUN THIT NUONG (Grilled pork, grilled shrimp, egg rolls over rice noodles, lettuce, fresh herbs, carrots with savory sauce with a vegetarian option also available): Aka. the vermicelli mixed bowl. I am in love with this dish. It is so good! This is truly a mixed bowl, as you can probably tell from the description, with a little bit of everything, but it all goes so well together! I wasn’t sure how I would feel about egg rolls with the dish, but they add a nice crunch to your meal to mix things up between bites of noodle.
+ PHO BEEF: I was pleasantly surprised by the phở here, given that Coriander is not one of those restaurants that specializes in phở, and only phở. I find it impressive that they are able to serve up a mean phở, that hits all the right spots (flavorful broth, well cooked noodles, tender brisket), despite not being a dedicated phở place. I feel that this truly speaks to the quality of what you get at Coriander.
+ BUN BO HUE: (Braised pork, beef brisket homemade meatballs, cooked blood cake and rice noodles served in simmered spicy lemongrass broth) I only sampled the bun bo hue that my friend ordered, but it was also quite good. If you’re not a fan of blood tofu/​blood «cake,» maybe stay away from this dish.
tl;dr: Friendly staff, clean and modern interior, and delicious Vietnamese food– what more can you ask for? Definitely a favorite location of mine for Vietnamese food in Sac.

Came here around 8:30pm on Saturday night for dinner. I was starving. I wanted to order everything on the menu. Ended up ordering Banh Xeo (Vietnamese crêpe filled with shrimp, chicken, & served w/​side of lettuce, cilantro, and mint) Hands down the best banh xeo I’ve ever had! For my entrée I ordered the pork chop w/​rice. (2 large grilled pork chops served w/​rice, fried egg, and a salad) Flavors was on point and I finished it! My friend had the Vietnamese udon soup. I didn’t get to try it, but she said it was flavorful and they are not stingy with the meat. Overall, I would definitely come back. Service btw was excellent too.

Was craving for some hot phở on a brisk cold night! I heard about this joint from a friend so i decided to give it a go!!!
The location is in midtown and this phở place is very modern and hip! It has an open kitchen, modern tables, and a cool sitting bar area!
Also, it has tons a televisions BUT the majority of the screens were nbc news!?? For real??? On a Monday night??? Come on man!!! Put the Monday night football game on the big screen!!! They were playing the game on the small screens and the news on the large screens… That’s a NO NO!!!
Back to the food! For starters we ordered the fried egg rolls (cha gio), deep fried shrimp roll, fresh spring roll (nem nuong), and banh beo.
The cha gio was pretty good… Flavor was good and it was crispy BUT it was Sizzling hot out of the fryer… It was only warm…
The deep fried shrimp roll was good and I like how they put a long green onion in it as well! But again, it wasn’t sizzling hot!
The nem nuong was good… Meat and produce was fresh… BUT Bön Mua on 65^th Stockton Blvd has the best…
Lastly, the banh beo was tasty and I love the deep fried shrimp and onions were delicious!
The phở bo was pretty tasty and the meat was so tender! I even ordered the meat on the side because I love cooking it in the broth! As for the broth, it was piping hot with fresh green and white onions… Good flavor and not too salty! The only part I wasn’t crazy about was the noodles because it was in a big clump… Like eating a ball of noodles… Lastly, they need to add more meat!!! I wasn’t full… More meat the better!
For $ 10 a bowl I expect more meat… At Hoa Viet you can get more meat for less!
We also ordered two shakes: the avocado and jack fruit! Both was just average and probably wouldn’t order them again… It was too icy and not sweet enough… And for $ 4.50 it wasn’t worth it!
Service was pretty good but they seem under staffed and I was informed they were under new management! I think they can improve on some things: serve the food while its hot, improve the shakes, and add more meat to the bowl of phở!
I would come back though and give it another round!

Just meh. I had high hopes… ordered the classic Phở but my chicken dish left much to be desired
I loved the vibe and city feel of the place and the service was friendly… but the food let me down. I brought a friend with me that has never experienced Vietnamese food… she loved her lemon grass chicken which I’m thankful for but I just couldn’t recommend the phở which is a Vietnamese standard… next time I’m taking her to my fave. Saigon Bay, just minutes from home where the Phở is consistently good!!!

Of all the Vietnamese restaurants I’ve been there from South Sacramento to Elk Grove, I decided to go to this East Sac Vietnamese restaurant called, «Coriander.» Coriander Vietnamese restaurant has all your favorite Vietnamese dishes and cuisines from the well renowned Phở to Bun Bo Hue including spring rolls to Banh Mi. As I came inside the restaurant this afternoon on 9÷2÷2015, the atmosphere is very contemporary made filled with happiness. The décor is natural, so it feels like living in the early 21^st Century home. The table capacity is small inside and outside no matter where you sit at.
The servers have done a fantastic job here. The server, Theresa is such a remarkable, ongoing lady as I welcome there including serving some great drinks and food too! No problems or issues at all!
Now onto the food entrée! I ordered the most signature Vietnamese entrée: Phở Chicken aka Phở Ga. So far, Phở Ga tasted remarkably good! Way better than any Vietnamese restaurants in the South Sacramento neighborhood for the past 15 years. The broth is flavorful after I squeezed a slice of lime. The chicken is well cooked successfully although it gets dry for a while as I ate it slowly. The rest of the Phở Ga ingredients worked very well to make the best Phở. Not a bad meal at all!
Additionally, I also ordered the Chrysanthemum Iced Tea, and it tasted outstanding! The flavors of the chrysanthemums worked well as it evaporates the taste! Such a feel-​good drink!
The parking can be scarce. You can find the surface street parking near the restaurant; be careful to check the time limit signs before you park there. Otherwise, you can ride a bike, walk, or using public transportation without the hassles.
In the end, Coriander Vietnamese Restaurant is the greatest and the best Vietnamese restaurant in the East Sacramento and Midtown neighborhood! A well, worthy visit, and I’m planning to come back for more!

I approve.
This is the first time I’ve been here. I was hungry for Vietnamese food and didn’t want to go too far off the grid; praise be for Coriander!
It’s totally modern, clean, and gorgeous inside the restaurant. The girl that helped me was very nice.
The food:
Bun thit nuong– my fav. I was pleased to find a giant pile of it inside the box; vermicelli on top of mint, cucumbers, green leaf lettuce, sprouts, cilantro, and pickled carrots with tasty non-​fatty pork and (only two) shrimp on top, with two cut-​up egg rolls and some fish sauce. Pretty standard, but everything was deliciously fresh and I enjoyed it immensely. It didn’t have any spicy sauce on it anywhere, but I forgot to ask for it.
I will be returning!

We all know the Vietnamese restaurant scene in Sacramento is flooded with some amazing eateries. And when you’re leasing a higher rent area; in this case, East Sacramento, the food better be damn good. Well, I abandoned my usual South Sac gems that I’ve grown to love and just had to check this place out, at «Coriander Vietnamese Restaurant».
I came here with my fiancée on a cool Saturday evening in May around 8:00pm. Luckily in this part of town (at Alhambra and S St’s), the parking was a breeze. We literally parked directly in front of the restaurant! Once entering, the interior had a very industrialized and modern look to it. There was an abundance of stainless steel walls that added the trendiness while four large LED TV’s were directly in front of the bar area. And with it being on the Midtown/​East Sac border, it had a really cool vibe to it.
Once we were seated, we both were given iced waters and menus. As I had cravings for Phô all evening long, I finally narrowed down my choices and ordered the «Phở Beef» (for $ 9.95). This bowl consisted of thin sliced rare rib-​eye steak, braised brisket, beef meatballs, and fresh rice noodles in fragrant ginger anise beef broth topped with fresh herbs. I also ordered the «Egg Rolls» (for $ 6.95) as our appetizer of choice. These were pork egg rolls in a crunchy wrap with clear noodles, carrots and taro. Since the proportions here looked relatively large (as in most Vietnamese establishments), we both decide on splitting this order.
Within minutes, the (4) egg rolls arrived. These definitely hit a grand slam in my book as the crispiness held up while the inside ingredients provided a perfect blend of sweet and salty. The Phở Beef came out shortly thereafter. I particularly enjoyed how they were generous with the steak and meatballs. The broth and other produce had a nice noodle to veggie ratio. It definitely ranks up there as one of the better places I’ve been to and I would highly recommend trying it if you want to stay on the grid.
The nice thing about «Coriander» is that they offer a decent Happy Hour every Monday through Thursday from 2−6pm. This includes a variety of $ 3.00 beers and $ 5.00 appetizers. Additionally, they offer a nice beer and wine selection as well as a small dessert menu. I would have to say that the quality of the food matched with the service we received was above average. Is it 5-​star worthy? Not quite compared to other places I’ve been to. But if you’re looking for a clean and classy environment, I would give «Coriander» a try.