Phu Yen

Phu Yen is an old fashioned banh mi shop. they sell hardly anything eles, not much premade food. $ 3 pricing for all the various banh mi.
menu: bahn mi, smoothies, premade foods
eats: ham and pâté bahn mi (3)
–lots of meat, still cold from refrigerator.
–slight amount of veggies.
–much better deal than lee’s where 3 pieces of meats is about it.
crumbs:
–cash only
–may repeat if in area, good value!
–limited seating

Phú Yên (PY) is a tiny Vietnamese Bánh Mì (sandwich) shop, that’s located in a ghetto-​fabulous strip mall in San José’s Berryessa neighborhood. Named after the coastal province in South Central Vietnam, PY also happens to be where I first experienced my beloved Bánh Mì. While I’ve certainly found better Viet sandwiches elsewhere in the city, PY still holds its own. Here’s a rundown:
Goi Cuôn (Spring Rolls) — Standard Spring Rolls, that are usually fresh, but occasionally can taste like day-​olds. PY’s Peanut Sauce is really sweet, with not much Peanut flavor; I wish they would add some Peanut chunks in there to help with the texture, but it gets the job done. 3*
Bread– PY might be one of the few Bánh Mì joints that doesn’t make their own bread. They serve up a pretty standard French Roll that, if you’re not careful, can really Cap’n Crunch your mouth. 2.75*
Veggies– Typical assortment of pickled Daikon, Carrots and fresh Jalapeños. They have a good flavor, but they’re not as crunchy as I’d like. Also, the Jalapeños never seem too hot – which is a shame. 3*
Meat:
#5: Xá Xíu (BBQ Pork) — Good flavor and sweetness, but can occasionally be a bit dry. 3*
#2: Thit Nuóng (Grilled Pork) — One of the better Grilled Pork I’ve had; it has a nice subtle smokiness to go along with the sweetness of the Pork. 4*
#1: Dâc Biêt (Cha Lua [Viet Bologna], Ham, Head Cheese, & Pâté) — This is my current favorite Sammy from PY – mostly because I’m a sucker for Head Cheese, but their Pâté is pretty tasty as well. 4.5*
Service & Ambiance– The lady who I usually deal with is always very nice and speaks a respectable amount of English. The site itself is a literal hole-​in-​the-​wall, and has one table that seats about four people. The décor also leaves much to be desired, but who cares really? 4* Service/​2.5* Ambiance
Value– PY has a tremendous value at $ 3 for a Bánh Mì; which, I believe, is comparable to SoCal pricing. I usually opt for extra meat ($ 1) on my Sammy because –at that price– I can’t afford *not* to! Also, please note, they are cash only – which is probably how they keep the prices so low. 5*
PY is a solid option for lunch, or breakfast (!) – especially in an area that’s already bereft of good dining options. Overall, I’d rate them at 3.5-stars, but –seeing as how they were my first– I’ll give them the ½-​star bump they deserve. Chúng ta hãy ăn!

ghetto berryessa next to the outdated Safeway and horrible drivers. they have pretty good gia (the light colored Vietnamese version of spam). one with peppercorn and tendon in a leaf and one plain with foil. or was it plain wrapped in foil? one roll is about $ 4.50 if I remember correctly. cash only! very tiny shop also selling other Vietnamese delicacies. there’s wellsfargo couple doors down to the right if you need money. and Safeway to the left. rather come here for a DIY banh mi breakfast than come to downtown. both areas are ghetto, but I’m more familiar with berryessa and it’s closer to me.
ps if I don’t have pâté in my banh mi, I’ll have the feeling of hulk smash. it’s that important to me and it’s a damn good thing they have it in their banh mi. I would’ve given them ZERO stars. no really.

Three dollars for a tasty and filling sandwich in the bay area is hard to beat. This place has a homey and authentic feel, the man who took my order and made my sandwich was very friendly and smiley. I ordered a dac biet sandwich, while I’ve never had one before I really enjoyed it. Fresh warm bread, plenty of cilantro, meat and veggies makes for a great sandwich in my book.

Tried out the place, ordered a dac biet sandwich. It’s not bad. They stuff their sandwich with loads of meat, but missing some flavor I like. I should have ask for extra butter because it was a Tad dry but not bad at all. She toast my sandwich n I request her to take it out early Cuzco I don’t like crunchy bread. Place is small, don’t sell much premade items but I see a Guy eating their noodle soup. Will try that next time instead. look in the fridge, looks like they have pâté, n bags of egg rolls etc for sell. They do make party tray food. Women working there was nice enough. Forgot It was a cash only store, looked in my change n crap only had enough for a sandwich. I wanted a drink ugh. Whatever happened to $ 1 vietnamese sandwich. So thirsty, don’t wanna stand in line again at Safeway or CVS. Damn lines.

I randomly stumbled upon this place one day while looking for food near my place in Berryessa. When I first went there it was kind of intimidating since the menu was not in English. I had to order by pointing to pictures on the wall. So far I’ve tried most of their Vietnamese sandwiches which I think are much better than Lee’s sandwiches and it’s also cheaper. I’ve also tried the spicy noodles and it’s pretty good as well. Overall this place is very good in terms of value. There’s also a wide variety of food if you know how to order it. Also they only accept cash.

Unbelievable price and SO yummy and authentic. Nice guy behind the counter with a warm smile and good vibe. Highly recommended! He could charge more and it would still be a great deal.

I’ve been coming here since a baby, since sandwiches used to be $ 1, and despite the price increase to $ 3 or $ 3.50, I’ll keep coming back. Why? Simple honest Vietnamese food!
Sandwiches are always freshly prepared and in a super traditional manner. Nothing here is Americanized like Lee’s Sandwiches. The bread is good (although sometimes microwaved), the meats are tasty, their butter/​mayo sauce is yummy, and the veggies are fresh. Overall, a solid sandwich that I would pick over Subway’s $ 5 footlong any and every day of the week. Their cha (fried pork roll thingy) is also good my family has also purchased their raw nem to cook at home and put in our spring rolls. My dad always says the nem needs a bit more flavor, but it’s a decent purchase.
Atmosphere and service here suck, but that’s not really why I go to a Vietnamese sandwich shop. It’s not like anyone eats there anyways. The lady has had a constant scowl on her face since 1988 but her husband who works in the back is always nice when he comes to the front. The younger girl (daughter/​niece?) is generally nice too, but the point is I DON’T CARE. You can be mean-​mugging me all you want as long as you make me a good sandwich, quick fresh and cheap, and that is certainly the case here. Phu Yen, I will never leave you!

RUN AWAY!!! I would give zero or half a star if possible because that’s how bad it is, doesn’t deserve any full stars!
They are lucky to be in business for being located in a plaza near the banks, Safeway and CVS. The only reason I would ever go here is because it’s near my house and convenient to stop by for a loaf of Vietnamese ham whenever I shop at Safeway. But seriously, their ham is below average quality. The last straw that scared me away for good is when my parent brought home a loaf of ham from them and it turned out completely raw and bloody. What in the world? I’m certain we ordered for a fully cooked and ready to eat ham, not whatever that was. To save the ham, we had to re-​steamed it but my goodness it took a long time (over 1 hour) to cook it thoroughly. Somehow the ham became bloated after re-​steaming and the taste was lost, it wasn’t ham anymore but more like steamed pork. Go to Gio Cha Duc Huong if you like Vietnamese ham and good quality for the same price!
Service is unwelcoming as if they don’t want to do business with their customers that enters the shop. If you think being Asian or Vietnamese will mean friendlier service, think again! In fact, they are probably more rude to you if you’re Vietnamese and Asian.

This is literally the type of spot I think of when I imagine a whole in the wall spot. Yep, it is located kind of in the corner of a shopping mall, I never remember the name and well, the inside is surely lacking. Entering the walls are bare, it doesn’t seem that clean. I think it has like one or two plain tables and um, it isn’t a place you want to stay and hang out at.
But…
The service is honestly pretty friendly. It is quick, they add the pâté I ask for and don’t seem put out. For Asian places like this, I was happy with the service.
The sandwiches are tasty. The bread is fresh and crispy. The chicken was soft. The pâté was the right consistency. Additionally, all the veggies were fresh, crisp and light. Every time I’m happy and sure to come back.
At $ 3.00 you just can’t beat it.
Get in.
Get out.
Have a quick yummy lunch!

Chicken sandwich is really good.

NO NO NO! I’m not sure why this place is still open. First of all when my husband and I walked in, the worker acted as if we were disturbing her. She was unfriendly and irritated with our presence. Don’t you want to make money?!!
We ordered 2 sandwiches and they were both bad. The fillings didn’t taste fresh and the bread was terrible. It was dry, flavorless and too thick, like hoagie size bread. Please go to Lee’s instead!

Just came here to try out the sandwiches. The place is not to far from the house and I always wondered why I hadn’t tried this place. A friend had recommended the place a few years ago because the sandwiches were around a couple of bucks. The prices have gone up since then, since all the sandwiches were $ 3.
I split a bbq pork sandwich and a pâté/​ham sandwich with my wife. Both were underperforming. The bread was dry and there was a lot of it. The fillings weren’t very tasty.
I also had a iced coffee, which was okay at $ 2.
note: cash only

This is based solely on the Phở Tai. I guess I need to adventure back for the sandwhiches and ect! I went here because I have a mild sickness with an obsession for Phở, specifically Phở Tai and it’s across the street from me. So sad little monkey. The woman at the counter was incredibly friendly and I hate to give such a low rating, but this is about the food. It was prepared fresh and, as she kindly asked, the meat was separate so it didn’t overcook while I walked home with it. I noticed there was no basil or ngo gai and asked for some. She replied they had ran out. It was the middle of the day, that’s not good and Safeway is next door, at least grab some basil. The broth was kinda bland and the meat was rather grainy and tough. So regretfully I will not be back here for the Phở.

I got a vegetarian banh mi… delicious! Much better than the one I have had from Lee’s. The bread is not too dry that it scratches your mouth. The tofu has enough taste to make up for the lack of meat.
The girl who cashiered was super nice too! She gave me back 50 cents when I was about to leave, because the veggie banh mi is only $ 2.50…talk about honesty.

When I’m craving a REAL Vietnamese sandwich, this is one of the places I go to.
I’ve had the thit nguoi (cold cut pork), house special (cold cut pork plus cured pork, xa xiu (BBQ pork), xiu mai (meat balls), ba chi (fatty BBQ pork) and cha ca (fish patty) sandwiches. They were all GOOD!
The reason why I give this place a full 5 stars is that they are able to stay alive and open even after Lee’s Sandwiches opened up across the street. I would eat here ten million times over Lee’s.
AUTHENTIC Vietnamese sandwiches.
(Read my Dakao review to get my gripe about Lee’s.)

no bells and whistles here– just plain awesome.
Can I get a whistle, round of applause, and love for the mom and pops?
I love mom and pop hole in the walls. Can we be any more OG and awesome?
I have been making rounds at that old school Berryessa shopping center since I was a kid– when Baskin Robbins was in that corner on the right and World Savings was in business before Wells Fargo. I am an OG there and am incredibly grateful that they have kept it OG by not removing the beloved Phu Yen hole in the wall.
Decades have past and that shopping center has not changed one bit. One thing that keeps that place original is the business owners who have been there before all the bells and whistles. The ones who have lasted. Sure, things have changed and people come and go.
But Phu Yen has been around for a while. It demonstrates their strengths and talents.
With incredible noodles and not to mention BEST, CHEAP Vietnamese sandwiches (try grilled chicken), they are a winner in my book. I love how quiet, chill, and unsuspecting it is. The last time I was there, I was thoroughly entertained by a random Vietnamese show playing on the tube with these 3 guys doing an ‘N Sync dance/​song. Classic.
It is the perfect meet up place for the ones who want a private, secluded, unpredictable, and confidential lunch. You know what I’m talking about.
I have a lot of respect for those restaurants that don’t have to plaster 500 photos outside with tacky interior decoration to get people to like them. They are just plain good, and they don’t need any decorations to remind people of that. They don’t need to put on a front or sticky illusory exterior to say «come on in! we’re good!» Much love to them.

The only place that sells Vietnamese sandwiches (banh mi) for under $ 2.50.
They are famous for their cha lua (AKA gio).
They are not built for speed; one time I ordered 2 sandwiches and it took them nearly 8 minutes to finish and I was the only one there!

3.5 stars — come here mostly for their little egg rolls 3/​$ 1 I believe. They are the real ones with mashed taro, great when fresh but not bad even if not. I used to come here for the pork loaf too — always fresh, most times still hot off from the steamed cage. It’s cheap — $ 2.50 or $ 2.75 I think.
Tried their sandwich before — we only ever order the combo and it’s not bad. $ 2.50 or $ 2.75?
Also ate phở there before when they took the next door space — it was ok. It’s always quiet there but I guess they get a lot of takeouts.

This little hole in the wall is my favorite place to get hangover Phở.
I usually come in around 1pm, when I usually wake up from my drunken stupor, and order a large to go. Its in a shopping center next to a Safeway so sometimes Ill run over to Safeway and grab some stuff while im waiting for my food and sometimes Ill even consider getting more booze and then I start thinking man thats not good for your liver and its too early to be drinking you’re nuts phở has got to be ready by now…
The broth here has NO OILY FAT!!! It feels healthy. It tastes healthy. Its diet Phở! Ill admit its not as full of flavor as its fatty Phở cousin but it really does taste guilt-​free and doesnt give you that MSG headache after.
They also make and sell awesome sandwiches, spring rolls, gio lua, etc… Everythings cheap too!
Hey but what do I know? Im Korean. A fat Korean that eats 4 times as much as a skinny Vietnamienne. (whoa I just dropped some french on you)
Davids Bottom Line… You win when you eat at Phu Yen.