Vietopia Vietnamese Cuisine

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mousermedia

Joined 7 years ago

Maggie: 0; Vietopia: -1; Whataburger: 1. I've been to Vietopia many times. I've visited this restaurant since it opened, with large groups, on dates, and as a family. But tonight was special. My husband and I decided to go to Vietopia tonight instead of cook. We were looking forward to good food and reliable service. We were seated less than 2 minutes after arriving. We knew we were in for a... unique experience when our waiter didn't take our drink orders until 5-10 minutes after being seated. The drinks arrived and we ordered. We indicated that we wanted a bowl of steamed rice fairly quickly to appease our 3-year-old, and we got it pretty fast. We got our appetizer about 15 minutes after we ordered it. Then, suddenly, the steady flow of food and service stopped. Forty minutes after we ordered (no joke; we've got a 3-year-old, we're always watching the clock), my *husband's* food arrived. The waiter apologized for the delay on his food and said that my food would be out shortly. I then sat for the next 20 minutes watching my husband eat and other diners receive their orders while I received periodic apologies from our waiter. Finally, an hour after we ordered, I waved the waiter over and cancelled my meal--my husband was done eating and my toddler's patience was waning. NOT IMPRESSED AM I. I wound up eating at Whataburger on our way home (Justaburger with cheese and an order of onion rings; not chicken curry, but I was starved). I'm stunned that Vietopia would run its kitchen in such a manner. If my husband's order was delivered to our table, then my order (Coconut Chicken Curry) should have been right behind it. Watching other diners get their food while my husband and son ate--and then waited--was NOT FUN. We won't be going back for a while. I'm extremely disappointed.

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lmoses

Joined 7 years ago

Great Curry. My husband and I do dinner backwards at this place. We start with the expresso ice cream pie to make sure we have room for it because it is awesome. Then we have the asian coconut curry chicken and finish it off with egg rolls. The service is always top notch. It is a very nice place for special occassions.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Sleek environs set the tone for a scene out of "Indochine," though the food is a little less glamorous.. In Short
Rattan fans, high ceilings, bamboo stalks and lush hardwood floors make you forget you've traversed the parking lot of one of Houston's many strip centers to get to this upscale Vietnamese bistro. While several dishes like bo cuon banh trang (lemongrass beef spring rolls) and vung tau (special grilled catfish) are noteworthy, dishes sometimes champion style over substance. Solid staples like bo luc lac will not disappoint. Large, tender and sea-fresh shrimp dishes are also winners.

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hstngirl

Joined 8 years ago

good eatin'. this place might not be the most authentic vietnamese food, but the ambience is wonderfully set. the food, although not authentic, is still delicious. Their lunch menu is very reasonable and good.

Doesn't Recommend

annkimnguyen

Joined 10 years ago

What a rip. I don't know where they got the VIET from Vietopia from, because there was a not a whiff of authentic Vietnamese food in the place. I guess when my boyfriend and I walked in, the fact that I was the only Vietnamese patron present should have set off some alarm bells. The service was terrible--we saw our waiter three times, when he took the order, when he brought us the order (wrong -- onions when I'd asked for none -- I'm allergic) and when he brought us the bill. Everything is at least twice (some 3-4 times) as expensive as most other Vietnamese places (and you only get two mediocre spring rolls for the price of four at most places) and the food was tepid at best. I don't know what "ambience" the other reviewers are talking about--the place is in a grocery shopping center!

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andreastoonice

Joined 10 years ago

Great place. Vietopia is one of my favorite places to eat. Granted its not Marks but it is a great place for lunch or a light dinner before a movie. The staff is top notch. Check out the Garlic Chicken, Pork Spring Rolls, they have amazing dumplings and L22 on the Lunch Menu. The desserts look a little scarey for my taste.

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aimeel2000

Joined 10 years ago

Excellent Food!. This is an excellent place to eat for lunch or dinner. The service is great, the restaurant has wonderful ambience, and the food is delicious.

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palapakini

Joined 11 years ago

Great Food & Ambience!. I loved the decor of the restaurant but I disliked the food. It's very nouveau and just a tad overpriced for Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine. But then again, the portions of the food have been much greater than some of the other Vietnamese places in Houston. I've never had bad service there, and the ambience has always been great but the great thing is they have a good selection for happy hour 4-7pm and great selection for lunch menu. The service there is very attentive! On the weekends, expect to wait 30-355 mins for a table. Great things to try: Vietnamese Crepe/Banh Xeo (one of the few Vietnamese establishments where they do make this dish authentic, very tasty and a great sized portion), Canh Chua/Hot & Sour Soup, and Bo Luc Lac/Flamed Boiled Filet Mignon.

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ebarsoh

Joined 10 years ago

over priced. I guess you are paying for the decorations not the food. It was O.K. There are much better places around town for vietnamese food.

Doesn't Recommend

bradyking

Joined 11 years ago

Vietcrappia. We went to this restaurant based on the decor, and were reminded why that is always a mistake. It's an elegant space with soaring ceilings and muted, tasteful French Indochina modernity, but there the charm ends. Our orders of tofu in spicy brown sauce and lemongrass chicken were lame, tame, and utterly without merit. Our advice is to stick to Milam Street if you want to find good Vietnamese (Mai's, Van Loc). Good happy hour and nice bar staff, though.