CHÉN - CHEN Vietnamese Restaurant — Restaurant in Burnaby

I have been passing Chén Restaurant almost daily while the renovations were being done. It is so exciting to have another independent restaurant open up in the Burnaby Heights area! Today was their "soft opening." Which means it is a time they test its menu, service flow, and get feedback before officially having a grand opening. I walked in without a reservation or an invitation and they accommodated my visit. The interior was so deliberate and it felt like I walked into a Vietnam movie set. From the beautiful mural on the wall, to the street signs and a table at the entrance with an old fashion fan, a couple books written in Vietnamese, an old style tv and beautiful wicker accessories. I loved it! There were a lot of people seated and a bit if a wait which is normal for a soft opening. But it was worth the wait. We ordered number 16 - Bún Bung (Hanoi style pork rib with Chén Meatball Vermicelli) and number 41 - Bún Dau Man Tom and a refreshing Calamansi Lemonade. The Bún Bung was delicious. It came with a side of pickled onions and chicharon. The soup was so favorable! It was very comforting. The mixture of meats were plentiful and very well prepared. The Bún Dau Man Tom was also very flavourful and each item was prepared with it's own distinct flavours. I especially enjoyed the crab pocket and my son loved the intestines. It was all very delicious. The Calamansi Lemonade was the perfect accompaniment to the meal. Overall for a soft opening, which usually comes with slower service and maybe other small issues. It was a very positive experience. I do suggest you bring your patience and understanding as it is a time for the owner and team to test out their daily operation. I will definitely come back to try the other offerings on their menu. I hope to add this restaurant to my rotation of food places to go to when craving Vietnamese foods. Wishing the owners and team...

Very disappointing experience. We arrived around 1:00 p.m. and waited at the entrance for 10 minutes before anyone came to ask for our party size and add our name to the waitlist. We continued waiting at the door for over 45 minutes before finally being seated around 2:00 p.m. Interestingly, right after we sat down, we received a call from the restaurant saying our table was ready — meaning we would have waited over 1.5 hours if we hadn’t stayed by the entrance.

We placed our food and drink orders right away. The food arrived within 15–20 minutes, but the drinks didn’t come until we had almost finished eating, which didn’t make sense.

The service was poor. Staff forgot our requests, brought out food without utensils, and even forgot the iced water we asked for.

As for the food:

Phở tái lăn was decent; the broth wasn’t very flavorful, but the rice noodles were authentic. Cơm má heo ngũ vị was disappointing. The rice was clumpy, the portion of pork was too small, and while the fish sauce was okay, the accompanying soup was bland. Bún đậu mắm tôm was the worst. It cost $49 for a surprisingly small portion. We’ve ordered this dish elsewhere for half the price and double the portion. The pork hock was paper-thin, we only got three thin slices of blood sausage, the tofu was over-fried, and we received just six small cubes of vermicelli. The shrimp paste was overly salty and sweet, even after we added lots of kumquat and lime to balance it out. They mentioned it was their first day and blamed the delays on problems with their cashier system. While that might explain some of the service issues, it doesn't justify the poor food quality or high prices. Despite being a soft opening, there were no discounts or complimentary items. Almost every main dish was over $18, which did not match the quality or portion size.

We hope they improve, especially with portion sizes and...

This was my first visit to CHEN Vietnamese Restaurant, which specializes in Northern Vietnamese cuisine. Our server was friendly and helpful and when I asked for recommendations, she highlighted several dishes and mentioned her personal favorite, #37 Hanoi Style Vermicelli Noodle with Grilled Pork ($21.75). According to the menu, this dish features grilled pork and pork meatballs in CHEN’s signature chili sauce, served with vermicelli noodles, fresh herbs, and a crispy spring roll. We also tried the #23 Grilled Chicken & Prawns on Rice ($18.95).

Overall, the food was enjoyable and nicely presented. It is a bit different from what you’d typically find at other Vietnamese restaurants. The portions, however, felt slightly smaller than expected for the price, which is on the higher side.

The restaurant itself is compact, with tables placed fairly close together, but it’s bright, clean, and welcoming. The staff were attentive and friendly, and the place was bustling during our visit. By the time we left, several people were waiting for a table. This is always a good sign.

Would we return? Most likely yes, as we’d love to explore more items on their menu.

As a side note, the menu is beautifully designed, but the white font on wood table background made it a bit hard to read. I wonder if other patrons have had the same experience, or...