J.A.M Viet Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Houston

Starting with the service, it’s clear that the staff practices mindfulness when it comes to dining, and this really made the eating experience at J.A.M a lot more special. Our server, Tran, was awesome in describing what’s going on with each dish and making sure we were completely on board with any adjustments we made. I ordered a meatless bánh xèo and noticed that even our receipt showed that they noted to make the shrimp bánh xèo first before pork and shrimp ones. It’s details like this that show their care for each diner who comes in.

• Bánh Xèo Tacos: The bánh xèo themselves are pretty traditional (crispy and savory with a hint of sweetness from the coconut in the batter). However, I really appreciated that they provided a nice variety of greens inside. And while the mango slices were new to me, I really liked what they added to the dish. You really can’t go wrong with bánh xèo! • Raw Oysters: These hit the spot for me when it came to my oyster craving. The nước mắm vinaigrette was an addition I never I knew I needed before trying it here! I can’t go back to regular oysters anymore after these. • Grilled Oysters: These had a nice dose of creaminess and were very rich. If you haven’t tried oysters yet, then this is a good way to ease yourself into them, as the cream cheese tones down the flavor and texture of the oyster itself. • Tôm Sốt Thái (Shrimp Mango Salad): I never had anything like this before, and I really liked it! The flavors were very bright, tangy, spicy, and complex. I had the option to have the shrimp raw - like a ceviche, which provided a very unique textural experience. • Sizzling Fried Rice: A beautiful, amplified take on a classic. The fluffy egg that they line around the rice is wonderful, and the tobiko they put on top really gives the dish a depth of flavor and a satisfying crunch that makes it difficult to stop eating. • Mì Quảng: An extremely hearty soup that is sure to fill you up. The fried boiled egg was perfectly jammy. All of the other components of the soup - especially the broth - make this feel like a feast in a bowl. The shrimp cracker was a nice, delicate balance to the soup’s complexity.

Overall, we left the restaurant feeling full - but in the best way possible. All of the refreshing bites created a balanced and fulfilling eating experience that had us feeling upbeat, and not groggy like we usually can be after a big meal. All of this, in addition to delightful engagements with the staff, really made eating here...

I needed to find a quick bite around Westheimer and Beltway and picked J.A.M Viet Kitchen. We got the Banh Trang Nuong, Bo Ne, the Bun Quay (shown in linked video) and the egg coffee. I basically wanted to try things I've never had which is hard in Houston (my husband got the bo ne).

Everything was so, so good and I'm only disappointed that my Bun Quay is seasonal and not permanent.

The broth it came with is a clear broth that by itself was bland, which is what the waiter told me when he brought it out. I was told to mix in the sauce that came in the side to flavor it up and it was a magical seafoody, slightly sweet and slightly spicy concoction of magic.

I definitely will be coming back to get it again before it disappears and also try more food in the menu.

Update: We went back with the kids. All I wanted to eat after working 168 hours in 13 days was Vietnamese food, so we paid another visit to J.A.M Viet Kitchen Chen to get BÚN QUẬY before it fell off the season menu. We also got Banh Bot Chien (Omelet with crispy rice cake) ✓ kid approved Banh Trang Nuong (Viet pizza w/crispy rice paper) ✓ kid approved Saigon Oi (com tam aka broken rice dish) ✓My oldest inhaled this. Kid aporoved Com Ga Ba Chi (shredded chicken salad with rice) - the shredded chicken was actually Vietnamese chicken salad which was a very happy surprised. ✓ husband loved it. It was very refreshing to eat along with the rice. Orange Chicken ✓ kid approved. Youngest inhaled it. Xi Muoi ( Salted plum cocktail). It reminded husband of an old fashioned. He commented "They might sell more of these if it was presented more like an old fashioned with a lowball glass and big ice cube". He really liked the taste of this, and he loves him a LOT of old fashioneds.

This place needs more...

I’m so happy my husband and I tried this place out. We had a great experience! I was craving for Bánh bột chiên and not every Vietnamese restaurant makes them. So, it was worth the 30-40 min drive. Let me tell you they did not disappoint. Their version is very interesting, yet delicious. I would have preferred the pickled daikon for the crunch but the tobiko (flying fish roe) was a nice replacement. The Chinese sausage was different too but I liked it! The oysters were also very different. I just love how CREATIVE this restaurant is! They had quail eggs on the bottom of the oyster. It was so flavorful I did not need any sauce or toppings. The seafood egg rolls were also yummy. My husband had the bone marrow pho and he enjoyed it. I would highly recommend this place and return. The only thing I wasn’t fond of were their mango and sticky rice and Vietnamese yogurt drinks. I asked for dessert and when I was offered this option I tuned out the “beverage” part so I was taken back when I got a glass instead of a plate. I was even more shocked when I took the sip and discovered it was alcohol. Idk why I’m thinking “dessert” so lots of surprises for me. Those drinks were STRONG! They were not delicious and a bit pricey in my opinion. I’m sad they don’t offer dessert and ran out of Mì Quảng. Either ran out or discontinued it. I forgot which one. Also, the Banh xeo tacos were falling apart and very messy. Cool concept but needs to be perfected, maybe make it more crispy so it holds up. It had way too much green onions packed in them. Besides those cons, I still enjoyed my visit and look forward to trying the rest...