Xeo Yum — Restaurant in Houston

Xeo Yum is a transformational experience in Vietnamese cuisine. This has to be one of the best Bánh Xèo Ive ever eaten!

Before I review the food in greater detail, let me say a few words about the service and ambiance. Xeo Yum is located inside the Conservatory Food Hall in Midtown. It’s a cool little spot with a few more restaurants that I’d like to go back and visit one day.

The set up at Xeo Yum is simple, modern and efficient. The employees, chef and owner are all very friendly and knowledgeable about the cuisine and made it a point to give the customer the best experience possible.

I ordered the Bánh xèo Saigon, the Bò né and a ca phê sữa đá. After ordering, we sat at a table in the food hall but it was a bit chilly in that area, so we decided to go sit at the bar seating next to the Xeo Yum kitchen. This was the move. Not only did I get to watch the chef cook my food but I was able to strike up a conversation with several of the employees and the chef himself. I was given the ca phê sữa đá and sipped on that while waiting for my food. The ca phê sữa đá ứa nice and strong but perfectly balanced with condensed milk for a potent flavor that made me want another one.

As I watched the food being cooked, my appreciation for the cuisine grew as well as my appetite and my mouth began to water in anticipation. The presentation of the food was amazing itself. The bánh xèo came first and I was impressed with the size of it as well as the amount of leafy greens that accompanied it for wrapping the bánh xèo. There was also a side of nước chấm to dip the bánh xèo in. Just as soon as the bánh xèo was placed in front of me , the Bò né came out. I was awestruck at the huge sizzling skillet of steak and eggs placed in front of me, along with a delicious looking baguette, patê, butter and side salad.

Not sure where to begin, I opted for the bò né while it was still sizzling. Magnifique! It was so good, I had to express it in French. The meat was astoundingly tender and marinated/seasoned so well. It was like eating a medium rare steak at an upscale restaurant. The eggs were cooked just right, with that bright runny yolk like I cook them myself. The tomatoes in the skillet were fabulous. So juicy and tasty. The baguette was exceptionally crispy but so soft on the inside. I went to town spreading patê and butter on it, while using it to soak up all the steak juice in the skillet.

Not through yet, I turned to the bánh xèo next. The chef assured me that it would still be crispy after the wait and boy was he right! This bánh xèo was still crispy and fresh after sitting there while I ate my bò né. There was no sign of sogginess whatsoever. I rapidly wrapped the bánh xèo in the leafy greens, added the carrots and cucumber on the side to it and dipped it into the nước chấm and with no hesitation took a bite. Mind blowing!!! The pork belly was amazing, packed with flavor and the shrimp was perfect. Combined with the bean sprouts, veggies and crispy, savory crepe, this was an amazing dish.

I ate everything I ordered! It was a lot of food but I never doubted I would finish it after tasting it. It was incredible. What made the experience even more interesting was talking to Cuong, the chef, I could tell he had an intense passion for the cuisine and an unwavering desire to share the rich flavors of Vietnam with his fellow Houstonians. Such a cool guy and an incredible chef!

I’m telling you, if you haven’t tried this bánh xèo or bò né, you are missing out. You need to check this place out as soon as possible! You will be happy that you did and your belly will...

Xeo Yum has been on my list since it opened, along with other shops in the newly opened food court. My husband and I were fortunate to come here during the restaurant week! There are only a few bar seats, but there are so many tables within the food court to sit at as well. We ordered one restaurant week 25$ deal for mini Banh Xeo (small Vietnamese savory crepe) + Fried Salmon. And a Bo Ne (sizzling steak with egg) + 2 egg rolls.

The flavors were terrific!!! I am not Vietnamese, but this is 500% the flavor you would experience in Asia. Even the pate with mayo pairs so well with baguette. Steak is both sweet and savory. Fried fish is even excellent! It was crispy outside, but inside, it was half-done. It reminded me of a smoked salmon. The size of mini Banh Xeo is sufficient for me and my husband to share. The regular-size Banh Xeo was made with a 13'' pan, which is super huge! The crispy crepe has a shrimp-like savory flavor, which feels super Vietnamese. The egg roll size was ok, but it was FULL OFF SHRIMPS! I loved everything here.

Most importantly, the chef here loves cooking. I was surprised to get so many delicious foods with big portions for only $50. We will come back! The only downside is that there's only a little parking space at this food court; we ended up parking at...

I absolutely love banh xeo and being vegetarian I have not found a restaurant that offers one with tofu so I was super excited to try. They did not disappoint! Perfectly crispy with a good amount of tofu! They don't have vegetarian nuoc mam but the owner/chef made a similar version with soy sauce. Although the sauce was good, I knew this and had brought my own lol. I definitely enjoyed it a lot more with my own sauce. *So if the owners are reading this and interested perhaps I can provide the vegetarian made nuoc mam sauce :) * We also ordered the tofu spring rolls and they were the best we've had! Again they didn't skimp on the tofu... thick well seasoned pieces with the right amount of noodles and veggies. You order at the counter and they text you when it's ready. There's bar seating there but you can sit anywhere in the conservatory. It took about 20 minutes to get our order and the time flew by. Next time I will most likely order it to go because I prefer to wrap it in rice paper like spring rolls. It is easier to eat and less messy. And I wouldn't have to pack...