Cafe 79 Vietnamese Kitchen — Restaurant in Kirkland

Cute cafe with a nice atmosphere and nice decor. The staff is super friendly, helpful and the place is spotless - even the bathroom is very clean.

Ordered for takeout:

Grilled pork banh mi - good amount of filling, pork was juicy and flavorful, bread to filling ratio was good.

Special beef pho - star of the show! Rich umami broth, slightly on the sweeter side. Came packed with a good amount of meat, happy to see they didn’t skimp on the accoutrements. Beef was very thinly sliced, which I love, and the portion of noodles and toppings was good as well. Very tasty and one of the best pho I’ve had around the area!

Grilled chicken vermicelli - was also tasty. Chicken was grilled to perfection and the dish was fresh, sweet, savory, and well portioned.

Thai iced tea - can’t go wrong with this beverage, always a winner.

Prices were also reasonable which is so important these days. So many places have hiked up their prices to the point where I won’t get takeout anymore. This restaurant still charges decent and fair prices for their items which I really appreciate and I will keep them on my list for takeout.

Over all I really enjoyed the food from here and would definitely return for even dining...

As I was looking for a comforting bowl of noodle soup on a rainy, Monday afternoon (around 3pm), I came across Cafe 79. Upon entering the restaurant, I chose my own seat and ordered fresh spring rolls and the pho special. The server brought my utensils, along with a bottle of hot sauce and hoisin sauce soon after I placed my order.

The fresh spring rolls with shrimp and pork was quite nice. The ingredients were fresh and the peanut sauce was well balanced between savory and sweet. The pho special came with the usual assortment of bean sprouts, basil, jalapeno, and lime wedge on the side, and it definitely hit the spot for me! The broth was very heartwarming. There was a good amount of protein: the brisket was soft and tender, the steak cooked rare and delicious, the tendon had the right amount of texture, and the meatballs were well seasoned.

Service was great here also! I also noticed many Vietnamese-speaking customers came and grabbed takeout as I was enjoying my food. I will have to return in the future with some friends to try out other menu items. Their banh mi and Vietnamese coffee appear to be a great choice for a quick to-go lunch option also....

Cafe 79 is not just another pho restaurant. A bright and cheery boutique eatery in a small strip mall where Kirkland and Redmond meets, it's easy to overlook this little gem.

Their menu is focused. You don't get 20 different pho combos here. What they do serve is unique and soulful.

Fresh roll with grilled pork is delicious, meaty, herbaceous, with a little bit of crunch from something fried.

I got the Pho Special which comes with thinly sliced rib eye steak, tendon, and marinated slow-cooked brisket. Unlike most pho restaurants where brisket in pho is served thinly sliced and unmarinared, these are thick pieces of smokey, umami, tender brisket. It is definitely the star that sets Cafe 79 pho apart from so many other pho restaurants in the area.

Hubby had the Vietnamese Pancake. The pancake skin is thin and crispy, made from rice flour. Inside the pancake it is stuffed full of fresh and flavorful shrimp, mushroom, pork belly, and bean sprouts.

Portions here are generous. We were stuffed. Prices reflect their location. Not cheap eats but fairly priced. We will return to try their other...