Mai Phụng Restaurant

Open for dine-in from 11 AM-3 PM only, then take-out from 3 PM until they run out. They sell about 400 bowls daily! From 3-7 PM they are cleaning up from the lunch service, then from 7-11 PM they cook for the next day. Then they do prep from 6-11 AM 🤯 I came at 6:30 PM and the gate was closed. Apparently that means they only have a couple bowls left. I'm so happy we scored the last 2 bowls!

Banh canh cua was great. Bun rieu wasn't the best I've had but still better than options available in NYC

This place probably has the best Banh Canh Tom Cua in Southern California. The only problem is that the restaurant is very small and doesn't seat that many people. I highly recommend just ordering it to go and preparing it at home. It tastes the same! They also have this dried chicken package that is highly addicting.

Best Crab Noodle at its price! The ingredients are so fresh and the spring roll is good. Try adding their home made chili paste into the noodle if you can take spicy. Warning! Chili paste is very hot, use it with care!

The best Banh Canh Tom Cua I have ever had!

Best Banh Canh in town IMO 😉

LOVE THIS SPECIALTY RESTAURANT for Banh Canh. My crab meat with dry noodle is also another popular dish and it taste so good bc there is a sweet sauce (not too sweet) mixed inside with shrimp, bean sprouts, jalapeno peppers, and slice pork. It's just so flavorful. I can't believe I FINISHED THE WHOLE THING by myself!! The mung bean drink was on point to balance my spicy mouth bc I used their red spicy sauce (little goes a long way)

Their specialty banh canh cua was good, real chunks of crab in it. Although restaurant/dine in was quite small so we waited a while for a table.

Same, cozy hole in the wall restaurant. Was really good, had the udon with crab, shrimp and pork. Chili sauce is fresh and spicy. Highly recommend.

It is not a typical 5star More of a hole in a wall like a dive bar. Small place in strip mall Great food Lots of local going in and out for take out Traffic remained high for the hour I sat down. Ate crab bang canh and souplezz hu Tieu I think everyone will love the food. Focus on the food. There are no five star services or ambiance

Delicious food cooked to order. We especially enjoy the house special fried rice. Absolutely delectable. We'll be back!

Gosh, everything we ordered was delicious. We came here for #1 but #6 was excellent as well. The fried rice and eggrolls too. I can't wait to go back.

Mai Phung, won't let you down! Banh canh Cửa is so good, look at all the crab on it! Canh bun was also very solid dish! Smaller menu but they nail it! Check out their cha gio too, also fantastic!

We were here for Bánh Canh Tôm Cua (Crab Soup)! I ordered Crab Soup and my husband had Beef Phó. But WOW the Beef Phó is surprisingly blown my mind🙀. The beef itself so tender and the broth was flavorful.

One of the best places to get bánh canh cua(Crab Udon Vietnamese style). The place was busy so come in early! The flavor was exquisite. Would definitely recommend to others!

Excellent experience here at this establishment staff were fantastic very helpful and recommend delicious dishes food is fresh and taste amazing i highly recommend visiting this pho restaurant

Wait quite long to get the table on Sat morning. The bánh canh is good. U need need to eat fast when it is still hot to keep the texture of the soup.

Friend recommended me to try this restaurant. She told me to try the beef pho and wow the beef was soooo tender. The broth was on point an rich. When they brought the noodle soup to the table I first noticed the pepper they sprinkled on top, really nice touch. You can also see that the beef was still cooking where they were slightly pink, awesome. There was a bit of a waiting but it’ll go fast and the service was attentive. Plenty of parking spaces. Try their beef noodle.

Had the banh canh and bún riêu here and everything was great! They are very efficient, since it is a smaller space, they took our order first before we sat down and had our food out about 10 minutes after sitting down. The broth was delicious and it had a good amount of crab meat in the banh canh which we loved! Will definitely be back next time we’re in town! :)

Jules Dang

Delicious food cooked to order. We especially enjoy the house special fried rice. Absolutely delectable. We'll be back!

Jemina Ocampo-Ong

Gosh, everything we ordered was delicious. We came here for #1 but #6 was excellent as well. The fried rice and eggrolls too. I can't wait to go back.

Vinh Tran

Mai Phung, won't let you down! Banh canh Cửa is so good, look at all the crab on it! Canh bun was also very solid dish! Smaller menu but they nail it! Check out their cha gio too, also fantastic!

patricia diana

We were here for Bánh Canh Tôm Cua (Crab Soup)! I ordered Crab Soup and my husband had Beef Phó. But WOW the Beef Phó is surprisingly blown my mind🙀. The beef itself so tender and the broth was flavorful.

Ryan

One of the best places to get bánh canh cua(Crab Udon Vietnamese style). The place was busy so come in early! The flavor was exquisite. Would definitely recommend to others!

Alberto Rodriguez

Excellent experience here at this establishment staff were fantastic very helpful and recommend delicious dishes food is fresh and taste amazing i highly recommend visiting this pho restaurant

Linh Phạm Ngọc Ái (Ivy Phạm)

Wait quite long to get the table on Sat morning. The bánh canh is good. U need need to eat fast when it is still hot to keep the texture of the soup.

Alek Tan

Friend recommended me to try this restaurant. She told me to try the beef pho and wow the beef was soooo tender. The broth was on point an rich. When they brought the noodle soup to the table I first noticed the pepper they sprinkled on top, really nice touch. You can also see that the beef was still cooking where they were slightly pink, awesome. There was a bit of a waiting but it’ll go fast and the service was attentive. Plenty of parking spaces. Try their beef noodle.

She doesn’t specialize in pho but this is orange county. It was the best rare beef i’ve ever had. Her broth is peppered with black pepper. I’d recommend lots of lime. The noodles are fresh and not rehydrated. There was no tendon or tripe in the dac biet. I’d recommend the pho tai if you’re having pho. To the owner I’d recommend just taking the dac biet off the menu. Ppl don’t come for pho dac biet, they come for pho. The pho tai is clearly your best here.

Tony Huynh

She doesn’t specialize in pho but this is orange county. It was the best rare beef i’ve ever had. Her broth is peppered with black pepper. I’d recommend lots of lime. The noodles are fresh and not rehydrated. There was no tendon or tripe in the dac biet. I’d recommend the pho tai if you’re having pho. To the owner I’d recommend just taking the dac biet off the menu. Ppl don’t come for pho dac biet, they come for pho. The pho tai is clearly your best here.

Jack Liu

Excellent crab and shrimp rice noodles. Super small spot, 7 tables only, so be prepared for a wait.

Small place, about 9 tables, but super efficient. Waiter takes orders for those in line. Food comes out almost immediately when people r seated. Bánh canh is their claim of fame

We came to Mai Phung to try the dish which is known as the best Banh Canh Cua in OC, and it did not disappoint. We arrived during lunch time and there was already a long line in front of the restaurant. The restaurant is quite small just like restaurants in Vietnam with not many tables so wait time was a bit long. You would better plan ahead of time if you want to try this out. We made the order outside while waiting and once the table is ready, they bring the food out for you. We tried both the original Banh Canh Cua and the clear broth version that I hadn’t heard of before. Both have their own unique taste. The portion and flavor were decent and really close to what I remember in Vietnam. However, I still feel like it’s not there yet. In overall, Mai Phung is a great place if you want to try out the infamous Banh Canh Cua from Vietnam. I’d still want to come back again next time if I have a chance to visit OC. I personally think this place could use a little refresh with a cleaner surroundings and upgraded tables and chairs to make it shine brighter.

This is a small mom and pop restaurant. About 6 table tops. They'll take your order outside while you're waiting if there's a line. Short hours, 11am-3pm. The banh canh was OK. Lots of crab on top but the soup was a bit under flavored compared to the one we had in Vegas. Waited for about 45 minutes to get seated and food came out about 5 min after sitting down since they took the order outside. Overall not bad but I'd travel back to Vegas for the other one. Egg rolls were delicious though!

I am in love with these small mom and pop shops around OC and need to start dining more at this places. Parking in this plaza is a little tight and inside is small too. There are 23 food items on the menu. We got the crab noodle soup (#1) and fried rice (#23). Bánh canh tôm cua had a thick broth with udon like noodles. So yummy. Squeeze a few lemons and it’s perfect. I was surprised how much I liked the fried rice. It had that crispy rice burn from the wok. We will be back to try more dishes.

The place is very small but busy with mainly take out. They specialize in banh canh Tom cua which is a shrimp and crab noodle soup which is very delicious. Looks like they have other varieties of items like bun rieu which is also one of my favorites. Will definitely come back and try again

Those egg rolls!!! Wrapped in pork skin!! Wow. Those were so damn delicious and packed with goodness. The famous crab soup was a little too viscous for my liking amd I really didn't taste the crab but it's clearly its the house specialty. My guy had the beef pho which he enjoyed. .Our server was awesome, food came out fast, fair pricing.

I haven't been here in years. My first time here was so amazing. It was the first time I had banh canh. I was wowed and kept recommending this place. Every time I wanted to come back it was always busy. The place is small and not much seating. I was able to come by today for a bowl when they opened. It's was not as good as I remembered but it was still good. Still recommended.

Best Banh Canh tom cua spot in all of Orange County imo. Broth is thick and savory, comes with clumps of real crab meat, and 2 shrimps. The only downside of this place is they close up early whenever they feel like it, and there is a long wait sometimes cause they only have 8 tables.

Hung Tran

We came to Mai Phung to try the dish which is known as the best Banh Canh Cua in OC, and it did not disappoint. We arrived during lunch time and there was already a long line in front of the restaurant. The restaurant is quite small just like restaurants in Vietnam with not many tables so wait time was a bit long. You would better plan ahead of time if you want to try this out. We made the order outside while waiting and once the table is ready, they bring the food out for you. We tried both the original Banh Canh Cua and the clear broth version that I hadn’t heard of before. Both have their own unique taste. The portion and flavor were decent and really close to what I remember in Vietnam. However, I still feel like it’s not there yet. In overall, Mai Phung is a great place if you want to try out the infamous Banh Canh Cua from Vietnam. I’d still want to come back again next time if I have a chance to visit OC. I personally think this place could use a little refresh with a cleaner surroundings and upgraded tables and chairs to make it shine brighter.

Shirlene Kwan

This is a small mom and pop restaurant. About 6 table tops. They'll take your order outside while you're waiting if there's a line. Short hours, 11am-3pm. The banh canh was OK. Lots of crab on top but the soup was a bit under flavored compared to the one we had in Vegas. Waited for about 45 minutes to get seated and food came out about 5 min after sitting down since they took the order outside. Overall not bad but I'd travel back to Vegas for the other one. Egg rolls were delicious though!

My Le

I am in love with these small mom and pop shops around OC and need to start dining more at this places. Parking in this plaza is a little tight and inside is small too. There are 23 food items on the menu. We got the crab noodle soup (#1) and fried rice (#23). Bánh canh tôm cua had a thick broth with udon like noodles. So yummy. Squeeze a few lemons and it’s perfect. I was surprised how much I liked the fried rice. It had that crispy rice burn from the wok. We will be back to try more dishes.

Carlos Gan

The place is very small but busy with mainly take out. They specialize in banh canh Tom cua which is a shrimp and crab noodle soup which is very delicious. Looks like they have other varieties of items like bun rieu which is also one of my favorites. Will definitely come back and try again

Betty Fraser

Those egg rolls!!! Wrapped in pork skin!! Wow. Those were so damn delicious and packed with goodness. The famous crab soup was a little too viscous for my liking amd I really didn't taste the crab but it's clearly its the house specialty. My guy had the beef pho which he enjoyed. .Our server was awesome, food came out fast, fair pricing.

David Hor

I haven't been here in years. My first time here was so amazing. It was the first time I had banh canh. I was wowed and kept recommending this place. Every time I wanted to come back it was always busy. The place is small and not much seating. I was able to come by today for a bowl when they opened. It's was not as good as I remembered but it was still good. Still recommended.

Dat Nguyen

Best Banh Canh tom cua spot in all of Orange County imo. Broth is thick and savory, comes with clumps of real crab meat, and 2 shrimps. The only downside of this place is they close up early whenever they feel like it, and there is a long wait sometimes cause they only have 8 tables.

We always have Bánh Canh Cua and chả giò ,never disappointed. There is always a line when it opens, but the line move quickly. Love the food and service.

alex lee

We always have Bánh Canh Cua and chả giò ,never disappointed. There is always a line when it opens, but the line move quickly. Love the food and service.

Good food but the menu seems like it's limited to only one item (banh canh). I tried to order other things on the menu but the lady server told us they didn't have any other than Banh Canh. The ambience of the whole place wasn't that welcoming either. I wouldn't consider coming back even though the food was good.

Pretty meh. They charge for cold water and don't refill, pretty low bar for service.

it's a good spot for their crab noodle soup. but its always so busy. they also don't seat you according to the list. they speak mostly Vietnamese. bring your own water bottles. they charge for water.

The starchy tapioca texture is eclectic, and the flavors robust. The chili sauce is both spicy and delicate. The Chili and limes brighten the dish, and ease the initial shock of the slimy nature of tapioca. There's an importance to restaurants such as Mai Phung who unapologetically take on a traditional dishes such as Banh Canh Tom Cua. There is room for improvement. A hole in the wall. Not for the faint of heart. Styrofoam cups can go away. Service was fast, and music good.

Because their Banh Canh is good which is normally not my favorite type of food, I decided to give their other food a try. I tried to pick the ones with the thumbs up. So far... Banh Canh is good Hu Tiu Nuoc is good Hu Tiu Kho is so so...kinda disapponting. Bun Cha Ha Noi - I suggest not order this because the noodles + fish sauce given for a portion is not enough so youre left with more meat than noodles + fish sauce which they end up charging you extra. What Im saying is dont provide enough noodles/Veggies/fish sauce vs how much meat in a given portion then dont charge people for it if you dont provide enough to begin with. I suggest eating this at Binh Minh Restaurant which they give you enough to eat with the given meats. It also taste better there. So, I might not try their other food anymore after been back a few times to try the thumbs up. I suggest maybe just stick to Banh Canh which is once in awhile if you have the craves for it. I tried to try all the thumbs up and probably couldve been back more often than just Banh Canh only here but probably not when I see things are not done right. Oh and it seems people here DO NOT know what a smile is. You know how you go to certain places that make you feel welcomed and at home so even when their food isnt that great you still come back but not here. However, thats most vietnamese restaurants. They look like they're forced to be here, to run a business and to serve customers.

My first time here. I like their seafood dry noodles (hải sản mì khô) but their bánh canh soup is weird. The soup is thick not like traditional soup.

Only has 6 small tables so the wait will always be long. Better to order to go than sit down and eat. Their banh canh was okay because they added a lot of seafood and meat but the broth was super watery compared to a actual banh canh restaurant so do what you want with that information.

T D

Only has 6 small tables so the wait will always be long. Better to order to go than sit down and eat. Their banh canh was okay because they added a lot of seafood and meat but the broth was super watery compared to a actual banh canh restaurant so do what you want with that information.

Very small place, bathroom was terrible ( if you’re handicapped, don’t even think about using it). Food not that great compared to Golden Deli. Was craving for rice wrapped egg roll. Came out burned. Bun rieu was not good either. Prices is high for a non-update place. Maybe they’re not specialize in what I ordered. For now 2 stars. Perhaps their Banh Cahn is good.🤷🏻‍♀️

Overall rating is primarily about food. Service was great and shop was clean. I ordered the banh canh dac biet with extra crab and pork on the side. I wanted the thin broth. The broth was not flavorful or had any umami. The extra meat came cold on the side. Crab was ok cold but pork tho? Specific to the food, not a repeat for me.

Do not order Mi kho bowl at this restaurant, the mi kho bowl was so bad, I dont know how they come up with this recipe but bad bad, 2 tiny shrimps, crab meat was cold (probably from costco box), few slice of pork meat, and over all it. has no taste or flavor at all. Bottom line, stay away from this item.

We called in for a togo order 1 hour and 30 minutes ahead and we had to wait like 30 minutes when we came to pick up the food. We literally only ordered 2 banh canh and 1 cha gio. When we got there he asked to repeat the order and I guess they just started making the food by then. We also had such a terrible experience last time dining in. There's only 1 person taking care of every thing in the front. I can tell they prioritize their togos while customers waiting outside with so many tables uncleaned. They even had our order taken when we were waiting outside just for us to wait for another 30 minutes before the food came since seated. What's the point then? Such an unorganized and careless restaurant. They need to be organized and efficient to become better. Sorry this is the last time we ever come here and I'll never recommend this restaurant to anyone.

Phuonganh Nguyen

We called in for a togo order 1 hour and 30 minutes ahead and we had to wait like 30 minutes when we came to pick up the food. We literally only ordered 2 banh canh and 1 cha gio. When we got there he asked to repeat the order and I guess they just started making the food by then. We also had such a terrible experience last time dining in. There's only 1 person taking care of every thing in the front. I can tell they prioritize their togos while customers waiting outside with so many tables uncleaned. They even had our order taken when we were waiting outside just for us to wait for another 30 minutes before the food came since seated. What's the point then? Such an unorganized and careless restaurant. They need to be organized and efficient to become better. Sorry this is the last time we ever come here and I'll never recommend this restaurant to anyone.