Bun Bo Hue An Nam

This is my favorite place to eat bun bo hue at. This place is specialized in bun bo hue, so I wouldn’t recommend anything else here.
I would rather go here than Bún bò Hu An Nam 2.

The place was packed both inside and outside, but the wait actually wasn’t too bad. For a table of 2 during Sunday lunch took us about 20 minutes. Once we were seated, we placed our order immediately and our food followed soon after. It’s all fast paced here like a typical asian restaurant so know what you want and be ready.
The phở tai nam gan (filet mignon, flank, tendon) was good. It tasted like pretty much any other phở I’ve had at a decent viet restaurant, but the meat was everything. I don’t even know if they seasoned it or not, but however they cooked it, it was really tender and delicious. Memorable.

Supposedly, they make the best Bun Bo Hue in NorCal. So when an opportunity presented itself, we decided to stop by and try their famous soup.
The menu is small. You can either get the Bun Bo Hue or Phở. You can order additional sides (meat, noodles, pork blood, etc.) for an extra $ 1-​$ 2. My husband and I both ordered a small bun bo hue. Since they specialize only in two dishes, our food came out right away.
Pro:
The broth was good. Flavorful. They gave a good amount of meat but mostly fat.
Con:
I didn’t realize that when I ordered the small bowl that it was literally a small bowl. It was so small, I couldn’t fit my sprout and cabbages in. On top of that, it was $ 9.50. I’ve never paid that much for a small bowl, ever.
Overall, the soup was overhyped. Would I come back again? Eh, maybe.

One of my favorite bun bo hue spots in the Bay Area! No reservations, but the place is fairly large and you would need to go early to put your name down because they’re constantly full. We all knew what we wanted so we put our orders in quick. I had the small bun bo hue and I was left super full. Love the taro strings that they provide in the veggie dish for your order and the phở broth isn’t bad here either. The sugarcane drinks are delicious here as well! Definitely worth eating at :)

During our trip to the west coast, a local suggested that this place had the best bun bo hue around so we stopped in. They weren’t kidding. Their bun bo hue was delicious!

We came up to San Jose to visit my Grandma who was in the ICU at the time. Seeing how depressed and sad I was, my fiancé quickly drove around in search of something comforting and soupy for me to eat and eventually found Bun Bo Hue An Nam. He even ate here first for an initial taste test and marked it with high scores. I am so glad he found this place, as it really cheered me up.
We both ordered their signature Bun Bo Hue with Thai Ice Tea. Everything about their ingredients is fresh. My eyes started to tear up and nose running right before they brought out the onion and vegetable sides. When our dish came out, my small bowl looked more like a large and my fiancé’s large looked like an extra large! haha… it was packed with pork, tendon, ham, sliced brisket, crab balls and congealed pig’s blood. My mouth salivates just writing this review and thinking of the kick of lemongrass, herbs, squeeze of lime and shrimp paste. Bun Bo Hue An Nam serves big bowls of happinesses, very authentic with appropriate sides of vegetables. The broth was cooked long for the bone marrow flavors to come out, not taking any shortcuts with beef powder.
With all its goodness, Bun Bo Hue requires a lot of effort. A quick Google search on a simple recipe and this pops up:
Ingredients (from Food Republic):
5 pounds fresh pork hocks, cut into 2-​inch pieces, soaked overnight in salted water
1 pig’s foot, split and soaked overnight in salted water
2 pounds marrow bones, cut in 2-​inch pieces, soaked overnight in salted water
2 pounds beef brisket, soaked overnight in salted water
½ cup canola oil
1 onion, peeled and split in half
4 ribs celery, cut into 2-​inch pieces
8 cloves garlic, peeled
8 pieces lemongrass, top third removed, bruised with the back of a chef’s knife and cut into 1-​inch pieces
½ cup dried shrimp
About 1 ½ gallons chicken stock or water, as needed to cover bones, etc.
¼ cup shrimp paste
Salt to taste
White or palm sugar to taste
Fish sauce to taste
1 pound finely hand-​chopped raw beef (optional)
1 piece congealed pig’s blood, cut into 1-​inch cubes (optional)
2 cups red cabbage (rinsed and dried with paper towels)
2 cup fresh bean sprouts
1 bunch perilla, leaves separated
1 bunch thai basil, leaves separated
1 bunch rau ram, leave separated
1 14 – 16 ounce pack of dried round rice noodles (Note: Look for noodles that are thicker-​cut than fine vermicelli)
6 teaspoons annatto chile paste, plus more as desired
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 limes, cut into wedges
…*phew!* I can’t believe people make this at home! I have so much appreciation for this place and will return next time we are in San Jose.

Good food at good prices. The #1 (Bun Bo Hue) was full of flavor and lots of different kinds of meat. We had everything from meatball to ham hock to pork belly to cuts of beef to the cubes of blood. The one thing missing was «pizzle».
We asked what pizzle was and the waitress nonchalantly answered «penis». Only I heard peanuts so decided against it. It was only after she left that my wife said «I think she said penis» so I looked up what other Unilocalers said it was indeed ox penis. Too late to change my order thought to try this rare protein since the soup was already out just another minute later.

Came in for some takeout. I read the reviews and was fully expecting to eat this amazing, flavorful, spicy bowl of noodle soup. I even was convinced I’d love the pizzle. Walked in and waited to be greeted… the woman didn’t greet me the whole time I stood there. a few minutes. So I waited for the man on the phone to help. He was extremely friendly.
–the bun Bo hue was alright. The beef in it was nice and tender… pizzle wasn’t for me… I’m not a fan of tendon so maybe pizzle just isn’t my thing. It was alright .just a little more firm than I thought it would be. Overall flavor wasn’t anything special or mind blowing. Good. just nothing special.
FYI I visited the ladies room when I was waiting on my order and it was disgusting. The bathroom was completely flooded and no signs or anything that it may have been closed.

With a name like Bun Bo Hue An Nam, you figure they will only have Bun Bo Hue right? I mean, they have a sister restaurant next door called Phở Ga An Nam. So one place sells phở and other bun bo hue.
Well, that’s partially true. This place does sell Phở. It’s beef broth based and a bit on the sweet side. But enough of phở, I came for the bun bo hue.
They have 2 bun bo hues on the menu: regular and one with pizzle. What is «pizzle»? It’s Snoop Dog talk for «penis.» You can get some pizzle in your bun bo hizzle.
They also have 2 size or your bun bo hue or phở, regular and large. I think a grown man can eat a large bowl easily. So if you’re hungry, get the large bowl.
I opted for the regular one. The regular one came will all sorts of offal goodies: tendon, blood cubes, pork sausage, some beef slices and that’s about it. I was missing the pig knuckles though.
The broth came out clear. I was disappointed at first, but for a clear broth it was nice and flavorful and a bit spicy. I think I would’ve liked a bit more spice, but it was an acceptable broth.
The noodles were good. Overall it was a good bowl of bun bo hue.

A solid 4 star Vietnamese restaurant. The menu mainly highlights Bun Bo Hue and Phở and this Thursday morning, I tried their infamous Bun Bo Hue again.
I haven’t been here in years, remembering back when I came here with my parents and younger brother, dining here when we would visit from Sacramento. Now living in San Jose, I was craving some BBH so I decided to stop by during my class break.
Walked in and they weren’t busy at all. A kind man sat me down for just myself and gave me the menu and asked if I was ready to order immediately. Sure enough, I ordered a small BBH right then and there.
A small is pretty small, but it is full to the top. There were a lot of noodles and a good amount of meat. The noodles to broth ratio was off because the bowl was so small. The broth was good, although I should have asked for extra sate for a more bold lemongrass flavor. The bowl didn’t come out as hot as I would have liked, but it was sitting at my table for a couple minutes bc I was in the bathroom haha
Overall, the food is good but definitely not worth the price. As a broke college student, I wouldn’t stop by to pay $ 10+ for a small bowl of decent BBH every time I dine here. Service was basic Vietnamese service. Not once was I asked how I was doing or if the food was okay for me but for this type of Vietnamese restaurant, it is expected.

There are a ton of BBH spots in San Jose, but this is definitely my go-​to spot for BBH whenever I’m in the area. The BBH here is flavorful, delicious, and plentiful (they don’t skimp on the meat here). Service is quick — on Saturday and Sunday mornings there can be a ton of people waiting outside, but the line moves fast (I’ve never waited longer than 15 minutes, even with a bunch of names ahead of mine on the waitlist). The BBH here is perfect for any occasion — as a hangover cure, a pick-​me-​up on a rainy day, or even on a hot summer day — it doesn’t disappoint. It’s so good, even Mama Le would rather go here than make it at home!

Bun Bo Hue An Nam was the choice when other viet eatery perused in same mall. was nearly empty.
menu: either phở or Bun Bo Hue (both 9.95)
eats: Bun bo Hue Ngon PIn (L.10.75) w/​ox penis
–broth sporatic spiciness, otherwise bland.
–penis, some meat cuts chewy, lean pork, pork cake & beef slices, pig tendon/​gelatin?
3 cubes of blood, no pig feet,
–garnish: cabbage, sprouts, lemon wedge.
–came out in minutes.
3.5 stars
take outs:
–good amount of food, something was missing.
–service was on point, crew fab at finding dining area, clearing tables.
–if repeat, would try phở…
–parking scarce.
–cash only

Basically drove over an hour coming from the city to South San Jo to get some of that penis. Yup, ox penis that is. It’s like the special ingredient, the «cherry on top» to this Vietnamese soup. And that’s exactly what it does, add another texture, not really flavor to this very lemongrass-​y and mildly spicy broth. Add in some spaghetti like noodles, pigs blood cubes, and tender beef brisket and you get a pretty awesome bowl with deep, clean, and complex flavors. Definitely a soup you need to know about for about $ 10.
I couldn’t get enough of that D so we also ordered a side of it for like $ 5. There were about 8 pieces in this small bowl with a phở like broth.
In some cultures eating pizzle is considered an aphrodesiac. It’s not too early to start planning next years Valentine’s day dinner right?
* They say they close at 9pm and they turned us away when we arrived at about 8:40pm. The chicken phở place next door is pretty meh.
*Andrew Zimmern talked about this being the best bun no hue he’s had outside of Vietnam. I don’t foreskin umm foresee myself going to Vietnam this year so yeah. I’ll go here instead to get that fix.

Came by to satisfy my crave for Bun Bo Hue the other day. This place tends to fill up quick so it’s best to either come before the lunch rush at ~ 11:30 am or after ~1:30 pm? :) There’s a list to sign in by the door and you can also ask to sit at the counter if you’re in a hurry!
The menu is pretty straightforward as most people either choose a small or large and with or without pizzle…
Service is quick by the staff here. Broth is excellent and the meat are always fresh and the noodles al dente!
Coffee is great here too! …although a tad strong!
Cash only!
$ 9.5 for a small without pizzle

2÷5÷16: Alright… I’m just gonna skip all the banter and get right to it – they got PENIS. You’re a dude? – you get to try it… Just be careful that you don’t like it too much… (or maybe hopefully you do… all cool with me…)
1. #20 Soda Sua Hot Ga — Condensed Milk w/​Egg & Club Soda $ 3.75: So, they put a glass of condensed milk in front of me, with a cracked egg on top. A glass of ice. And a can of soda on the side. Why I paid 4 bucks for this I do not know. Well, anyway, given no instructions I tried a few methods. First I put a bit of each ingredient into the glass of ice and mixed it up. Yuck. Then I tried pouring some soda straight into the glass of condensed milk and egg, mixing that up. That was a mistake. Then I poured some of that concoction into the ice and mixed that up… yeah, ain’t getting better. It’s disgusting. You don’t want this. Trust me. ¹⁄₁₀
2. #8 Phở Tai Nam Gan — Filet Mignon, Flank & Soft Tendon (Small) $ 8.95: So, to be honest, we had this about a month ago, and since phở tastes very similar no matter where you go, the differences are minute and specific. So sorry, it’s been too long and I just can’t remember the little details that would differentiate okay phở from the best available. It was good, but I can’t remember how good.
3. #2 Bun Bo Hue Ngau Pin — Spicy Beef Noodle w/​Pizzle (Large) $ 10.75: Same deal as the phở – it’s been too long to critique. BUT, there is one thing I very much remember – PIZZLE! Well, I’ve never heard the term before so I asked, «What is this man?»… «Penis.» Yeah… well, if you’ve been following my reviews you know one thing about me – if I haven’t had it, I MUST try. Order me up some penis!!! …Well, the actual penis was nothing like I expected. It wasn’t cylindrical for one. Cut up into cubes. Very gelatinous. Kinda almost like eating tendons, but rectangular shaped, softer, and less chewy. No strongly distinct flavor. Not that exciting. Well, I can only hope that I’m more exciting. But super glad I tried, and mega points for even having this on the menu!
4. Side Order of Phan Tai — Filet Mignon $ 4.95: I also remember this… cause it was unexpectedly good! I would say the meat was medium-​rare to rare, and oooooh soooo flavorful. Mmmmmm. Just pure beefy bliss. And it comes in this really great broth – extremely flavorful. If I remember correctly, this broth was more flavorful than the soup, so it’s great to mix in to give it a kick. Awesome. ⁹⁄₁₀
…I’m gonna have to come back to really critique the phở and soup. But for now…
⁴⁄₅
#vietnamese #penis

Earlier today, my brother and I took mom down to Santek in San Jose to try out her birthday gift — a portable massage cube from Japan. After placing the order, we spent about half an hour at Mitsuwa Marketplace. Normally, we’d just eat at Santouka and call it done. But since my brother and I have plans to meet some friends in San Jose next week and we will probably end up eating at Santouka, I suggested Bun Bo Hue An Nam (BBHAN) instead. Everyone agreed so off we went.
We arrived at BBHAN at around 5:15pm. The restaurant wasn’t too busy and we were seated immediately. The restaurant appeared spacious and clean. The interior was decorated nicely and plants and paintings. One of the servers brought us menus and water. A couple minutes later, we ordered the following:
— #1 2X Bun Bo Hue (large, $ 10.50, they ran out of pizzle already)
— #7 Phở Dac Biet (filet mignon, flank, brisket, tendon, tripe, and beef balls/​small $ 8.95)
It didn’t take long for the food to arrive. I loved my BBH. The broth was exquisite and perfectly balanced. BBHAN’s version featured sliced beef shank, sliced pork belly, large cubes of pig blood curd, tendon chunks, and sliced Vietnamese pork loaf (cha lua). The meats were very tasty and no off taste was detected in the pig blood curd. Noodles were cooked properly and the garnishes were fresh. Overall, a superb bowl of BBH.
I tried some of my mom’s phở dac biet. The broth was very robust and the different cuts of meat were very good. The noodles were not overcooked. She and I both agreed that her phở was very good.
Our server was polite. The entire meal cost $ 37 with T/​T. Definitely not bad for good BBH/​phở! Too bad we live so far away. Otherwise, I could see us eating there often. We will definitely go back to BBHAN if we are in the area. If you want a good bowl of BBH, you may want to add BBHAN to your to try list.
BONUS MATERIAL:
— Cash only. Pay at the counter.

NO OX PENIS :(
They ran out, which was really disappointing because this is exactly what I wanted to try. I got the number 7 which consisted of all the meats. The beef came out rare so I submerged it fully into the soup, which wasn’t super hot, but enough to cook it to a nice medium rare. Overall a decent place to get some phở. There was a good balance of flavors and ingredients in the phở, unlike many other phở places where it’s loaded with vermicelli.

The only bun bo hue I’ve ever enjoyed was my own mother’s or Phở Tau Bay’s, because every other place I’ve tried just falls short of my expectations.
My friend had bookmarked this place for some time now and because we were both craving bun bo hue, I made the drive to San Jose for us to try it despite it being a hot day.
We came during lunch and parking was horrible. It’s a given. Where An Nam resides is located in Little Saigon and trust me, it’s always busy. As we entered the restaurant, it was already crowded. I guess you could say it means this place is good? My friend and I were seated within a minute. The waitress gave us water and menus. The menu is simple with two options for bun bo hue and the rest being phở. Now, this place is called Bun Bo Hue An Nam so get the bun bo hue, right? My friend and I were confused on what a «pizzle» was because we had never heard of it. I Googled it myself and found out it was a ox penis. According to photos, it looks like tendon to me and I like tendon, but did it ruin our appetites to know it’s a penis of an ox? Nah, we’ve had all kinds of weird animal parts in our meals before, but we decided to go with #1 which was the bun bo hue without the pizzle.
Food came out quick. The bowl was piping hot! Everything about the bowl came together quite well. The broth was just amazing. They give a lot of noodles and meat, so no need to ask for more!
The second time I came here was with a party of 6 – 7 of my friends. We ended up in the background with the largest table in the restaurant. All my friends enjoyed their bun bo hue minus the pizzle. I’m glad my friends enjoyed it, because not a lot of them have ever tried it!
The location is a bit of a drive, but because I’m ALWAYS in San Jose, it’s not a problem. This place does a great job with making me want to come every week but that’s not healthy.

5 stars for the food of course
2 for the service. I came to eat with some friends around 2pm and got seated in the very back. Okay that’s fine I suppose the place is kind of full. Well they completely FORGOT about us back there and we had to call for waiters MULTIPLE times until one came over and THEN they told us to move over to the outside area… Then this lady came and gave us a red bag for Chinese New Years. Cool thanks — but it was empty (Isn’t that bad luck?) and she expected us to put in money for them when we hadn’t even ordered anything.
As for the food — Yeah get the Bun Bo Hue. I mean it’s named that it’s got to be good. It’s slightly spicy and if you’re feeling adventurous you can get option 2 instead — which contains a pizzle or penis. It just taste and look like the tendons so I would definitely try it.
I ended up trying the phở (number 4 — which is tripe and filet mignon) which was pretty good as well.

If it’s not homemade, I want my bun bo hue from BBHAN. My family comes here when we are too lazy to cook — that’s how you know how good it is. Bun bo hue is my absolute favorite comfort food and this place’s take on it is something that I think about when I’m living through the East Coast cold.
The broth is aromatic, the noodles have a great texture, and the rao (side vegetables) are always on point. The portions are huge. One bowl puts me in the perfect food coma. If you’re in SJ and bun bo is your crazy, this is the only place worth going that isn’t someone’s home.
The wait can be crazy. Just go early in the morning — any time past noon and the wait will be insane.