Happy Days Restaurant

I’ve come here a number of times already and I must say this place is a winner. The service is sweet and the food is great at such an amazing price. For those who can’t eat meat on Fridays for lent or vegetarians I would recommend the tofu with eggplant and rice or the tofu with mixed veggies and rice. Both my favorite dishes with stir fried veggies. I love the extra cut chilis they give on the side. It gives each dish that extra kick especially for a chili lover like me. Also on the appetizer menu the calamari was perfect to share with my family before our meal. The batter was so crispy and flavorful and you can tell they had just fried it because it was steaming hot! Another favorite for me from happy days. If you’re looking for affordable this is the place! But not only is it affordable it’s delicious :).

I ordered a simple chicken cashews and bun dac Biet, I say the food is pretty alright but not as filling as I thought.

A hidden gem restaurant. This is a must visit for anyone! It is spacious and clean inside and parking is never a problem. It is also a great location for small or big groups. The food here is delicious and very affordable! Plus the portion size is simply awesome! I highly recommend the Bun Dac Biet and Mien Xao Tom Cua! I could seriously eat these 2 dishes every week! I have dined here around 8 times now and the food and service has always been a 5 out of 5 star. You must definitely go here for authentic Vietnamese food!

My husband and I had a great experience here. Perfect food, great service, and I would not have mind to pay more for the quality we got.
Shrimp Lettuce wrap, Chicken with Basil leaf, Phở Ap Chao seafood was perfect. The dessert Strawberry Crêpe finished of our meal, big props the owner and whoever the cook! Thank you!

Came here with a few friends on a weekday night. The place was pretty empty, with only about five other customers in the restaurant. Didn’t think too much of it at first, but maybe it was an early warning sign of how our experience would turn out…
Our dishes:
Shaken Beef on Rice (Com Bo Luc Lac): Not too bad. My friend who ordered it thought that the sauce on the beef was too sweet but I liked it. It also comes with this orange-​colored rice that’s pretty good. However, the portion is small for the price in my opinion. If you’re starving, I doubt this dish would fill you up.
Shaken Fish with Rice (?): I think that’s what my friend ordered. It was basically fried fish with a sauce reminiscent of the one used on orange chicken. I think this was my favorite dish actually, hahah. The fish was perfectly crispy and I liked the sauce.
Tom Yum Soup: I liked that the soup was spicy enough without being too spicy, although it was a little sweet for my taste. A little pricey too, I think it was around $ 13? But it’s a decent portion and definitely shareable between 3 – 4 people.
Garlic Noodles: I think this was my least favorite dish. The noodles weren’t very garlic-​y, and in fact, tasted kind of strange. Not necessarily bad, just strange. Portion was also small, but maybe in this particular case that’s not such a bad thing…
Overall, I wasn’t impressed. The service was good, but food was mediocre. Maybe if they improved some of their dishes I would be open to coming back here in the future.

I found this place base on good Unilocal reviews. However at a Saturday lunch time, we were the only customers in the restaurant. I was a bit worried but after I had 4 dishes, I was happy with every single one of them! All the pictures posted by other Unilocalers are true presentation. They use quality ingredients. I had big junks of chicken in my Noodle dish. Bean sprouts and greens are fresh and clean. Also wonderful customer service-​our waitress was so friendly and thoughtful when she saw we came in with a little one. She gave our baby girl a Styrofoam bowl, cup with lid and straw and plastic utensils. Simple menu with lots of rice dishes. I will be back again when the road construction is over or even sooner!

I’m pretty surprised at how highly rated this restaurant is. I almost question the integrity of the people who wrote positive reviews below. I went on a Monday night and the place was dead quiet. The selection on their menu is very limited. I ordered the mi hoanh tanh and my dad ordered the phở dac biet.
Though the customer service was great and the food was cheap (~$ 6 – 7 a bowl), the food was underwhelming. I guess I had high expectations considering all the raving reviews I read. Each bowl we ordered had SOOOO much MSG. For anyone that knows good viet food, they will know that the true quality of the dish is masked by the large amount of MSG used. I’m not saying the dishes were inedible, but for being a 5 minute drive from Little Saigon, you can do much better.

First time here. A friend referred us because they had been here twice and said food was good.
Was a good place that accommodated our group of 10.
We really liked the appetizers
egg rolls
Chicken wings
Chicken lettuce wrap
Get a discount on egg rolls if check in with Unilocal.
Service was great they came by at the end even pack our food to go. I always have to give a generous tip when they do that.
Everyone in our party liked their meal. I wanted to try their desserts but we were running out of time. The sticky rice mango looked really good. Definitely will try next time.
It’s hidden way in the back of the plaza that has a dentistry, printing, and Bristol grill.

After visiting Roasting Water (boba shop), I decided to Unilocal a place to eat for dinner. This restaurant popped up on the radar and the rest was history.
Check-​in deal: 25% off egg rolls.
Credit cards: Credit cards are accepted, but have to spend at least $ 10 worth of food/​drinks.
Location/​Parking: Located in the corner of a not so busy plaza. You might have a little trouble getting in and out of the plaza because of road/​sidewalk repairs.
Ambiance/​Décor: Very quiet. I was the only patron at 7pm. Modern furnishings with a lcd tv in the bar area.
Service: Service was good. Linh was attentive and friendly. Food came out fast.
Cost Friendly: I saw a lot of economical friendly bowls/​plates for $ 4.95 on the menu.
Food: I had the com bo luc lac (shaken beef) which comes with red rice and vegetables. I requested for extra vegetables which was a $ 1 extra. The shaken beef was very good. I thought the beef cubes were flavorful and was easy to chew. The only thing I didn’t like much was the red rice. It was a bit bland and didn’t have enough of the tomato paste that I’ve been accustomed to.

Tucked away in the corner of a shopping mall, it could be very easy to not find Happy Days.
I ordered several dishes to try. Overall, the taste of the food was good BUT I wish they gave more in quantity. Perhaps I am a bit spoiled by Westminster eateries where you get quality and quantity.
TIP: Stick to their value items for $ 4.95. They are scattered throughout their menu. For the small quantity that they give you, I hesitate to pay for the premium priced dishes.
Check out their menu at
Here’s what I ordered:
1) Curry Chicken $ 7.95: the curry is wonderful and the chicken pieces were tender. I liked that they used taro instead of potatoes. You get your choice of rice, baguette, or noodles. Wonderful taste but I expected more in quantity for this price.
2) Bo Kho (beef stew) $ 7.95: seasoned well and came with nice chunks of tender beef and some tendon as well. I ordered it with rice noodle so it was watered down a bit but still overall good flavor.
3) Beef with Spicy Garlic Noodle: this was the most underwhelming of all. Very little quantity and the taste was mediocre. Would not order this again.
4) House Special Vermicelli $ 8.95: This was the biggest letdown of all. For this premium price, I was expecting a whole lot of yummy food. Instead of sugarcane shrimp, all I got was 2 pieces of shrimp. They were very skimpy on the chargrilled pork too. I definitely would not order this again.
5) Thai Tea $ 1.95: Good tea. I would order this again.

Everything was really good :-)
I expected it to be busy since it’s rated so highly on Unilocal,but on a Tuesday night from 5:30 — 7:15 only another lonely person ventured in. I was grateful for the solitude since I was alone haha.
The workers were really attentive, but that’s not saying much since there was no one else to service haha. But I can tell they’re super nice, at least the lady who I think is the owner or part owner is (she had her kid there so she must be the owner).
I had the #8 salt and pepper calamari which was really good! It wasn’t calamari rings, it was real pieces and coated very crispy, the seasoning and flavor on it was really good — not bland, not spicy, not rubbery. I also had a Thai iced tea that was very good, perfectly balanced, not ridiculously sweet like a lot of places. And I had a#29, some noodle dish with beef, shrimp, and bite sized pieces of egg roll with carrots, cucumbers, and mint leaves to mix in, also very good. The beef wasn’t dry and the shrimp was plump and firm. I usually don’t like egg rolls at all but I liked whatever kind they cut up in here.
I’ll also say that I really liked the atmosphere, it’s nice, clean, and smartly decorated — not trendy or whole in the wall bare, but more like classy-​casual. I think the shopping center they are located in is unfortunate. Had I not been purposefully looking for places with WiFi I would never see/​know about this place. It’s way in the back in a corner nestled between shops with bigger signs. I would never see this from the street.
And now that I’m mentioning WiFi: it’s free, but only for the first hour. The internet isn’t working at my place and I needed to Skype, their internet is good enough to Skype on pretty well so it’s a good connection. I stopped using it before my hour was up but it said $ 2.95 charge for additional use, so if you’re coming for the WiFi keep in mind you can’t do like a study session or something here.
Anyway, I got all that aforementioned food for $ 21, not too shabby for 2 meals and a drink.

The Skinny:
Affordable and yummy, always a perfect combination!
Environment:
Plaza here is great in that it’s large enough for multiple businesses to still have ample parking spots. The restaurant itself is very simplistic in design, but that just means it’s easier for them to clean the restaurant. The tables are spaced out a little too much, but that’s absolutely great since I get claustrophobic in most Vietnamese restaurants.
Service:
Attentive and pleasant, which is surprising considering the reputation most Vietnamese restaurants have. I think the great thing is that they know their amount of customers, so they are able to staff appropriately for slow vs busy days.
Food:
Spring rolls were awesome! The sauce is light, which is just how I like it, and the spring rolls tasted fresh and not stale like some other places I’ve gone to. Their chicken tastes very «clean» for a lack of a better descriptor. I am not sure how else to describe it, aside from flavorful and easy to eat. The roasted duck salad was also balanced pretty well with just enough duck meat that will give you the flavor but not overpower the salad.
Overall: ⁴⁄₅
If you are looking for a cheap Vietnamese place with pleasant staff and easy parking, look no further. Solid food, solid staff, and a good experience will be had.

Been here 1x. Owner was nice. Restaurant’s been open for 1 year. Food was good, but was surprised by the prices with the small portions. Probably won’t be coming back.
HAPpy Value Menu — portions are supposed to be for 1 person.
1. Fried chicken w lime– dissapointed that they were 4 small chicken wings with very little meat. Did not seem fried. Good flavor. All came with salad and rice.
2. Salt and pepper pork-​imagine American fried fish but pork instead. I really liked the texture and the tender meat.
3. Shaken beef w onions and mushrooms-​for $ 10 this was too expensive as it was a 1 person portion. I even asked to confirm the size for the price. Meat was tender, mild in flavor.
4. Thai iced tea– mild in flavor so don’t get it if you like the strong black tea flavor.

Happy Days is a great place to eat because the service is great and there is hardly a wait for food. The food was good and my grandparents loved the fast service.
The pad see ew and pad Thai were all right. The Vietnamese dishes are way better. Try the crispy noodles.

Found out about this place just yesterday and tried it out for lunch (to-​go), and it was so awesome i have to come back the next day and eat in ! The food was delicious, the portion is just right. Price is reasonable but some items are discounted and cost around $ 4-​$ 6 each (and they all taste good !!) Looks like a family-​owed reataurant but the inside is very spacious and neat, soft music playing at all time suitable for all ages. It was a perfectly pleasant experience.
TIPS: all the deep-​fried dishes are very good (and mostly cost cheaper). And if you’re into Vietnamese salads (or «gi») you definite have to try out the Duck Salad (gi vt). My most favorite is the Sticky Rice with mango or durian. Those are on point !

Everything here is good. Come regularly and try 2 – 3 items until you’ve gone through the entire menu. You won’t be disappointed. Not a bad dish to be found, and they’re inexpensive enough to sample several at a time. Do yourself a favor and support this very unique restaurant. They are definitely one of the best in this area.
P. S. Jennifer L. I’m thinking you posted to this restaurant by mistake. You should remove your review.

Based on the taste, presentation and service, I think this place deserves my 4.5 stars. Here’s my review for all 5 courses
1. Chicken Lettuce Wrap: very tasty and healthy (⁵⁄₅)
2. Prawn salad: the sauce was very good & awesome salad mix (⁵⁄₅)
3. Seafood pad thai: I had better pad thai but this dish got the presentation. (³⁄₅)
4. Steamed chicken with rice: the pickle was super good plus the ginger fish sauce spikes up the taste of steamed chicken (4.5÷5) I would give ⁵⁄₅ if there’s more chicken.
5. Strawberry crêpe: fresh strawberries on the top of thecrispy crêpe. It was really yummy (⁵⁄₅)
Overall, it was great service and the place wasn’t too loud. I’ll come back.

Absolutely delicious. Great service as well. For those searching «vegetarian» I highly recommend. Lots of options for everyone.
Got the following:
Lychee iced tea — green tea with whole lychee and mint. Refreshing. Free refills!!! Will order again.
Tofu spring rolls — Tofu, warm asparagus, avocado, mixed greens all rolled up with a light sauce on the side. Best spring roll I’ve had. I love the addition of avocado, the warm asparagus, and the lighter sauce compared to the usual peanut or hoisin dipping sauce. Will order again.
Tofu lettuce wraps — an appetizer, but large enough for a meal. Generous pile of tofu filling (tofu, green onion, fried shallot, pine nuts, mushrooms), pile of lettuce cups, and sliced mango, mint, and a sweet chili sauce for toppings. So fresh and tasty all combined. Will order again.
Spicy garlic noodles w tofu — good but nothing to write home about.
Mango sticky rice — really good here. The rice is stickier compared to other places, and the toasted sesame flavor comes out slightly more. Will order again.
Can’t wait to come back!!!

I’m not sure why this place was labeled as Asian fusion. I almost didn’t go here for that reason alone since I equate Asian fusion with unauthentic and expensive. But I was craving Bun Thit Nuong and this was the closest, highest rated place near me.
$ 4.95+tax, had it packed to go and it was very fast! Like 5 minutes fast. It was a huge portion with ample amounts of noodles and pork. It had less veggies than I’d like, but that’s not a big deal. It all tasted super delicious and just like home cooking. Everything else on the menu was reasonably priced. Though honestly, I’m used to paying $ 8 for bun thit nuong, so I don’t even know what reasonably priced means anymore. I am definitely not in Northern California/​San Jose anymore.
The interior of the restaurant is definitely on the nicer end, even if the outside looks almost unwelcoming. Definitely a hole-​in-​the-​wall sort of place.

Serious a hidden gem! We came for lunch and there was barely anyone there but came upon Unilocal recommendations.
Nothing over $ 10, bun Bo xao xa for $ 6.95 and Viet coffee sealed the deal.
Super attentive staff — waters with lemon (nice touch)!
They mentioned that they also do delivery for orders over $ 30-​$ 40.
Can’t wait to come back to try more!