Crystal

As of September, 2013, Kevin, the chef and company have moved to China Wok, near the corner of Telegraph Rd and Forder Rd.
4319 Telegraph Rd St Louis, MO 63 129
(314) 894‑7313
Although they are now under the guise of a Chinese restaurant, Kevin said they’d still have the Vietnamese menu. This was confirmed when I ordered the Vietnamese Salt and Pepper Shrimp. Delicious!
Sadly, this means a longer trek for me for one of the best Phở and Salt and Pepper Calamari/​Shrimp in town.

I’m so torn. This is basically the only South City Vietnamese restaurant located west of Kingshighway, and not off Grand, so my natural instinct is to just give them five stars based on their existence alone.
Alas, life is a little complicated.
I’ve gotten takeout phở twice so far: the first time, I had a massive headache, which I assumed was from the MSG. The second time, I was taken aback by how fatty the broth was. I know phở broth is pretty fatty, and yes, you can just scoop it out with a spoon, but it was the inconsistency in the broth between the two orders that caught me by surprise.
The broth is heavier on star anise, which I did like. I did not like the off-​putting texture of the beef meatballs, so just order the phở tai. Takeout phở broth is carefully bagged separately in the event of spillage, which I appreciate.
This is by no means Phở Grand. But when I am in a hurry and can’t make it over to South Grand, this will be my default place for a hearty bowl of phở.

Shady. We ordered and paid for three dishes from Chrystal however delivery brought only one. When we called back, the restaurant disputed our order but failed to provide a receipt with the food. The person on the phone hung up and didn’t answer return calls. Beware.

Crystal has very quickly become our favorite Vietnamese restaurant! Everything that we have had there has been so tasty. From their soups, rice dishes, noodle dishes, it’s all good! They also have a tofu with vegetables dish for vegetarian/​vegans. I used to order their fresh spring rolls but now I Have to get the fried rolls; very addictive, especially rolled up in the romaine lettuce and dipped in their special sauce.
And like Kelly B said, they deliver! We’ve learned to ask for extra broth when we order any of their soups just b/​c it is so good and I always want more.
If you want Vietnamese, Crystal is the place to go! A restaurant full of Asians can’t wrong.

(This review is from OCT 2012 and I just logged in on a computer to publish it…)
Just ordered delivery from
. As I didn’t have a menu I ordered the phở thai and spring rolls, after reading the reviews. I asked for a menu with my delivery so I could make a more educated decision nexy time but they forgot.
The service was alright, if not rushed. I had to call back to get my dwlivery total because the guy who took my order rushed me off the phone so fast. Also, the delivery boy didn’t even verify the total or check to see if I gave him enough money. But it’s really not my problem anymore once he’s gone =/​
The phở arrived warm with a side container of add ins. Meat, sprouts, cilantro, lime, basil, and a squirt of sricha on top a brown sauce. Slightly disappointing but I was willing to make a few sacrifices for a $ 10 Thai delivery.
The spring roll I ate was very tasty and SUPER fresh. The peanut sauce was also very good – chunky too!

I have had phở at Crystal 3 times– twice in the restaurant, and once as take out. They tasted great every time. Their flavors aren’t as pronounced as I’d really like, but they give a hefty amount of meat with each bowl. The hoisin sauce is not watered down and the herbs provided are rather fresh. Prices are affordable as well especially for a hungry individual!
The location isn’t too friendly to non-​Vietnamese individuals. What I mean by this is that there are multiple Vietnamese natives who sit in the restaurant conversing. They blast native music that doesn’t match with the random basketball game and soap operas being shown at the bar. This place is perfect for a quick fix of some acceptably authentic Vietnamese cuisine, but not good for a first date!

Had the lo mein and crab Rangoon, was very untraditional and bland. Definitely wont be ordering from here again.

This place is so-​so.
I don’t know if I would recommend anyone to come here or anything. It really isn’t that special. One noticeable thing you’ll notice is the building probably used to be a fast food chicken place of some sort. You can still see where you are supposed to go up to the ‘drive thru’.
It has a nice patio which we enjoyed and dined. The food was ok. I ordered the pork vermicelli that had all the standard ingredients such as cilantro, bean sprouts, rice noodles, fish broth, egg roll, and pork. It was certainly not the best I’ve tasted.
One feature that I found amusing is the menu. They have both Chinese and Vietnamese options, but that is not the part that had me laughing. On the front of it they have ‘delivery and carry-​out’ misspelled. They have it properly spelled on their huge sign overhead on the restaurant front, but not the menus. Cute. Really cute.
Anyway, stick to South Grand is my recommendation if you want Vietnamese.

Their food really is good — their spring rolls are fresh tasting, but I prefer them with the lighter dipper sauce like how they do it at Bahn Mi So. I have been to Crystal three times — once dine-​in, once carry-​out, and tonight I ordered delivery. I was very disappointed tonight when my soup show up cold — not even luke warm. I ordered delivery because I did not «feel» like cooking tonight — so, having to heat up my delivery soup was not what I was hoping to do. I gave the driver $ 20 for my $ 16 order — so, if I ever order again, I hope to at least be the first delivery on his route rather than the last!

My friend and I stopped by Crystal’s today while waiting for her oil change across the street. We walked in with a big party finishing up. The staff members were conversing with some of the members so we just picked a table to sit in. It felt a little awkward that we weren’t greeted.
A waiter came with menus quickly though and asked for our drinks. They didn’t have sua dau nanh (soy milk)! I was a little disappointed; brownie points for Vietnamese restaurants that serve soy milk and not just the Vietnamese ice coffee.
We ordered the Bun Thit Nuong with mine having the addition of shrimp. The entrées arrived in less than 10 minutes. The fish sauce and toppings were delicious; good amount of meat and vermicelli noodles. My shrimp tasted a little off though. It seemed like artificial shrimp meat or something, can’t quite put my finger on it. No one came to check up on us the entire meal; the only time someone came was to give us the bill.
The food is delicious and for the price, a winner in my book. The only thing they could improve on is the service.

love love loved it! strongly recommend!
the décor
this place is very unassuming but aren’t those the best places?! spend less on décor and more on what important– making sure your food is amz!
food
we had the phở and some porkchop dish. both were out of this world. the phở was the best I have ever had. so fresh, warm, absolutely delish, and authentic.
I love how this place is so anti gringo– there’s no numbers on the menu and the dishes have vietnamese names, almost as if the owners are saying pronounce that sh** beeyotch! which I gladly obliged. the servers were very patient and informative.
$
very reasonable
definitely worth checking out! I haven’t tried phở grand but to be honest, after hitting this place up– I dont see myself spending my time or money elsewhere… yeah, they are that good!

I love this place. Every time I come to St. Louis I have to get my noodle on here. I think it rivals some of the best noodle soups in San Francisco and that is a big statement!
The Phở Tai aka sliced beef noodle soup. Fricken’ delicious. The broth has such a rich wonderful flavor each spoonful leaves you wanting more. One of my biggest pet peeves is when noodle soup is served with lemons instead of limes. You won’t find any lemons on your plate of soup accoutrements here! Limes all the time! The thai basil is awesome. I just can’t say enough about the wonderfulness of this soup. Don’t walk run here folks!

It has been a long time since I have tasted really good Vietnamese food. One of the best meals out I have had in a while. I plan to return very soon. No frills as far as ambiance but the food is spot on and the service excellent. Also they deliver and I am in walking distance. Great to have found a gem like this so close.

This place is the real deal. It’s american enough to satisfy people looking for traditional «chinese food», and they have the real stuff as well. The noodle bowls are so fresh — the veggies are crisp, the peanut sauce tastes house-​made. I leave full and satisfied every time.

Really like this place and would really, really like it to stay for a long time. 1^st visit at this Vietnamese/​Chinese restaurant I stopped in during lunch for a carry out. There were so many options on the menu I just asked «what’s good»? He said «what do you like? Long story short he had the kitchen make me a custom dish of chicken and spicy chili/​ginger sauce with rice; wow. I’m certain they don’t make it a habit but it got me to come back! So far I’ve had the Phở Tai and Hoang Thanh Mi; the second is my fav so far. Only complaint I have is that the Phở Tai was a little on the greasy side.
Please try this place and keep it in business; they deliver too!
BTW Chris F.‘s comment about the sauce smelling funny/​wrong; I think you don’t know what fish sauce is. It’s not an American taste/​smell.

I’ve been to Crystal three times now, and the wife and I love it… we’ve had nothing but great food every time (obviously I haven’t tried everything yet, but still). I am a particular fan of the phở tai — great broth base that is bursting with layers of flavor, nice and fresh veggies that don’t get all soggy when they hit the hot soup, and perfectly cooked slices of beef — really doesn’t get much better. While the ambiance isn’t exactly stellar (kiddo’s watch cartoon network at at the bar), it really doesn’t make a lick of difference to me — if you want great Vietnamese food at really good prices (phở’s are under $ 7), this is definitely the place to go.
Oh, and I should point out that I created an account on Unilocal just so I could submit a review of this place — it’s just that good.

We’ve been here on several occasions and have had great food each time. They have a pretty extensive menu with both Vietnamese and Chinese dishes. The Phở is outstanding as are the other noodle dishes. The Chinese dishes we tried were ok, nothing spectacular. The service is great, but then again the place is never busy. They do take-​out and delivery as well. I’d recommend checking it out if you’re in the area. It’s pretty sad that so many people are willing to pass this place by for all the crappy fast food joints down the street.

Walked into Crystal (I keep wanting to call this place Crys-​Tal… you know, like I’m drinkin’ super ghetto champagne)
But alas, I walked into Crystal tonight and all the owners and their families were sitting around a couple of tables– no customers in sight.
I was a little worried but I picked up a to-​go menu and ordered, dutifully.
Hmmm…
The prices are a dollar (or more) less than the South Grand strip of Vietnamese places
Same choices…
I’ll give it a try!
I ordered some veggie dishes and gave it a go–
Great. Fresh herbs and not overly salted.
I’m still on the look out for vegetarian Phở soup if anyone knows of any here in STL. Had a sweet little joint in San Francisco that could make some veggie Phở equal parts savory and heaven.

Crystal is a Vietnamese restaurant that has been through several changes and owners since they first opened. The newest owners formerly owned Rex’s Café in Carondelet. They serve Phở, Bun, Vietnamese hot pots, and a variety of Vietnamese style pork chop plates. They also have a Chinese Menu.
If you have never tried a Vietnamese pork chop… you must. And, you should try it here. It is served with crushed rice, a shredded veggie salad and fish sauce. Their spring rolls are pretty good too.
The best thing about Crystal is THEY DELIVER. Vietnamese delivery is hard to come by. I used to order these wonderful pork chops from Rex’s until they stopped delivering and eventually closed. Carondelet was a tough neighborhood to succeed in. I hope they do better here.
P. S. I did update the business listing with a phone number, but it hasn’t been posted yet 314−352−8400.

This restaurant is the old Ba Le restaurant. We tried it out for the 1^st time last night after driving past it so many times. We thought it would be nice to find an Asian restaurant that is closer than the group of restaurants down on Grand.
Our order consisted of:
1) Potstickers — bf’s favorite. Not overly doughy like some places, and they also provided a huge styrofoam cup of a hot dipping sauce (soy sauce with chili oil).
2) Phở with meatballs — not bad. Heavy handed with the star anise, but was decent.
3) Hot braised chicken — I don’t typically order this dish, but it’s one of bf’s favorites. He thought it was only OK (not good enough to order again).
4) Pork with mixed vegetables — no flavor.
While the food wasn’t terrible, I’m not sure it warrants another visit. I guess I’ll have to drive the extra 10 minutes out to Grand to pick up better Vietnamese/​Chinese food.