Thinh An Kitchen & Tofu

Reviews 5

SA

sara hersh

I went here yesterday at a friends suggestion. I was slightly put off by the family style seating but thats only because Im slightly anti social and neurotic. Once my fears of having conversation with strangers was put to rest by seating us by a couple who could care less about us, I felt much better. I ordered the seafood rice noodle soup, and shrimp egg rolls and a tofu banh mi sandwich to go, for my husband. The pho was pretty good. A little on the sweet side but once I added lime and hot chili paste to it, it was perfect. The fish cakes in the soup were shaped like little fried pieces of tofu. I was unfamiliar with this type but they were delicious. The shrimp egg rolls were good but they had pork in them which wasnt specified, so if you dont eat pork make sure you ask before you order. The dipping sauce could have had a bit more fish sauce in it. The tofu banh mi was super good. The best tofu banh mi weve had, actually. So I definitely recommend that. The tofu was perfectly seasoned and had so much flavor. Even if youre not a vegetarian it was just a damn good sandwich. What I absolutely LOVED was that they had a bakery/deli section in the back with so many delicious savory and sweet and options. Even homemade condiments and pickles. Everything from homemade Vietnamese mayo and sausages to dumplings and pre made meals to steamed cakes and homemade candies. That is extremely exciting for me. Obviously pork is a main ingredient in a lot of this food, so again, if pork is not in your diet you may want to just ask before you order or buy anything. Still, lots of great pescitatrian and vegetarian options. And the food is cheap! I ended up getting an EMBARRASSINGLY large amount of food while I was there and it cost me less that when I go out to eat on a date with my hudband: Seafood pho Shrimp egg roll appetizer (both eaten there) then the to-go items: Tofu banh mi Savory steamed dumpling in banana leaf Banana cake Coconut cake Shrimp rice cake and dipping sauce Glutinous rice dumpling with savory mung bean filling and dipping sauce (this ended up having pork in it btw) This all cost me $32 and change..... Holy crap. That is 8....I repeat, 8 delicious food items for $32. Amazing.

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JA

jay thach

Alright I know youre second guessing my 5 star review! Give me a chance to explain! First we will start with the atmosphere, it is very clean, well lit, and spacious. The presentation of the restaurant has to be one of the best I have seen for a vietnamese restaurant. It has a cafe styled drink bar and a cool looking bread bar with other condiments and take out food. Now onto the food! I know thats what youve been wanting to hear! Today I ordered the Thinh An rice special #48. It came with broken rice, grilled pork, Korean rib beef, shrimp, egg cake, a piece of tofu and lettuce vermicelli with pickled carrots complemented with cucumbers and a slice of tomatoes. The presentation was beautifully done, shout out to the chef that took the time to plate it! (Picture below) something I noticed immediately was that the flavor of the meat was lacking. It was definitely there but the presence was faint. In my own opinion I believe eating such a dish should yield to more taste I should deeply taste the marination. Believe me Ive eaten alot of com thiet nuong dishes to know what I think is delicious! From what I ate I could describe it as a clean teasing dish, it wasnt overpowering but it isnt something I could brag about to the people that follow my reviews! Customer service was excellent! Our server definitely took care of us very well! Bottom line: The food was great and the prices are affordable. Service was excellent and the restaurant is very well presented! One of my top choices for vietnamese cuisine. The true rating I would give this restaurant would be a 4.3/5 the reason being is that I felt as if the flavor was lacking in my dish. I will definitely be back again to try other dishes! Look out for updates!

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KR

Kristen U

Ive had Vietnamese almost weekly from coast-to-coast across the US (as I travel for work) --- even jokingly made my goal last year to find Americas best banh mi -- and this wins HANDS DOWN. The only thing possibly better is the cooking of my BFFs mom, but even that is doubtful. Here, we had banh xeo, pork banh mi, a mixed grill of meats/egg & meat loaf/shrimp. Everything was fresh, crisp, hot, perfectly done, exquisitely seasoned, and amply portioned. I cannot give them high enough praise. The place was packed but still the service was friendly, prompt, and attentive to our many requests. On the menu there was everything one could want (and a few specials not on the printed menu) appetizers, soups, bun, fried and fresh rolls, grilled meats, sandwiches, dessert, et al. They were cool with substituting steamed veg on my plate and adding extra meat for $1 to my bbq pork banh mi as I try to go high protein/lower carb :) I love the fact there is also an area to pick up quick stuff to-go, like other soups, drinks, egg rolls, small plates, steamed buns, tofu, and pastries. Do not leave without a delicious croissant -- $1.50 and my French friend was 100% bowled over lol. The prices were great overall, and when the food is this delicious and fresh Id expect to pay more. But nope -- good AND cheap! I gave the gentleman who I assume was the manager a verbal high-five on our way out. Thank you again for an awesome meal. Next time Im in Tampa I will DEFINITELY be hitting this spot. YUM!!

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FR

Fred Brooks

I wish I lived in Tampa. I dont know anything about Tampa except that Thinh An is here, but thats enough. We were only in Tampa for one day, but we loved this place so much that we ate here twice. Ive been a vegetarian for about 12 years now, so when I say this is the best tofu Ive ever had, you should understand that Ive had a lot of tofu. Ive also had really great vegetarian Vietnamese food in Southern California, and this place beats anything Ive eaten there. We shared the vegetarian fresh rolls, and I got a Thai milk tea and the lemongrass tofu broken rice dish. My husband had a lychee boba tea and a beef stew dish with bread. All of it was amazing. I dont use my adjectives lightly (I do teach writing, after all); I really was amazed by this tofu. I dont know how they got it to taste so good, other than the fact that its made fresh in house. I got several pastries and flavors of tofu from the hot bar, all of which were excellent. For dinner, my husband had a banh mi, which was huge and cheap, and he really enjoyed it. We tried the cream puffs, which were just okay. I also tried the sweetened iced soy milk, which didnt taste anything like soy milk Im used to getting from the grocery store. It was a nuttier flavor than prepackaged soy milk. Yall are lucky to have a gem like this.

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E.

E. T. O.

This place is so good. The atmosphere is calm even when busy. The service is great and the restaurant is very clean. I love the little market area with premade food, pastries, drinks etc. Their whole wall of juice/drinks is daunting at first but really cool. I love the Mango Milk Tea with Boba beads. Its so refreshing and not overly sweet. My mom tried the coconut slush and she said it tasted just like drinking from a coconut. Their phos are delicious and all their portions are big - so come with an appetite. I had the BBQ Short Ribs Fried Rice and it was delicious too. It came with a side of salad and a mini pho broth. Their strawberry pastry is just the right amount of sweet and not overly flacky. Im Latina and usually no one can make a guava, or fruit pastry, like a Spanish bodega (store) but this place has totally beaten them. Their mango pastry is good too; however that strawberry one took the prize. Will definitely go back if just for the Boba Teas. Recommend to anyone willing to try something new.

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