Name: Happy Flower Eatery and Boba
Telephone: +1 408-657-8288
Price range: $
Rating: 4.65

Huì 慧1 084 avis

With boba 🧋 tapioca 😋 taro sweet potato 🍠 vegan restaurant

taro milk tea

kyu748 avis

I’m moving away from California next month, and if I had to pick one #veganrestaurant that I’ll miss the most, it would be Happy Flower. I hope that other members of this lovely community will continue reviewing where I’ve left off! I’ve been immensely spoiled with good and plentiful #vietnamese food here in the Bay Area, and this spot has to be one of my #bestpicks in that category. This #bahnmi was simply delicious. We ordered lemongrass “beef” (turns out, it’s the same jerky that is served on the papaya salad — https://www.abillion.com/dishes/happy-flower-eatery-and-boba-papaya-salad-10431682) but there are several alternatives to choose from. The warm, freshly toasted #baguette is prepared with crisp quick-pickled vegetables, vegan mayo, and jalapeños. Remember to ask for no cilantro if you’re on Team #betterwithoutcoriander! This báhn mì was great and definitely deserves to be enjoyed fresh. It’s $10 for a big #sandwich, which is a little more than typical, but I’m okay with it since it’s still not easy to find good, dedicated vegan options. They also run promotions from time to time, too (currently, there’s a buy-three-get-one-free offer — a wonderful opportunity for you and three sandwich-loving friends!)

Saigon Sandwich

kyu748 avis

You can actually see the steam rising off the plate in this photo! I really appreciate Happy Flower’s dedication to serving their food piping hot — just one of the many perks of sit-down dining at this fabulous #veganrestaurant. This lunch plate was amazing. It’s “#soy protein and broccoli sautéed in savory #garlic sauce;” the dish is a nice balance of #protein, #vegetables, and steamed rice (choice of brown or white.) Of the various sauces utilized in the restaurant, this one is probably my favorite: it’s very garlicky and packs a nice hit of pepper, too (I am a #blackpepper fiend, and good pepper flavor automatically bumps my rating up!) The soy-based #veganchicken had a pretty great texture, and the dish just worked together so well. I know I say this every time, but I think I have a new favorite lunch plate! An ample portion for $16, and as usual, the staff were super welcoming and attentive. I truly can’t say enough good things about this place!

Garlic Chicken Lunch Plate

kyu748 avis

You can order your #pho five different ways at this #vietnamese #veganrestaurant. This time, I decided to try Cali Pho, the most #vegetables-forward variation they offer. It features “fresh thick pho noodle with baby bok choy, carrots, broccoli, napa cabbage, [king oyster] mushrooms, [sliced onions,] and tofu in savory pho broth.” As usual, the rice noodles were springy and perfectly cooked. I loved the incredible and fresh #eatyourveggies variety in my bowl, too! Although I like the chicken lime leaf flavor best out of the phos I’ve tried so far, this is a nice option for when you want something lighter but still filling. We both felt that the broth was a little on the sweet side, but the dish was overall pretty good. It was $14 for a big, steaming bowl. As you can see, I once again forgot to request cilantro on the side…

Cali Pho

trashpicksticks12 avis

I went here on Sunday and ordered a lot of dishes. I LOVED their Vietnamese coffee which they made using soy milk as the base. The coffee was just perfectly strong and sweet for my taste. Yummy! For dishes I ordered a Saigon Sandwich which was GREAT. Loved the taste of the vegan mayo in the sandwich. I ordered my favorite dish here - the Tom Kha soup. And also ordered Vegan curry which was decent.

Vietnamese coffee

kyu748 avis

This #curry was decent, but I probably wouldn’t order it again. There was something a little off about the texture — you may be able to see in the photo how it’s seized up at the surface; it also had a slightly granular texture, and it was quite thick, almost like soup made from puréed pumpkin or squash. That being said, I liked the taste — it was super creamy with #coconut and had a pronounced #lemongrass flavor, as well. I love curry that comes with #eggplant, and the vegetables and proteins saved this dish for me, to be honest. There was a good amount and variety of stuff (red and green bell peppers, fried #tofu cubes, #veganchicken chunks, and sliced king oyster mushroom) that made every bite a welcome surprise. I like that the #carbsforlife side is included and offers several different options. Since we already had a dish with rice, we opted for roti; I think it came with 3 pieces. It’s a pretty fair value, but I didn’t love the curry enough to order it again over, say, the vermicelli bowl I love so dearly. #veganrestaurant

Vegan Curry

kyu748 avis

A well-balanced lunch platter that gets you tender shaking #veganbeef, zesty salad, and fragrant #carbsforlife rice. The portion size was quite generous, and I really enjoyed the texture of the #fakemeat. If I had to provide a little nitpicky feedback, it’d be that the sauce was rather sweet for me, and those little dots that look like black beans were actually raisins — which, even for a #raisingang-ster like myself, feels like an extremely interesting decision. Overall, though, it’s a good dish. Although it’s not perfect, I would recommend trying this lunch plate — in fact I’d go so far as to place it among my top picks for this #vietnamese #veganrestaurant (and that’s saying something, considering how pretty much everything I’ve ordered has been great!)

Rock-N-Roll Beef Lunch Plate

kyu748 avis

Did someone say #bestpicks? Everything I’ve ordered from Happy Flower has been delightful — go read my reviews of the tom kha and vegan chicken pho if you want to be hungry — but this bún was next level. #vietnamese #veganrestaurant A generous serving of vermicelli #noodles rest atop a bed of fresh, crisp shredded lettuce, rendered almost invisible by an array of mouthwatering toppings. The crunchy vegetable-filled vegan #eggrolls were especially notable, but the vegan fried chicken also deserve mention. Pickled carrot and daikon strips, sliced jalapeños, crushed peanuts, shallots, vegan fish sauce (outside the frame,) and what I believe were fried noodles rounded out the experience. I finally wised up and requested cilantro on the side (you could also ask to omit it entirely, but my dining companion wanted some on her bowl.) A pretty large portion for the price, enough to split between two. A must-try!

Combination Vermicelli Bowl

kyu748 avis

A tasty appetizer! These bite-sized cubes of succulent firm #tofu were perfectly #fried — #sweetdreamsaremadeofgrease without being gross and oily. The batter was light, really #crispy, and a had a nice hint of pepper. It was a little on the salty side for me. The cubes came out steaming hot, which is a must for fried foods. The tofu is served with a cup of #peanut sauce. I disliked the use of disposable plastic, though I imagine it might make things easier to pack up in the event of leftovers (we had none.) #tofulover It’s a good size for splitting among a party of 2-3, though I feel $12 is a little high. The rolls or papaya salad are probably a better deal, as starters go, but I can’t deny that these guys know their way around a fryer.

Crispy Tofu

kyu748 avis

We ordered the #lemongrass #veganfish on a previous Happy Flower visit, but as the à la carte Lemongrass Entree. While that dish came with a generous serving of #mockmeat, the consensus was that we’d be willing to swap some of the vegan fish out for much-needed #carbsforlife. Offered the choice of white or #brownrice, we selected brown. Much like last time, the fish was good — it was savory (and a tiny bit spicy,) aromatic, and coated in a thick layer of chopped lemongrass and other seasonings. #lemongrassandchillibelongtogether — this tag has only been used twice so far, but it’s absolutely true. The “fish” is #soy-based and can be made #glutenfree. I was a little disappointed to find that it didn’t come with broccoli, which would have been a great addition to the meal. With broccoli, it would have gotten an easy 5 stars from me! Despite the lack of cruciferous vegetables, I would still highly recommend this #vietnamese #veganrestaurant. It’s a hidden gem that far too few South Bay vegans are aware of, in my opinion. I’ll certainly be back soon. The food is amazing, the service is prompt, and the prices are fair — what more could I ask for?

Lemongrass Fish Lunch Plate

kyu748 avis

This overachieving #soup is everything it promises, and more! On the menu, it pledges “coconut milk, tomato, pineapple, celery, mushrooms, bean sprouts, tofu, [and] garlic in savory, spicy, sweet & sour #thai broth.” Yet that’s only the beginning… in our bowl, I also cataloged vegan ham, vegan beef, bamboo shoots, both tofu puffs and fried tofu skin (a la 素鸭,) and carrots. There were probably even a few more vegetables that I failed to identify. I say all this to convey some sense of the mind-boggling variety of this soup! #eattherainbow The broth was super flavorful and served steaming hot. If you’ve never had #tomkha before, the best way I can think to describe the flavor would be “complex” or “a little bit of everything.” It’s rich, creamy without being thick, and a little sweet, salty, spicy, and sour all at once! They used tons of aromatics; if I were coming down with something, I’m convinced that this would cure me. I definitely felt the sodium afterward (even shared between two people!) so that may be something to be mindful of. This was a great dish for a rainy day. It was a pretty big portion, and we both felt satisfied after finishing it. $15 honestly felt like a steal for the sheer amount of stuff in the bowl. I would be tempted to order this again, if I weren’t on a mission to review their whole menu. Happy Flower is quickly becoming my favorite #veganrestaurant in the area!

Tom Kha Soup

trashpicksticks12 avis

Warm, comforting soup with just the correct spice level for me. Good portion size. The soup does not come with noodles but I asked for flat rice noodles on the side and I was served a good portion of it.