Tucked away in the corner of Indian Creek Shopping Center on Metcalf Avenue resides the Vietnamese restaurant, Cáfe Vie. Wildly popular and always filled with customers, the Cáfe serves mostly Vietnamese cuisine and is mainly known for their Pho, a traditional Vietnamese dish consisting of rice noodles, protein, and herbs in broth. The restaurant provides Korean food as well, such as Beef Bulgogi, Omurice, Gimbap, Tonkatsu, and others. Also available is Boba tea, with flavors including Taro, Green Tea, Milk Tea, and Coconut Milk.
I visited there on Thursday, September 27, with fellow Barstow students Avani Lakkireddy ‘24, Izzy Parr ‘24, and Lasya Maganti ‘24, excited to try some new dishes. The restaurant is spacious, with numerous tables available and ample menus to browse. Ordering is done at a self-service screen, and then customers pick up their orders from the counter after their number is called. The atmosphere is calming and inviting, making for an enjoyable meal.
We ordered Chicken Pho, Pad Thai, Omu Rice, Crab Rangoons, and a Beef bun. I was very excited to try the Pho, as I’d only had it once before. The Pho was piping hot and served in a huge bowl, ample enough for 2-3 servings. Filled with rice noodles and proteins, the broth had an herby and delicious taste. Herbs are served in a side plate for customers to add in as they choose. The Pad Thai was packed with flavor and protein, and just spicy enough to enjoy without being too overpowering.
Omu Rice is a fried rice dish wrapped in a scrambled egg and topped with ketchup. This was a new dish for me, so I was very intrigued. The fried rice was some of the best I’ve ever had, and the egg and ketchup added new flavors that meshed really well with the rice. The crab rangoons were piping hot and had ample filling. The beef bun was huge, with a perfect ratio of dough to meat.
Another great aspect of Cáfe Vie is the quick service. Our numbers were called about ten minutes after we sat down, and everyone at the table got their food around the same time. The servers were all kind and attentive, and we neve felt rushed as we took our time enjoying our meals.
Overall, I would give Cáfe Vie a 5/5. If you’re looking to enjoy Vietnamese or Korean food, enjoy a new restaurant, or affordable and delicious food, I would recommend stopping by Cáfe Vie.
