Venus Cafe

I hadn’t been to Venus Cafe in years, but I remember it being one of my go-to late night spots for solid Chinese food. I recently decided to stop by again, excited to relive that experience, but unfortunately it didn’t live up to what I remembered. When I walked in, I immediately noticed a strange smell inside the restaurant, which wasn’t the best first impression. I understand that prices have gone up everywhere, so that part wasn’t surprising. What was disappointing, though, was that while prices have increased, the food quality seems to have declined. The dishes didn’t taste as fresh or flavorful as they used to, and overall the experience just felt different from what I remembered years ago. It’s honestly a letdown because I was really craving good Chinese food and was hoping this would hit the spot. I’m hoping this was just an off day, but based on this visit, I don’t see myself returning anytime soon.

We have been to Venus Cafe a couple of times Oder the past years and we are always satisfied with the food. We were initially going to get take out but a few tables were open and employees were really welcoming so we decided to dine in. Today we got their Big Brother with white sauce only and the Braised Beef Egg Noodle Soup. The soup came first so we shared it and enjoyed that while waiting for the baked item which takes longer to make. The baked item is a bit heavy so we also decided to share it. The Big Brother dish was very creamy and tasty. The chicken was very crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The employees were very attentive, portions were generally good and food was affordable. Overall a great experience and family friendly restaurant.

Me: "Hi, you made a mistake with my takeout order. I ordered one Stir Fried Pork & Chicken w/ Maggi Sauce Rice Plate and one Vietnamese Style Stir Fried Beef Rice Plate, but you gave me fried rice instead of the beef plate." Boss: "Okay, I'll cook another one for you." Me: "Great, I'll come and get it now." After getting home: ..... (Another Stir Fried Pork & Chicken Rice Plate +1) 😂

Made a visit to this chain store. There are 3 in the bay area. Among all 3, this is considered the best one in my opinion. There is no breakfast option and they open at 11am for their lunch service. There is a lunch menu set and that was what I got. Lots of options but the price is a bit steep for a typical Chinese cafe set lunch. $18.99 and comes with a hot drink. Cold drink upgrade add in $1. I got the baked Portuguese chicken over fried rice w/ ice milk tea. The dish was very good and flavorful. However, the chicken pieces are a bit over season and tends to be salty for my taste. Overall, not bad and fulfilling. The decor and astomohere is nice and cozy like a cafe. It was bit chilling for me at my table as they had turned up the AC. The only I have to say, this is pretty expensive for a lunch special. Aside from that, the food is great and I would recommend to try this place out in San Jose.

This restaurant has been here for a long time, I've been there maybe 3 times, but this will probably be my last time. It's very narrow inside, and the tables are right next to the tables next to them. I ordered Lemonade, but it came with a cup of sugar water + lemon slices for $5.95 (see picture ), the fried instant noodles were OK, but the pork chop was very thin $17.95 . The seafood puff soup not only took a long time to wait, but the soup inside was canned + two pcs shrimps, two pieces of squid $ 14.75 .