Customer Reviews
Greyson Lewis
Great food, generous portions, easy to get to. Why haven't you eaten here yet?
nguyen hongyen
Finally got to try this place! Delicious food, great atmosphere. Highly recommend!
Daniel Looney
We used to LOVE The Temple Club on International, so we're so STOKED to see them open up Downtown. The food / format is even better - could eat this every day!!! Highly recommend A+!!!!
Gabriel Feliciano
We ate here a few weeks ago and I’m looking forward to coming back to try out more of the menu. The broken rice dishes are excellent and the portion sizes very generous - we were so sated with our lunches that we didn’t even eat dinner after. And the Bill Owens photos on the walls are an added treat for me. Thank you!
yuanpeng wang
Got the lemongrass chicken vermicelli bowl and it was pretty good! The chicken was flavorful and everything tasted fresh. The only thing I’d change is the sauce, it was a little sweet for me and I wish it had a bit more tanginess. Overall, really enjoyed it!
Adam Kapp
So happy to see this place open! The bahn mi was great, and they have multiple vegetarian options! The broken rice dishes also looked good, and they had durian and black sesame cheesecakes!
Kerby Olsen
This place is soooo good. Bright flavors and large portions. Lemongrass chicken is grilled and tasty. Prawns are good too. Great for lunch. I prefer the rice plates to the Banh Mi. Slowly trying the rest of the menu. Counter service with Friendly staff.
Bong Noeul
This might be one of my new favorite Vietnamese spots in Oakland. I ordered the pork belly rice bowl and added the egg cake and fried scallion egg, and everything was so damn good. The pork belly had that perfect combination of crispy, caramelized edges with tender, flavorful meat, sitting over a generous portion of rice. The runny fried egg with scallions on top was basically the perfect finishing touch. The egg cake was also a great addition, fluffy, savory, and packed with flavor. I loved all the little sides that came with the bowl too, fresh cucumber and tomato, pickled vegetables, and the sweet-and-tangy pickles that helped cut through the richness of the pork. They also include a side of soup, which is such a nice touch, and they give you a generous bottle of nước chấm, a sweet, garlicky, slightly spicy Vietnamese fish sauce. I definitely recommend pouring that over the rice and pork. It brings the whole bowl together. Everything tasted authentic, comforting, and homemade, with that balance of savory, sweet, salty, tangy, fresh, and crispy that makes Vietnamese food so damn satisfying. Great portions, great flavors, and definitely worth checking out if you’re in Oakland. I’ll absolutely be back.
Ania
They’re super accommodating based on dietary needs. The owners are very nice, and it’s a bonus that the food was amazing too. Would recommend anybody to come to Broken Dreams.
Darren Chan
Got the pork chop broken rice with all the extras and it was delicious! Also loved the pate so pastry, would def go again
Tuong-An L.
Loved this place, it was sooo good! I got a tofu banh mi and shared a Vietnamese iced coffee and it was so tasty! Can’t wait to go back :)
Andrew Tom
May very well be the most delicious interpretation of vietnamese food in Oakland. I love that they’re right outside the bart entrance: I’m going to be getting an iced vietnamese salted coffee everyday after work 🙏🏻
Denis Fung
As a former customer at the owners' prior restaurant, Temple Club, I am very happy to be able to eat their food again. Both Broken Dreams and Temple Club share a commitment to bold flavors, quality ingredients, and excellent cooking. As a fast-casual kind of place, Broken Dreams is a great place to get lunch downtown. I had the pork cheek broken rice plate with egg cake and my wife had the vermicelli with lemongrass chicken. Both were delicious and well prepared, with nice touches like pickled fennel and rainbow carrots. Nuoc mam was too sweet for me but that was served on the side. Also ordered the crab/pork imperial roll which also was delicious, although I believe there was crab tomalley in the mix that I loved but my wife did not (Kudos for putting it in there). A lot of fun drink options that we did not get to try, but will do so the next time around.