By Mike Kinney
Huong Tra Vietnamese restaurant located at 12221 San Pablo Avenue, close to Barrett and San Pablo Avenues is a hometown favorite to dine at for Richmond locals. The restaurant has been in business close to 30 years.
According to Uyen Tu, daughter of owner Adrian Nguyen, the name of Huong Tra translates to “Fragrance of Tea.”
“Our location is important because most of our customers are pretty much all locals, who have kept coming back over the years because of our great food and service,” Tu said.
Translating for Nguyen, Tu said her mother views her kitchen like a second home.
“She loves seeing happy customers with smiling faces,” Tu said. “It makes her happy knowing that they have had great food and good time here at our restaurant.”
Huong Tra’s menu is diverse with over 80 selections, some served up from its stir-fry station, noodle station and frying station.
The most popular item on the menu is the Pho Dac Biet, a Pho noodle soup with tendon and beef ball for $12.50.
Also popular are rice plates such as Com Suon, Tau Hu Ky, Trung, which consists of grilled pork chop, bean curd roll and egg over white rice for $14.50. Other favorites are Com Ga Xao Xa Ot, a spicy chicken over white rice or with yellow rice for $11, and Com Bo Nuong, which consists of cube beef steak over white rice for 13.50.
Also popular are seafood plates like Ca Rang Muoi, a crispy fried fish with ginger, onion and jalapeno.
“We have been coming to Huong Tra restaurant for about five years now,” said Richmond residents Raymond Lowe and his wife Linda: “They are the best Vietnamese restaurant here in the Bay Area. Everybody I know eats here.”
Linda added, ” We love their good home cooked meals and great service. They are very reasonably priced. We will keep coming back.”
Huong Tra Vietnamese Restaurant is located at 12221 San Pablo Ave. in Richmond (next door to Williams Health Food Store). They open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. They can be reached at (510) 234-7428.
