Bhan Mae Vane

Last minute to come here. Went there very close to closing and waitress did not seem too happy. Told us we had 10 minutes to order because they were closing. Good grief! Place had 2 other tables and looks like door dash kept coming. Nice decor, clean, quiet where we can have a conversation.

Finally , once we ordered the food came quickly and OMG. We ordered 5 dishes and good came so fast that it was unbelievably delicious. The lady with the classes , maybe the owner, she was the nicest lady. First time at this place was not sure at first but the food is amazing. I will go back another time but I would like recommendations and maybe bring other friends and family to eat here. Little pricy but worth every dollar.

The food was so good I came back to the restaurant for weeks! While my personal favorite is definitely Nam Khao, it seems you can't go wrong with any of the dishes. Each dish has very unique flavors, and makes you crave for more.

Nam Khao was very refreshing, and the bite was even better if you combine the rice with the leaves and herbs. The pepper could be extremely hot, but you'd probably love it if you're a spicy-loving person.

Sakoo is one of the other favorites, a very chewy tapioca ball with meat inside.

Mok pla is a fish dish that was also on the spicier end. Theres a lot of spices going on but still a very pleasant dish.

The wait line could get long on weekends but it's worth the wait, especially if you want to have a nice dinner together with friends and family.

Authentic food, good service and very spacious. If I lived close by I would frequent this place. The Lao sausage and crispy rice (forgot name) salad were very good. Good size portions. I already have a list of dishes I want to try for the next time.

Wow food, service, quality was all fantastic. The portions are very generous and food came out extremely fast. The pork belly is a must order! So crispy! I loved the seafood salad and the pad kee mao was also really flavorful. We left happy and full. Will definitely come back again!

Delicious spot for some Thai/Laotian food in Alameda!

I came here for lunch with a friend on a Sunday morning around 11:30 and it was pretty empty, though it slowly filled up as we were there. Free parking was easy to find on the residential streets as long as you're willing to walk a couple minutes.

It was my first time trying Laotian food, so I asked the server what she recommended. She suggested sakoo, nam kao, crispy pork belly, and the pad kee mao. Everything looked good, so we decided to order everything she recommended, only to realize portions are huge here and we ordered enough food for 3-4 people.

Here's what we thought for each dish:

Sakoo (savory tapioca balls, $16) - this was a very unique dish that I've never had before. It was really good, though I thought the tapioca layer was too thick. I've never had this dish before so I'm not sure if this is the norm

Nam Kao (crispy rice ball salad, $16) - I personally didn't like this dish that much as it was too sour (lime or lemon I'm guessing?) and also because there was a lot of cilantro mixed in, but my friend really liked it

Crispy pork belly ($18) - most disappointing dish of the meal. The pork belly was super dry, to the point where I had trouble chewing it, and was incredibly bland. At least the skin was crispy?

Pad kee mao ($16) - flavorful without being too sweet, which is a plus in my books! This was probably my favorite dish of the meal

Went during lunch on a weekday and it was pretty quiet, but came back for dinner with a group and the place was packed! They do take reservations, so we didn't have to wait.

Nam Khao and the pork belly is a must. I would stick with the more traditional things you can't find at other places. We also tried to papaya salad which was spicy but tasty! The pad see ew was better than the pad kee mao, but I'd avoid both those noodle options. They also didn't come out until we were all done with everything else since they ran out of noodles(??) but I think they just forgot because other tables were getting their noodle dishes.

If you're in the area, definitely make a trip to eat here! I've gone twice and I'm already planning what to eat next... still gotta try the sakoo!

TL;DR: Stick to traditional things on the menu like the specialty dishes, avoid the noodles, and you probably won't go wrong!

So. Good.

We were meeting some folks from up north in Alameda for dinner as we were about a week away from moving to town. We weren't sure where to go, since there are so many well reviewed and diverse places to eat. They had initially picked a Thai place of the beaten path, and when we arrived early, ahead of our friends, decided to explore downtown on Webster. While walking around, we smelled the most amazing aromas wafting out of Bahn Mae Vane. We instantly stepped inside and inquired about a table, then texted our friends with the new location.

From the moment we sat down, we knew we had discovered something special. Our waitress, who we later learned is the owner, was exceptional. She made great recommendations, noticed we were really hungry and perhaps over ordering, and helped us manage our appetites. We still wound up ordering way too much food because it all sounded amazing, and wound up happily eating leftovers for days.


The Pad See Ew with chicken was delicious. As was the Pumpkin Curry and the Pineapple Fried Rice. I'm not usually a tofu fan, but our friends ordered so I tried. It was nice and firm and cooked perfectly. The Pad Thai was again not my choice, but everyone enjoyed it.

Everything we ordered was seasoned beautifully, was almost overwhelming in portion size, and worthy of leftovers in two households where leftovers aren't always eaten.

For dessert (don't judge, yes we were already stuffed, but come on!), the purple rice and custard was an amazing lightly sweet delight and the mango sticky rice was gobbled up quickly.

We will be back.

Update: and we went back. Multiple times. It's our go-to spot for dinner out with folks. Even our friend from Hong Kong found the authenticity of the food impressive and delicious. Keep up the great work! Delicious, generous portions.

Bhan Mae Vane was recommended by a friend that is used to homemade Lao/Thai cuisine. He told me that the papaya salad was the closest he has had to home cooking. Which is one reason I came today besides the excellent reviews and photos I saw on Yelp.

We came right when they opened at 11am, which worked out because within 30 to 45 minutes later, the restaurant was full. So many dishes I wanted to try like the Sakoo, Larb, Nam Khao, etc. But we ended up ordering:

Papaya Salad Platter: this includes three choices of meats, for us we ordered beef ribs, angel wings, and crispy pork belly. Sticky rice, noodles, and of course Papaya Salad. I thought all the items were good. Mind blowing? No. But solid and gives a nice variety. Way too much for just the two of us.

Pad Thai: large portion of noodles. We had calamari and shrimp added. Solid dish.

Our server/waitress was Jada. No, Not Jada Pinkett Smith. Because if it was, I would KEEP HER NAME OUT this Yelp review.... But no, Jada was very friendly and explained the menu well. Excellent service. Overall a nice first impression, and I can't wait to try the other items available on a future visit.

Comfy and cozy indoor dining setting.
Ppl are quite nice here, they're helpful even tho all of them are really busy. Changed dessert plates for us quick.
I love the food here, the rice roll wraps are really good, lettuce wraps are not quite enough but we finished all the rice noodles and fried spring rolls, dipping sauce was refreshing.
Tom yum soup was my favorite, we added shrimp and calamari which is quite a good decision, portion size is great.
Pad Thai came in a huge plate, tastes good but only down side is there is no lime or lemon in itso I grabbed the one small piece from our wraps.
Mango sticky rice was alright, not as good as other dishes, but it's not mango season yet!
I'd definitely come back next time again!

Love this place - you could call it my west-side Champa Garden! Similar food and service, but different location.
Alameda never ceases to amaze me with new restaurants and flavors.

The staff was friendly and inviting - and they obviously got their sh** together. We came on a busy Friday night and only waited about 10 min to get seated.
Can't wait to return!
BB