The J Vietnamese Cafe, which opened over 5 years ago in Jefferson City, Missouri, shut down in September 2022 due to short staff. The owners had decided to redesign the entire place; the menu, the decorations, and the overall design of the seats and tables completely changed as well. They FINALLY reopened on October 3rd, and I finally got my chance to go and check out the place. I hadn’t eaten at the J Vietnamese Cafe in at least a year, so I was INCREDIBLY excited to enjoy some fantastic food.
When I went into the building, the decor felt so much more satisfying to dine in compared to the old decor. (This is just my personal opinion by the way.) Most of the food they had there originally is still about the same, although it felt a bit higher quality. I personally enjoy the pho they serve, it’s always been absolutely delicious. (Just in case you don’t know what pho is, it’s a Vietnamese soup consisting of bone broth, thin rice noodles, thinly sliced meat, and a bit of veggies as well.)
Here’s what I was served, and it was just as I remembered it tasting, and I was very satisfied with the food. Not only was the broth delicious and savory, but the meat included was also a fantastic addition. They have different options for meat, although I love purchasing the combination pho. (Meatballs, pork, and beef along with the usual toppings.)
The only other thing I purchased was a matcha milk boba tea. (A milk tea with lots of sugar, whatever flavoring you’d like, and tapioca pearls.)
They have a pretty big selection of smoothies, boba, drinks, etc. I honestly just love this place and its food in general. If you’re picky, I do not think you’d like it, but if you’re interested in trying this place out, I think it would be a fun experience.
One of the biggest things I want to mention now is that they changed their entire place along with the boba they make! I preferred the boba they made before they changed the entire place, but otherwise, everything else is a really nice change! I’ll show you guys some of the comparisons.
The difference between the old and new is that the original boba tea had been blended almost into a slushie, which I loved. The new one is just a plain milk tea with ice cubes in it. If I could change it, I’d say I want it to be blended like the original.
Here’s the original & the new decor/seating:
Quite a huge change, don’t you think? A lot more open space instead of different sections is the biggest change I’ve noticed. There’s another change I’d like to show you, THE LOGO. They completely remodeled the logo as well, which surprised me.
Overall, I absolutely ADORE the J Vietnamese Cafe, before & after the change. Trust me when I say, you urgently need to try this place. I believe it would change your life of food forever, it definitely changed mine. This place is MUST during the cold weather may I add! Especially when you eat that warm delicious food on a cold fall/winter day. Make sure to try the pho first if you haven’t already!
If you try it, I hope you like it! If not, TRY SOMETHING ELSE. Do NOT give up on this place, I’m sure there’s something you can enjoy. Thank you for reading my review, have a good day.
