Com Tam Thanh, San Jose CA

905 S. Bascom Avenue
San Jose CA 95128
408.279.8588

Don’t be deterred by the orange colored exterior and green neon lit windows which make up Com Tam Thanh. The food is fantastic and the service, while sometimes a bit too efficient, make up for the somewhat overbearing, design-challenged exterior.

What I ordered: the standard rice vermicelli with a pungent fish sauce plus prawn wrapped sugar cane and an egg roll. I’ve had egg rolls but I must say what an egg roll it was! Filled with a delicious meat and veggie combo and expertly fried (not greasy) to give off a slightly nutty taste sent me to foodie heaven. My dining companion ordered a plate with broken rice, that wonderful version of the rice served at Slanted Door in SF with the texture and size of a large couscous. I can’t tell you the name of the dish but it looked fascinating with the centerpiece of broken rice and fried egg perched on top all surrounded by pieces of grilled pork.

The place was such a nice surprise for our lunch I literally left skipping back to the office with visions of egg rolls rolling around in my head (sorry, couldn’t resist!)