Kho Bo Snackworld

My new go-​to joint for Vietnamese beef jerky. After years of spending ridiculous amount of money at their competitor Vua Kho Bo, I searched and found this cute ‘lil shop within the Garden Grove Plaza on Brookhurst.
Reasons why I like this place way better:
1) Unlike, VKB, this place is run by a very sweet, non-​pushy woman.
— She doesn’t follow you around, breathes down your neck or watches you like a thief as you walk around perusing the store.
— She personally hands you samples and even gives suggestions on which ones fits your taste, based on what you tell her.
2) She asks you how much you want and actually weighs it out exactly before she seals your order.
— Their crappy competitor, VKB likes to sneakily over-​stuff your 1lb order with an additional 4 lbs and then makes you pay for it. They then proceed to cuss and yell at you for refusing to pay.
3) A good variety of jerkies and other favorite snacks and candies that’s hella tasty, folks!
4) Tons of parking!
Oh yea, this fatty went all out here! Check out my meat candies!
Khô Bò Gi Đu Đu/​Papaya Salad Beef Jerky ($ 24):
This thinly sliced sweet and savory jerky is so sticky and messy to eat, but very addicting.
They call it papaya salad jerky because a lot of Vietnamese like to cut it into strips and top their green papaya salads with this. I like it with just a hot bowl of rice, or just the whole bag by itself, lol.
Khô Bò Ngũ Vi Huong– Cay/​Beef Jerky with 5-​Spice Powder (SPICY, $ 24/​lb):
This is always a popular one with most people. I like that it’s thick and meaty but still has a nice tender chew to it. You can taste all the different spices, like star anise and cloves, but very subtle. This is my ultimate favorite.
Khô Bò Ngũ Vi Huong/​Beef Jerky with 5-​Spice Powder ($ 24/​lb):
I got both the spicy that’s listed above and regular.
— There wasn’t much difference with this and the spicy version. But then again, it takes a lot for me to say anything is spicy. Great for any jerky lover.
Bò Khô Cây Dac Biet/​Spicy Flank Steak Jerky ($ 27/​lb):
This one tasted really similar to the spicy 5-​spice jerky, but much more tender. I would definitely get this one again.
Khô Bò CàRi Soi/​Hot Curry Beef Jerky Strips ($ 25/​lb):
This used to be my favorite as a kid but this time around it was dead last on my list of good jerky. I liked the fact that it was in strips for easier snacking but it was super dry and brittle.
— I would suggest getting their whole piece version for the same price.
— Can’t really taste the curry, although it’s supposedly dusted in curry powder.
Khô Mc Cay/​Spicy Baby Squid ($ 27/​lb):
I’m a sucker for all things calamari or cuttlefish, so I had to buy ½ pound of these cute little dried squids.
— They had an interesting sweet taste to it. Almost as if it was sprinkled with li ling mui powder.
— Tastes a lot better when toasted in the toaster oven or a quick zap in the microwave will turn them into crispy chips. As much as I hate sweet things, I polished this entire bag within a couple days.
— Avail in both ½ lb and 1 lb vaccum-​sealed packs for easy shipping.
I’m so glad I found this more friendly (and honest) alternative to the ever popular Vua Kho Bo. I’ll be back in town for the holidays, so I can’t wait to be back to stock up on more of my favorite meat candies in a couple days!

PARKING: there is tons of available parking spaces in the parking lot.
ATMOSPHERE: very simple, clean and neat. The bins of candies and fruits are lined up nicely, easy access.
SERVICE: it’s self serve but the man helping us was very helpful and friendly. He gave us free samples and assisted us with getting the candy.
FOOD: only bought the spicy mangos and spicy Apple rings, which was sooooo bomb dig. They are not stingy with the spicy powder they pack it on. We also got to try the spicy Vietnamese jerky. So flavorful, tender and delicious! Will be back to get some.

Originally wandered in because it’s a few doors down from Boiling Crab. Have made many trips since. If you are a fan of preserved Chinese/​Hawaiian style Li Hi Mui and the like, this place is GREAT! Things are sold from bulk containers. Tasting prior to purchase takes the guess work out of,“Is it good?”. You can buy as much or as little as you want. HUGE variety of preserved ginger, plum, lemon, «footballs», mango, etc. Also, beef jerky, dried pork, & cuttle fish. Small selection of gummy worms, gummy rings, sour gummy watermelon.
The lady who works here is SUPER nice. Really helpful.

I had a hankering for some xi muoi for like a week now since my stash ran out. I only come here to pick them up because I like a particular taste in my xi muoi. This place’s xi muoi fits that mold for me. The store is spotless, like beyond clean. Everything is laid out and organized for your viewing and snack shopping pleasure. Coming in you can’t really just pick up one item. Their mangoes are delicious as well as the assorted candies. Aside from xi muoi I decided to pick up some beef jerky for my folks. Some other places, the beef jerky tasted really stale and old but not this place. Everything is fresh and tender.
The owner was really nice. I got to sample a couple of things I thought I might like to pick up and she was more than happy to let me sample. She seals up the purchased bags really nicely even though I insisted I didn’t really need them seal. Oh well, good customer service!
PS my only regret is not picking up some more xi muoi… I think my stash might run out soon again lol.

If you ever go to the store and buy those small bags of jerky. Well, here you can get as much as you want! They even have sour candy, which I love. This is also a great place to go if you have to wait for Boiling Crab (We all know how bad that wait is).
They also have dried fruits, squid, pretty much whatever you want they have. A large selection to pick from or just taste.
I came here with my friend that was visiting from Chicago. After going to the supermarket that was a short walk away and noticed they did not have a lot of jerky so we decided to stop in here instead. We tasted the different flavors of jerky (I have tried the BBQ, Black Pepper, and Crush Red Pepper Beef Jerky.) and they were all good, a little pricey but good. I would have to say the kho bo and squid were my favorite ones out of all of them.
When my friend comes to visit again, I know she’ll want me to take her here to get some more to take home with her.

I use to love this place. Until I ran into a younger sales guy. He was really cool until he tried to impose a $ 20 minimum credit card transaction on me. Which is ILLEGAL. You can «Google» it yourself or follow the link below. I even told him its illegal he replies «Only if I charge you its illegal»… Wasnt in the mood to argue with stupid.
https://

I wish I knew this place sooner. Anyway, thanks to Unilocalers, I now have a place to go whenever I crave for kho bo. I stopped going to Vua Kho Bo because I’m tired of the manners of those aggressive sales ladies. Quality and service at Kho Bo Snackworld are equally great!

I usually stop by this place when I visit CA. They have so many different types of beef jerky and lots of other treats. I like that they let you sample their product before purchasing. Their beef jerky is delicious and I definitely recommend checking this place out!

Kho Bo Snackworld Fo sho!
I freaking love this place even though technically have never gone to this store, because I know a guy that knows a guy. :) I have tried the BBQ, Curry, Black Pepper, and Crush Red Pepper Beef Jerky. Everything has been good so far. There are also varieties of dried squid and dried fruits. I read that this place is too expensive. I disagree. Keep in mind that everything here is imported. Possibly from international vendors, but don’t quote me on that. I get free delivery from the son of the owner. :) If you want free delivery call *****. Ha ha I couldn’t do that to him. I work with B so it’s all good.
I admit I was skeptical at first, but this beef Jerky is for realls! I had a college roommate that would always make free beef jerky for me and my friends. So, I can tell a quality product from a crap one. The price is roughly $ 20 a pound which is an awesome deal. I dare you to do the math on that Costco Jerky you may be paying $ 25 a pound. If you are buying a small pack of beef jerky from the gas station for a few bucks, you are paying exponential dollars per pound. This beef jerky is good and no preservatives from what I can tell. I can’t say the same if you by it from a grocery store.
Thank Mrs. T if you are readying this. I am bowing down to you. You serve a very good Beef Jerky Product and I would eat this everyday if I could. Actually, I do thanks to B keeping my Jerky supply going. If you are in the area, check this place out. Note to self I should too. Highly Recommended!

I stopped here on the recommendation of a friend while waiting for my table at The Boiling Crab. Found tons of snacks and candy and beef jerky! Beef jerky is awesome, even moreso when it’s fresh and made by a small business, so I looked around and found one that I liked.
I had no idea what I bought because I couldn’t read the tag, but it was pretty spicy and tasted kinda like bulgogi with curry. All of the above mixed together means delicious. I think it was about $ 20/​pound, a bit on the cheap side for beef jerky too! It seemed a little moist, like it could have been dried a bit longer, but it was still very chewy and tasty and great. So they made another fan and I’ll definitely be going back when I’m in the neighborhood.

this is definitely my favorite snack place ever! i prefer this over vua kho bo any day!
this place is located near boiling crab and banh mi cali… so i come here whenever im getting crawfish with my friends or picking up some bread for my mom.
they have the kho bo, or beef jerky, on half of the store and they have candies in the rest of the store. some of the candy is more asian, while other candies are more americanized or even mexican influenced like the sour apple rings that are sweet and spicy-​sorta!
this place is especially awesome because it’s buy 10 lbs get 1 lb free or buy 5 lbs get half lb free :) this kho bo stuff is well preserved and it doesnt go bad, so i always get at least 10 lbs and split the awesome deal up with my friends or my fams
another plus, the owner is SO nice. she’s a sweet and petite asian lady who is always really helpful. she insists on letting me try her samples, even if i dont wanna buy it after. she also asks me if i want my stuff sealed and so on. her sons are really nice too! they’re funny :) and super helpful
i definitely recommend this place to anyone who has the munchies for snacks of any sorts, whether it’s asian snacks or american candies ^_^

Kho Bo Snackworld is conveniently located in a huge strip mall with some great restaurants, bakeries, and shops, so, making a pit stop here for some Asian snacks is almost unavoidable. Olivia is a fanatic of what she calls «MY snack» which has taken on the meaning of almost any preserved sour fruit she likes. Kho Bo has plenty of dried and spiced fruits to choose from giant clear plastic bins along the wall.
In Vietnamese, Kho refers to things that are cooked in a sweet soy sauce while Bo is used for lots of snacks made from meat or fish. Kho Bo Snackworld has plenty of Beef Jerky (Kho Bo) and other meats (like my choice of Squid Jerky) in addition to the wide array of fruits.
Overall the prices are as ok as the selection. We got a bag of Sour and Sweet Plums, but were eyeing the Dried Mango, Lemon, Jackfruit, and Orange options for some time. Taste tests help you pick out the one that you’re in the mood to eat thanks to the helpful service.
If you are in the area for dinner or shopping then making a pit stop at Kho Bo Snackworld totally makes sense. My recommendation is to get something you like and also try something new each visit. With the variety of flavors, you might be surprised what next favorite flavor you’ll discover.

Kho Bo Snackworld= Asian version of The Sweet Factory.
Li Hing Mui gummi rings (apple and watermelon)= FTW!!!
Reminds me of the little sour green apple gummies w/​li hing mui from Hawaii!

Man I like this place. The different bo kho is delicious, and there is a little sample cup in each canister, so you can try any of them. The prices differ, but it’s around $ 18/​lb. Teriyaki beef jerky is the best, and the pork is not bad either. The Viet ladies working there were surprisingly friendly and helpful.

Not sure why I couldn’t find a Unilocal page for this place… hope I didn’t miss it somehow. Anyway, this place is pretty interesting. Sorta like a Vietnamese market squeezed into a tiny room lit with fluorescent lights. You can get all sorts of things here, like pickled plums, squid threads, coconut candies, tamarind candies, seasoned mini crabs, mango candies, really almost anything you miss from South East Asia. It’s quite the selection. You can order things by the pound and what not, which might be too much but my friend said his cousin will come and get 50 lbs of candy and snacks that she missed from home. Crazy. They even have gummy worms. Weird.