Coriander Cafe

So since I can’t give zero stars I give one.
Website says it will be all new in the spring. It also says to just come down there and see what they have.
So we do, and they’re not only closed, but chairs are on top the tables and it’s all thick with dust inside, like after a zombie apocalypse. Really ridiculous and disheartening. If you are closing for repairs, for vacay, for staffing issues, or whatever… just say so. Don’t invite people to come see you and not be there. Bloppy… Lousy. Sad.

We came here to try something different on campus corner. First thoughts table wasn’t wiped clean and table by window was freezing with single pane window. Decorations were mainly paintings that our ocd couldn’t handle cause half of them were crooked but no big deal. They had iPad ordered but couldn’t get the system to work right and it took 5 minutes. Pen and paper sure sounded efficient in comparison. Try to order they were out of fried egg and more importantly noodles!!! That takes away ¹⁄₃ of their menu. So we couldn’t get spring rolls as an appetizer but got egg rolls and they were really good. I got a rice bowl (cause I couldn’t get noodles) that was decent size with short ribs that were alright and shrimp that were supposedly flavored but tastes like plain boiled shrimp. My wife got phở that was your normal large portion but came with very little of the sprouts etc. she said the beef in that tasted very greasy and it’s the first time she’s eaten phở and felt bad about it. Neither of us hated it but we won’t be going back.

The service here is just laughable, and it’s always like that. Not even that busy just now and our waitress didn’t bring my friend’s tea she ordered but a water instead. Dropped the ticket way too late, and even though I had my card waiting for her she waited to take it. I literally made eye contact multiple times holding up my tab and she didn’t come get it. I work in retail and I know people can be mean to people in the service industry but this just annoyed me. First time I haven’t tipped 20 percent in a long time, and I usually do even if the service is bad if they are making a conscious effort. This girl was just concerned with eating her own lunch.

I LOVE THIS PLACE. Coriander Café, in my opinion, is hands down the best restaurant in Norman, if not all of Oklahoma. It offers a great atmosphere, location, prices and an incredible menu. The only «problem» I’ve ever had with going here is deciding which favorite to choose from. I wish I could give Coriander more stars, but unfortunately I have to settle with 5. Do yourself a favor and stop in today if you haven’t tried it already!
No, I was not paid to write this review. It’s just that good. *****

I like this place because it is different than most Vietnamese restaurants. It has a lot of style and a unique atmosphere. I also appreciate that phở is not the main focus. Don’t get me wrong, I love phở, but coriander makes it easier to choose something other than phở. The options are clear. I also like that they have loc lac, a dish I really enjoyed while visiting Cambodia.

Unfortunately, I can’t say much about the food. Both Unilocal and their own website say that they close at 9pm, but when I showed up before 8:30 the doors were already locked. On a Saturday night. I knocked on the door and the guy inside just shrugged his shoulders and went about closing up. Seriously, wtf? If you have a craving for phở, just know that you can’t count on this place. They may not feel like working. Who knows what other shortcuts they might take…

I’ve been dreaming about those meatballs since I stopped in! I ordered the Phở and was initially disappointed they didn’t have eye of round for one of their meat options so I got the pork and the meatballs. The service is friendly and prompt.
I tried the pork and was a bit disappointed… pork always takes on a funny taste after being refrigerated, but then I tried the meatballs. WOW! It looks like they fry them first and I think it only helps to add to the flavor. They were perfect in taste and texture. It really has become my standard for other phở restaurants to meet and so far none have matched… even my favorite place. The broth was quite good too.
I will definitely be trying this place again if I’m in the area and getting a bowl with meatball as the only meat.

Delicious! I mainly get their banh min sandwiches with either the lemongrass chicken or the spicy hoisin tofu. I have had their roast beef and pork rib which is traditional and good. I just love these two flavors the most. Their a bit pricey but worth it. They also have Vietnamese iced coffee and many flavors of herbal teas to choose from on a clod dreary day. Love this place!

On a hoppin’ Saturday night in Norman, when the big game is away, and everyone is looking for a place to watch the game. The place to go INSTEAD is Coriander Café.
My friend and I decided to head on over to Coriander for some Phở. The weather is changing, and that means I start to get the craving for phở. How can you not?
I was pleasantly surprised by the place. It was quiet. The service was prompt. Our server was friendly and chatty — but not too much. The take on phở here is a little different from what I am used to back at home. You get a choice of two meats instead of one. I went with the beef meatball and the chicken. Chicken phở is my favorite, and I don’t usually like traditional meatballs. I would say their chicken was good, and the meatballs more to my liking. They were more Italian style I would say. A little crispy on the outside. There was no «noticeable» fat or grizzle. I was also surprised that they served phở with sprouts and cilantro instead of a thai basil. Typically I taste the cilantro/​coriander in the broth, so it was nice to add cilantro flavor at your discretion. Though I have to admit I missed the basil. Peppers were plentifully provided. The portion size was huge as is the norm, and I was satisfied.
We also ordered hot jasmine tea. It’s my favorite, and I always enjoy it. This tea was a little on the bitter side — maybe because the tea bag was still in the teapot? But the teapot and teacups were really beautiful that I was distracted enough while drinking.
There are pickled vegetables on the menu, and I wanted to try them. We went ahead and ordered the pickled vegetable of the day, but unfortunately they had run out… there’s always next time.
Coriander is a nice little place with a great location. If I lived in town, I imagine I would be a regular. Good phở is hard to pass up, and I would come back for theirs.

I love the spring rolls! The food is delicious, healthy and fresh. It just that there’s always a lot of people and the service is a little bit slow. But the food is definitely worth a try!

Phở Soup TOTALLY worth the $ 9.50! Every single thing in it tastes AMAZiNG! «Sesame Ginger Beef» & «Beef Meatballs» are a GREAT combination! Bahn Mi Sandwich w/​Korean Kalbi meat is another AWESOME tasting dish! Even their peanut sauce is BOMB​.COM! Had it w/​the Tofu Spring Rolls… LOVE this place! Glad my sister finally brought me here=) Another plus is it’s not too far from the OU campus, right in the middle of Campus Corner on White Street. Totally coming back again & again!

I have been in love with Coriander Café ever since I discovered it. Just about everything they serve here is healthy with extra healthy gluten-​free options. I usually get their banh mi or rice bowls with the sesame ginger beef and I like it so much I never want to try anything different! Both the banh mi and rice bowl are served with shredded carrots and daikons which add a delightful freshness to the warm entrees and freshly grilled meat. Their phở is alright, but not stellar as it differs from the traditional phở I’m used to having at other restaurants in the Asian district in OKC. If I were rich I would probably be here all the time, but unfortunately I cannot afford that luxury. The pricing isn’t terrible, but it’s a bit higher than I’d like it to be. Even so, it’s still one of my favorite places on campus corner to go to.

So lots of people rave about this place. This is my first time and honestly was not impressed. Don’t get me wrong, the food was tasty and freshly made. The menu is extremely limited. Basically it’s noodle bowl, rice bowl, lettuce wrap or sandwich and then you choose the meat. That’s it. The food tasted very good but really lacked in the whole SE Asia spice palette. There was no sauce with the meat. Such a promising place.

Very good lunch at Coriander Café on a Friday. I arrived around 12:30 and the place was nearly full. Great sign for a restaurant on Campus Corner when school is out.
We were immediately approached by a server for our drink order. We put in an order for shrimp spring rolls, as they’d been recommended to me. The rolls came out in less than 10 minutes. They are classic rolls, served with crispy fresh veggies and a smooth peanut sauce. They were light and fresh and the shrimp was cooked perfectly. It was a light way to start our meal.
To eat, I waffled between phở and a banh mi. I finally decided on a banh mi, which means I’ll just have to come back soon to try phở. The banh mi is served on the traditional crusty french roll with sliced fresh veggies: carrot, daikon, cilatntro, and jalapeño. You can fill the sandwich with your choice of meats, which is a nice touch. I went with short ribs, and, as a last second audible, added meatball. I’ve got to say, I created a helluva sandwich. The meats worked very well together, and there is plenty of them. It’s one of the larger banh mis I’ve eaten, I think it would have been substantial even with one choice of meat. Both meats were flavorful and moist, definitely not overcooked. The crisp veggies add freshness and crunch, with the jalapeño adding heat. There’s a reason this sandwich is growing in popularity, and Coriander’s version is fantastic. And, it’s only $ 6.50, great value.
Service was solid throughout, and, as indicated above, they were busy during the lunch hour. I’ll absolutely return for some more fantastic and fresh Vietnamese food at a good price.

This is probably my fourth visit to this restaurant. My brother loves this restaurant he lives in Norman but it’s not like Vietnamese food. This review is a open-​minded, the taste good just doesn’t taste like Vietnamese food. It’s very tamed in the taste bud category flavor. Worth checking out if you don’t like the traditional Vietnamese restaurants.

Coriander is one of my favorite restaurants on Campus Corner. I typically stick with water at restaurants, but here I make an exception because their jasmine peach green tea is that good.
I start every meal here with the shrimp spring rolls. I have yet to find better spring rolls in all of Norman! They are fresh and delicious and the peanut sauce is the right consistency and perfect accompaniment.
I usually order either the rice or noodle bowl with lemongrass chicken and it is always consistently good. The shredded carrots and daikon are fresh and add a nice, bright flavor to the dish.
Sometimes service is slow here, but the staff is friendly and nice and they are good at keeping your drink filled while you wait.
If you find yourself on Campus Corner, you owe it to yourself to check out Coriander Café.

I only go to the café like 5 – 8 times a week, not enough to be considered a regular (I noticed someone was there everytime I walked by). And no, I am not being funny about this, it’s that crazy.
My favorite is the Phở soup with some beef and tofu along with some salt and pepper tofu for appetizer. Unfortunately due to my low carb diet, I had to switch to my 2^nd favorite, which is the Veggie wrap with pork and chicken.
I would also recommended the sandwich (don’t remember the name exactly). It is that good! One time I left it in the fridge for 2 hours because of a last min meeting and it still taste awesome after its not «fresh».

Been here twice now and both times got the rice bowl with the spicy hoisin tofu because it is delicious! The fresh cilantro was almost overpowering, but can easily be removed from the dish. Otherwise tasty flavoring with the side of vegan «fish sauce» and the hoisin drizzle over the tofu.
Their portions are good sized and filling — which is somewhat rare to come by as a vegan in Oklahoma.
Bright and open atmosphere. Quality ingredients. Good prices. Fresh little gem on campus corner.
Excited to come back!

This place is a really healthy place to eat. The spring rolls for the appetizer is a great choice. It comes with amazing peanut sauce. The phở soup and rice bowls are my favorite. The meat that come with both of those dishes are juicy and tender. The phở soup is a huge bowl and will defiantly fill you up. The rice bowls are really great. They give you a lot of food but because it’s healthy, you don’t have to worry about it being fattening.
The service is great. They are fast and accommodating. The seating are just tables and benches. Very casual. This place is pretty trendy with college kids running the place.
I give this place 5 stars because of the quality of food and service. I’ve been a regular there and am also the «Duke» of this place and I like it a lot.

Delicious in every sense. I enjoy eating light and this place has some great options. You can surely find a heavier meal if desired but the phở is really good and fresh. Perfect when feeling under the weather or when it’s cold outside.
Spring rolls are a great starter. I enjoyed the shrimp and pork and would have to say that they are equally tasty but shrimp is more my preference.
Their sandwiches are amazing. Reminds me of the ones I got in San Francisco which I thought couldn’t be beat. A must try.
Teas I enjoy here are the green and passionfruit.
Service is really good and overall the prices are fair and the food is great. 5 stars!