Oc & Lau 2 Restaurant/Bar

This was my 1st time here, and I ordered to go in person. I'll definitely be returning. They ran out of some dishes towards dinnertime, but the manager and another team member were really friendly. They didn't get annoyed with my Vienglish (Viet & English) accent, and they got me super easily when I ordered and stuttered on some of the dishes. They both made our interactions smooth, quick, and kind! I'm born in America, raised in a non-Viet area, and learned tieng Viet as a young adult. So, this made a huge awesome impression! (Usually, folks point out my accent, and make it more awkward for me.). They ran out of a dish I ordered, but they made it super easy for me to pick another dish, pay the difference, and not wait much longer than the 20 min they told me initially. Very transparent!

I was so hungry I didn't take pics. The fpod was really good overall, even to-go. I got the snails in coconut milk, escargot salad, mango salad, clams, coconut dessert/smoothie, and smashed avocado durian dessert. The salads were on par and served with shrimp chips or rice crackers. Mango salad was crispy and not too sweet or tangy. Escargot salad well-balanced in flavor and herbs. The salads are my favorites ever served in a restaurant. I'll order these again. The snails and clams taste good, but not my favorite. Some snails and clams weren't fresh, but I'll still return to try other dishes. I didn't eat the desserts until 2 days later (not recommended to wait this long. I stored the desserts in the freezer the 1st night and then the fridge for 24h), and they were still fresh! The avocado durian was with fresh scoops or whole pieces of fruit, not too sweet, just naturally sweet. The coconut had fresh fruit slices mixed in a smoothie that stayed thick and never watered down, topped with peanuts! They added ice on top of the avocado durian one, which I'd recommend asking without if you plan to eat it another day. Both may be too dense for some folks without ice.

While waiting for seating or to go orders, there are at least 5 mini claw machines and other games one can play. I went to the other side of the plaza and window shopped restaurants and a retailer. So, the wait wasn't bad, and I didn't have to be in the crowds who were waiting for tables. Overall, I felt safe enough at 8:30pm on Fri night to roam around by myself and walk back and forth to my car. It was kind of iffy walking around the backside of the plaza (where the front entrance of Oc & Lau is located) towards the street, as lighting is average. I had to park farther away from the entrance, as it was a busy time.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Remember to join the wait list on yelp in advance

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Delicious food, service was super fast. A must try everything we're in Southern California

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Every dish was so good! We ordered all vegetarian options and I couldn’t be happier! The happy hour cocktails were also delicious and a beautiful presentation too. Can’t wait to come back!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4

OC & Lau 2 offers a fun and lively atmosphere with flavorful Vietnamese seafood dishes. The menu is diverse, and everything was fresh and well seasoned. Great place for groups who enjoy bold flavors and a vibrant dining experience.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Snail lovers, you deserve better!

My mom and I came in on Friday night (7/18/25) laser-focused on two things: ốc len xào dừa and hột vịt lộn xào me. The place was slammed, packed to the gills, but impressively efficient! We were 19th on the Yelp waitlist and still got seated for a party of two in just 14 minutes. Service was quick, organized, and friendly!

Unfortunately, they were already out of hột vịt lộn xào me by 7pm, which set the tone.

What we ordered:
-2) Ốc Len Xào Dừa – $28.00
-(2) Rau Má – $12.00
-(1) Sò Điệp Thái Thượng (4 scallops, no trứng cá) – $27.00
-(1) Live Steamed Prawns in Fresh Coconut – $60.00
Subtotal: $127 + $11.12 tax = Total $138.12

How it went:
-Ốc len xào dừa arrived cold. They lit a mini burner to warm it up at the table, which barely worked. I asked for a reheat. The second batch took 7 minutes, 12 seconds, slightly warmer, but still not ideal. The sauce leaned yellow-brown and bland, not the rich, fresh coconut flavor I associate with this dish. It tasted like a pre-made batch, reheated to order. Diíappointing!
-Scallops were underwhelming, and the sauce didn’t help. No favor at all.
-Coconut-steamed prawns? Just steamed prawns placed on top of a fresh coconut, purely for the photo, not the flavor. No coconut aroma or taste at all. You can eat the coconut if you want, but that’s not why we came.
-Rau má and the complimentary chè bắp nước cốt dừa were surprisingly the stars of the meal. Yep, the drink and dessert outshined the namesake dishes. Go figure.

Restroom Report:
No toilet seat covers. For a high-traffic restaurant, this is a problem. Floors in the stalls were wet (likely from people squatting or using toilet paper as liners). It’s not an environment you want to linger in. That said, the ladies’ room being positioned before the men’s in our section was a thoughtful layout detail.

Overall:
-Fast service, friendly staff, but the food didn’t deliver where it mattered most.
-My quest for great ốc len xào dừan and hột vịt lộn xào me continues.
-And as always, no 5-star rating from me if there’s no toilet seat cover.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 5

OC Lau never disappoints. Went to lunch this time. No wait, servers are nice and patient, and food is great as usual.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I really dont have a lot of negative things to say about my experience here. We got seated fast, food came out fast. All in all a good experience, would come back

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Super delicious! Good service! Food comes a little too fast but other than that I have no complaints! recommend the sautéed shrimp and escargot!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Tasty Vietnamese food but a bit pricey.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

expensive but it's good to try those Ốc again.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

A local friend took us to Oc & Lau 2 on a weekday night — the place was absolutely packed, which surprised us at first, but made perfect sense once the food arrived. Totally worth the hype. Honestly, I can’t think of anything comparable in the Bay Area. 🤤

We were a group of five and skipped the hotpot, ordering nine seafood dishes instead — and we finished every single one. Everything was incredible.

The seafood stir fried glass noodles were my personal favorite — chewy, flavorful, and loaded with toppings.

The creamy clams with bread were like a Vietnamese twist on clam chowder — rich, buttery, and served with soft, pillowy bread that soaked up the sauce perfectly.

The grilled king scallops with fish roe had a totally unique texture — unlike any scallop I’ve had before, in a good way.

Most dishes leaned sweet, spicy, and a little tangy, with generous amounts of crispy fried garlic — bold and addictive.

I also tried the coconut kumquat drink — a bit too sweet for me (I usually don’t drink sweet beverages), but still really tasty. Full of intense kumquat flavor and loaded with fresh coconut meat. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys sweet drinks.

These days I’ve started being more selective with where I spend money dining out — too many places just aren’t as good as they used to be. But this meal was absolutely worth it. We have thought about when we can come to LA again so we can revisit this restaurant.

Also, bonus points for lighting: bright enough for great food photos. I’ll never understand those upscale restaurants that serve beautiful dishes in near darkness 😅

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I’ve been to this restaurant many times and used to really enjoy it, but my recent visit was a bit disappointing. The food quality just isn’t what it used to be - most of the seafood was overcooked, which took away from the flavor. Honestly, it doesn’t feel worth waiting an hour anymore. Hope they can get back to the standard they had before.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 4

Food here taste/quality-wise is great, but it does get pricey for the portions. Overall it’s worth it if you like snails. Their lobster udon is delicious!

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 2

Fantastic food. One word of advice... DON'T go at night as lines are crazy! Lunch is so much more relaxed... although they have a very nice bar next door for evening time. Got the classic snail dish and I am not really a snail person... but I could eat these for days!! Fabulous fried rice dish and mango/squid/escargot salad with rice chips. It was great meal which more and more lately is hard to find as I'm picky with my money and restaurants keep dropping the quality and raising prices! A bit pricey but good quality! Get the fresh fruit drinks too... the kunquat one was fantastic!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5