After dinner on Story Rd, the question is never whether to find dessert — it’s which counter to walk up to. Pho gets the headlines in Little Saigon, but the chè cups, soy puddings, and pandan waffles are where the neighborhood quietly shows off. Most of these stops cluster within a single block of Story Rd, between Vietnam Town and Grand Century Mall.
1. Hien Khanh Dakao (Grand Century Mall, San Jose) — Inside the mall food court at 1111 Story Rd, Suite 1027, this is the chè counter that Palo Alto Online’s San Jose Vietnamese food roundup described as “layered with a variety of ingredients — like boba, but leveled up.”
Rainbow chè (chè sương sa hột lựu) and the tropical halo with fresh durian are the giveaways, with cups roughly $5–$8. Open daily, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
2. Soyful Desserts (Vietnam Town, San Jose) — A walk-up counter at 999 Story Rd that KQED’s Vietnamese drinks guide called “the ultimate lovechild of boba, chè and soy.”
The signature is a soy pudding drink layered with ginger-syrup tofu, pandan jelly, basil seeds, boba, and red beans. Yelp logged 866-plus photos and 773-plus reviews as of this April, and a soy-milk swap keeps it vegan-friendly…