WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA – An office building might not be the first place you’d look for a Vietnamese lunch spot in Walnut Creek. Especially not the pillar that holds the building up!
But if you do indeed look there, you’ll find a very tasty little Vietnamese cafe at one spot in Walnut Creek.
Kibi’s Cafe is at 1981 North Broadway, Suite 115, tucked into the building’s ground-level structure. One customer described the space as occupying one of the office building’s supporting legs, which is about right. The compact cafe has outdoor seating, giving visitors a place to settle in with their lunch.
And there’s a personal story behind that little storefront.
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According to the cafe’s official history, founder Hoang immigrated from Vietnam in 2015 with her two children. She grew up as the grandchild of farmers in central Vietnam, surrounded by farms, morning markets, and traditional street food.
She opened the Walnut Creek cafe in January 2018. Its name combines the nicknames of her daughter, Ki, and son, Bi.
The cafe says its homemade preparations include everything from aioli and pate to dipping sauces, salad dressings, marinated meats, and lemongrass tofu.
For a first visit, the banh mi section of the menu offers several places to start. Choices include lemongrass grilled pork, turmeric-and-lemongrass grilled chicken, cold cuts, and five-spice pork. The meat sandwiches come with aioli, pate, pickled daikon and carrot, cucumber, cilantro, and jalapeno.
There are also two explicitly vegan sandwiches: a vegetable-and-tofu mixture and a lemongrass tofu option made with leek and chili.
Beyond sandwiches, Kibi’s serves fresh summer rolls with fillings including shrimp, grilled meats, vegetables, and tofu. Its rice noodle salads combine herbs, vegetables, and a choice of protein, with roasted peanuts and fried shallots on top.
Kibi has grown! The business now has three East Bay locations, but Walnut Creek is where its story began. And the original’s unexpected setting remains part of its appeal: it’s a low-key spot, never crowded, with good prices and plenty of parking.
Kibi’s currently lists Walnut Creek hours as Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Online ordering is available for those planning a quick pickup. The phone number is 925-320-1361.
