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Like Vietnamese food? Here are 5 delicious spots in OC’s Little Saigon to try

March 24, 2023

As the official national dish of Vietnam, it’s no surprise that pho shops dot every corner of Little Saigon. While you can never go wrong with established heavyweights including Pho 79, Pho 101, Pho Dakao and Phoholic, for foodies who want to try pho with some swagger, here are some new names to consider.

Take Phở Thìn 13 Lò Đúc, for instance. Little Saigon’s newest pho hot spot just touched down directly from Hanoi and brings with it authentic, delicately seasoned Northern-style pho in a region dominated by Southern-style pho, which is more robust and complex in flavor.

Order the signature phở tái lăn, which features tender ribeye and filet mignon stir-fried in ginger and garlic, a hallmark of their pho, which also comes blanketed in verdant spring onions. Ginger, onion and cinnamon are the primary aromatics here (versus the usual stars anise and cloves found in Southern pho), along with a reported 13 types of fresh fruit juice, which explains the broth’s sweetness.

Take note of the condiment jars filled with pickled garlic and pickled chilies – they’ll definitely punch up your bowl.

Pro-tip: Arrive early to nab a side of bánh quẩy (savory deep-fried breadsticks), which are perfect for dunking into the broth.

Over at Pho Redbo in Garden Grove, the wait can reach up to an hour on weekends. Seemingly everyone’s there for the American Wagyu beef pho, starting at $18 to $22 a bowl. For $50, you’ll get a stone pot of piping hot broth, with a platter of rare slices of American Wagyu and a bowl of fresh, wide rice noodles on the side.

Indeed, the Wagyu is buttery and basically melts on the tongue – the rather satisfying broth is redolent with rich, beefy aroma and flavor.

Sen Vietnamese Cuisine in Westminster hasn’t been open a year, but it already has a legion of devotees. You likely won’t find a table without an order of the Bánh Mì Que Pate, petite house-made baguettes stuffed with country-style pate, chili sauce and pork floss (shredded pork). Two come to an order ($5.50), and the baguettes arrive warm and crisp – the combination of savory, creamy with that slight zip of heat is irresistible. You’ll want to keep coming back for these.

Another must-try? The Bánh Đa Cua Hải Phòng, a crab noodle soup with unique, reddish-brown wide rice noodles that are pleasantly chewy, with housemade pork meatballs and shrimp.

Fans of the popular bánh xèo crepes might also fall for a similar dish called bánh khọt, which consists of savory rice flour mini-pancakes topped with shrimp or pork, accompanied with greens and herbs such as perilla leaves, lettuce, mint and shredded papaya that you’ll use to wrap up the pancakes and dip into the fish sauce (nuoc mam) and eat. The ones at Bánh Khọt Vũng Tàu in Westminster are thinner and lacier than most, possessing a delightfully remarkable crunch.

Of course, no visit to Little Saigon is complete without frequenting one of the many coffee and boba shops that abound. DaVien manages to stand out, thanks to its ability to consistently churn out some of the best-inspired takes on Vietnamese iced coffee or ca phe sua da.

Also, some credit should go to the shop’s use of pebble ice, the gold standard for iced drinks and for which the shop happens to be named after.

The ever-popular Egg Coffee comes crowned with a thick and creamy topping made from whipped egg yolks – all the better to cut the intensely robust coffee flavor. Oh, and when we say robust, we mean this may have you bouncing off the walls until the wee hours. You’re welcome.

This story is part of a collection of stories printed Sunday, March 26, 2023.
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Like Vietnamese food? Here are 5 delicious spots in OC’s Little Saigon to try

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