Were we like two ships passing in the night? I was in a bit before lunch today. The bác (older auntie) at Ba Le is so sweet. She makes almost any order possible. So thrilled for your egg banh mi. When they sunny side up the eggs, I think it’s better than Saigon’s. You could also buy the supplies and DIY at home. That will be one of our dinners this week.
I’ve only ever eaten any kind of chao at home. My Mom’s chao long is more brothy than traditional chao…chao long should be a bit soupy than regular chao. The livers, kidneys, and blood cubes being my favorite bits. Did they not offer you any dau chao quay (youtiao)? In our house, we cut them and toast them for crispy croutons.
Admittedly, I’m not a huge consumer of coffee anymore, and I certainly make efforts to not consume cafe sua da anytime after noon if I want to keep to a regular schedule. I haven’t been to Phin Smith, but I’ve heard so many good things about it.
@Chowseeker1999 You should know that you can get Cococane with no ice. Take it home and refrigerate. Add ice when you are ready. You can also buy half gallons for home. I did that today, and dropped it off for a friend with the same instructions. I didn’t want the ice to water down the drink until they were ready to have it.
Hi @attran99,
Oh nice! Yah, we showed up during the lunch hour. 
Yes, the older auntie at Ba Le is really nice, thank you again for the egg tip. I think you’re right, that Ba Le’s might be better than Saigon’s but I need to do more research first to verify. 
Chao at Cho Tam Bien: Yah they did ask us if we wanted Dau Chao Quay, but when we asked if they were freshly made, or they already made a batch of them earlier in the day, they said it was pre-made, so I wasn’t sure if it’d still be crispy and good? Do they hold up OK?
Oh, I didn’t know you don’t drink Ca Phe Sua Da anymore. I rarely drink Coffee these days in general with stay at home especially, but if you do end up in the mood for Vietnamese Iced Coffee give Phin Smith a try; really stunning.
Cococane: Wow, great tip! Thank you. Usually we show up to Cococane and it’s already really warm / hot in the afternoon, so we need the Cococane immediately! 
Do they still give you chunks of Coconut for the half gallons you take home? Thanks.
Hi @JeetKuneBao,
Oh, also your recommendation for Cho Tam Bien… we noticed they serve Bun Rieu there as well(!). How is it? Thanks.
I’m so sad I missed an opportunity to meet you for real yesterday! But I am thrilled the egg banh mi worked out for you. To me, it’s a great breakfast as it mixes a traditional American thing with what I grew up eating. That yolky egg is something else.
For the most part, I avoid cafe sua da after noon. I find that I have trouble sleeping at night since it wires me for most of the day.
Dau chao quay, if made the same day, should be okay to cut and retoast in the toaster oven for crispy croutons. If you keep it in an airtight container, you may get a couple of more days using the toaster oven crouton method. Growing up, we lived away from LS so Mom did what she could to stretch out the weekly shopping trips.
Unfortunately, Cococane half gallons do not come with coconut flesh. The only downfall to the half gallon. But a little bit goes a long way. I was reminded how much of the large is ice yesterday (slightly more than half). Even though there’s so much ice, Cococane tends to be a bit too sweet for me so I can make one last the whole day. In fact, I didn’t finish one yesterday and it’s currently sitting in the fridge waiting for me.
How did I not know about this hack before??? 
It’s my favorite way of eating them. I always thought they were toasted crispy for crunch in soupy dishes. I’ve only found out later in life that you’re supposed to eat them fresh out of the fryer.
Hi @attran99,
Thanks for the tips! Like @paranoidgarliclover I never even thought about that, retoasting Dau Chao Quay in a toaster oven. Do you just reheat over low heat for a few minutes?
Cococane: OK, good to know. Like you, I don’t like overly sugary things, but I think because Cococane “on the spot” drinks are served with ice, that helps dilute it just enough. So good. 
You definitely want to skip Mia Perfect Juice down the road in Little Saigon as well. That was sweeter than Cococane for us and too sweet for my tastes.
we’re plebs and just hit toast to desired doneness
Hi @Ns1,
Oh I was going to ask: Given that Phin Smith’s Ca Phe Sua Da is $4.25 / $4.75 per cup (+ tax & tip), do you think Phin Smith might be helping the change in mindset of the locals and customers who come into Little Saigon to eat?
Could they slowly be willing to pay more for legit, absolutely delicious Vietnamese food so the mom & pop shops can earn a better living instead of charging only bottom of the barrel prices?
I typically cut them into large coins, and toss them in using the toast function. I’ve got one of those Breville toaster ovens…I’ll set it to medium toast with like 2-3 slices. Works well all the time. You can decrease if you want it more chewy than crispy.
Never tried the Bun Rieu at CTB or the porridge at Thanhs.
I might give it a shot at CTB for Bun Rieu if I am in town/back home, simply because I know it’s probably one of the Aunties or Grannies recipe and if they make housemade sausages maybe the same care would go in that…maybe
I had the Banh Khot Lady today and in my limited experience with it, this was really good. The bottoms are very crispy and the khot sauce was just perfect, not too sweet, slightly salty and super flavorful. The banh Khot had a beautiful coconut perfume in the batter. The picked daikon and carrot were also perfection, sliced thinly and pickled with just the slightest sweetness. Perfect for your bite sized lettuce wraps. BYOSriracha if your like me and like to mix hot sauce in your khot sauce for some extra heat. I reheated my leftovers in the oven and they are even better because they are room temperature upon arrival. The lettuce, basil and cilantro were all super fresh and very nicely washed.
Grabbed a ca phe sua da at Phin Smith, best I’ve ever had. Not the strongest I’ve ever had, don’t need to let the ice melt on this one. 
Also hit Ba Le again, 3rd week in a row. I’ll spare you the obligatory banh mi picture since @Chowseeker1999 covered it a few posts above.
Little Saigon saved my weekend eats from meal mediocrity.
I think the kind of Vietnamese people who go to Phin Smith are the kind of Vietnamese people who would go to Starbucks and spend $6 on a frapp.
I know a lot of Vietnamese people who won’t go to Starbucks.
Do you mean 2nd gen kids or their parents? My parents and others in their generation have that mentality of not spending a lot of money eating out, but it seems like Viets around my age (millennials and especially if they were born here/came here at a young age) will definitely spend more money on food and drinks.
Hi @A5KOBE,
Great report, thanks! Glad you also enjoyed the Banh Khot set at Banh Khot Lady. Thanks for the reminder, yes! The Pickled Daikon and Carrots thinly sliced were incredible with the Banh Khot (and the Lettuce and Herbs). 
Glad you also liked Phin Smith’s Ca Phe Sua Da! So good right? (Thank you again @Ns1 @JeetKuneBao!)
Both.
(And to be clear that means I agree with you)
@Chowseeker1999 have you reheated your banh khot in the oven yet? Game changer! I suggest everyone who orders these reheat them in the oven instead of eating fresh. 
Hi @A5KOBE,
Yes! I wrote about it above. Yah, they told us 400 degrees for about 5 minutes, and it was wonderful! Thanks for the reminder.
There were about 45 people in line for Cococane today. Totally worth it.
So refreshing.
Hell, if I was in the mood, it would take a line all the way to the west side of Brookhurst to stop me. 