Menu. $4-6 for a bowl!! Got the indecisive medium for a whopping $5.36!
Let me just say I think Hu Tieu is one of the most underrated noodle dish by the mainstream. Everyone and their mama loves pho and ramen. It’s Chinese-Cambodian but really the Vietnamese have expanded this dish with a few variations. I think “Thanh Xuan” is a variation of this known for the highly addicting tomato-pork sauce.
I always feel there is never enough of the tomato sauce, I should ask for more. Not the best but really you can’t beat that price! You pay more for lunch at some shitty corporate chain this is a real taste of Saigon here in the heart of Little Saigon.
Biggest plate of herbs and lettuce I ever seen. Also not seen from other Banh Xeo specialists a few pieces of some Chinese greens that provided a nice slightly bitter taste.
The center was filled with sprouts, mushrooms, shrimp, and pork. More filling than any other place! The batter had a delightful hint of coconut.
Use both the center filling and the crispy outer pieces! A small dab of chile sauce will bring another flavor profile with the coconut, fish sauce, lettuce and herbs.
Do be patient and wait, which could be anywhere from 10-20 minutes.
-Thanh Mai (goat curry and mam)
-Vua Bun Bo (bone marrow and different bun bo variations)
-Binh Minh (bun cha Hanoi and the very rare bun bung)
-OC and Lau/Tram Chim
-Canton Restaurant (fish porridge, tumeric dill fish, sugarcane shrimp)
-Favori (Baked Catfish)
-Au Coeur De Paris
That’s off the top of my head. I am open to suggestions and recommendations
I haven’t had hu tieu in ages! I can’t even remember the last time my Mom made that…it used to be my favorite. I love it more than pho because I really loved glass noodles when I was younger, but I loved the wet version more than the dry.
Thanks for the reminder! I need to go find a bowl of hu tieu this weekend.
Fish Porridge. Right off the bat the fish is definitely not the hint-of-mud taste farm tilapia.
The porridge itself is one of the best I had, it is not too creamy or too watery, just perfect.
Be sure to be liberal with the white pepper and try to get a little ginger with every fish.
Rice porridge is one of the most important dishes in Asian cooking, and is indeed soul food.
Parts for the Sizzling Tumeric Dill Fish. This is a Hanoi speciality, although Bun Cha Hanoi is the most popular, this is probably a close second and is certainly a unique dish in Vietnamese cuisine. Dill? Tumeric?
Close up of the fish, dill, and onions. Nice and carmelized. Next time I would try shove more dill/onions to the bottom.
Every bowl is personalized to taste. Grab some noodles. Spoon in some of that fermented sauce, you only need a little as it is some very powerful funk. Add some peanuts and crackers. Add in some herbs and lettuce. Enjoy the different tastes and textures. A very fun and tasty dish to enjoy.
Service is whatever and I got a feeling that the Son is pretty sick/bored/annoyed being there. Does he not realize or care Mom-n-Pop makes some damn good food?!?!
I wish the Pandan was more prominent but none the less this was some good soy milk and it was warm! Warm soy milk tastes so much better. This was $3.25. Definitely coming back for some other things here.
Mustard green soup.
Broken Rice with pickles, shrimp, egg loaf, shrimp loaf, pork chop, and pork skin. Forgot the egg! I’m not being trendy! The Vietnamese have done the whole “add a egg” way before every Chef in the country started doing it. Added some of the fish sauce and chile sauce to the dish. Shrimp and pork chop had some good grill flavor. I really enjoy the texture of broken rice and love even more how a throw away item becomes a Saigon street food favorite.
The good thing about these Com Tam places is you don’t have the Uncles standing over you waiting for you to order in 30 seconds or less! There is easily over 2 dozen ways of enjoying this dish.
Mom used to buy the silken tofu with ginger syrup dessert there…and soy milk. She also like their fresh tofu before competition kicked in and she defected to them. @JeetKuneBao you are going Vietnamese full force. I admire your tenacity.
As a kid, I loved the shrimp paste on sugar cane…hell, I still love it…but love it more when the sugar can’t is switched out for snow crab claw.
Menu. Yup a little more than your typical Banh Mi joint.
Got to speak with the owner, who is a complete sweetheart, and the inspiration for this place was a childhood favorite in Saigon, a family street stall that only made roasted chicken Banh Mi’s.
And that is the most popular item here or anything with roasted chicken.
I love that place, @JeetKuneBao. Next time, ask if they’ll do the fried egg in your banh mi instead of the scramble. It also works well with the lemongrass beef. My husband is a fan of their bo kho/beef stew…ask for spicy…it works well when we can’t get a supply from my Mom.
I will most definitely ask for a fried egg instead and I love bo kho!
Was wondering what you Bolsa kids think of Ba Le? I read they make their own cold cuts, pate, and mayo. The bread has a smooth crust instead of being slightly crackly
Bun Bung. Read about this dish when researching Hanoi food. Not really sure how it is suppose to taste, mostly sour with some potatoy-yuccay notes. Visually very stunning. The pork ribs appeared to be cooked prior. Added lime and chile sauce.
