going tonight
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that tartare is great
I went to the MB one last night under the impression it had a different menu with the old Singapore curry noodles…sigh, they lied at the DTLA one. The menu is the exact same at both locations now, and no more of my beloved Singapore curry noodles =( Now I have to drive to SF to get them I guess…fuck…
Oh well, despite the disappointment, I still feel like Little Sister is very consistent in their cooking, and pretty much always really good. I will probably never bother going to the MB one again since the DTLA one is the exact same though.
Salt Cod Fried Rice Omelette was tasty enough with the pork ragu and samabl. I wouldn’t call it masterful enough in technique to order again, but it was tasty, and simple.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCpLJfek0EC/?taken-by=compulsiveaesthete
The Lemongrass Chicken that Gold recently raved about is really fucking good. For frying, fairly juicy, though some pieces a bit dry, nothing worse than the chicken at Republique the other night that was almost 2x the price shrugs. The sauce is sticky, a little spicy, tangy, slightly sour and super addictive though. I am hoping someone will reply telling me where to get this same dish for less $$$ in the SGV or whatever.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCpLUlJE0EM/?taken-by=compulsiveaesthete
E-fu noodles were an alright replacement for the Singapore noodles. Dry with fried pork flecked throughout them, and a tasty egg on the side. They were SUPER chewy and pretty hard. You really have to love chewy al dente noodles to be into them, but I pretty much do, so it was a pleasant dish of noodles for me, YMMV.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCpLa9Ck0ER/?taken-by=compulsiveaesthete
Overall, Little Sister meals usually leave me pretty happy. Plus the cost was like $72 (including tax and tip) for these three dishes and easily fed 2 people. They said they made the portions smaller and prices lower… but that is undetectable as far as I can tell. I don’t know who would call any of their portions “small”, and the average price of a plate is probably close to $20. I still enjoy the cooking a lot.
However, if you happen to be dining with a sober friend, expect service to falter at the place as they seem to be pretty pissed if you don’t order alcohol. I guess I should’ve ordered a bottle and just asked them to pour it out or something… had to actually get up and go ask to pay my check after trying to flag someone down for like 20 minutes to pay. I liked service better at the DTLA location where it seemed much more attentive, but I guess I ordered alcohol when I was there on my own, so who knows.
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Where do you get Singapore curry noodles in SF?
Mandalay. Might be some nostalgia at play though, I’ve been eating them there for a decade there.
Went for dinner because I wanted the crepe and it did not disappoint. Slightly sloppy execution but overall very good, better than all but a couple I’ve had at traditional Vietnamese places. Worth a detour.
Baby octopus were not bad.
Somehow my photo of the sweetbreads didn’t happen. Ill-conceived dish, crisp sweetbreads should not be served on something damp. First couple of bites were the best. By ramen they mean the stuff in a plastic bag that college students eat.
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The $14 SGV Special Banh Mi is so fucking good at Little Sister.
Maybe the pate could be funkier, and there could be more jalapenos…but holy shit, between the shattering crust of the baguette, perfectly fluffy interior, and the obscenely great grilled pork, tender head cheese, etc… this is one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever eaten in terms of pure unrestrained flavor, and it’s really overstuffed with ingredients.
While I am sure it will piss everyone off…I can’t wait for the responses about where you can get the same quality and flavor for $4 instead of $14. None of the reported joints that serve God’s own banh mi in the SGV or Lil Saigon in OC have ever tasted this amazing to me.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDEfpoKE0Np/?taken-by=compulsiveaesthete
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cuz even your camera hated that dish. and I concur. that was really gross and a foul combination, with the ramen evocative of overcooked dorm food. my original conclusion holds: avoid all the “Chinese-Viet” dishes (noodles, fish filet, spring rolls, etc, banh xeo) from “meats/poultry” on down to “noodles/rice”. the cold line is putting out more interesting food: tartare, okra, pickles (hi Justin! please save some okra for me next time). the exception is probably that black cod/mussel dish.
tartare’s still fun and enjoyable but… can’t really taste the beef ala Gwang Yang:
best thing from the back kitchen that night:
the desserts were all fantastic, and a bargain compared to Otium’s output:
some loved the red velvet cake:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BC7I8FEhPWN/?taken-by=olcrom
h/t @olcrom
others that night loved the lemon tart:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BC9BAUxCeWk/?taken-by=sassykittytron
h/t @sassykittytron
I’m not paying $14 for a sando cuz a $3.50 banh mo fresh out of saigon sandwich with the fried eggs and tons of headcheese is bril, with parking, with che ba mau for dessert. so, whatevers.
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tony for the win, although i think the tartare is a little better than he gives credit. the pickles were outstanding. i enjoyed
the duck congee (it’s very…ducky) but it’s a tad bland. the ma pa dofu was good, but not at sgv level.
papaya salad tasty but a different animal than your thai town iteration.
i liked the place and would return.
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i have no idea why that sweetbreads dish is still on the menu. i got it when they first opened and it was terrible, it was the first time i sent a dish back.
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Which does this refer to? There are tons of places with “saigon sandwich” in their name all over the place according to Google.
No, there isn’t.
There’s actually only one Saigon’s Bakery and Sandwiches. Ok, maybe 1 and a half if you count that outpost down the street on San Gabriel Blvd.
Few places make banh mi with as much flair using thit nguoi as this place does.
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According to Le Google, there are at least:
Saigon Sandwich & Bakery
Address: 718 E Valley Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91776
Phone:(626) 288-6475
Saigon Sandwich & Bakery
Located in: Garvey Square Shopping Center
Address: 8118 Garvey Ave # I, Rosemead, CA 91770
Phone:(626) 288-2132
Saigon Sandwiches & Coffee
Address: 7219 De Soto Ave, Canoga Park, CA 91303
Phone:(818) 716-9077
Original post just vaguely used words “saigon sandwich”, so could be any of these, or none of them.
The only place literally called “Saigon Sandwich” is up in San Francisco:
It’s great when someone else makes your point for you.
Obviously this escapes you. My bad, I suppose.
So I guess 3 (maybe 4) is now a ton, huh?
#NewMathSucks
If you’re trying to go to a specific place yes.
#newgenerationisretarded
The more you comment the more it reveals your ignorance of the issue.
If you had any understanding of SGV banh mi joints, or even Vietnamese restaurants in general, you’d understand.
Perhaps best you just step back and have another meal at Hatchet Hall.
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No fucking shit.
This is a community forum where some people try to come to you know, SHARE information and LEARN about information not previously possessed in order to rectify ignorance.
It’s unbelievable that someone would come on a community forum just to purposefully obfuscate and not share information. Kind of the equivalent of getting on a webcam and masturbating on Omegle or some shit to try and show off a big penis or something.
Whoopee… you have such a big cock, awesome…
#soimpressed
Ever notice how my posts actually lead to people having good meals at real restaurants?
Mr. Baguette - special #1