5 Stars Huế -finally a Vietnamese spot we’re excited about in the SGV

I hope others follow their example and bring their own regional food in the light with the same care and attention to detail like 5 Stars Hue

5 Likes

Had the El Monte location in the “medium” fire level on my to do list since last year, but this discussion definitely bumps that up to the top, wow great report. I notice on the photo of nem lui they uploaded to Yelp, there is also a mention of 5 Stars Pho in Riverside, which seems to have been around since 2017.

2 Likes

Would love to get a report of the El Monte location—that location has a a more expanded menu c/w newly opened Alhambra (cha tom—a hue special of shrimp sausage, goi va a fig salad) if you can fit it into your order of the must try above!

Awaiting @chrishei report on his visit!

1 Like

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGDxvvoFYW7/?igshid=6g1ram98n3pb

Looks like bladdison made a visit to ngu binh ,wish he would have tried 5 stars as well!

Edit: he’s going to try 5-stars next week per comment on his IG post.

6 Likes

I’ve only gone to the El Monte location, and pre covid, but it’s one of my favorite Vietnamese spots in the SGV. Agree w/ the praise with the BBH – you can tell it’s good there b/c when you walk in, all the aunties and uncles are hunched over a big bowl of it. I usually get the appetizer sampler platter, and one of their salads (lotus root? jackfruit?) which is the perfect “light lunch.”

Last year, I was fortunate to go there around Tét and they had just finished making their batch of Bánh tét, so I bought a still-warm one for home. Frying a slice of that up was one of the best breakfasts I could ask for.

The vegetarian options at El Monte are great too. Not too many places nearby where you can get a veggie bánh bèo. The filling is that yellow mung bean paste and instead of the pork cracklin, they use a fried wonton skin which is pretty damn good.

6 Likes

thanks for the update on the El Monte location!

young jackfruit salad is really common Hue dish, as are the baby clam dish, both are similar and those are the main ingredients swapped out.

good to know they sell banh chung and banh tet! will have to keep that in mind for the lunar new year, Tet.

2 Likes

Do they have the Banh Khoai?

Can you confirm that this dish is a Central variation of Banh Xeo

yes, it is Hue’s variation but no, they don’t have it. For banh khoai, I would go to Hue Oi.

Agree w/ @hppzz - 5 Stars Huế is a gem.

We got (excuse the lack of accent marks):

  • Banh beo: very nice version, great consistency.
  • Banh ram it: yo Ngu Binh, I’m really happy for you. I’ma let you finish. But 5 Stars has the best ram it in SoCal! PERFECT contrast between the soft and fried mochi (the latter was not greasy at all, even airy, even after two hours).
  • Banh uot cuon thit heo nuong: same comment for this as for the banh beo. Really like the sauce they give for this (and the nem lui). @hppzz, what’s the leaf they stuffed inside?
  • Bun rieu: this was solid. Lot of crab fat flavor. The crab patty had a firm tofu-like consistency, interesting.
  • Nem lui: nem nuong’s sophisticated sibling. There was what I think was pork crackling/fat throughout the shrimp paste. Plenty of lemongrass flavor (can’t even think of how much better it’ll be with lemongrass skewers).
  • Bun bo hue: yo Ngu Binh, I’m really happy for you. I’ma let you finish. But 5 Stars has the best BBH in SoCal! Broth was so complex, and that meatball/sausage was a highlight.

Also, the Viet aunties were so nice. Definitely fast tracked to top of Viet restaurants in SGV, and can give Little Saigon joints a run for its $. To paraphrase ATCQ, you guys helped me find my Huế.

14 Likes

finally made it today.

the previous party at my table left most of their bowls of BBH unfinished, which i decided was sacrilege. and i polished off my entire bowl.

we also split a banh sampler & the nem lui. i’m no expert on vietnamese food, but i’ve eaten plenty of things made with rice flour, and the texture of the banh was… right. while i agree that the crackling topping seemed stale on its own, i thought it was the right texture to complement that particular dish where the ban it ram was crunchier and gave you a different texture contrast. would have liked a few more greens for the nem lui but otherwise a great meal.

10 Likes

Haha don’t get me wrong —love ngu binh and if 5 stars hue proves to be consistently good, it will get a lot of love too. I think the significance is that Greater LA and SGV finally has a specialist to call it’s own and we don’t have to trek down to OC for Huế food that’s done with extra care and attention.

I think it’s kinh gioi or viet balm in the banh uot roll.

3 Likes

So glad to hear another good report. Yeh the pork cracklin isn’t that great—it seems like they break it ahead of time and then wrap it individually so it may lose its freshness.

:point_up_2: :partying_face: :partying_face:

1 Like

No hate here either - Ngu Binh is great. I’m just equally enthusiastic about a similarly worthy spot that’s much closer to us.

2 Likes

Takeout experiences at the El Monte location and one sit-down meal in Alhambra all further confirm what is already being said. Two thumbs up!

12 Likes

Don’t be shy about sharing your thoughts from your blog. Very nice write up!

8 Likes

ETWLA is one of my favorite posters here. I like your style!

2 Likes

5 Stars Huế - Alhambra

Hubby likes to take our car to a shop in the area and wifey likes to coincide errands with food excursions. 5 Stars Huế has been on the recent list.

A short & tasty visit to Huế.

Ice tea

The server called it “special tea” blended in-house. I’m not sure what type of leaves they use but it is special. I didn’t miss my usual boatload of sugar. :slightly_smiling_face:

Bún bò Huế - Spicy Beef & Pork Bone Broth, Annatto (color), Shrimp Paste, Lemongrass, Fresh Vermicelli, Beef Shanks, Pork Knuckles (maybe), Brisket, Pork Garlic Peppercorn Meatballs, Blood Cake + Herbs, Sprouts, Lime, Shallots, Garlic, Chili Pepper & Chili Oil

Did I miss anything? There’s so much going on in this bowl. At the same time it’s bold & spicy and light & brothy. I’m a citrusy soup lover and added extra squirts of lime, but seriously, the lemongrass was pleasingly prominent without it. I added what I thought was just a little extra chili oil (so good btw) and almost blew-up my nose. We might’ve liked a little more fat in the broth but that’s a quibble, as this is a very satisfying bowl. I ate a blood cake @Chowseeker1999… and liked it. :blush:

Gỏi Cuốn (fresh spring rolls)

I ordered them without pork as usual, but these might’ve needed the pork because they were kinda’ boring. We loved the peanut sauce. :slightly_smiling_face:

Nem Lui - Grilled Seasoned Ground Pork Shoulder, Fat & Skin, Spices & Flavorings, Scallions + Lettuce, Herbs, Julienne Vedge, Cucumbers, Peanut Sauce & Unsoaked Rice Paper

Lemongrass skewers are an essential component, but I believe 5 Stars doesn’t use them because they’re cost prohibitive. Another (uncommon?) component is the use of unsoaked rice paper. This was my first time having Nem Lui and can’t say how these tweaks & changes affect the dish, but I think I prefer the dry rice paper, and we enjoyed the skewers as they are. Again with that peanut sauce. :yum: What is in it?!

Good outdoor patio & spacing. No flying bug situation. :wink:

This was a porky day but I went with it. :relaxed: Service is great and they practice good distancing. Of course, one mishap on our part - hubby’s mask flew off his face out the car window and onto the freeway (yep, it happened). They offered to lead him thru the closed patio entrance and directly to our table. He declined, disappeared for a few minutes and came back with 2 new medical masks… purchased at the neighboring massage parlor. Okay!

14 Likes

what do you mean by unsoaked and dry rice paper? don’t you have to dip it in water to get it pliable?

1 Like

They import a special dry —no soak rice paper. It just adds next texture when you wrap it up with it.

So glad you enjoyed it! Try their rice dumplings appetizers next time!

3 Likes