Little Saigon Adventures

I think the avocado smoothie is the best drink there

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It’s a pretty solid list!!!

I haven’t tried Lynda’s for Banh Mi. My personal favorites are Saigon Bakery and Ba Le.

Hanoi Corner has been a miss for me.

Pho 45, have had great pho and worst pho. Pho 79 has been pretty consistent. I don’t eat much beef pho because it can be a flip of the coin. Pho Akaushi is worth a try.

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Quán Bun (Garden Grove)

This part of Garden Grove Blvd is perhaps one of the best stretches of food in OC. Forget Irvine.

Where else in Southern California (or anywhere for that matter) you can get some good dank Vietnamese AND Korean?

Quán Bun is new. Walking in I smelled the scent of mam and funkiness. It’s all “Bun” here.


Dank condiment tray


Bun Rieu

The broth not too agressive with the funk but there is a real nice seafood essence here. That purple stuff is mam, go easy on that. A little goes a long way.


These balls were pretty tasty!


Bun Moc

Light but still very savory. The pork meatballs (pork paste) very good! I wish there was more. Relatively hard to find in Little Saigon, this is a Hanoi dish.

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Anybody ever go to Pho Hien Vuong? According to yelp reviews and that OC Weekly article it’s been around forever but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody bring it up.

I don’t have comprehensive experience with pho but the few times I’ve been to Hien Vuong I’ve really enjoyed it. The rare steak is really, really tender and somehow is evenly poached all the way around. Plus they have this smoky chili oil/sauce that’s a really interesting balance of flavor vs. spice.

I think the bun rieu at the Ramada hotel I posted above is the bowl to beat in Little Saigon if anyone wants to try this dish.

I’m interested in trying it! Not only for the taste but for the history.

Edit I think it’s closed

Edit #2 nevermind they are open

I’d certainly appreciate a second opinion. I think the broth provides kind of an interesting palette for the herbs and the chili sauce I mentioned. It should be said, I do like my broth on what other people might consider the “bland” side. For me, too much beef flavor can come off a little iron-y and I don’t like it when the star anise or whatever covers up everything else.

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Wait, whaaaaat? I hope not! This place?

Awwwww I had a potato moment and searched for Huong instead of Vuong. Don’t mind me

No worries, the first few times I looked it up I confused it with this place which is definitely closed.

Pretty good list!

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Needs to be updated now that Brodard moved south on Brookhurst to Fountain Valley. Are the rest on that list still open??

Mai Phung


Tableside limes! Pretty much all the noodle dishes here should have a squeeze.

Their chilli sauce. Look at that beautiful color! 1-2 spoonfuls is enough.


Dry Egg Noodle with soup on the side. House special trifecta of crab, shrimp, and pork. Also on the bottom is a savory garlicky sauce, you can add a little soup if you like to the bowl. I added a lime and a small spoon of that chilli sauce.


Northern style Pho/Pho Bac.

That rough choppy beef, green onions, white onions, black pepper, easy on the cilantro, a broth that is more beefy/savory with a touch of anise, personally garnished with a lime, a little chilli sauce, and a few drops of fish sauce. Some garlic would be killer too. In Little Saigon this might be one of the best places for this style of pho. Tell them to save the Southern garnishes.

The menu is tight here but they do it well. The quality is higher as well.

Pho 79, Trieu Chau, Ngu Binh, Brodards, etc

Hmm maybe Mai Phung should be considered a heavy hitter amongst those mentioned. Shoot and I am not even a fan of Vietnamese udon.

Damn no room left for them crab egg rolls at Hanoi Avenue across the street!

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Wait! What?

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Some sleuthing

Secret Pho

A newcomer don’t let the name fool you, you should come here for this:


Clay baked chicken with mung bean pandan sticky rice and some green dipping sauce.

I have not been here yet! Nice to see a new specialist!!

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Any thoughts on the best options in the area open 9:30 or later?

Pho Quang Trung on Bolsa. They do everything here but I think their Chicken Pho is pretty damn solid! Close at midnight everyday.

Oc and Lau. The salads, and snail dishes are pretty good. The GG Blvd location closes later.

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I also really like Oc & Lau

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Mai Phung again…

Bun Thit Nuong Cha Gio. Add 2 spoons of that chilli sauce

So got some info…Mai Phung 2 at the old Pho Dakao fell thru as well as expansion next door.

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Bang bang with the Hanoi style Crab Egg Rolls across the street at Hanoi Avenue.

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