There’s More to the Jungle Than Phở and Bánh Mì

Story and photos by Delaney Tran

First, people went wild over rice noodle soup with beef. Then they went berserk for baguettes slapped with pâté and some variety meats. Phở and bánh mì are common Vietnamese foods; in fact, they became so popular the only thing people knew about Vietnamese cuisine were these two dishes.

As a Vietnamese-American myself, I have been asked by many people if I know what phở is. I do—phở itself also has different types. Phở gà (chicken), phở bò viên (meatballs), and phở bò (beef) are the three most common. In phở bò, you can have different cuts of meat, whether it is tái (rare laid on top or served on the side) or chín (well done), or other organs and tendons.

Bottom line is: Vietnam has many other foods to explore, phở and bánh mì are only scratching the surface of a culture that takes on Chinese and French influence. Within a 20 minute drive from Long Beach there is Little Saigon, a Vietnamese community that resides in Westminster and spills into Garden Grove. They serve everything you could want to try from Vietnam at every corner. For any foodie—or for anyone who wants to get cultured—these foods are not as popular as phở and bánh mì, but they are delicious and worth trying.

Bún Bò Huế

Bún bò huế is best described as phở’s wild sister. The dish most famously originated from Huế, a central Vietnam city just as the name implies, and is known for its time consuming cooking process, which sometimes takes days to make. The broth is simmered in beef bones and beef shank along with lemongrass and seasoning, so it’s rich in flavor. The dish itself usually contains beef, tendon, pork blood and Vietnamese sausage, although you can opt out of the exotic bits and go for just the meat and noodles.

It has a thick, rice vermicelli noodle swimming in a savory meat broth that is both denser and meatier than phở. With a spoonful of spicy chili oil, called satế, a squeeze of lime and an assortment of vegetables and herbs, what you get is a noodle soup bursting with flavor and full of slurping goodness.

Where can you try this?

Lien Hue 2 Restaurant ($7 medium, $8 large bowl)

13898 Brookhurst St, Garden Grove, CA 92843

It’s a hole-in-the-wall eatery that looks slightly run-down, but the best foods sometimes are in the unlikeliest places. The shop is right in the plaza with Boiling Crab and Boiling Point, and, a few stores down, you can buy some assortment of Vietnamese sausages called chả at Đức Hương that they make in-store.

Mì Quảng

What’s interesting about mì quảng compared to other types of noodle soup, is that, although there is broth in the bowl, it is served more like a salad. It’s presented as a very minimal broth on a bed of rice noodles that are dyed in turmeric to give it that yellow hue. Tucked into the folds of the noodles are pork, shrimp, sometimes quail eggs and topped with peanuts, crispy sesame rice crackers, cilantro, and an assortment of herbs. You can add some chili and lime to give that extra kick of flavor you never knew you needed. The broth has a thick and creamy consistency from the simmered meat and turmeric. Overall, the dish has a balance of complex flavors and textures—from the thick and smooth broth, to the crunchy rice crackers and peanuts that will have you happy dancing.

Where can you try this?

Ngu Binh Restaurant (regular $8.75)

14092 Magnolia St, Westminster, CA 92683

This eatery is usually crowded at any time of the day. The plaza that it is located in has high traffic and the parking spots are typically full. You may have to sign your name on a waitlist before being seated at a table because of its popularity. Ngu Binh serves more than just mì quảng, you can also try their bún bò huế, but their mì quảng is where the money’s at.

Bún Chả Hà Nội

Similar to how bún bò huế originated from a city, bún chả hà nội originated from Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, where it is still popular. It’s also notorious for its ability to be eaten during hot and humid weather, because this dish does not contain any broth.

It has rice vermicelli noodles (bún), but a thinner version that is found in bún bò huế. This type of noodle is used as a catch-all to eat with many things (and sometimes substituted for rice), such as BBQ pork and meatballs for this dish. It is either served separately (seen above) or assembled altogether in one bowl. On the side is an assortment of herbs and nước mắm (fish sauce), a sweet and salty liquid that you drizzle on your noodle salad.

Where can you try this?

Van’s Restaurant ($6.95)

14122 Brookhurst St, Garden Grove, CA 92843

Van’s Restaurant is always packed because of the popularity of their dishes. Their bún chả hà nội has juicy BBQ pork with radish and carrots, and served with plenty of leafy greens. Many of the workers are fluent in English, so feel free to ask them what certain things are in case of allergies. Chances are, they know you don’t speak Vietnamese and will have already greeted you in English.

Bánh Xèo

As a little kid, I thought of the bánh xèo as an omlette, but it can be best described as an amalgamation of an omelette, pancake, and savory crêpe. The two words are bluntly translated as sizzling (xèo) cake (bánh). The yellow exterior contains turmeric powder, rice flour, and water. The stuffing most commonly has pork, shrimp, mung bean, green onions, and bean sprouts. It’s folded in a semi-circle and is typically around 11 to 12 inches in length.

The proper way to eat this is to first grab a large piece of lettuce and stack on a variety of mints. Tear off a chunk of the bánh xèo with its fillings. Then wrap it up and dip it into the provided nước mắm. Add some of the pickled radish and carrots that are found in the sauce, or switch up your combination of greens for added scrumptiousness.

Where can you try this?

Van’s Restaurant ($6.50)

14122 Brookhurst St, Garden Grove, CA 92843

Everything at this restaurant tastes great, so if you go with a big group, order a couple of dishes and share amongst one another—you can all try something new on their menu. I know I recommend them for their bún chả hà nội, but their bánh xèo is also delicious and affordable! For $6.50, you get a dish that is about 12 inches in length, filled with pork, shrimp, mung bean, bean sprouts, and served with an abundance of herbs to wrap your bánh in.

Nem Nướng Cuốn

Spring rolls are stereotypically known as vegetarian rolls. In fact, it can include meat—it is just called a spring roll for the translucent rice paper used to wrap the fillings. Nem nướng cuốn is translated as grilled pork sausage wrap. It’s a type of food that can be considered an appetizer or a small meal for lunch. Its rice paper wrap contains a strip of grilled sausage, lettuce, deep-fried green onion wrapped in the rice paper (the same one used for the exterior), cucumber, and Asian chives.

The wrap is dipped in a sauce that includes peanuts, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, and chili. It’s a thick sauce that is both sweet, salty, and slightly spicy if you add extra chili sauce on it. Different restaurants serve different dips, some have a hoisin taste to it, while others have more of a peanut taste, that come in different colors, but they all pair nicely with the cuốn.

Where can you try this?

NEM ($4.95/3 rolls)

9792 Westminster Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92844

This eatery is small, with only a small dining area for around eight people to sit in front of the register, because customers usually order to take home. They are known for their rolls, which are packaged in plastic wrap. It sits in a small strip plaza with 7 Leaves, a dessert shop, and a liquor store. Make sure to bring cash for NEM, because they only accept cards for a minimum purchase of $10.

Notable mentions:

Phở Quang Trung (either this location or their other one in Garden Grove)

9211 Bolsa Ave #101, Westminster, CA 92683

Personally, I find this place to not have as much of an MSG (monosodium glutamate) taste as other phở joints. I know a lot of people talk about phở spots with the numbers after it, but I find those are the ones that usually taste of MSG, and are the most sugary.

Mr. Baguette Sandwiches

9411 Bolsa Ave, Westminster, CA 92683

They are a couple of places where you can get some bánh mì, but Mr. Baguette Sandwiches is on the top of my list. The amount of meat they give is generally much more than other places. I usually order the Saigon Bacon ($5.25) filled with Saigon-style bacon with pork meatloaf, pate, mayo, and the usual carrot, radish and cilantro.

Bánh Mì & Chè Cali Bakery

8948 Bolsa Ave, Westminster, CA 92683

They have a two for $3 deal for Thai tea and milk tea (which is labeled on the sign as buy one, get one for $3). They also serve bánh mì and a variety of Vietnamese desserts. The only intimidating thing about visiting the bakery is that it’s usually crowded because it’s a grab-and-go place, so the workers are usually speaking very quickly. Stay firm, be a little aggressive and you will triumph.

This article was originally posted on the DIG MAG website.