8821 E. Valley Blvd., Rosemead 626-292-5888
Type: Vietnamese
Quality: !! Price: $ Ambience: ***
I was rather disappointed with this place. The last time I was here, it was definitely a "!!!" restaurant, but this time, the food wasn't quite as good. The Pho Tai wasn't as flavorful as it used to be--the steak lacked flavor and was too thick (it should be really thin). The Mi Hoanh Thahn (wonton noodles) was average--it's better at the numerous Chinese restaurants in the area. Most shocking was the Hu Tieu Nam Vang (Cambodian with saifun noodle)--not too many Cambodians like to be served as a dish, and I'm not a cannibal. Actually, it's Cambodian-style rice noodle soup. It was okay, but be warned: it has a lot of animal parts in there (e.g. liver, intestines, etc.). The decor is decent. They have a bamboo themed decor, which clashes a bit with the bright flourescent lights and acoustic ceiling tiles. At least it was cheap and mostly clean. It's located in a Chinese-Vietnamese supermarket mall.
1300 E. Main St., #105 Alhambra 626-293-7018
Type: Vietnamese
Quality: !!! Price: $ Ambience: **
I couldn't think of any good jokes about the name of this place, so I'll get right to the review. The Pho is excellent. The rice dishes, however, are merely adequate. The rare steak is much better than the "well-done Chunky Flank". Perhaps Ben & Jerry's could create a new ice cream flavor with this idea. The Cha Gio (egg rolls) are very good. Most places use rice-based wraps for the egg roll skin, which comes out rather chewy when deep-fried. However, this place uses egg and flour-based wraps, so the egg roll skin is light and crispy. Their Kid's Menu has only 5 items, but that's 5 more items than your usual Vietnamese restaurant's Kid's Menu. The portions are good, and they get a large soda with it (non-refillable).
8450 E. Valley Blvd, Rosemead 626-288-5600
Type: Vietnamese Sandwich
Quality: !!! Price: $ Ambience: *
If you want good, cheap sandwiches, this is a place to visit. They bake their French Rolls and Baguettes on the premises, so they have a nice, crunchy crust when you eat your sandwiches. Not only that, but if you buy two sandwiches on French Rolls (about 9 inches long), you get one free. That's $1 per sandwich! And they're pretty good, too. The chicken (Ga Cha Bong) and meatball (Xiu Mai) sandwiches were good, although the Xiu Mai seems to have a lemon grass-based seasoning. You can also order pork rolls (Cha Lua), too. These are good when combined with Congee or rice. You can get them for $1.50, and they're about as big as a large, foot-long hot dog. But for $3, you can get the monster one that's about three inches in diameter and five inches long. They also have some vegetarian sausages (Chay). Ambience is truly absent at this place--the kitchen of Mr. Baguette (a competitor) is nicer than the dining area here. However, it's still very good. It's located in the same mini-mall as the 888 Sea Food Restaurant.
2643 N. San Gabriel Blvd., Rosemead 626-307-8868
Type: Vietnamese Carnivore Heaven
Quality: !!!! Price: $-$$$$ Ambience: **
Vegetarians should not come to this place. I've seen many exotic types of meats in different restaurants, but I've never seen as many on one menu as here. In addition to the usual suspects, Phong Dinh offers squabs, quails, ostrich, rabbit, venison, kangaroo, goat, boar, alligator, fresh water snake, eel, frog legs, snails, ark shells, and other marine delicacies. These specialty dishes are pricey, ranging from $12 to $45. Naturally, I couldn't afford any of these, so we had so settle for one of 10 fixed menu dinners. Actually, they specialize in traditional Vietnamese family-style dinners, although kangaroo and ostrich are probably not traditional dishes. The title of the fixed menu dinners are something like Com 2 Ngui A or Com 2 Ngui B. The number indicates the number of people the order is meant to feed. The "A" and "B" are the two different types dinners for that number of people.
We ordered the "A" dinner for 4 (Com 4 Nguoi A) for $45.95 and an extra order of chicken with lemon grass and chili. The Canh Chua Ca (Sweet & Sour Catfish Hot Pot) was tangy and tasty. It was just like those I've eaten in numerous meals with my Vietnamese in-laws and their family friends. The broth has catfish, bean sprouts, pineapples, and okra, to name a few ingredients. It's even better when you mix it with rice. You can order this with shrimp instead of catfish. The Ca Kho To (Catfish in Salted Caramelized Sauce) was too salty for me, which means it's probably just right for everyone else. The flavor is exceptionally concentrated; you would be ill-advised to eat a large mouthful. Instead, you should enjoy small bites with rice. You can order this with pork instead. I really liked the Ca Chien Sot Chua Ngot (Deep Fried Fish with Sweet & Sour Sauce). The fish is a bit overcooked and on the tough side. But the sauce is amazing. I believe it had garlic, green onions, and perhaps basil along with some other ingredients. The Tom Rang Nuoi (Shrimp Stir-Fried with Salt & Pepper) was well-received by everyone else. I don't personally care for shrimp, but I tried the seasoning. It had too much anise for my taste. It doesn't taste anything like the Cantonese version of Salt & Pepper Shrimp. The last item on this fixed menu was Goi Tom Ngo Sen (Shrimp & Lotus Roots in Sour Salad). It was OK, but I don't particularly like shrimp nor do I like sour salads. The rest of my party finished this up without mercy. The Ga Xao Xa Ot (Chicken with Lemon Grass & Chili) was the best rendition of this dish I have ever tasted. Yes, it was oily, but it was worth every bite! They combined the lemon grass with generous amounts of chili peppers, so it's delicious (it was just moderately spicy).
They offer their Ca Dut Lo Hau Giang, which is their "World Famous Baked Fish" (actually a catfish). Maybe I'll try this next time.
The decor is a bit on the tacky side, and the parking lot is hideously configured. Overall, my in-laws (and yours truly) loved this place. Not only is this place authentic, it's delicious. I highly recommend this place.
15652 Arrow Hwy., Irwindale 626-338-0192
Type: Vietnamese
Quality: !!! Price: $-$$ Ambience: **-***
Xa means "lemon grass". I was apprehensive upon entering this place. There were almost no Vietnamese words visible. An older white guy was operating the cash register. A middle-aged Latino guy was working the grill. But I heard some of women employees talking in Vietnamese, so I figured it couldn't be that bad. And it wasn't. In fact, it was pretty good. The pork sandwich consisted of pork slices seasoned with lemon grass. The chicken was also seasoned with lemon grass. They also have nem (ground pork) in one of their sandwiches, which my co-worker enjoyed immensely. The grilled beef sandwich was also delicious. The bread was crusty on the outside and soft inside--better than most of the chain sandwich places in the Irwindale-Monrovia area. You won't get as much of a selection here as those Vietnamese sandwich shops in Rosemead. Prices are also somewhat higher here: $3.99 for a foot-long sandwich, $5+ for Pho. But it's altogether decent for this area.
The staff is exceptionally courteous. They let us sample some of the meats. Also, we had ordered some meat pies, but after we sat down, they informed us they had run out of them. They returned our money and gave us some free flan for the inconvenience. That's service! By the way, the older white guy is the father-in-law of the owner. The Latino guy isn't related--he just works there. They're open from 9AM-6PM Monday through Friday and 9AM-2PM on Saturday.