Filed under: Chao Bo, Chao long, Pork, Sausage, asian foods, dinner, food, lunch, pho, resturants, soups, traditional foods, unusual foods, vietnamese foods
I felt a little under the weather this morning and was thinking I need a great “comfort food” Vietnamese style. So I went with my father to another “old school OG” Vietnamese restaurant called Pho Nguyen Hue. This restaurant has been around for years, I think it was maybe one of the first Pho places in Little Saigon. My father calls this place the “gossip center” since it is full of older clientele who knows good Pho and there is always a group of old guys out front sipping their coffee/ Tea and smoking and just “kickn it” talking about politics, social stuff, and in general the happenings in Little Saigon. I think it is very European in culture and I hope to be one of those guys when I retire.
So what is the best thing at Pho Nguyen Hue? Obviously the Pho, but I came for my version of “Chicken Soup for the Soul” Chao. Chao or sometimes called rice Con-gee or Rice Porridge has been around for centuries. It is very simple to make, Basically it is a pot of rice and water that has been slow boiled to a porridge consistancy and mixed with chicken or beef broth with hints of ginger, green onions and depending on what meat you want to add, fish, beef, chicken, shrimp or pork. I had Chao Bo which is ground up seasoned beef. My father had the Chao Long, which was the soup with all of the insides of the pork like intestines, heart, kidneys, blood jello in other words the crazy stuff you see Andrew Zimmerman or Anthony Bordain eats when they go to Vietnam.
I myself I like a simple cooked Chao Bo (ground beef) but one of the thing s that Pho Nguyen Hue has that I grew up with is Vietnamese Blood Sausage. Sounds Yummy Right? Before you gag, this was something I ate before I knew what it was so I was already accustomed to it. Pho Nguyen Hue makes this dish very well. with pieces of blood jello, rice, and basils all rolled up in a steamed sausage and sliced to be dipped in a very salty sour brine shrimp sauce. So I hope I didn’t gross you all out but if you have an adventure to try something unique and COOKED and especially authentic you must order the sausage. Finally to accompany our Chao was a fried long donut fresch with is salty and cooked golden brown. It’s like a crispy donut/crouton on top of the soup for some crunch.
Live a little dangerously and I promise you won’t be sick. Pleaes comment me back if you venture to try out the Chao Long or the blood Sausage. The Hungry Buddha Belly gives Pho Nguyen Hue 4 RUBS OF THE BELLY. 5 alone for the Basil Blood Sausage. FEAR FACTOR HERE WE COME!
Filed under: Cafe Su Da, Ice Coffee, baguette, coffee, deli, drinks, food, french bread, resturants, snacks, traditional foods, vietnamese foods
Here is a quickie, after my great lunch at Huynh I had to stop at one of my favorite places for CAFE SUA DA- Ice coffee with condensed milk and French bread. As you know the French occupied Vietnam for years and before it was Vietnam it was called Indochina. The French did make a big impression and influenced food and culture as well. The place I like to get a great cup of coffee is at Banh Mi Che Cali. This place specializes in great Vietnamese deli sandwiches, bread, snacks, spring rolls, the usual affair of a deli in Little Saigon. When you walk in this place the wift of butter and fresh baked baguettes puts you in a European enthusiasm.
The other reason I love this place is that they make CAFE SUA DA the old way. Using deep French roast coffee (probably Cafe Du Monde French Roast brand) with chicory to smooth out the bitterness that is associated with strong coffee. The old ways of making Cafe Sua Da is truly an art. It is usually done by pouring hot boiling water in a an individual metal coffee drip and slowly brewing by gravity into a cup with a couple of tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk. Most places in Little Saigon want to take the cheaper method and use regular cofee with adding Coffee Mate or worse whip cream to become more of a “frappacino” instead of an espresso type of milk with rich milk. One taste will keep your caffeine buzzz going for hours and has a tastes of sweet milk and a slight bitterness like your first bite of chocolate.
I bought a couple of baguettes for later and a cup to keep me going through the day. I give 5 RUBS FOR THE ICE COFFEE AND 4 RUBS FOR THE BREAD. With so many French Bakeries in Little Saigon I will have to provide you another blog on all the different types of French Bread and pastries in the area for another day.
Filed under: Clay hot pot, Fried fish, asian foods, dinner, fine dining, lunch, resturants, seafood, soups, traditional foods, vietnamese foods
Home Cooked Goodness found at Huynh Restaurant in Little Saigon. This corner restaurant is a “Diamond in the Rough” Huynh is a small restaurant very well decorated with modern décor. What I would recommend there is their spectacular “Home Cooked” food that only costs $5.95 each. I would suggest ordering at least 3 entrees and share among friends Family style. On this day for lunch the Hungry Buddha Belly ordered 3 of 15 many delicious items on their menu. They do have the norm such as pho, but this place is not known for pho.
I think they have the best Soy Sauce BBQ short ribs, which are covered with a sugar broiled coating with thyme and parsley to finish. SHHHHHCH! That was my mouth watering Sorry. The other item I ordered was the CA KHO TO, which is a salted filet of catfish, cooked in a fish sauce, garlic, ginger and reduced down in a clay hot pot. This was my second favorite item, especially with white rice. The salty but delicate fish is a great sweet and salty taste to the fragrant rice.
To keep in the fish theme, I also ordered a whole deep fried Tilapia with a ginger fish sauce on the side for dipping. Fresh fish FRIED? What could be more heavenly? Tilapia can be a little tricky to eat since you cant eat the bones but almost everything else is a crispy treat and dipped in the garlic, ginger fish sauce it was an explosions of flavors only like my Moms can make.
Finally, with all of these entrees I had a very traditional Vietnamese Sweet and Sour Catfish soup. The Soup is cooked with celery, bamboo shoots, tomatoes, soy bean sprouts, pineapple chunks, lemongrass, and fish stock. This soup eaten with a little rice brings me back HOME to the days when my mom made dinner for me.
\Huynh Restaurant deserves 5 RUBS OF THE BELLY, the highest marks for great Vietnamese food. Truly traditional and authentic family food. Also you know the place is good when their Hungry Buddha Belly Statue is proudly displayed. Oh Yeah, I rubbed it for luck as well.
Huynh Restaurant is located at 9500 Bolsa Avenue #B, Westminster CA 92683, (714) 531-7379, Casual and CASH ONLY.
