A Chau (San Diego, CA)

Whether you’re jetting off on an exotic vacation or packing the car for a weekend road trip, the most surefire way to eat well away from home is to ask a trusted friend for tips. Example: when my girl Cathy of Gastronomy Blog said that a stop at A Chau, a casual Vietnamese joint, was a must on my and Justin’s trip to San Diego, we listened. She raved about their banh mi sandwiches, calling them the best she’s eaten outside of Vietnam, which is high praise from a gal who lived there.

It’s tough for me to pass up a bowl of bun, or vermicelli noodles served with vegetables and your choice of meat, and A Chau had bun-tiful options, but it was banh mi I’d come for, and banh mi I’d have.

After a weekend of relaxation, beach time and the wedding of one of my closest friends, we selected a snack and a duo of sandwiches to munch on during our drive back up to LA.

These plump spring rolls ($3.95) yielded a cool, satisfying and crispy bite thanks to snappy shrimp and fresh veggies. The housemade peanut dipping sauce was spot on as well.

Charbroiled Beef Banh Mi ($4.00)

Pork Meatloaf Banh Mi ($3.25)

The most important component of a banh mi and, arguably the toughest to get right, is the bread. Anyone who’s been disappointed by a lack of a crunch or, conversely, had the roof of their mouth ripped to shreds by overly crusty bread would surely agree. A Chau’s baguettes nailed it, boasting a delightfully crunchy and flaky exterior and perfectly squishy interior. While the flavorful pork meatloaf edged out the charbroiled beef as my favorite of the two sandos, both delivered everything we hoped for at a whopper of a bargain.

For just over $10.00, Justin and I found ourselves full, happy and looking forward to our next opportunity to visit A Chau. Thanks, Cathy! 

A Chau

4644 El Cajon Blvd. 

Suite 111

San Diego, CA 92115

(619) 281-4066

Breakfast Launch at Good Girl Dinette

At Good Girl Dinette in Highland Park, American diner food fuses with Vietnamese cuisine to create a uniquely satisfying comfort food. Chef Diep Tran’s menu featuring dishes such as curry pot pie is informed by her Vietnamese roots and SoCal upbringing and executed with local, seasonal ingredients. Good Girl Dinette has served lunch and dinner since its opening in 2009 but just launched a brand spanking new weekend breakfast service. The warm, hilarious Diep is just my kind of lady, so I was stoked to be invited to Good Girl Dinette’s breakfast launch not only to taste the new menu but also to hang with the spot’s kick-ass chef and our good friend Cathy of Gastronomy Blog.

On this day, there were two fresh hand pies available, one a sweet pie made with cherries from K & K Ranch and the other a savory version with yellow squash from Yang Farms.

Breakfast and brunch demand caffeination, and this sweet Vietnamese Iced Coffee with Groundworks Coffee and condensed sugar ($3.50) hit the spot.

Between my and Justin’s picks and Cathy’s and her husband Vern’s, our fierce foursome tackled nearly the whole menu.

Maggi Steak and Eggs ($14.00)

Croque Garcon-Manque with Red Boat Bacon, Gruyere, Béchamel and White Bread (aka “The Tomboy”) + a fried egg= The Lady Boy ($15.00)

Black Pepper Pork Confit with Coddled Egg ($11.00)

Pint Porridge ($6.00)

Roasted Pork Hash ($11.00)

Turmeric Dill Hash ($9.00)

Coconut Oatmeal with Maple Ginger Syrup ($6.00)

Toasted Lemon Pound Cake with Fresh Citrus Cream ($5.00)

K & K Ranch Cherry Hand Pies ($5.00 each)

Good Girl Dinette’s hybrid American-Vietnamese culinary style carried seamlessly into its breakfast menu. Whether the Croque with fish sauce-cured bacon or the Steak and Eggs seasoned with Maggi Sauce, a popular condiment in Vietnam, each dish was an expression of a breakfast staple with an Asian infusion. Among my favorite dishes was the Black Pepper Pork Confit with Coddled Egg, whose peppery, eggy goodness was best experienced spooned over a mound of the accompanying white rice and felt downright Hawaiian. The earthy Turmeric Dill Hash also won my heart, surprising me by edging out the Roasted Pork Hash as my favorite of the two. Also, my sweet tooth naturally loved the flaky Hand Pies, Toasted Lemon Pound Cake (a must!) and the Coconut Oatmeal with Ginger Maple Syrup, whose dominant ginger notes brought the familiar breakfast stand-by to life.

Swing by Good Girl Dinette on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00AM to 2:00PM to get a taste of the freshly launched breakfast goodness.

*Food was hosted. 

Good Girl Dinette
www.goodgirldinette.com
110 N. Avenue 56
Los Angeles, CA 90042
(323) 257-8980

Starry Kitchen

What began as the ultimate pop-up restaurant–one operating out of the kitchen of husband-and-wife team Nguyen and Thi Tran– is now a downtown LA lunch hotspot.

Starry Kitchen, located in California Plaza, serves up pan-Asian cuisine with a smile, courtesy of the lovely and hilarious Nguyen, who will scare the bejesus out of you while he explains the ordering process (just ask for his spiel) and then helpfully offer suggestions for your lunch.

At Starry Kitchen, you begin by picking your “protein,” then choose your “vessel” and, finally, your “side.” Don’t get too attached, however, to the protein choices listed below; the dishes constantly rotate, and something you love one week might go *poof* the next (unless it’s the uber popular fried tofu balls, which made their triumphant return this week).

I ordered the Nebraska Angus Japanese Meatball Curry in a Banh Mi sandwich with a side of Korean Glass Noodles ($7.50). The meatballs’ flavor and fluffiness were reminiscent of hamburger steak while the veggies in the curry (such as corn) gave it a beef stew-like character. Talk about comfort on a (pillowy) banh mi for this Hawai’i girl. Also tasty were the sandwich’s other veggies, which added freshness and crispness to each bite, and the Korean glass noodles, which I happily slurped down.

Although I enjoyed my lunch, I was obsessed with J’s Malaysian Chicken Curry lunch plate, which was served on Coconut Rice with a side (he also ordered the Korean glass noodles) plus Asian Sesame Slaw ($8.95+$1.00 for coconut rice). The flavor of the tender chicken played deliciously well off the sweetness of the coconut rice, and I couldn’t help but stealing bites from J even as I grew dangerously full from my own plate. Hey, what if I can never order this again?!

We both also enjoyed the cool, refreshing Asian Sesame Slaw, although it might have benefited from an extra dash of pepper.

Although I loved every bite of my (and J’s) lunch at Starry Kitchen, what really made the experience for me was the affability of Nguyen, who came to chat with us while we lunched. In fact, I loved Starry Kitchen so much that I took my family back the following week for a post-graduation lunch, and I eagerly await seeing what future visits have in store for me and my tummy.

Starry Kitchen

www.starrykitchen.com

350 S. Grand Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90071

(213) 617-3474

Mandoline Grill

Although I love seeking out and sampling new food trucks, many trucks regularly make stops right in my neighborhood, which makes both me and my ever-hungry tummy very happy. Recently, one such conveniently-located truck was Mandoline Grill.

A close-up of Mandoline’s cute logo

Mandoline Grill serves both traditional and vegan-friendly Vietnamese food. With sizeable portions for their entrees (12-inch banh mi and large bowls), the $6.00 prices are very reasonable. Also available are $9.00 and $10.00 combos.

I was interested to learn that Mandoline’s recipes come from the owner’s mother, who owns a Vietnamese restaurant in Hawaii. Duly noted for my next trip home (/take note for your next vacation)!

I ordered the Grilled Beef Banh Mi ($6.00). Although I am no banh mi expert, I am definitely a delicious sandwich expert, and this sandwich was impressive on every level.

First, the banh mi’s contents: the vegetables were fresh and crunchy, and the grilled beef was incredibly tender. The beef reminded me of really good kalbi. Second, and perhaps most importantly, the bread: the bread’s crust was satisfyingly flaky and crunchy while the inside was pillowy soft. As banh mi eating often comes with the risk of scraping the bejesus out of the roof of your mouth, this perfect bread was a treat (and a relief).

The vegetables, beef and bread truly all came together to make every bit of this banh mi sheer bliss.

Because I had skipped breakfast, I was starving and also ordered Crispy Spring Rolls ($2.00). Whereas most spring rolls ooze oil with every bite, turning the roll’s contents into greasy veggie-esque substances, these were light and crunchy, and I could actually taste the flavor of the filling. The accompanying sauce added a nice sweet flavor to the rolls.

After being less than thrilled with Nom Nom Truck and Phamish, I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of my lunch from Mandoline Grill. I was so pleased, in fact, that I wished that I had also ordered one of their rice bowls–just to try. I guess I have an excuse to go back!

Mandoline Grill
http://www.mandolinegrill.com/
www.twitter.com/mandolinegrill

Blossom and Cherry on Top

Here in Los Angeles, we’re not used to rain, and we’re even less used to the downpours that have been omnipresent in the city for the last few days. I mean, there was a tornado in Orange County! Thankfully, I haven’t had to worry about flooding or evacuations, so my mind has been preoccupied by smaller rain-related issues…namely, what to eat with it’s cold and wet outside.

J and I love to walk around downtown LA, and we always pass a cute little Vietnamese restaurant named Blossom on Main Street. The restaurant is usually packed at lunch and dinner time, with a crowd outside waiting for a table–a good sign. A nice, hot bowl of steaming pho sounded perfect, so we decided to give Blossom a try.

I don’t have much pho-eating experience, but I really enjoyed this beef pho with rare steak and beef balls. The broth was lovely and flavorful, and the delicate rice noodles were complemented by the hearty beef balls and steak.

J ordered the Bun–or rice noodles. His dish was topped with shrimp, eggrolls and grilled lemongrass steak. This was absolutely delicious! I had food envy (doesn’t food always taste better when it’s not yours?) and think I will order this the next time I go back to Blossom, which, given how much I enjoyed it, will be soon!

In a happy change of circumstances, D.C. was able to stay in LA for another day. He ordered the chicken curry, but the picture did not turn out well because of the steam coming from the rice and curry.

We were all starving, so these are the only pictures I snapped!

After dinner, J and I took D.C. to Cherry on Top– a new frozen yogurt shop in the Little Tokyo Market. D.C. is a fro-yo fanatic. In fact, I think it’s his favorite thing about LA… Cherry on Top bests Pinkberry (overpriced!) and Yogurtland (plagued by claims of unsanitary yogurt practices!) in my book. The flavors are all delicious, crisp and taste more like what they’re supposed to than most other frozen yogurt. They also have a huge selection of toppings.

I opted for Blueberry-Pomegranate, Blackberry, Mango and Green Tea, topped with blueberries, strawberries, rainbow sprinkles, mochi and a few gummi worms. Yum!

I would have taken more pics, but we had to eat and run so that D.C. didn’t miss his flight back to the other coast. Promise to do better on my next outing!

Blossom

www.blossomrestaurant.com

426 S. Main Street

Los Angeles, CA 90013

213-623-1973

Cherry on Top

www.cherryontop.net

333 South Alameda Street

Los Angeles, CA 90013

213-626-2150