My go-to staples are still the pho tai, crispy egg rolls, and the steak banh mi.
This westside Vietnamese joint is still the best, way better than that other place on Wilshire Blvd.
Nong La Cafe
2055 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310-268-1881
Showing posts with label pho. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pho. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Nong La Cafe Video Review
I'm a regular here now and they know my name. It's kinda like Cheers.
My go-to staples are still the pho tai, crispy egg rolls, and the steak banh mi.
This westside Vietnamese joint is still the best, way better than that other place on Wilshire Blvd.
Nong La Cafe
2055 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310-268-1881
My go-to staples are still the pho tai, crispy egg rolls, and the steak banh mi.
This westside Vietnamese joint is still the best, way better than that other place on Wilshire Blvd.
Nong La Cafe
2055 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025
310-268-1881
Monday, August 6, 2012
Nong La Cafe - Best Vietnamese On the Westside
If you're looking for some good Vietnamese food on the westside and don't want to sit in traffic for hours headed towards the SGV, you should try Nong La Cafe.
This newish restaurant on the bustling Sawtelle strip serves up fresh Vietnamese fare with friendly service.
I've come here 3 times in the past month and can't stop raving about the pho and the steak banh mi!
The first time we came here was on a weeknight around 7:30 pm. We had to wait a good 30-40 minutes for a table for 4.
We ordered pho tai bo vien, bun bo hue, and spring rolls.
The spring rolls were small and not that good. I would pass on these.
The pho tai bo vien (pho with rare steak and beef ball was delicious! I've never had pho so fresh! Usually when I eat pho, I have to drink a gallon of water to offset the MSG.
My friends said the bun bo hue was okay. One of them liked it, the other one didn't. The bun bo hue here does not contain blood, so yay for that!
My next visit was during lunch on a weekday around 1:30 pm. Considering this was kinda late for lunch, we were surprised we had to wait. But, that's mainly because this one table decided to sit and talk FOREVER even after they were done eating! How rude! The girl actually went outside to put more money in the meter. Some people are so inconsiderate. She saw us waiting too!
Ugh.. at least the host was apologetic about the whole thing.
I ordered pho tai and it was so tasty! I love how tender the beef is.
Since I read so much about the banh mi, I decided to get one to go.
DAMN. The steak banh mi is amazing! It's loaded with jalapenos so make sure you pick some out if you can't stand the heat. No pate though, FYI.
In fact, the banh mi was so good, I actually went back the same day to get another to go. The host actually remembered me and was like, "I told you it was good!".
A couple days later, we went back again. My BF got the bun sesame steak and I got the pho tai again. What? I'm addicted.
He said the bun was good, but not his favorite. The noodles are thicker than traditional bun, so that could be why.
I do like the noodles in the pho here. Thick, flat noodles that don't stick together. Good stuff.
Highly recommended for pho and banh mi cravings!
Closed on Mondays.
Nong La Cafe
2055 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, ca 90025
This newish restaurant on the bustling Sawtelle strip serves up fresh Vietnamese fare with friendly service.
I've come here 3 times in the past month and can't stop raving about the pho and the steak banh mi!
The first time we came here was on a weeknight around 7:30 pm. We had to wait a good 30-40 minutes for a table for 4.
We ordered pho tai bo vien, bun bo hue, and spring rolls.
The spring rolls were small and not that good. I would pass on these.
 |
| spring rolls |
The pho tai bo vien (pho with rare steak and beef ball was delicious! I've never had pho so fresh! Usually when I eat pho, I have to drink a gallon of water to offset the MSG.
My friends said the bun bo hue was okay. One of them liked it, the other one didn't. The bun bo hue here does not contain blood, so yay for that!
 |
| bun bo hue |
My next visit was during lunch on a weekday around 1:30 pm. Considering this was kinda late for lunch, we were surprised we had to wait. But, that's mainly because this one table decided to sit and talk FOREVER even after they were done eating! How rude! The girl actually went outside to put more money in the meter. Some people are so inconsiderate. She saw us waiting too!
Ugh.. at least the host was apologetic about the whole thing.
I ordered pho tai and it was so tasty! I love how tender the beef is.
 |
| pho tai |
Since I read so much about the banh mi, I decided to get one to go.
DAMN. The steak banh mi is amazing! It's loaded with jalapenos so make sure you pick some out if you can't stand the heat. No pate though, FYI.
 |
| steak banh mi |
 |
| bun with lemongraass and sesame steak |
In fact, the banh mi was so good, I actually went back the same day to get another to go. The host actually remembered me and was like, "I told you it was good!".
A couple days later, we went back again. My BF got the bun sesame steak and I got the pho tai again. What? I'm addicted.
He said the bun was good, but not his favorite. The noodles are thicker than traditional bun, so that could be why.
I do like the noodles in the pho here. Thick, flat noodles that don't stick together. Good stuff.
Highly recommended for pho and banh mi cravings!
Closed on Mondays.
Nong La Cafe
2055 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles, ca 90025
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Nem Nuong Khanh Hoa- Authentic Vietnamese Food
Located in a strip mall in Alhambra, this Vietnamese restaurant is a hidden gem. With low prices and tasty food, the owners know how to please an audience.
We ordered Pho Tai, Bun Bo Hue and Nem Nuong along with three fresh coconuts. Yes, coconuts cut out at the top so you can just sip the juice! Nothing in the can beats that.
The Pho Tai was okay, kinda flavorless, but my kid wanted it badly. I think Pho 999 is still the best in terms of pho.
Bun Bo Hue was very good, albeit not that spicy. I liked that she asked us if we wanted blood and other funky items in there. We said no thanks. I'm prefer my beef noodle soup sans the red stuff. It came with a dish of veggies to add into the broth. One thing I like about Vietnamese food is the abundance of fresh veggies. Makes me feel healthier as I stuff my face.
The Nem Nuong was good and it was my first time trying it. Basically, you get a plate of veggies, a plate of meat and shrimp and rice paper to wrap your own spring rolls. I liked the variety veggies especially the mint and perilla. The dipping sauce was kinda blah though, just a weird flavor and not spicy at all.
Total bill was $42 for our party of four. Not a bad deal for all this food! I would come back and try the other dishes. Make sure you get the Nem Nuong, it's their specialty.
4****
Nem Nuong Khanh Hoa
1700 W Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91803
(626) 943-7645
We ordered Pho Tai, Bun Bo Hue and Nem Nuong along with three fresh coconuts. Yes, coconuts cut out at the top so you can just sip the juice! Nothing in the can beats that.
The Pho Tai was okay, kinda flavorless, but my kid wanted it badly. I think Pho 999 is still the best in terms of pho.
Bun Bo Hue was very good, albeit not that spicy. I liked that she asked us if we wanted blood and other funky items in there. We said no thanks. I'm prefer my beef noodle soup sans the red stuff. It came with a dish of veggies to add into the broth. One thing I like about Vietnamese food is the abundance of fresh veggies. Makes me feel healthier as I stuff my face.
The Nem Nuong was good and it was my first time trying it. Basically, you get a plate of veggies, a plate of meat and shrimp and rice paper to wrap your own spring rolls. I liked the variety veggies especially the mint and perilla. The dipping sauce was kinda blah though, just a weird flavor and not spicy at all.
Total bill was $42 for our party of four. Not a bad deal for all this food! I would come back and try the other dishes. Make sure you get the Nem Nuong, it's their specialty.
4****
Nem Nuong Khanh Hoa
1700 W Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91803
(626) 943-7645
Monday, June 6, 2011
Pho 88- NYC
After a night of endless drinks, we were hankering for some pho.
I looked on Yelp and found Pho 88 within walking distance of our hotel. On the trek there, we came across a few other pho restaurants that were closer, but kept going because I read that the pho here had less sodium than other places.
The restaurant is relatively new and pretty clean.
We sat down at a small table for two and ordered 2 orders of pho tai, 1 order of banh beo and 1 order of summer rolls.
I liked the summer rolls a lot and found them very fresh and tasty. The shrimp, noodles and veggies inside were all good. Some places give you some questionable rolls, but 88 did well.
Banh beo was okay, but not what I'm used to. It came with some potato salad like topping which I'm not sure I was down with.
Pho tai was good, but the broth was lacking in flavor! I had to add a ton of hot sauce and jalapenos to give it some depth.
But, at around $6 a bowl, can you really complain?
Service was good for an Asian place.
Cash only.
3.5***
Pho 88
51 Bayard St
(between Bowery & Elizabeth St)
Manhattan, NY 10013
Neighborhood: Chinatown
I looked on Yelp and found Pho 88 within walking distance of our hotel. On the trek there, we came across a few other pho restaurants that were closer, but kept going because I read that the pho here had less sodium than other places.
The restaurant is relatively new and pretty clean.
We sat down at a small table for two and ordered 2 orders of pho tai, 1 order of banh beo and 1 order of summer rolls.
I liked the summer rolls a lot and found them very fresh and tasty. The shrimp, noodles and veggies inside were all good. Some places give you some questionable rolls, but 88 did well.
Banh beo was okay, but not what I'm used to. It came with some potato salad like topping which I'm not sure I was down with.
Pho tai was good, but the broth was lacking in flavor! I had to add a ton of hot sauce and jalapenos to give it some depth.
But, at around $6 a bowl, can you really complain?
Service was good for an Asian place.
Cash only.
3.5***
Pho 88
51 Bayard St
(between Bowery & Elizabeth St)
Manhattan, NY 10013
Neighborhood: Chinatown
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Back from Oahu
Hawaii was amazing. It was a new experience for me to go on vacation alone. All in all, a wonderful trip. Some memories from the trip:
~ awesome view from my oceanfront room at the Hilton
~ eating poke for the first time
~ lounging around all day whenever I wanted to
~ snorkeing for the first time at beautiful Hanauma Bay
~ eating loco moco
~ checking out the nightlife in Waikiki which does not trump LA at all
~ eating a reall good bowl of pho
~ being able to take late night strolls on the beach
~ seeing all the stars in the sky next to Diamond Head
~ being stuck at the airport for 8 hours due to some plane delay
Next time I go back to Hawaii, I will bring someone with me though. Being alone for 95% of the trip had its moments, but at the end of the day, this paradise is to be shared with someone special.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)