It's early autumn, and a perfect day for bellying up to a big bowl--or plate--of noodles. And today is National Noodle Day.
Start Slurping: It's National Noodle Day
Xoia Brings Vietnamese Food With Mexican Flair to Echo Park
In Vietnamese "Xôi" is a sweet sticky rice used in many dishes. But in chef and owner Jose Sarinana's family, "Xoia" is the family nickname for his daughter Sawyer, explains his wife, Thien Ho. This blend of food, family, and tradition comes together at Xoia, a bright, cheery, new Vietnamese restaurant in Echo Park.
Mandoline Grill Truck Debuts, Offers Tons of Vegan Options
For veggie and vegans, the nouveau gourmet food truck trend is a tough one to get on board when many of the menu items offered by the different innovative, fusion, or traditional restaurants on wheels. After much anticipation, the Mandoline Grill Truck was out last night at an event held at the Verdugo, showing off their selection of Vietnamese eats, of which about half are vegan. LA's Vegan blogger extraordinaire, Quarrygirl, was on hand to give the food a taste drive, and shares her thoughts on her blog and with us.
Banh Mi For You? Getting to Know Know the Nom Nom Truck
Say what you will about fusion food (and you will, we know) but Banh Mi happens to be one of the oldest forms of cultural collision cuisine on the books. These east-meets-west eats are now roaming the streets of Los Angeles in a rubber-meets-the road kind of way, thanks to the folks behind the Nom Nom Truck, who launched their mobile eatery this summer to fill the void of Banh Mi on the Westside.
Vietnamese Taco Truck to Hit The Westside This Summer
In a rapidly growing trend that blends all the best parts about real California fast food, three UCLA grads have announced plans for a Vietnamese food truck that will serve favorites like banh mi and twists like lemongrass chicken tacos. Just like its Twittering predecessors Kogi BBQ and Don Chow Tacos (Chinese-Mexican fusion), the Nom Nom Truck (as it's christened) already has a sparkling website with highly integrated social media links: Twitter, Flickr, and Facebook.
Midnight Movie: 'Asian Hooters For Coffee' in The O.C.
Say you're a guy that likes attractive Vietnamese gals. You also have a passion for caffeine. You've no doubt been frustrated, and said to your friends time after time, "geez, when will Garden Grove get a Vietnamese coffee shop that offers more sex appeal than Starbucks' green aprons?" Time to get happy. Cafe Di Vang 2 is the spot. They're the "Asian Hooters for coffee," according to one of their bikini-wearing tea-pourers.
Valley Vietnamese: Pho So 1
I have so many fond memories of this place. I came to Pho So 1 at least once a week while studying at UCLA. The food is cheap, it came out fast, and right next door is Ranch 99 where you can pick up most anything you'd want to cook for the week. Pho So 1 is also probably one of the best Pho places even remotely close to West LA, and I'm very happy to revisit my old feeding grounds for a meal.
Cheap Eats: Lee's Sandwiches
Some of you might be familiar with Lee's sandwiches. It's a chain of Vietnamese Sandwich shops around San Gabriel and Westminster. If you're not familiar with Lee's Sandwiches, you might be wondering: "What's so special about Vietnamese sandwiches, and how is it worthy of a 50meal?" Well, first of all, a 10-inch sandwich is dirt cheap at somewhere between $2 to $3. Secondly, these sandwiches are GOOD. Hey, cheap and good? Definitely worth a meal. Unfortunately the location I went to had no seating, so you'll have to take these sandwiches to go. I didn't get far, though, we grabbed these and started eating in the car.

