I've lived in Southern California on and off for 16 years, but admittedly have never visited Little Saigon or Chinatown here. I remembered earlier our relatives and friends painted the picutre of Chinatown and Little Siagon as streets full of crime and gangster, the place to avoid. However, being a food lover, I've alwasy wanted to visit Little Saigon for its authentic Vietnamese food. Visiting little Siagon is one of items on my to do list before leaving Orange County. Debra as being a good pal who coordiated a little lunch trip for me last week. Few of us from work headed to little Siagon for my mini advanture.
We arrived at an authentic Vietnamese restaurant recommended by Vincent, Nem Nu'Ong (Brodard). It's located in a little plaza. The place is crowded during lunch hour. The typical Asian restaurants busy and loud......
So many dishes to chose from. We kept asking Vincent for recommendation because everything looks so yummy. We first ordered their Spring rolls. This restaurant's spring roll is very famous. It's freshly made and people would ordered 100+ for to go.
This is the open kitchen where they make spring rolls. The business so good that the orders keep coming in.
They don't seem to stop. They were so fast in making sprng rolls - almost look like an efficency factory operation.
We ordered shrimp and pork spring rolls. It's grilled shrimp/pork paste wrapped in rice paper with lettuce, cucumber, carrots, mint, and fried dumpling skin. Their sauce is so unique. Most place would serve spring roll with fish sauce, this restaurant has its own house special sauce. It seems to be made out of blended tomato, garlic, sweet/hot sauce. It made their spring roll so special. Also the fried dumpling skin inside added additional texture.
Lindsay had Pho Thai ( A noodle soup).
It's rice noodle with ground pork, shrimp and fish cake. The added cilantro and scallions added additional flavor to the broth.
I also order noodle soup. I had B'un Cha, Tom, Cua & Gi'o Heo (the house speical vermicelli noodle soup). House special soup with seafood balls, fish ckae, pork meat.
I added a lot of fresh Asian greens, lime, chilli, and green shredded green banana.
It's a little spicy, but it is really good. This noodle soup taste exactly like the Vietnamese Crab soup I had in Paris. it's so yummy, and no wonder it's one of its house special dish.
Both Debra and Vincent ordered Vermicelli salad. BBQ pork and crispy egg rolls over vermicelli with asian green and roasted peanuts. This is one of my favoriate Vietnamese dishes. It's perfect for summer and very refreshing.
Judy ordered some stir fried rice flat noodle with mixed seafood. It looks like a typical Chinese food.
After lunch we stopped by another desert place pick up some traditional sweet. This place is a popular sweet stop. I don't think I would walk into this place by myself. It's in some old plaza, the shop seems to be ancient- the plaza location doesn't look too safe 
Their sweet look so foreign to me, but very colorful. Most sweet are made out of coconut milk, sticky rice, various beans and tapioca. I tried the tri-color drink- mixed of different type of tapioca and coconut milk.. It's pretty good, and not too sweet.
My overall impression of Little Saigon is quiet nice. It's just like a normal suburban town. The food is great!!!! It doesn't seem to be as a bad neigborhood as most people painted, but again, we might be visitng a nicer part of the town.
I will sure miss my adventure to little Saigon. Debra/Vincent, thank you for making my OC dream came true. 
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