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| - I can't add much to the great reviews, except I had to rave about Little Saigon!
I've tried a few Vietnamese restaurants on the west side, then my hubby stumbled across Little Saigon on his first trip to Yelpland. Located in charming downtown Glendale only two miles from home, we went there on a Saturday night. There is a generous patio with lovely twinkle lights, and you can hear the music from the coffee shop across the street. The interior is bright and cheerful, with, I think, 3 rooms.
The place was almost full - always a good sign, and a very friendly waiter seated us and took our drink orders. The menu is generous, and the prices reasonable. We shared spring rolls and potstickers. Best spring roll ever, methinks: not too much lettuce as filler, delish pork and shrimp that tastes like it once swam, with a light peanut sauce that does not overwhelm. The potstickers were also great - generously filled with tasty pork and veggies, complimented by a mild Asian BBQ sauce. We were off to a good start.
Hubs, who is new to Vietnamese cuisine, and who gets props for trying, chose a pan fried rice noodle dish with meat (at least chicken and shrimp) and veggies. He thoroughly enjoyed it, generously offering me one bite, and pretending not to notice when I stole a couple more.
Just as my bench-mark dish for rating Thai restaurants is Pad Thai, my dish for Vietnamese food is Bun Thit Nuong (or Bun Thit Heo Nuong here). My bowl had all the right stuff: tender, flavorful grilled pork (not a speck of gristle - a first in Phoenix!), lettuce, bean sprouts, cilantro, mint, and julienned cukes, vermicelli and sauce. I love the sweet, vinegary sauce that comes with Bun Thit Nuong, and my sweet server told me the ingredients. It was simply so very good.
Little Saigon has the whole package: clean, cute, friendly and attentive service, and excellent food. We can't wait to go back and try some of the other things on the menu, and mentioned in Yelp reviews. Can you say "Yum, yum", Dum Dum?
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