Eat, Drink + Be Merry. Travel + Food Photography. Los Angeles and Beyond.

About a year and a half ago, I wrote about the Echo Park Noodle Mama – a kind Vietnamese woman that generously fed her family, friends and even strangers tasty noodles for absolutely no charge. The noodle parade ended once Noodle Mama moved to a new home, saddening those in in the Eastside community and for a while we didn’t know if we would be treated to such tasty home cooking. For me, there are two categories of pho. The first being the pho most of us will have – which is in a restaurant. The second being the pho I actually cherish the most – in a kitchen prepared by the hands of a Vietnamese woman. The pho will never taste the same from these categories as expected. At the commercial level, I’ve seen some kitchens with at least a dozen 3′ x 2′ stock pots that can serve a good 250-300 bowls. When you’re boiling hundreds of pounds of beef bones for 8-10 hours overnight, you’re extracting a deeper flavor unachievable at home. I’ve made pho before a few times and it is a long and arduous process that can still cost around $50-60 for a mere 8-10 bowls, not to mention the hours of labor and waiting. Cough up the money elsewhere – it’s not worth it if you’re going for restaurant quality. But more importantly, the commercial pho will never, in my opinion, be as “good” as the home-cooked pho because it misses the one ingredient that varies in every household: a mother’s soul.

Luckily, a new Noodle Mama has surfaced in a restaurant called Nong La Cafe, which is Vietnamese for “straw hat”. She has surfaced in an area that isn’t known for the Vietnamese food – West Los Angeles. The bigger news is that they’ve decided to blaze new trails on the predominantly Japanese neighborhood of West LA known as Sawtelle Blvd, or “Little Osaka”. One can only eat so much on “Ramen Row” so this changes things up a little. We have known the Phuong’s for quite a while. When I heard that the mother, Khanh (Phan) Phuong and her son and daughter, Victor and Elaine Phuong would be bringing their home-style Vietnamese food to the restaurant scene, I was very happy. Jeni and I have been fortunate enough to be invited over for her noodle parties many times and now she’s sharing the love publicly. We’d often leave home with enough leftovers for two more rounds of deliciousness. I first met Elaine years ago when we were both living the American ad agency dream – making an amazing $24,000 straight out of college.  She continued to work aimlessly in various agencies and was looking for a career change. Her brother, Victor, was working formerly as a chemist down in San Diego and also completed his CPA exams, but decided towards a new chapter in his life. After talks of opening a restaurant for nearly 8 years, both children left their professions to help realize their mother’s dream of opening up her very own restaurant. And only a week after its opening, it appears to be a successful addition to the Westside.

Khanh (Phan) Phuong was born in Danang, Vietnam and lived all of her life in District #5 of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) until she had Victor and Elaine in the late 70s. Although she lived in Vietnam, her roots are in Hainan Island, an island just south of China and East of Vietnam. You may have heard of this island known mainly for its delicious signature dish, Hainanese chicken rice (海南雞飯) Growing up in a large family with ten brothers and sisters, she took it upon herself to assume kitchen duties. She learned to cook all the popular Vietnamese dishes like pho, bun bo hue, banh canh and bun thit nuong – and she made them well. Like many Vietnamese during the war, she left for a better life in America, devoid of Ho Chi Minh’s communism. Phan left with a 3-year old Victor and with Elaine still in her womb. Getting to this point was an arduous and tragic journey, but it is unnecessary to delve into that area when there’s obviously something good going on. Nearly 30 years later, with grown kids, her brothers and in-laws, the family has stuck together closely and made the restaurant happen. After months of planning, tastings and construction, Nong La opened its doors on May 20, 2012 to satiate those in need of home-style Vietnamese food.

Homecooked Pho vs. Restaurant Pho
I think the main difference between the two is the usage of bones and MSG. Beef bones cost a lot of money, so what most pho places will do to cut down the cost is use a beef bouillon paste, like Minor’s, or some Asian variation which you can find in SGV and Chinatown. And that stuff is usually loaded with MSG. I spoke to the owner of the very popular Noodle Guy in Alhambra and he told me the cost behind making his pho is dizzying, thus the $13 charge for his famed “Kobe beef pho“. I think for every 3′ x 5′ stock pot, 25+ pounds of beef bones are used in your average pho restaurant. Multiply that with however many pots you have going on at the same time. At places like Noodle Guy, Pho Huynh and Pho Filet in South El Monte, you can definitely tell that they’ve used a lot of beef bones for their Northern style pho (pho bac). I don’t know about you, but I don’t like feeling super thirsty after I eat pho, which is a sure indication that the chef has slipped an MSG “rufi” in your soup. I doubt many parents will douse their food with MSG just to make sure it tastes good. At the least, fish sauce has natural umami and MSG so you’re not completely devoid of it. The truth is, most of us are accustomed to a punchy, beefy bowl of pho. So when you do taste something that doesn’t have the MSG punch, it is regarded as bland, or plain. Having been to Hanoi and Saigon to eat pho, I’ve seen how many bones they use for the broth. And I was never thirsty afterwards. It was after the trip to Vietnam that I developed an appreciation for the pure beef and chicken flavor in pho, not something ‘roided up with with MSG.

Nong La’s space is modern and minimal, letting the food speak for itself. The wood furniture is completely custom-designed and produced by the good people at Knowhow Shop in Highland Park. If you remember our outdoor table set by the talented Scout Regalia, this is the same workshop that they produced their tables in. I enjoy eating at the counter!

We were flattered to sell the Phuong’s a few prints from our 2009 trip to Hanoi and Saigon. We were also asked to photograph the food for their website.

Here are some of the dishes I enjoy most at Nong La Cafe.

Passion Fruit Iced “Tea”
Normally at a Vietnamese restaurant, one would start with an ice cold glass of cà phê sữa đá (coffee). But I actually recommend this refreshing concoction made my Mama Phuong. I told her it was good enough to add some nice spicy Rittenhouse rye whiskey in there and take it to another level. She asked me in Chinese, why I would do such a thing.

Pho Tai (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup with Rare Steak)
The first time I had Mama Phuong’s beef noodle soup, I enjoyed it so much I had thirds. There was a beautiful balance of beefiness and just the right amount of fish sauce to add salinity and umami. What I like about her pho is that she uses the 1/8″ cut rice noodles that are standard in Northern-style pho (pho bac). This type of noodle is a thinner version of the standard wide rice noodles you see in Hong Kong and Chiu Chow cuisine. Add a few strands of the noodle in the spoon, fill it up with broth and slurp. It’s delicious. I prefer these noodles over the standard dry rice stick noodles. All in all, homey and you won’t feel thirsty.

Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)
Surprisingly, for me this is actually superior to the beef pho. Pho ga is the least popular of soup noodles at most Vietnamese restaurants and I rarely ever order it. After having it in Hanoi… drinking the amazingly yellow broth from brown/yellow chickens and charred onions, I converted into a pho ga lover. Mama Phuong’s version is probably my favorite dish of hers – so clean and full of chicken flavor. I noticed that some people on Yelp have declared it bland and light, but that’s what a non-MSG version of pho ga is supposed to taste like. The one I had in Hanoi might have had some MSG in it but what I remember most was how upfront the chicken flavors were in the broth was and how I didn’t have a dry mouth/throat afterwards. My only wish with her soup is a slight kick of ginger to add some roundness to the already flavorful broth. The chickens they use are free-range and you can even taste the flavor in the typically-dry breast meat. Definitely try Mama Phuong’s pho ga.

Bun Bo Hue (Central Vietnam Lemongrass Beef Noodle Soup)
One advantage over most of the Vietnamese places on the Westside is Mama Phuong’s homey version of bun bo hue, which is my favorite Vietnamese noodle dish. With the aroma of lemongrass, light kick of chili sauce and beef broth, it’s the loud, wild cousin of pho. The exclusion of some critical components like braised pork foot and congealed pork blood cubes makes the version here Rated G for everybody, but given the area, the Westside mignt not be ready for something that delicious and “ethnic”. I may bring my own next time!

Bun Thit Nuong Cha Gio (Grilled Lemongrass Pork Noodles with Fish Sauce and Egg Roll)
I’m constantly juggling between this dish and the pho ga. I like that Mama Phuong uses a thicker vermicelli for this. The standard bun noodles used for this dish, like the standard rice noodles in pho, tend to clump together pretty quickly if not eaten immediately. She does a good job marinating the pork and grilling it to perfection with slight burnt ends that I like. The fish sauce (Nước chấm) she makes is spot on. I can easily eat two bowls of this.

It’s a wonderful thing to watch your family friends take on a new venture. Their sole mission is to provide the freshest home-style Vietnamese food with everyone. Their opening is perfectly fitting for an area that yearns for something better than what’s out right now. Like many others, I have my go-to restaurants for certain Vietnamese dishes in the San Gabriel Valley or Little Saigon (Westminster) but now that I work on the Westside, I’m happy that I’ve got my go-to spot for Vietnamese. Hopefully you’ll make it yours too. Congratulations to Mama Phuong, Victor, Elaine, Max, Raymond, Ly and Taryn! Thanks for reading.

Nong La Cafe
2055 Sawtelle Blvd (Little Osaka)
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 268-1881
www.nonglacafe.com
Closed Mondays; Cash/Credit happily accepted

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Here are some other recommendations for home-style Vietnamese noodles in San Gabriel Valley and Little Saigon. No guarantees that they offer MSG-free food.

Nha Trang
311 E. Valley Blvd Suite 103
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 572-7638
Recommend: bun bo hue, pho ga, bun rieu, mi hoang, avocado or pomegranate shake

Noodle Guy
1257 E. Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 284-1868
Recommend: Kobe beef pho, oxtail pho, oxtail bun bo hue

Pho Ga
741 E. Valley Blvd
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 288-3900
Recommend: pho ga

Pho Filet
9463 Garvey Ave
South El Monte, CA 91733
(626) 453-8911
Recommend: pho bac (Northern-style pho with filet mignon beef and ginger)

Pho Huynh
9706 Garvey Ave
El Monte, CA 91733
(626) 350-6688
Recommend: pho bac (Northern-style pho with filet mignon beef and ginger)

Ngu Binh
14072 Magnolia St
Westminster, CA 92683
(714) 903-6000
Recommend: my #1 choice for bun bo hue outside of Saigon

Vien Dong Restaurant
14271 Brookhurst St
Garden Grove, CA 92843
(714) 531-8253
Recommend: bun rieu oc, bun rieu cha ca

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

One of my favorite restaurants in Los Angeles, for the last few years is still Animal, run by ex-caterers Chef Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo. Their style of food to me is unpretentious, real and personal on my many levels, and I’m sure many people would agree. A lot of the food ranges from motherly to late-night, stoner grub and there’s always an interesting take on American classics. When I heard about their seafood concept, Son of A Gun, I followed the big Angeleno crowds during the opening week. The problem is, the restaurant is just way too small with about 40 seats – half of which are given to walk-ins at their communal table. After about an hour wait, thankfully with delicious classic cocktails, we were seated. If you’ve been to Animal at least a dozen times like we have, you’ll start to recognize the similarities in the Son of A Gun menu with maybe three or four non-seafood items. From talking to others that have been, it’s clear which are the stars: the lobster roll, the fried chicken sandwich and the scrumptious shrimp toast. Considering I could make a meal out of three orders of the shrimp toast, $11 each for each tiny sandwich is just way too much to spend. Maybe I can show you how to make 8 generously-filled shrimp toasts for under $15? Here’s my take on Son of A Gun’s amazing shrimp toast.

Ingredients for 8 Shrimp Toasts
1 lb. of large shrimp (16-20 per pound size; peeled and de-veined)
Loaf of white bread (softer the better)
Mayonnaise
Sriracha
Hoisin sauce
Thai basil
Cilantro
1 tablespoon of bottled fish sauce
One egg (whites only)
1 tablespoon of lemongrass stalks (grated)
2 pieces of sliced ginger (grated)
1 clove garlic (grated)
1/2 tablespoon of corn starch
Salt & pepper
Sugar
Vegetable/Canola oil
Butter (optional)

Making the Shrimp Paste
(1) After you peel and de-vein your shrimp, toss a generous amount of kosher salt on the shrimp and wash it off in water to remove the shrimp cologne and also refresh the shrimp. Roughly chop the shrimp to make it easier for your food processor. Before you make the paste, have a small fry pan on low heat so you can test the shrimp paste out.

(2) Toss the shrimp in the food processor with the egg white, corn starch, fish sauce, a few pinches of lemongrass, 1/2 teaspoon of grated garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of grated ginger, a few pinches of sugar, 2 teaspoons of oil and S&P.  The corn starch is used to make the shrimp stick together and the oil gives the shrimp a nice sheen. PULSE the shrimp, do not turn the food processor fully on. About 7-8 pulses should be good.

(3) Now take a small spoonful and fry it up.  Does it need more fish sauce? More S&P?  The final taste should have a nice balance of fish sauce, sweetness from the sugar and hints of garlic/ginger/lemongrass.  And the paste should stick together from the corn starch – if not, add a little more and mix it in by hand. Just make sure the paste isn’t salty!

Making the Sriracha Hoisin Mayo
Start with about 3-4 tablespoons of mayonnaise. I used the Japanese Kewpie mayo because it has a nice sweetness to it versus Miracle Whip. Now add Sriracha in and find your desired level of spiciness. Then add hoisin sauce in to taste. It should be dark brown and sweet. Be careful – too much hoisin sauce will make it taste too nutty. Use mayonnaise to balance it out. I added a tiny bit of lemon juice to give it a subtle tang.

Preparing the Bread
Son of A Gun finishes off their shrimp toast with a little butter and pan fries it to give it a nice buttery, crispiness. For me, it’s a bit too greasy. Get two pieces of white bread and neatly cut off the crusts, resulting in two nice rectangular cuts of white bread.

Option 1
Turn on the broiler. Lightly brush olive oil or butter on the bread and broil for one minute. After one minute check it every 15 seconds to see that you’ve got the perfect amount of toasting. Take out.

Option 2
After you’ve fried the shrimp toast, shrimp side down, you can flip the toast over and pan fry it till it’s crispy. Done, but oily.

Making the Shrimp Toast
(1) Spread a 1/4″ to 3/8″ layer of shrimp paste over the bread. SOAG gives you a 1/4″ if you’re lucky. In a skillet over medium heat, add vegetable or Canola oil and once it starts smoking, add the shrimp toast – shrimp side down. Pan fry for about 3-4 minutes and check to see that the shrimp is about 90% orange which means it’ll be done. You don’t want to overcook the shrimp.

(2) While you are frying the shrimp, get the other piece of toasted bread ready. Add generous amount of the Sriracha Hoisin mayo, considering how thick the bread and shrimp combined will be. Add about 4-5 pieces of Thai basil (smack it in your hands to wake it up) and 7-8 pieces of cilantro – less if it’s too herby for you.

(3) Optional, if you want to, lightly butter the sandwich and pan fry for about 15-20 seconds on each sideo. Cut the sandwich in half or thirds lengthwise and serve.

This turned out really tasty. I love Vietnamese food and went heavier on the fish sauce in the shrimp paste and basil/cilantro herbs. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

Son of a Gun Restaurant
8370 W. 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 782-9033
www.sonofagunrestaurant.com