Khanh Hoa Dac Biet Kem Nuong 9738 Westminister Garden Grove

[wew]

I carved out a spare minute from catching a wedding in San Clemente and took the rails from Camarillo to Santa Anna. Then the 17th -Westminster Ave bus, a bitter sweet touching ride a requirement for anyone seeking office in this country. My bus mates pointed out that the numbers of the buildings change from town to town, so I showed them what I copied from the Hounders. Three of them got together and suggested better places with just about the same name. I felt a bit like someone in New York asking for Ray's Pizza. After eating I felt like I went not to any of the Ray's but to Di Fara's.
I ordered the roll your own pork and the cute little rice cups.The the roll platter with its small forest of fantastic greens came out I started to make my first roll when a friendly older gent approached my table, apologized for interrupting me but felt I would enjoy my meal more if I removed the plastic steamer liners I was rolling into my food. Probably right. After the second roll I realized I live 3000 miles in the wrong direction and a certain dejection took the edged off my high high food high.
Truly worthy of a detour even if you were going form Juno to Detroit
Question for the locals - Why was the place of this excellence near empty at lunch time?

[wewwew]

The weather in New York was just right for self flagulators but by me a good time to jump ship, so I went for lunch to Nem Nuong Khanh Hoa Alhambra. Ok,the heat here is drier. With a bowel of fermented fish soup at my side and a few dozen rice cups finished I compaired Garden Grove and SGV self rolls. For me the Garden grove was better due to the pork being more to my taste and the sauce much much better. Still the SGV restaurant is so far above anything in New York so as to cause much sadness.
wewwew once was wew, as Lulu was once Mimi

[ns1]

is this the same NNKH that's in Alhambra?

http://www.yelp.com/biz/nem-nuong-kha...

//edit

I see above that there is no consensus, sorry for asking.

[bsquared2]

I don't think so. We are pretty chummy with the folks who run the SGV version and they know we go down to Little Saigon a lot. I can't imagine they wouldn't tell us about another restaurant.

By the way..... I just got back from the REAL Khanh Hoa, but I didn't have any Nem Nuong. I did have some amazing seafood though. And if you want to find out about an amazing restaurant, ask me about Cuc Gach Quan....

[wew]

Hey, bsquared2, tell me all about Cuc Gach Quan (you can leave out Mary Kay, no problem), they got any good seafood there abouts?

[bsquared2]

I was just in Nha Trang. Did have some amazing seafood. Cuc Gach Quan is one of my new favorite restaurants in Saigon. Down home country food in a space owned by an architest. Right up my alley.

On a local note...brought a souvenir back for the folks at Spice Table and had a great dinner. I tell ya, Little Tokyo is our new hangout

-----
The Spice Table
114 S. Central Avenue, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA

Nha Trang
311 E Valley Blvd, San Gabriel, CA 91776

[Professor Salt]

Glad you found it. I think it's the best nem nuong cuon in Little Saigon, bar none. It really is the DiFara's of nem nuong.

As far as why it was near empty - can't say. Maybe people are in a hurry, and they don't want to wait for the components to be cooked to order? I can't say, but I do want them to have more business so they're going to stay in business for a long, long time.

[Peripatetic]

I already sense the futility of asking this question, but here goes: is it the same owners as Nem Nuong Khanh Hoa in on Valley in Alhambra? If so (or even if not), is the food equally good at both places?

I haven't been to Khanh Hoa yet, but the nem nuong I've had at Ninh Hoa in Rosemead are the best I've had so far.

[Professor Salt]

I haven't been to the SGV one, nor have I asked at the OC one. I don't recall any of the printed menus listing both businesses, so not sure if they're related or not.

[condiment]

The one in Alhambra has probably the best nem nuong in the SGV - it would be poetic if they were related.

[Thi N.]

How's it compare to Brodard's nem nuong? Like, 5x better?

Nem nuong is among my favoritest things ever.

-----
Brodard Restaurant
9892 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92844

[Das Ubergeek]

While I like Brodard's nem nuong, Dat Thanh blows them away... and Nem Nuong Khanh Hoa is better too. It's impossible to quantify, though. Just go eat it. :-P

-----
Nem Nuong Khanh Hoa
1700 W Valley Blvd, Alhambra, CA 91803

Brodard Restaurant
9892 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92844

Dat Thanh
10032 McFadden Ave, Westminster, CA 92683

[Professor Salt]

NNKH grills their meat to order. Fries the crisp egg roll skin-cigarettes to order. Everything is much fresher than Brodard.

Go. You won't regret it.

-----
Brodard Restaurant
9892 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92844

[ns1]

I must be the only one that finds Brodard heavily overrated (although I agree Brodard should be the benchmark)

-----
Brodard Restaurant
9892 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92844

[Das Ubergeek]

Not at all. I agree with you. It's a great place to bring a newbie to Vietnamese food because they've got a menu that could challenge the Cheesecake Factory for length; jack of all trades, master of none.

[ns1]

@Das, Professor:

Went to NNKH today. Thought NNNH is way better. Have you guys been yet?

Nem Nuong Ninh Hoa

-----
Nem Nuong Ninh Hoa
9016 Mission Dr, Rosemead, CA 91770

[Professor Salt]

Better in what way? I haven't been to NNNH.

[ns1]

in EVERY way.

sauce was better, meat was better, overall delivery was better...(we got the dac biet for 2 people and banh beo)

the only thing I felt NNKH did better than NNNH was the shrimp roll.

[bsquared2]

Even the Nem Chua? I haven't been anywhere in LA/OC that can touch them on that. And the Shrimp in the Egg Roll is a strong point in NNKH's favor.

[ns1]

are we talking pre-packaged nem chua or the grilled one on the plate?

at this point, if you guys are real fans of nem nuong I'd just encourage you to go to NNNH and come back to this thread with your thoughts...

[bsquared2]

Maybe. The people at NNKH are so nice... I feel like I am cheating....

[Peripatetic]

> Thought NNNH is way better

Just to be clear, better than the NNKH in Alhambra, or the NNKH in Garden Grove?

[ns1]

NNKH alhambra