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Ha Noi Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Vietnamese Vietnamese [Edit]
9082 Bolsa AveWestminster, CA 92683
(714) 901-8108
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 9 am - 12 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
127 reviews for Ha Noi Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Banh tom co ngu (crispy fried yam & shrimps."
(in 12 reviews)
"The Cha ca thang long is sooo good."
(in 21 reviews)
"...w/nuoc mam(deep fried yam and shrimp fries where you dip..."
(in 10 reviews)
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127 reviews in English
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Review from Peter N.
As a Vietnamese-born American who has lived in California (San Jose and Orange County reign as the largest concentration of Vietnamese people outside of the country itself) most of my life and as part of a restaurant family, I know the culture and cuisine well.
FOOD: is very authentic northern-style Vietnamese. They are known for their yam-fried shrimp and vermicelli noodle dishes. The soups, particularly the sweet and sour, are also good.
SERVICE: the food comes out very quickly. In fact, if you want time between the appetizers and main dishes, you must tell them. Otherwise, it will all come out immediately. They are not as attentive after the food is delivered.
AMBIANCE: they are right on the main drag in Little Saigon and there is a parking lot which usually has space. Inside, it's basic, though not great.
VALUE: prices are average for Vietnamese places in this area, but I like what you get for the money. -
Review from Alex M.
Huntington Beach, CA
1/15/2012
A word of advice if you're traveling here for your Vietnamese cuisine fix.....don't. The place is conveniently located in the center of a strip mall, not always a bad thing, in this case it was. Not only was there no parking here, but the place was foul. The fish tank looked like it had never been clean, there was a dead lobster in the tank upside down, and there were tables everywhere littered with dirty dishes and trash.
I'm not sure why we didn't leave after just seeing the place, but I usually tend to have high hopes for "dive-y" places like this, thinking that at least the food must be good if there were this many people in here.
We sat down and probably waited about 10 minutes before we were asked if we would like something to drink, and we ordered at that point too to avoid having to wait to order like we did for drinks. I ordered BBQ pork, something that really should be hard to get wrong. What I got were honestly grilled pieces of marinated pork fat, just fat....over rice. With some sad looking veggies. I had to ask for my side of fish sauce, and when I asked for peanut sauce, the waitress just looked at me and walked away.
I picked at my place and looked around the room, everyone else looked happy....so why wasn't I? I'm never a picky person, but there are just some things that I can't tolerate...not only was the food poor quality, which could have saved its review, but the service and atmosphere was as filthy as the dirty table they sat us at. Sorry Ha Noi Restaurant, but we won't be back here..... :( -
Review from Dani S.
Rowland Heights, CA
12/17/2011
In an ocean of great authentic, inexpensive Viet restaurants, it's hard to stand out. But I had a good experience. I love that they accepted all major credit cards, most of the other ones only takes greens.
When my plate of food came out, my non-viet heritage became completely transparent. I stared at the plate of mint & parsley, then stared at the bare noodles, and then thoughts start to flood my brain, do I mix all these ingredients together & beat it like egg? or do i wrap the noodle around the greens? and then what about the fish sauce, do I pour it on or mix it in or dip the noodles in it? I ended up wrapping everything together and made a burrito, as the fish sauce dripped down the side of my cheek, I caught several patrons and wait staff gigglin in my direction. Yep, the awkward little girl dont know how to eat Vietnamese food. :P
I had fun! -
Review from Vie N.
Fountain Valley, CA
1/30/2012
Great com ga hai nam (rice and chicken). Eat it with the sweet deep fried shrimp and it's so freaking delicious. My mom and dad usually like to get the bun thit (vermicelli noodles and meat with different lettuces). Ambiance is very clean, and servers are quick. The restaurant has a very nice aquarium, although I'm sure most the fish in there are illegal to have (but were Asian so who cares, right) overall, great place!
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Review from Andrew N.
11/27/2011 5 photos
Cha Ca Thang Long (Turmeric Fish with Dill; about $12) reminds me the cha ca I ate when I backpacked through Hanoi city in Vietnam. It's not as oily or greasy or juicy (they literally serve it in a bowl of oil in Vietnam... maybe that's why it tasted so juicy) as the fish they serve Vietnam, but its pretty darn good.
They fry the fish on a sizzling flat pan on top of onions and a bunch of oil. They place the dill on top, which adds flavor and prevents a lot of oil from exploding everywhere. When it comes out, I suggest mixing the dill up so that it cooks in the oil/onions to add more flavor and to make the dill super oily and delicious.
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Get some noodles, rip up some lettuce and mint, take some fish/onions/dill from the frying pan, add peanuts and that stinky brown/purple sauce (fermented anchovy dipping sauce) on top, and ENJOY. If you can't handle the fermented anchovy dipping sauce, ask for some fish sauce.
They take visa/mc/AMEX (always a plus for me).Listed in: Vietnam, oi!
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Review from Ming L.
Irvine, CA
11/6/2011
Whenever I crave for chicken noodle soup (pho ga), I come here. I've been to a lot of places, and this still is my #1 spot. Although they have raised prices, the portions are really good. I order the extra large portion with the spring roll and it is filling for 2 people. The bill came out to be $14.00 with tip included. Anything under $10 dollars these days for a good, filling meal rates high on my list.
Decor and service is okay. But that isn't what you are coming for anyway. -
Review from mike n.
San Diego, CA
12/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Had Bun Cha here and the shaken beef. the shaken beef was amazingly tender. the "side salad" that came with it was pretty taste. On to the star attraction, the bun cha. First let me say that i have never had it before but have heard people rave about it so i had to try it. honestly, not that impressed. it's like the step child of bun thit noung, only broth base. the broth was the flavor of the nem noung, which it's apparently supposed to be but i was hoping for me. don't get me wrong, it was good and i devoured it.........but all the hype about it, i was expecting something more.
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Review from Anita L.
Updated - 7/3/2011 3 photos
OH DEAR LORD! What happened to this place? I haven't been i quite some time and we were actually planning to eat at another place but didn't realize they had closed. Since we were right there, we decided to eat here instead.
My gripe with them is that the portion size has shrunk 2/3 since my last visit a few years ago. We ordered 4 dishes and I was thinking we would have plenty of leftovers --judging from my memory of previous visits -- but instead, the 4 dishes were miniscule and didn't even fill us up at all.
I was just shocked that there were like about 10 small pieces of beef in the bo luc lac. I remembered a little mound of it before. It was just really embarrassing what was presented to us.
On top of that, our water spinach with beef was barely enough for one, I honestly couldn't believe my eyes when each plate came to us and it was smaller than an appetizer.
4 dishes and 2 soda chanhs with tax and tip included came to almost $50. INSANE!
I won't return again.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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7/21/2008
They've renovated, it's much cleaner and brighter. Sadly, the quality of the food has gone downhill.… Read more »
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Review from Matt C.
Huntington Beach, CA
9/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Worst dim sum I've had in awhile... I'm just not a fan of their service or dishes.
The waitresses would force their dishes on us, it took me throwing a fit and giving them back the plate to let them realize that I don't just listen when scream "ITS GOOD! ITS GOOD!" (in a fobbish accent).
I've been here twice, both times I ended up not being happy with the service or food.
Never again. -
Review from Steven N.
5/16/2011
I come here when I'm in the mood for Northern Viet food. It is a clean restaurant that stays open fairly late and takes credit cards. Two dishes to get here are the banh tom co ngu (crispy fried yams and shrimp) and the bun cha Hanoi (a deconstructed vermicelli noodle dish)
The banh tom co ngu is a crazy golden dish. When you look at it, you may be confused a bit. You might not know what to think about it and where to begin. It looks like shrimp stuck in a spider web of golden french fries. I like that this dish is not so greasy here. It is best served with breaking a chunk off, wrapping it in lettuce and other herbs and dipping it in fish sauce. Eating this dish by itself can be quite dry as you can imagine.
The bun cha Hanoi is a build your own vermicelli noodle dish. Most of you may have eaten a regular bun bowl with the noodles at the bottom, then the meat and veggies on top. Well this dish is a deconstructed bun bowl. You get a plate of noodles, a plate of veggies, a small bowl of different types pork swimming in a sauce and your eating bowl. You take a little bit of each ingredient and put it together in your bowl. Repeat until it is all gone.
So if you are craving some Northern Viet cuisine, this is a decent place to come to.Listed in: Viet Places
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Review from Cynthia A.
Huntington Beach, CA
6/15/2011
After watching Bizarre food's Vietnam episode and salivating over the cha ca Andrew devoured, it finally hit me, I live so close to Little Saigon, why don't I try it out for myself?
Cha ca, catfish flavored w/dill, tumeric and basil and other fragrant herbs, served on a sizzling platter w/onions accompanied by fresh basil, other greens, shrimp sauce, rice noodles and some peanuts and rice cracker for $11!
The fish was mild n sweet. Shrimp sauce was a nice addition, the squirt of lime and bite of jalapeno worked nicely w/all the flavors too. -
Review from Jannice A.
Los Angeles, CA
6/13/2011
Vietnamese food always hit the spot after a long surf session down south-- Heathy, filling, tons of veggies, and damn effing delicious. Hanoi is on the way home back to DT LA so we try to come here as often as we can. Been coming here for about 4 years now, and my favorite dish is still the Bun Cha ---something I just can't get back in LA! I love the playfulness of eating Bun cha--- the Banh Tom is so damn delicious I dont even care that it is fried and fattening.
Bun Bo Hue and the fish is always very good. The lady gave me free Banh Tom b/c I guess she really liked me. Love them vietnamese mommas--Haaaaay~~~~~!!!!!!! -
Review from Gregory T.
Chicago, IL
7/19/2011
Ate here while on vacation over the past weekend. Coming from Chicago (we have an excellent variety of great Pho restaurants), I was a little disappointed. I had the Pho Tai Nam (#26 on the menu?), it was definitely below average.
The broth was bland, almost tasteless, and there was barely any meat in the bowl.
I guess I shoulda did some research. It seems Pho 79 and Pho Lu are the hot spots in Little Saigon. -
Review from Lan N.
6/29/2011
Supposedly known to have the best Ca Nuong thang long or whatever. In otherwords, baked fish. Meh, it was overcooked and dry. I couldn't even make out what kind of fish it was. I did however enjoy the bun rieu oc but there was just still something missing. The flavor was just not all there.
3 ppl. 2 entrees, 3 drinks, and a bill of $30bucks. I feel so ripped off by the northerners. -
Review from Tran N.
San Diego, CA
8/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is soo good ! a bit expensive and small portions but I love catfish so I will take the hit.
The Cha ca thang long is sooo good !
but then again for the price and food quality/ amount it was pretty ridiculous ! The waitress told us that some portions are for 2-3 people, well I do not know who he is talking about ! because it was enough for 1 person !
Well my rating is based on what I ordered and how I liked it. -
Review from Kimsa T.
6/16/2011 1 photo
My dad got a dry egg noodle dish (like pho, but with the skinny wavy yellow egg noodles and meats on top w/o the soup part). He was just mad at himself for getting a dish like this at a restaurant that makes Northern cuisine. He kept on saying, "Why would I go to a place like this to get these noodles? It's over cooked and mushy. North Vietnamese don't know how to make this stuff." So, I guess if you want these kind of noodles, go somewhere else.
I got a banh xeo (vietnamese crepe). it was gigantic! But not so tasty. The "crepe" part was a bit too chewy and not crispy or thin enough. It just didn't have very much flavor to it at all. You'd think the nuoc mam cham (dipping sauce) would have helped, but that was kinda bland too.
My mom liked her goi cuon (spring rolls) and her friend who had only had Vietnamese food in Chicago over a decade ago liked her com bo nuong (broken rice with charbroiled beef).
I think I just don't like Nortern Vietnamese food. It's just not as flavorful as the food from central (Hue) and south vietnam which I'm always exposed to.
oh, parking is pretty terrible on a weekend too. expect to park in the back of the building. -
Review from Danny T.
4/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
I used to come here all the time as a kid with my mom, aunt, and uncle. Whenever anyone had a craving for Bun Cha Ha Noi, this was the place to go. I haven't gone in a while and it seems that they have renovated the place since the last time I've gone. The fish tank, most important part, still remains though and they added a SHARK! I spent a good five minutes just staring at it while my friend waited at the table. How rude..
The place is on Bolsa, and for those of you who are familiar with this street, you know that driving here is like maneuvering through a booby trap infested maze in an Indian Jones movie. The restaurant is located in a tiny plaza with little Vietnamese shops to the left and right. Parking can be limited on weekends when they're a little busier.
My friend that came with me is Chinese, but she knows enough to say I want this and don't put in this, so I gave her a chance to order on her own; mainly because it's pretty funny to watch. However, she didn't know how to say leave the vegetables on the side in Vietnamese and looked towards me for help. Sadly, I was drawing a blank and it took me a minute to figure out the right words to say. Worst part was the waiters there don't speak a lick of English! After asking if there was an English speaking waiter, I remembered the terminology and we had our orders down. I recommend if you're hungry, bring someone that speaks Vietnamese fairly well!
I ordered the Bun Cha Ha Noi, naturally, and the orders came out fairly quick. I do remember the portions being a bit more generous, but it was still enough to fill me up; so I guess I can't complain. The order comes with a big basket of veggies, vermicelli noodles, and beef, a couple meat patties, pickled carrots and papaya in fish sauce. The way I was taught to eat it was take some vermicelli and put it in your bowl. Add desired veggies and meat, and top with a spoonful of fish sauce. It was good, but for whatever reason not as satisfying as I remember it to be.
I'll most likely come back, seeing that I do get Bun Cha Ha Noi cravings here and there, and this is the only place I know that's worth going to. -
Review from Debby L.
3/20/2011
Believe it or not, I've never had Bun Cha outside of my house....and out of Vietnam. It's just one of those things I don't need to go out for. However, my friend was craving it and he knew this was a good place, so i willingly accompanied him.
BUN CHA HANOI
Delish. The meat is tender and the fish sauce is good. The bun is soft and fresh, and the sizzling plate cooks the meat just so.
The veggies are fresh, but i wish they had a lot more herbs to choose from. My dad loves to eat bun cha with tons of different herbs and I am the same....diep ca [fish mint], ngo om [rice patty herb], rau hung que [thai basil], rau ram [coriander?], la mo or tia to [perilla] and many others that I can't even bother to learn the american translation for.Listed in: LITTLE SAIGON
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Review from Louie P.
Los Angeles, CA
This restaurant was in Hanoi Plaza close to Phuc Loc Tho Garden Mall. We walk in around noon on Saturday only two table was occupy with customer, and couple waiter wear while polo shirt with Hanoi Restaurant on it. So my Mom decides to order their best item on the menu call Cha Ca Thang Long (Fish Cake). I decide to get Bun Cha Ha Noi (Ha Noi Grill Pork) and my brother order Noodle with egg roll. My order was arrived with 10 minutes and it not that hot but just lukewarm, and I ask the waiter how do I eat this stuff he just ignore me. My Mom Fish Cake came out with smoke and hot. So my Mom and My Brother enjoy their food, but my food wasn't since it not hot enough, and I had ask waiter about it they just walk away. So I don't enjoy my meal as all.
Update: Today we give this location a second try and service it better, since the owner was present at the restaurant. As soon I empty my water the waiting staff bring over new one. Today I ate the best bowl of Pho Tai in Little Saigon so far. -
Review from Hao L.
San Gabriel, CA
7/27/2011
WARNING
WARNING
WARNING
WARNING
WARNING
WARNING
The foods are horrible here. The foods are expensive, bland, and the portion is small compare to the price. We will never come back.
PS:
If you want to burn your money for tasteless food then come here -
Review from t c.
Fountain Valley, CA
10/7/2011
I've tried the fish and dill sizzling plate (cha ca thang long), bbq meats in fish sauce (bun cha hanoi), shrimp and sweet potato fritter (banh tom co ngu), bbq meats in noodle and herb salad (bun cha thit nuong), crab and tomato noodles (bun rieu), egg rolls (cha gio), spring rolls (goi cuon), and sugar cane drink (nuoc mia) and all were decent. The restaurant is bright and used to feel more modern and classy than comparable restaurants. However, it's now greasy and dated like it's counterparts. The food is still good, which keeps me coming back. Other important info: cash is king, menu has some photos, pleasant staff, parking can be a nightmare, solid northern vietnamese food.
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Review from Trang B.
1/24/2011
4 stars for Ha Noi.
Growing up, my Vietnamese parents would take me here every few months when we were craving the following... BUN CHA HA NOI, CHA CA THANG LONG, and the FRIED SHRIMP W/SWEET POTATO/YAM FRIES... Those are their best dishes.
The fried shrimp with yam is an AWESOME appetizer. I would pick this dish over sweet heart fries ANY DAY. Dip 'em in a fish sauce/ginger/lime sauce.
Bun Cha is a mixture of a pork sausage and BBQ meet in a fish/lime/ginger sauce. It also has pickled veggies, and comes with a giant side of noodles and herbs. It's always really fresh tasting and satisfying.
Cha Ca is one of their signature dishes. It comes out on a sizzling iron tray, the catfish is a yellowy barbecued perfection. It has fresh dill on it, and you eat it with sizzling onions and noodles. YUM.
Problems: service isn't that great, but you can't expect much from a Vietnamese restaurant. Tables are sticky sometimes... But that is just me being picky.
Northern style Vietnamese food and good prices. I'm a fan. -
Review from luc d.
Fountain Valley, CA
3/16/2011
Another restaurant that specializes in bun (vermicelli) dishes. I went here recently with my brother and my girlfriend.
The Bun Cha Hanoi is very good here. I don't know if it's better than Binh Minh, but it's comparable.
We had also shared an order of Banh Tom which wasn't bad. I've never really had a bad one anywhere though.
Our final dish was Banh Canh. This one was just ok. The broth was lacking flavor. It tasted like it was just seasoned with white pepper. I should have listened to my girlfriend when she predicted that it wasn't going to be very good... Sorry! -
Review from Kim T.
San Gabriel, CA
5/20/2011
It was definitely a nice change of pace to be eating Northern Vietnamese food.
Two dishes to get here are the Banh Tom Co Ngu (crispy fried yams and shrimp) and the Bun Cha Hanoi (a deconstructed vermicelli noodle dish).
I absolutely love the the Banh Tom Co Ngu - crispy and delectable. Both shrimp and fried yams are fused together like a spider web, and it's their version of french fries, which is sweet (not too salty), and healthier. You can eat it by itself or you can wrap it with the lettuce and vermicelli noodles, and dip it in the fish sauce. As for their other dish: The Bun Cha Hanoi.
Here's the difference in eating it. The Southern Vietnamese way: In a bowl with the meat and veggies on top and the noodles at the bottom, and you pour the fish sauce in. It's cleaner, chopsticks involved, and everything is in once place.
The Northern Vietnamese way: You build it yourself, and dip it in fish sauce. A bit messier, but more like playful finger food dishes. The server brings out a different plate of pork meats, a plate of noodles, a plate of veggies, and a small bowl of fish sauce for dipping your meal in. You take the lettuce, and add whatever ingredient you want, roll it up, and dip in sauce.
Yummy Northern Vietnamese food - reasonably priced, and of course, takes credit card, so yay! -
Review from Tammy L.
St Paul, MN
2/17/2011 2 photos
My grandparents took me here because I wanted to eat something that Minnesota didn't offer.
Pros:
-Bun cha ha noi (pork fish mixed bbq meat in a lime/ginger/fish sauce, where you eat with vermicelli noodles, lettuce, bean sprouts, and mint leaves.)
-banh tom w/nuoc mam(deep fried yam and shrimp fries where you dip into fish sauce)
-attentive waitstaff
-very affordable prices
cons
-looks a little dirty
-unfriendly waitstaff (but they are attentive)
I would definitely come back for the two dishes I tried. -
Review from Erik G.
Huntington Beach, CA
10/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Reasonably priced, around the corner from home, the Pho broth is excellent, the catfish stew is darn good, and I can't leave without ordering up some egg rolls! The coffee isn't too bad either. And for those late night Pho cravings...THEY ARE OPEN TILL MIDNIGHT!!
The service however was rather pushy. Just trying to get u in, full, and out as fast as possible... I inhale my Pho, but my wife, however, takes her time. -
Review from andy a.
Beverly Hills, CA
5/13/2011
I usually get the banh tom. Shrimp sweet potato deep fried with plenty of fresh herbs and mints and fish sauce dip.
Eggrolls are yummy.
Bun riue is good not great.
Service always sucks, but is expected. -
Review from Poupee C.
8/14/2010 1 photo
I love coming here for the following dishes:
Cha Ca: Grilled fish served on a cast iron plate. Topped with lots of onions and dill. It comes with Vietnamese noodle, and a basket of lettuce and asian herbs.
Bun Thang - Vermicelli noodle soup with julienne chicken, eggs, Vietnamese "ham". Served with lotsa bean sprouts, lettuce, herbs, jalapeno peppers on the side.
Pho Ap Chao - Pan fried cripsy flat noodle with sauteed mixture of beef and veggies.
Service - It's ok. They are actually one of the restaurants in Little Saigon with decent service. They are not rude like some of the others. I would return. I would give it 3 stars. But had to settle for 4-stars cuz the food is pretty darn good.Listed in: Miss Saigon
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Review from Alexi G.
Long Beach, CA
9/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Clean fresh broth, decently priced and open till midnight. This is the first place i've tried in Westminster but I enjoyed it.
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Review from Ngan T.
Long Beach, CA
12/27/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Two words. BUN CHA!
For those unfamiliar with Vietnamese cuisine, just trust me and order it. It's the most famous item on the menu, a northern BBQ dish served with vermicelli and vegetables.
I took my best friend to try it for the first time and she definitely enjoyed it. It's pretty cheap $6.50 will feed you and a friend comfortably. They do charge for extra vermicelli though so just pace yourself. The service was friendly, even on Christmas day.
Will definitely come back for more! -
Review from Angela P.
1/23/2011
I came here with my aunts and mom for some flower shopping for Tet. We stopped here for an early brunch. We ordered the three dac biet (specials) items on their menu. I got the fried sweet potatoes and shrimp. There was the sizzling catfish on an iron skillet and this beef stew that I had no idea what was in it.
So the fried shrimp and sweet potatoes. I love sweet potatoes and sweet potato fries. However, this dish was lacking in flavor. The sweet potato flavor was just not there, it tasted insipid. I was really disappointed cuz I was really looking forward for some fried potatoes for breakfast. The shrimp was over cooked for me.
The beef stew-totally not my thing. It had a vinegar taste to it that I did not like at all. Had a bite and put it down.
The catfish on the skillet was okay. The fish was cooked perfectly but again, the flavor was off to me. My aunt did not like it as well.
So three dishes for four people. I left feeling hungry since I didn't eat much there. The service was fine. The restaurant is big and clean. It has a nurse shark floating around in an aquarium. That's pretty interesting. But probably not going back here. It's not my kind of viet food. -
Review from Laureen N.
Los Angeles, CA
10/12/2010
My family loves this place. This is our place to eat at when we stop in Westminster! My sister is a huge Mi Xao fan and she said this place has the best she has ever tried. She has some strange need to try Mi Xao everywhere we go that offers it. She prefers the egg noodle Mi Xao and I prefer the rice noodle. It is very fresh and delicious here! Full of flavor and the portion is huge!
The famous, tasty and light plate here is the sizzling grilled catfish with dill on a bed of onions. The dill smells like Christmas tree and is edible. It makes the whole dish smell and taste delicious. This dish is very popular and most patrons who come here order this. This plate comes in a serving for one person or two.
I introduced BF to this place. He has to order pho 99% of the time at Viet restaurants. I persuaded him to share the sizzling catfish with me instead of getting pho and he was surprised how much he liked it! -
Review from Marianne D.
Escondido, CA
12/14/2010
Suuuuppper disappointed. ;/
felt like eating my fav snack/meal which is "banh tom" which lacked flavor here, and was disgustingly greeezeee!
Bun Rieu Oc was watered down and tasteless.. i mean tasteless as if you were eating cold bland soup water.
I've had the sizzling Ca here which i remember being good, but not worth ever coming back for at this point.
If i could i'd rate this place -2 stars, but of course, they wouldn't let you do that -
Review from son d.
Westminster, CA
1/28/2011
Came here on a Saturday with a friend and ordered the Cha Ca Thang Long (grilled fish with dill) and Che Suong Sa Hot Luu for dessert. The place was half full with plenty of open tables, but they seated us next to another table. If you've ever been to a Vietnamese restaurant, the tables are placed extremely close to each other.
Waiter came by pretty quickly to take our order. You could tell he didn't want to be there and just rushed to take our order. Guy didn't even ask my friend if she wanted anything to drink; he just assumed she wanted a water.
My dessert came out first and looked fairly ghetto. The glass was three quarters full and there was barely any of those red tapioca balls. Also the ice isn't crushed. You can get a better Che Suong Sa Hot Luu from almost any Vietnamese food to go place.
My fish came out and looked descent. My only problem with the dish is the herbs and vegetables that come with the meal. The vegetables looked like they were unwashed and had these bits of black dirt or debris on them.
All in all, not a very good dining experience. Do yourself a favor and just go down the street to Song Long and get your Cha Ca Thang Long there. -
Review from kimberly b.
Alhambra, CA
9/7/2010
Every time I'm in Westminster, I usually like to order the yam and shrimp fritters. It's really good right when they bring it out, sometimes to go isn't too good because it gets soft or unless you bring it home and put it in the ovens for 10 mins. before you eat. You can eat it plain or wrap it in lettuce and dip it in a light fish sauce.
The second item that I usually crave for is the "Bun Cha", (slices of pork, meatballs in fish sauce that they cook it in. It comes in a small bowl that you would think it's not enough to fill you up but it's pretty fulfilling. You make a bowl of vermicelli noodles and add in some lettuce, mint leaves and put in the pork meat along with the sauce they cook it in, mix it up in a bowl and eat.
And last the fish fried on the sizzling iron plate with onions and dills. It actually has a strong smell because of the herbs. I know some people can't eat it because of the strong smell. Besides that this plate is very good. You eat with lettuce, vermicelli noodles, or rice paper you roll it up and dip it in fish sauce.
The restaurant is fairly clean and service is ok. -
Review from Perci N.
San Francisco, CA
3/24/2008
My absolute favorite Vietnamese food in Little Saigon comes not from Saigon, but Hanoi -- well, Hanoi Restaurant, which serves up authentic Northern Vietnamese cuisine you will probably never find in the States outside of LA, San Jose, or the kitchen of one of the rare Northern Vietnamese here.
True story: the original chef/owner used to be a poor cook from Northern Vietnam back in the old country. He'd do wedding banquets and what not. Came to the states, opened a bakery, made some money, opened the restaurant, and it really took off. He sold the recipes and the restaurant for a handsome amount, and the new Chinese Vietnamese owners still do a good job with the dishes.
Northern specialties you *must* order:
Banh Tom Co Ngu -- fried shrimp and yam cakes
Cha Ca Thang Long -- grilled fish seasoned with dill and turmeric
Bun Cha -- marinated grilled pork
All three dishes are eaten with rice noodles, assorted veggies, and nuoc cham (spicy salty sweet dipping sauce). Go with some friends so you can try a bit of everything. The food comes quickly, and the food comes in huge piles -- the shrimp cakes and the grilled fish could easily serve two people per plate. But the shrimp cakes are so amazing -- crispy, light, and oh so nummy -- you'll wish you didn't share... And a final expert tip: if you're running low on noodles or veggies, just ask and they'll happily bring more.
P.S. If you're around looking for a quick lunch, definitely try their other Northern specialty: pho ga (Vietnamese-style chicken noodle soup). -
Review from Roxi M.
Irvine, CA
5/21/2010
Cha ca thang long, or what I like to call 'sizzling fish' is the only thing I order here and I have yet to be disappointed. It is very delicious and very light, which is why I like the dish so much :).
I love coming here for sizzling fish!Listed in: UCI Student Survival Menu
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Review from Thu N.
11/5/2008
We only tried a couple of things here so far:
Bun Thit Nuong Chay Gio (Vermicelli noodles, egg roll, and bbq pork). This was delicious, but really isn't a hard dish to make. They still pass on this one.
Mien Ga. This is a very simple Chicken and Rice noodles bowl, with clear broth...but it is very good. Simple, yet flavorful.
Finally....gotta love the fried yams and shrimp! Let's face it, all Vietnamese restaurants are very similar, unless you have a couple of items that differentiate itself. This one's it. It's just pure goodness, deep fried yams with breaded shrimp, dipped in a sweet fish sauce. I feel like I need to go to church and confess now that I've eaten this sinful dish.
For now, I give this restaurant a 4, but will definitely come back to try other dishes. They have a very large menu, and it is a very clean location, especially for being a restaurant located in the heart of Little Saigon. -
Review from Bora K.
Updated - 2/11/2010 1 Check-in Here
I absolutely love the Bun Rieu here. I'm actually a fairly new convert to this soup noodle dish but out of all the ones I've tried, the one at Ha Noi is my favorite- slippery vermicelli noodles in a hot slightly tangy broth with chunks of tender tomato and a raft of shredded crab meat.
They also have Nuoc Mia (sugarcane juice) which they make to order and the grassy sweetness is served nicely chilled without too many ice cubes in it. Perfect.Listed in: Local Favorites (OC version)
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/2/2008
The fact that I'm giving this place 4 stars despite finding a hair in my food says a lot.
Update… Read more »
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Review from Vikky D.
Long Beach, CA
2/1/2009
I was really excited to try this restaurant after reading all the great reviews.
Verdict? Meh...
My mom makes way better bun rieu. Might come back to try the bun cha.
NOTE: Oops, accidentally reviewed Ha Noi Avenue instead of Ha Noi. Had to delete the other one and attached it here.
