The West Coast is a hub for Vietnamese people. Robust Vietnamese-American communities dot cities and suburbs from San Diego to Seattle. Rosa emailed a while back asking for Vietnamese restaurant recommendations in three cities: Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco. An accountant and mom, she’s coming planning a fun vacation with her husband and one-and-a-half year old. Rosa is particularly interested in sampling Vietnamese food on the West Coast. She wrote, “This will be my first time visiting Seattle, Portland, and San Fran. I will be there on vacation. I'm a mom and an accountant. I'm also a second generation immigrant with Vietnamese parents, I grew up wishing I ate 'American' food instead of the odd Vietnamese offerings at our table. As an adult I have come to appreciate Vietnamese cuisine, and wish to experience more of it.”
Rosa is smart and did her homework: “I wiki'ed cities with the highest populations of Vietnamese Americans and was surprised to see Seattle and Portland, and that is about how I determined where we would go on this vacation. I am in search of good Vietnamese food in the U.S.”
I have a very short list of Vietnamese spots and am hoping that you will add to it. Vietnamese restaurants can be inconsistent and plus, we differ in our opinions. Over the weekend, as you may know, I posted a photo on social media of my mom at a pho restaurant in Little Saigon. She had just said, “Homemade is better.” She doesn’t eat out much and rhetorically asked, “Why is there a line to eat here? Because people don’t want to heat up their house to make pho.”
That said, I know that avid home cooks like my mom and I both relish the opportunities for someone else to prepare us food and do the dishes. We’ll gladly pay for it. So where do you enjoy Vietnamese food? My picks, as you’ll see below, are motivated by many factors. I've also included some non-Viet standouts too.
Seattle has a nice blend of Vietnamese restaurants that are in the Chinatown/International District area as well as crossover restaurants located outside of the Asian neighborhood. The prices vary according to ambiance and food quality. For example, in Chinatown, there are affordable, banh mi shops such as Saigon Deli that have serve up fine sandwiches, as well as Green Leaf and Tamarind Tree where you can have noodles and other Viet favorites.
Seattle has a history of openness to cultures that span the Pacific Ocean, which is why there are terrific markets like pan-Asian Uwajimaya where you can buy banh mi as well as Viet Wah that has terrific fresh sugar cane juice. There are also strange places like this Vietnamese billiards bar, if you want an unusual spot to try late at night (it’s not for toddlers). I liked Billiard Hoang for a David Lynch-esque experience. Totally friendly owners and patrons.
Outside of the Chinatown area, I enjoy Eric Banh’s Ba Bar and Monsoon, which he co-owns with his sister Sophie Banh. The brother and sisters are true to modern Viet fare: high quality ingredients, skilled cooks, and professional service. Their restaurants are moderately priced and sized. The menus are tight. The staff is an incredible mix of Vietnamese and non-Vietnamese people who are curious and committed to elevating Vietnamese food. Eric, Sophie and I are friends.
I’ve been in the back of their kitchens and behind their bars so I can totally vouch for their integrity. I’d eat at their restaurants regularly if they were in my town.
While in Seattle, include a meal at Din Tai Fung, the Taiwanese chain devoted to excellent dumplings, particularly Shanghai soup dumplings. The Seattle branches are currently the only ones outside of Southern California. (I’d totally sneak that one in.)
The last time I was in Portland, I was hunting down banh mi. They are everywhere, next to a McDonald’s in downtown and at sandwich-focused spots like Lardo and Double Dragon. There are little Viet tofu shops like Bui Natural Tofu and Thanh Son Tofu where you can pick up snacks and fresh tofu products. (If you’re really into tofu like I am, try Japanese O Ta Tofu.) Chinese/Vietnamese market-wise, check out Fubonn or Hong Phat. Fubonn carries some unusual imports from Vietnam.
For Vietnamese noodle soups, Ha and VL is a long-standing favorite with locals. A friend recently said that it was her go-to when she lived in Portland. Here’s a list to glean from that includes pho, banh mi and other Viet stand-bys. Among the modern crossover restaurants, I’m intrigued by but haven’t visited Luc Lac and Bambuza.
Thanks to Andy Ricker and Pok Pok, Portland has an amazing range of Thai food these days. Try Khao San, Nong’s Khao Man Gai and Langbaan.
I live in the Bay Area but have to admit that I mostly eat Viet food at home. Rosa is visiting San Francisco, where the Viet population is mostly Chinese-Vietnamese. I often grab banh mi at little places around Clement like Little Vietnam Cafe or Cafe Bunn Mi; step into New May Wah for a great Asian grocery experience.
In the Tenderloin there are gritty-but-friendly spots like Saigon Sandwich and Sing Sing. There’s pho in the Tenderloin too, at Pho Tan Hoa and Turtle Tower; I think my headshot may be in the window of one of the pho shops in the area.
For more upscale spots, I’d try historic Le Colonial; Chef Terrence (Tri) Khuu is currently at the helm and his mom may still be rolling rice paper rolls there too. At the Ferry Building, Slanted Door offers a terrific view and drinks. Le Soleil on Clement presents modern Vietnamese food that appeals to many people. If garlic noodles and roasted crab is your thing, try it at its origin, Thanh Long in the Outer Sunset.
There’s fabulous dim sum in San Francisco at spots like Yank Sing and Hong Kong Lounge I. Venture out of San Francisco a bit to Daly City. At Koi Palace, there are excellent and unusual items to try.
If possible, drive further south to San Jose, where the Vietnamese population is strongly Vietnamese. At place like Vung Tau, you’ll get items such as banh khot, little crispy rice and coconut cakes filled with shrimp and eaten with lettuce herbs and nuoc cham dipping sauce. I’d park at the Grand Century Shopping Center and take a stroll. There’s food on every corner of that intersection.
I imagine that you have plenty to add to my list. What are your favorite Vietnamese and/or Asian spots in Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco?
