Some sights of Little Saigon ...at random

Let's go shopping at the Asian Garden Mall!!

We are now going to visit the largest Vietnamese owned and operated mall in the United States, right here on Bolsa Avenue (#9200), in Westminster. It is so huge and so attractive, it has its own website. You can't help but be drawn to it, because it looks so inviting from the outside, its glass facade permitting you to see two floors of activity. There is no problem parking, at least on that particular day of the week, and they had a marvelous idea, in that they installed shaded seating outside the mall for people to rest and socialize.

 If you live in the area, you can go to their night markets. Though I have not been to one of them, I know the allure of night markets from having been to one in Chang Mai, Thailand and Hanoi, Vietnam. You can check dates and events on their Facebook page.The photos shown of the last night market look pretty lively.
 

First, this is a great place to escape the heat. It is air conditioned, spacious and super clean. You can probably spend half a day just browsing the two floors. As you cans see in the above photo, there are all things Asian plus clothing stores, toy stores, accessories, shoe stores, baby clothes and related items, Asian lanterns and statuettes, incense, false nails...oh yes, see this flat screen TV describing the nail painting procedures:

You can see behind the screens all sorts of little figurines and plastic toys for sale. The clothing stores, by the way, are tailored to the Asian figure. Which I don't have since I am Mediterranean. I was looking for an airy top to wear due to the extreme heat, but never did find it until I returned to New York..They had beautiful Chinese cherry-wood chairs, but I don't think they were for sale. Also, as customary, near the entrance, is an area for burning incense and prayer to the image of Buddha.

People were eating. And there is quite a selection in this Cho's food court.  This is what you see from the second floor:

And on ground level:

I was happy to see that Lee's Sandwiches had a branch here, as their food is so fresh and delicious. Next time, if there is one, we'll come hungry.

I took a photo of a striking piece of sculpture, though I couldn't tell its material. Perhaps you'll know and tell me:

It could be jade, as I have seen extraordinary jade sculptures in our own Chinatown right here in New York, but I wasn't sure. It may have been sandstone.

And this is the top floor as seen from the ground floor..the lanterns are a must. So is the color red.


And for those who crave jewelry (I only like costume jewelry, and colors...colors...colors..) I found this video that shows the bling part of the mall.

It's the food, the food...

Are you still with me? We are spending the day in "Little Saigon" and with good reason, I made a big deal about the food and went into a huge supermarket to make my point. Those of you who have gone to Vietnam know exactly what I'm talking about. Forget Chinese food, Thai food, even Japanese food. There is something about the scent, the arrangement, the ingredients (ah, ngoc mam, or Nước chấm in VN) of the foods in Vietnam that is more addicting than drugs. So, where are we heading?

As we drive on Bolsa, it is hard to resist entering here, due to the welcome look of the typical Asian roof design which adorns the mall's shops. And of course, the portal is also lovely, borrowing from the Chinese elevated hip rafters and half-round tiles which form the roof. This is where we will find and enter the Asian Dong Market, mentioned in my previous post, and none other than Conficious will be there to greet us.

Here is what some folks had to say about the A Dong Market on yelp.com, where you can read all twenty reviews; I am only citing a few below:

Quynh Tram T.

Huntington Beach, CA

4 star rating

6/25/2011  

One of the best Vietnamese supermarkets around that offers cheaper prices than other Vietnamese supermarkets! A Dong is located right across from Asian Garden Mall (and in the same plaza as Seafood Cove #2), so if you go during a weekend or a special event, just forget about finding a decent parking spot. What I also like about this location is that there is a lot of walking room in the store, unlike ABC Supermarket (which is also super close to A Dong).....

 

Elite '11

4 star rating

4/5/2010

1.  The prices are cheap as you would expect from any Vietnamese supermarket
2.  You literally will find every thing you need here to prepare any Vietnamese dish your heart desires
3.  Come here on a Friday night if you're lame like me with no plans, you will definitely appreciate that parking will be easy to find.
It's really that simple, and besides distance...not sure why anyone wouldn't go here to fullfill your Asian grocery needs.

 

So, going thru all the reviews, I noted the most prominent complaint to be parking availability...yes it's damned crowded, but if you read closely, Friday night affords you some breathing room. Some remarks about rude people, stinky fish and loud music in the store. Otherwise, as far as quality and variety, the reviews do rave. I just went around with my camera and started shooting those things I either loved, and/or recognized:

Who doesn't love mangoes and guavas? The insane and the uninitiated. Luckily, I can get these in New York without any problem because Goya provides most local supermarkets with their brand, but they are 20 cents more than these. To their credit, Goya has a wider selection, including Guanabana. Use these as refreshing juice with ice cubes, or as I do, blend them with other fruits for heavenly smoothies.

Noodles are as important to the Vietnamese diet as blood is to the human body. If you are a noodle, you will find yourself most likely swimming into 'pho', the most amazing soup ever made. Forget chicken noodle or anything your mother ever told you. It can be simple, as just noodles in magic liquid broth, lemongrass, and some lime on the side for extra flavor, or you can have it with beef, fish, chicken, and spring onion as in Bánh hỏi. 

The noodles also find their way into another one of Vietnam's most popular foods, Bún chả, which combines vermicelli, ground pork,with salad greens, herbs and sprouts. The variety of dishes is infinite.

The banh pho are flat rice noodles; above them you can spot yellowish colored noodles, and above that more noodles.

 

Ah, the magical fish sauce that gives the dishes of Vietnam that certain 'je ne sais quoi'.I have seen the exhaustive process of manufacturing this sauce, and believe me, it's extensive. It must be allowed to ferment over a certain period of time to achieve the desired flavor. The largest factory in Vietnam for this product is located in Phú Quốc.

I can proudly say that if you come to my kitchen, you will find this product in my pantry. I am never without it. Even though my Asian market in New York, as well as this one, have an entire aisle of 'white coffees, the Vinacafe brand is the one that comes closest to the authentic Vietnamese Cafe sua da, which has often been referred to as Vietnam's black gold. Forget Starbucks. This stuff ROCKS!

Dessert is a weakness I have never been able to overcome, nor do I want to. However, in Asia, as in Vietnam too, desserts are understated and so much tastier than their Western counterparts. No goo, no whipped cream, lots of fruit based delights. The very first time I had bean in dessert form was in Bali. It was almost soup-like, but tasted like angels. I've since had bean ice cream, buns with different bean paste, - my favorites are red bean, mung bean, and taro root.

There was nothing special about this frozen corn, other than its esthetics. I'm sure it was very sweet.

Oh Dear, how can I talk about Durian in a positive sense?  This fruit is gynormous, and has a smell to match. No wonder the Vietnamese name for it means 'one's own sorrows' (Sau Rieng). Think of strong cheese that has gone bad. Yet, it is one of  Vietnam's most valuable fruit. The inside is yellow, and frankly, I cannot tell you about the taste, as I have not had the courage to try it. 

These are wrappers or small pancakes if you like made of rice.  The center display brought me right back to Saigon, where Hai Ba Trung is a main street in District One, and named for the heroic Ba Trung Sisters.

The bakery section is a death sentence if you are dieting. There are buns here filled with anything you can imagine. 

There are also prepared foods you can eat on the spot or take out.

Of course, I would not remember this since I don't drink beer, but this is the brand made in Vietnam.

If you have enjoyed this little tour, then you're going to love the Cooking Tour of Vietnam that I'll be posting very shortly.

Miss Saigon?

If you have been bitten by the unmistakable Vietnam blues, once in a while you can go for a quick fix without having to cross the Pacific Ocean. I had heard about "Little Saigon" a long time ago, while we had met some Vietnamese expats at a train station, and talked about their life as American citizens.  Many of the Vietnamese residents consist of the families of former soldiers of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam.  At the time, I could not understand why they would not want to return to their native country, as things have certainly stabilized. 

Should you find yourself in the Los Angeles area, you can indulge your fantasies by visiting "Little Saigon". It will appear on any area map, - just look for Bolsa Street. The borders of Little Saigon stretch from Trask to McFadden avenues and from Magnolia to Euclid streets. About three-quarters of the population is Vietnamese, with smaller numbers of white, Latino, Chinese and Cambodian residents.

Westminster's residents have managed to recreate a slice of Vietnamese life, but the charm of the 'street life' is missing. Instead, there are wide boulevards, strip malls, and the latest model luxury cars in the parking lots. 

Those of you that made it to the real Saigon or HCMC, most likely had a taste of the Cho Ben Thanh, where you can literally lose yourself in the narrow aisles the entire day.  It's also a name, like so many others, that stay imprinted in your gray matter, so that when you see it jumping in front of your eyes in a strange setting, you are forced to pay attention. See what I mean below:

OK, let's say this was the mini version...but all the familiar names are alive and well in this area of Los Angeles. A typical billboard may look like this:

Nha Trang? They could have at least imported some sand from the beaches...It is totally impossible to be in this area, and not eat. And if you really crave banh mi, stop at Lee's Sandwiches. You can't miss it, as it occupies a corner spot, is quite large, and displays a mouthwatering poster of Ca Fe Sua Da. There was an old woman sitting outside the shop on the sidewalk who absolutely refused to be photographed.

Lee's Sandwiches also has a franchise store inside a huge mall, to which I will take you later on. Naturally, there are pho shops on nearly every corner, and on a hot July day, it may not be the dish of choice.

What's missing in this picture? Why bicycles and motorcycles of course, and a couple of cyclos on the side.

You never have to long again for that heavenly Vietnamese coffee. They will prepare it for you, and if that's not enough, it's available for sale, with the authentic French filter machine and all.

Behind the A Dong Market, another haven of shops and outdoors cafes which is part of the Asian Village Center,  is a statue garden depicting Confucius and his disciples, designed by influential Little Saigon developer Frank Jao. Have a look at the garden, which includes a small shrine where offerings are made. Grey statues depict dragons and other animals.

Side view of the A Dong Market

Frank Jao also developed the Asian Garden Mall that lies across the street from the Asian Village Center, which opened in 1987. Jao is an ethnic Chinese born in Haiphong, Vietnam.  There is a mural of the heroic Trung Sisters on the side walls, of which I caught a couple of photos before I knew what it represented.