Salsa bar? More Like Sriracha Bar.

Salsa bar? More like Sriracha Bar. 

That sweet sweet burning sensation coming from the gleaming sun onto your hopefully well sunscreened skin mixed with the crash of choppy and salty Orange County waves that radiate a turquoise blue light  paired with your classic beach sandwich with complimentary bits of sand in each bite releases a type dopamine out of your soul no tiktok scroll or cold plunge could ever do. A California beach day. Can anything compare? And maybe it’s the calories burned from shredding water for hours , the confusingly long walk to your parking spot, or the constant act of shaking off sand from your towel-whatever it may be it is a known fact that days by the water make my appetite sky rocket, turn every meal into a gourmet feast, and make restaurant searching along the California coast extra special.

There is one problem in the Bilandzija family. 

When we find a restaurant. We stick to it. 

In terms of Laguna beach days, it’s La Sierra Grill. A solid Mexican joint with a great salsa bar, but nothing to write home about. 

And alas, a few fortnights ago as we began to pack our things and pull on the cover ups over our slightly damp swimsuits we wished were dry the Bilandzijas began to have one of many arguments over what and where we should eat. 

While my dad once again vouched for the classic Mexican joint, the rest of the family begged we explore someplace new. We demanded an adventure. Our taste buds could not handle one more bite of beans, cheese, and tortilla (we have this meal for dinner roughly 2 times per week).

With a very opinionated 10 year old cousin.

A begging 13 year old brother.

And a stubborn 17 year old self.  

I began my google hunt of “restaurants near me”

And after many scrolls of over-priced “Classic American Cuisines” I swiped upon Saigon Beach, a reasonably priced (to California standards) Vietnamese joint only five minutes away. 

With the rest of the family's support and proof that they have in fact both beer and wine, we ditched La Sierra and rendezvoused over to Le Saigon. 

After an easy 5 minute drive we stepped foot into Saigon Cafe Vietnamese Cuisine perched right on the PCH. 

The place radiates beach energy: walk up to order, in and outdoor dining, a chalkboard written with the menu favorites and service served by true Southern California bros. With a brief five minute family meeting of what we wanted, my dad and I ventured up to the counter to order. Greeted by shaka brah #1 who didn’t know what a logger was when my dad asked for a recommendation we ordered as follows:

One veggie pho.

Two chicken pho.

One veggie bahn mi.

One beef banh mi.

One chicken vermicelli bowl.

Spring rolls.

We sat down and awaited our feast. 

The spring rolls came first, fresh veggies with shrimp and avocado served with the classic peanut sauce that had a burnt amber color and was topped with crushed roasted peanuts. This most definitely house-made sauce had the perfect sweet and salty bite, the peanut butter was not overpowering, but instead a nice compliment to the salty soy sauce and sweet hoisin. As I devoured my half of the spring roll, crunchy textures and umami flavors flooded my mouth.  

While our four rolls satisfied our hunger, for a few minutes our waiter, or perhaps better referred to as shaka brah #2  rushed out with another four rolls, this time tofu claiming he messed up and gave us the wrong type of spring rolls. 

Bonus points for an extra free plate of just as tasty spring rolls that we devoured just as fast.

After a few hungry minutes, the grand meal arrived.

A few notes off the bat.

The banh mi’s were wrapped in parchment so it holds the sandwich together. Genius. Everyone hates a sandwich that falls apart.

Pho was served in a metal bowl. Gotta love the eco-friendly style-and perhaps just placebo, but i’m pretty sure it kept the pho warmer for longer too.   

Vermicelli bowl was served with sauce on the side, sauce it up how one likes. Love to see it. 

(Extra note: endless hoisin and sriracha sauce was always just at our fingertips at the table so we could add to our liking, if you're like me and have a strong passion for sauces I practically add this stuff to each bite). 

As I mixed the soup around and pinched together the perfect bite of mushroom, noodles, bean sprouts and tofu it was time for my mouth to indulge.

And honestly, it was perfect.

Light, breezy, simple, and comforting.

Tangy, spicy, and sweet. 

Just what a bowl of pho should be. 

As I looked across the table and saw my dad slurping his noodles ignoring the steaming hot temperature of the soup a wave of satisfaction washed over my senses.

I won.  

I slurped half the bowl and took the rest home for leftovers (which held up great for rice noodles in broth), and as my family packed up and paid my dad stated with utmost certainty. 

“Good Job Cat, I’m glad we tried something new.”

See, sometimes it’s good-even great to ditch the burritos, and indulge in the banh mis.