Little Saigon, one bowl at a time.

The place

Why Little Saigon.

Little Saigon spans Westminster, Garden Grove, Fountain Valley and Santa Ana. Its landmark is Asian Garden Mall, called Phước Lộc Thọ in Vietnamese, which opened on Bolsa Avenue in 1987: two floors of shops, with a food court downstairs selling banh mi, pho, sugarcane juice and Vietnamese iced coffee.

Much of the cooking here is from central Vietnam, so you will find dishes beyond pho: banh beo (tiny steamed rice cakes), mi quang (turmeric noodles) and bun bo Hue (spicy beef noodle soup).

Six stops

Six Little Saigon stops and what to order.

Pho 79 announced in 2026 that it was moving from its Garden Grove home on Hazard Avenue to Bolsa Avenue in Westminster, so check which address is open before you go.

The route

The order that works.

1. Breakfast: phoPho is a morning food in Vietnam. Start at Pho 79, the shop the James Beard Foundation named an America’s Classic in 2019. One bowl each — this is the exception to sharing.
2. Walk the mallDrive to Asian Garden Mall on Bolsa Avenue. Browse upstairs, then go down to the food court for a sugarcane juice or an iced coffee.
3. Lunch: central VietnamQuan Hy, a few blocks along Bolsa Avenue, serves central Vietnamese dishes. Order banh beo for the table — little rice cakes you scoop from their dishes — and a bowl of mi quang.
4. Spring rollsDrive to Brodard in Fountain Valley for nem nuong cuon. Dip each roll in the plum-peanut sauce and keep one for later if you can.
5. A banh mi for the roadCarrot & Daikon on Westminster Avenue has a drive-thru. A crispy roast pork banh mi is the order.
6. End with the bag homeFinish at Lien Hoa BBQ Deli for roast duck or soy sauce chicken. It is a pick-up counter, and cash only.

Take home

What to carry back.

• Roast duck from Lien Hoa. A half duck covers dinner; the skin is the prize.
• Vietnamese sweets from the mall. Asian Garden Mall sells traditional sweets as well as jewelry.
• An extra banh mi. Tomorrow’s lunch, sorted.

Timing and getting there

How to do Little Saigon well.

• Drive. Little Saigon spreads across four cities. Plan each hop by car.
• Bring cash. Lien Hoa is cash only, and many small shops are quicker with it.
• Go early for pho. Popular pho shops get long lines later in the day.
• Tết is the big one. The Tết Parade starts on Bolsa Avenue by the mall on the Saturday nearest Vietnamese New Year, and the mall’s front lot turns into a flower and holiday market for weeks before. Expect crowds.
• Herbs are part of the dish. Tear basil and sprouts into pho; wrap lettuce and herbs around grilled meats.

Sharing math

How to eat Little Saigon with friends.

• Pho: one bowl each. Noodle soups are personal.
• Banh beo: one set per two. They are small, and you will want space for the next stop.
• Spring rolls: one order per two or three. Rolls come several to an order.
• Banh mi: half each. Cut it in the car and save room.
• One kitty. Cash goes in one pocket; the split bill calculator settles it.

Copy this

Your Little Saigon checklist.

Screenshot it and tick it off. For more Vietnamese food on a big trip, see what to eat in Bangkok or plan your next stop with our food trip itinerary guide.

• ☐ Pho — broth out of 5: ___
• ☐ Herbs: all in, or some left on the plate? ___
• ☐ Banh beo — how many little dishes: ___
• ☐ Spring rolls — the sauce verdict: ___
• ☐ Banh mi — crunch out of 5: ___
• ☐ Sugarcane juice or iced coffee: ___
• ☐ Roast duck — made it home? ___

Keep the trip

Four cities, one map.

A Little Saigon day hops between four cities, and the photos blur into bowls. Snap each table in PlateDiary and every bowl, roll and sandwich is cut out on your phone into a save. Each stop becomes its own moment on the map.

Give each shop a stamp in Stamps, your stamp book of places you’ve eaten — a mall food-court counter counts. Add your friends as companions; their pages keep a list of every table you’ve shared.