4.05.2009

Brodard - Garden Grove

9892 Westminster Avenue (inside Mall of Fortune)
Garden Grove, CA 92844
714.530.1744

Tucked through a long alleyway, past the parking lot, and behind a 99 cent store is the Brodard Restaurant. This place is always packed as it is not only popular for its signature dish, nem nuong cuon, but the other Vietnamese dishes are also just as delicious. Most of the Vietnamese restaurants in Little Saigon usually specialize in certain dishes. So one would go to this restaurant for pho, or go to another for rice dishes, or others that specialize in a region. But Brodard is pretty much consistent with their foods that all the items I've tried on the menu are good.

There is usually a wait, but very short. Just hurry in and write your name on the clipboard. As you wait, you can view the assemblyline of women wetting the rice paper and rolling the grilled pork patty strips with the vegetables.

Nem Nuong Cuon (Pork Spring Rolls)
The grilled pork patty strips are wrapped in rice paper with lettuce, cucumber, carrots, daikon, mint leaves, and a scallion in a skinny, deep fried egg roll wrapper. It's served with the house special sauce containing garlic, red chili and minced pork. Once I dunk the roll into the warm sauce and take my first bite, I close my eyes in blissful happiness. All the ingredients just add the perfect flavors and texture, especially the crisp of the mini egg roll wrapper. This is the warm special sauce. This is what makes it so good. The cuon by itself is good, but with the sauce, it adds 10x more flavor and contentment to your belly. I usually add more red chili for an extra kick.