Brodard Vietnamese, Garden Grove, CA

Brodard's Vietnamese Restaurant

I went to Brodard's Vietnamese Restaurant in Garden Grove, CA on Friday. The American Library Association's (ALA) annual conference is in town at the Anaheim Convention Center. Some 10,000+ librarians come to town with lots of cardigans.

We went to Brodard's Vietnamese in nearby Garden Grove. If you come to visit Disneyland or have a conference in Anaheim, you really need make your way to Little Saigon in the Santa Ana / Garden Grove / Westminster area of Orange County for something other than conference food. It was our first time at Brodard's. Reviewers either love or hate the sauce that accompanies their famous spring rolls. The spring rolls were very good and very tightly sealed (when I make them they are a floppy mess), but I found the sauce too sweet and used the basic fish sauce instead.

The service gets pretty ripped in Yelp, but I felt it was pretty typical of a fast-paced Vietnamese restaurant. We ordered, got the food and never saw the waiter again. If you want something, just raise your hand and get someone's attention. We talked for a long time and nearly closed down the place so it was great for us! :)

Brodard
Vietnamese Restaurant (Cafe next door)
Inside the Mall of Fortune
9892 Westminster Ave
Garden Grove, CA 92844
Yelp
Gastromony post (Thanks Cathy! Your post really helped us pick dishes!)

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85 C Bakery, Irvine, CA

"Restaurant Week...or a bit longer" continues on the blog. I'm cleaning up unfinished restaurant posts, and sharing all the eating out I've been doing lately. After eating at the Guppy House, JustJenn and I headed over to the much loved 85 ° C Bakery in Irvine, CA.

A few weeks ago, the LA Times Food Section profiled the Taiwanese 85 ° C Bakery in Irvine, California (Los Angeles Times, July 13, 2010). Irvine is in Orange County and I don't pass through it very frequently. However, since the Cupcake Camp OC was held in Irvine, JustJenn and I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

The line is long and they limit the number of people in the bakery. But the line goes pretty fast and you can spend your time thinking about what carbs you are going to pick up! :)

The LA Times article describes customers waiting around for staff to bring out a tray of hot bread. When I was in the shop, a man came out and yelled "Taro Bread" - and I grabbed two purple ovals of goodness!

85 ° C Bakery has a large display of refrigerated desserts and cakes, but I was all about the breads! See JustJenn's earlier visit for more photos, including the famous Sea Salt Coffee.

This place is totally worth the wait. I love, love the Taro Bread. I could eat it everyday...and would probably end up looking like a taro. This bread had a swirl of taro paste in it.

JustJenn said these cakes were yummy so I picked up a strawberry and blueberry jam cake. It wasn't until I was home did I discover that coconut surrounded the cake, trapping in the wholesome goodness. A paring knife sliced off the offending coconut! Hey, a girl has to salvage her carbs. The sponge cake was light...and I could eat a bunch of these.

I wanted to fill my tray with so many other goodies, but I did just eat cupcakes all day so I had some self-control. So, if you head into the O.C., I would definitely stop by 85 ° C Bakery

Bakery:
85 ° C Bakery
2700 Alton Parkway, No. 123 (Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center)
Irvine, CA
(949) 553-8585

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