Imagine my very pleasant surprise when I was going out to lunch one day to see a Vietnamese restaurant that was going to be opening really soon just around the corner from my job. With eager anticipation, I'd drive by a couple of times a week to see if their doors were open yet and one day, they were. :)Their menu is limited for now, but they had the two things that was of definite interest to me, Pho and Banh Mi. Yaay! So for my lunch there, I started with their Shrimp & Pork Spring Rolls. I liked the fact that the ingredients tasted very fresh and they certainly didn't skimp on the filling that's for sure. I only wish that there was less noodles and a little more veggies and while I liked the shrimp, I thought the pork tasted a little bland.
Since I was craving Banh Mi, I ordered their Grilled Beef Banh Mi. While the dough isn't made there, they bake the bread there and so the baguette was nice and warm when it came to me. I thought the bread was good. I would have liked it to be a bit more crusty, but it was soft and warm where it should be. The grilled beef was excellent. It had great flavor. Again, the veggies were fresh and I loved the addition of cucumber spears. The cucumber added a nice light, crunchy moisture to the sandwich that was really appealing.
While I was waiting for my meat pie, which they were baking, I had their flan. Wow. That flan was one of the best flans I ever had. It was light, delicately sweet and there was a flavor that was familiar, but I couldn't identify until the owner mentioned that the flan had almond flavoring. A great summer dessert.
Soon after my meat pie arrived and it looked gorgeous. It was a nice golden color and cutting into it with my fork, I found it wonderfully flaky. The pork filling was moist and flavorful. My one complaint was that there was something a tad salty about either the pastry or the filling. I couldn't quite tell.Overall, I really enjoyed my meal at Xa and am looking forward to trying their Pho next.
To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157600066295578/
Xa Vietnamese Grill
15652 Arrow Highway
Irwindale, CA 91706
(626) 338-0192
