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Does anybody know of a good Vietnamese/French upscale place in LA? Anything like Slanted Door in SF, etc?

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  1. Michelia just closed. There's a few places in Little Saigon.

    1. This recent piece in the LA Times by Linda Burum is an excellent place to start looking:


      8 Replies
      1. re: Servorg

        thanks! will check it out when i get down to westminster. too bad, doesn't sound like there's anything outside of little saigon though. like in west la, holywood, etc.

        1. re: lakeshow318

          It's so much easier in a smaller city like SF to find one of everything within an easy commute. I just don't know of anything that's a good equal of what you're looking for on the westside. Maybe another hound can help. I look forward to reading about wherever you end up trying.

          1. re: lakeshow318

            Before you get your hopes up -- Crustacean, while technically the kind of restaurant you're looking for, and in Beverly Hills, is absolutely disgusting -- and it's almost unanimously hated on this board.

            Take a drive down here to Little Saigon. I want to go to Xanh -- nay, I am itching with impatience to go to Xanh. I just need to find people to go with.

            1. re: Das Ubergeek

              I can't agree more about Crustacean.

              One is better off burning stacks of dollar bills and feasting off the ashes than spending the money on the food at Crustacean.

              1. re: Das Ubergeek

                Just posted something about Xanh. It is good w/ a couple of kinks. Since they are a new restaurant, I will give them the benefit of the doubt. There are somethings there that are fantastic. 5 spice short ribs, Egg Rolls, Green Mango Salad were all good choices.

                My wife's noodles today were a little undercooked. The first time we went they were good. Probably an off day.

                The service is very friendly, but that is still one of the kinks. Getting food out of the kitchen was slow, but they did offer us dessert and we weren't in a hurry anyway.

                I encourage anyone who likes VN food to give it a try. I give them points for trying to do some new things with Vietnamese food at a restaurant that is reasonable for most people.

                1. re: bsquared2

                  Hey bsquared, do you think it's the kind of place I need to make a reservation (for 4 or 5) at?

                  1. re: Das Ubergeek

                    No. And it is nice inside but not too fancy. This isn't Brodard Chatueau, but the decor is open and tasteful. They've only been open a short time and I think people still need time to discover it.

          2. Thinking 'bout it some more, you might want to check out La Vie.

            La Vie
            2547 San Gabriel Blvd.

            1. Slightly closer (and I mean only slightly) is Benley's in Long Beach. Here's the link to a very comprehensive review:
              It is delicious.

              2 Replies
              1. re: vickib

                Benley's sounds good. I'm in LB quite often, actually. How is the wine/beer selection there?

                1. re: lakeshow318

                  I believe it's still BYO. I don't know if it's French/Vietnamese but it's very good.

                  My two favorite dishes were the shaken beef and the buttermilk panna cotta in lime anglaise.

                  It's a neighborhood place with a kind of modern clean decor, but I don't know if I'd call it "upscale" although I'm not really sure what that means. It's not a grubby hole in the wall.