Hong Hai Dining Fountain Valley

Decided to try something new with my friends last Saturday night, 01/31/15 and we picked Hong Hai Dining. As with any new adventure in food it's a gamble and you never know what to expect. All four of us LOVED the food and the staff. They were very accommodating and understanding of our lack of Vietnamese food experience. The waiter explained the menu and helped us to choose items that we all ended up loving. We each decided to go with the Hong Hai Style Grilled Filet Mignon that came with salad, pickled cucumber and radish dish as well as a baguette with this amazing spread on it. We also ordered the Shrimp Bathed in the Coconut Shell (which was both a treat for the eyes and palette) and the Shrimp and Pork Spring Rolls. Everything was delicious and full of flavor. We decided on the Chocolate Lava Cake with Berry Sauce for dessert. The presentation and taste was perfect! Definitely cannot wait to come back and try other items on the menu. I think Pho is next on my list to try! Oh and one last thing.....the women's restroom is probably the most accommodating restroom I have ever been in at a restaurant or anywhere for that matter. Extra bonus points for the extra effort they owner put into the restroom!

Fresh Corn Sautéed with Garlic Butter (Bp xào B Ti) is delicious! The whole corn kernels are sweet and pop with a tapioca-like texture on the inside. The garlic butter is perfect and adds an umami flavor to the dish. The crispy fried garlic slices contrast with the refreshing and zingy green onions. Rating: 5/5 Salt and Pepper Calamari is simple but oh so delicious. The batter on the outside is light, crispy, and simply seasoned with salt and pepper. The calamari itself is sweet and a little chewy. The sautéed onions, green onions, and garlic add depth to the dish. You'll be surprised how fast this dish will disappear when sharing. You might have to order one just for yourself! Rating: 5/5 Fresh Baby Clams (Nghêu) bathed in Hong Hai Spicy Broth (Hp kiu Hng Hi) is beautifully presented in a hot pot with flame. The broth is fragrant from the ginger and lemongrass. The flavor is refreshing, slightly spicy, and a tad briny from the clam juice. The clams are perfectly cooked with a tender texture and sweet clam flavor. The broth is not to be wasted so order up some noodles to make a soup with it. This would be excellent on a cold, rainy day. Rating: 5/5 Oxtail Noodle Soup (Ph Đuôi Bò) is another soup for a cold, rainy day. The oxtail is served on the bone. The oxtail is tender, fatty, and gelatinous making the soup rich in beefy flavor. The broth has a vegetable and herbaceous base making the oxtail flavor more pronounced. The addition of onion, cilantro, green onions, bean sprouts, and Thai basil make this soup into a meal. Gently agitate the rice noodles on the bottom so they open up in the broth and let the slurping begin! Add the smoked chili paste in for an added sweet, smoky, and slightly spicy flavor. Rating: 5/5 Fried Rice with Shrimp, Crab, and Calamari (Cm Chiên Hi Sn) is fragrant with the fruits of the sea. The crab meat cooks into the rice and caramelizes for a salty sweet crab flavor. The shrimp are perfectly cooked with a snap. The calamari provides a chewy texture to the rice. If you have any of the garlic butter corn left, mix it into the rice for an additional level of flavor. The corn provides an added sweetness that is unbelievable! Rating: 5/5 Chocolate Lava Cake topped with fresh blueberries, raspberries, powdered sugar, and served with berry sauce. This is the perfect ending to a perfect meal. The chocolate lava cake is not overly sweet with a brownie-like outer texture and a molten lava chocolate center that flows out when the first bite is taken. The rich chocolate flavor will amuse the senses and works really well with the fresh berries with their naturally sweet/sour flavor. If you need more sweetness, drizzle the berry sauce on top. The presentation is beautiful! Rating: 5/5