Phong Dinh - Rosemead

I go back to Phong Dinh for the delicious long-baked catfish sluice with basil, pickled carrots and radishes, and with the special sauce drizzled. I enjoyed the wrap production process, although the dunking of stiff rice paper in hot water was a little tricky. I would give this court 4 stars. I would also go back to the fun/quirky friendly service we received from the waiter and the owner. I was very excited to be invited to a variety of dishes made from alligator, venison, boar, snake, kangaroo, plus other familiar dishes. I haven't had many exotic meats before, so I can't compare the taste with other places, but I enjoyed every new dish for its novelty, whether I liked the dish or not. It was also surprising that many of the dishes tasted more Chinese than Vietnamese in some of his sauces. But all in all, it was a meal that I really enjoyed for its variety and for the chance to taste dishes that I would not normally eat. In no order: The floor snake looked like sleeping suits when she was stuffed in black braids. The taste was unusual and difficult to describe. It had a hard playful and oily but dry taste that was below the smoky taste of the leaf wrap, which was not very appetizing for me. People said the alligator with lemongrass, wood ears and water chestnut served with all the sesame rice cracker tasted like frog bone and they were tender and quite delicious. The wild boar had a strong taste like lamb or other stronger meat in a yellow Thai style curry sauce. Not bad. The kangaroo came to the table in a fiery bubble that made it very festive. However, the taste was not very attractive to me, which could be due to my inconvenience with this meat or to the rather acidic wine marinade. But it had the beautiful look and texture of beef. The slightly spicy Venison was delicious and not playful at all. It was one of my favorite dishes of the whole meal. The Manila mussels were of course delicious in what tasted like lobster sauce. The water spinach and the bushchoy were cooked for perfection and for the meat heavy meal. The shrimp and pork ear would have been better for me without the pig. But otherwise very good with carrots, peanuts, bean sprouts, cabbage and jellyfish. Agar Agar Hartgelatine Dessert with coconut milk and pandan leaves was very refreshing after heavy dishes.

We went with a big group and a huge appetite. Although they are best known for baked catfish, we have celebrated our food banquet with a variety of dishes. Snake, Alligator, Kangaroo. None of them has thrown me away as much as the catfish, Manilla Clams and Garlic Bok Choy. I would recommend this restaurant for the adventurous diner who really wants to know that they tried EVEYTHING! But honestly, I will return in a moment to experience this fabulous catfish again. It is perfectly seasoned, crispy on the outside and moist in the middle. Packed with rice paper so that you bundle it, vietnamese style with some sprouts, thai basil and cilantro, then immerse it in a sweet, clear, tasteful ginger sauce. Even writing with it, I want to go back! The waiter was so skillful to bone the fish right in front of us, to show the spine, all in one piece. I give this relaxing 4 stars for the catfish. The rest is on the cake.

In the evening of the New Year of the Moon, I was invited to a free event in Phong Dinh, a Vietnamese restaurant known for its exotic meat dishes. When the opportunity came up to try a 12 course menu at the place for free, I jumped on the occasion. The first dish they served us were the Vietnamese fresh spring rolls. It is very similar to Filipino fresh lumps. But here you have to assemble it yourself. They give you a dish of mixed herbs. Another plate with dice carrots, slices of cucumber, bean sprouts. Then a bowl of a sweet sauce that could have tamarind and fish sauce in it. Last but not least you will get a bowl of warm water and a stack of rice paper shaped like tortillas. It requires a dexterity test where you quickly turn the rice paper around the water to moisten it. Then use it to wrap the vegetables and sauce. Personally, I found that I had to dip the rice paper into the water to be a little chore. I'm not in the self-packing thing. Overall, the fresh spring roll tasted like fresh lumps – which I don't really like. I prefer the fried version better. There was much leftover rice paper when everything was said and done. The second dish that arrived was Quail Eggs Wrapped in Shrimp Paste and Battered with Sweet Rice Flake. I liked this court, and also the rest of the people in my group. The shrimp paste was not as strong as Bagoong. It was more like a little egg covered with crab cake. The texture of the egg together with the dough complicated itself perfectly. This dish was completely eaten. The 3rd court to come was the house special baked catfish. This requires a pre-order as it takes at least 30 minutes to bake the fish. You can order it 3 sizes – small, medium and large. I think we were served a medium-sized cat and a little smaller one. When I say medium – this fish was at least 10 lbs. Fish can be very large. You could definitely taste the earthy taste of catfish that puts on some people, but I grew up eating catfish. The best part of the catfish bowl was the lower half that softened the sauce where it was served. The upper half was moist, but rather bland in taste. The group ended both catfishes. The 4th court was Shrimp Pork with Lotus Root Sour Salad. I took a bite and almost spit out. It has Cilantro and some other foul herbs that are not with most people on my table. It also had jellyfish. Maybe only 2 or 3 people in my group (of 12) liked the court. Of course, the court was not ready. The 5th court was Charbroiled Ground Snake rolled into “Lot Leaves”. Visually, it reminded me of sushi, but most sushi I can tolerate – this was just rough. Again, there was a kind of herb or season that most people in my group did not like. The 6th dish was Manila Clams with Bell Pepper, Garlic and Chili. How can you go wrong with Manila mussels? The group liked this dish – it was almost like eating clams in lobster sauce. The 7th court was Sauteed Boar in Curry Sauce. It was accompanied by Whole black Sesame Rice Crackers. I guess the meat and the sauce should be eaten with the crackers. The crackers looked beautiful, but their taste was very dirty. It really needed the sauce to give it taste. The wild boar had a very gamous taste – almost like lamb or goats. The curry was mild, very similar to Thai curry. The 8th dish was Diced Venison Sauteed with onions. Do you know how Kung pao tastes beef? Okay, now set this up with venison and this is basically what it is – kung pao venison. We liked it, but did not find preparation to be exotic. The Venison was moist and delicate. Before serving us the 9th dish, they gave us a break and cleaned our palates with two veggie dishes – water spinach and bushchoy with garlic. The Bok Choy was good, but not distinctive. But the water spinach, also known as Kangkong – it was perfectly served. Not overhauled and seasoned exactly right – this is a rareness in most Chinese restaurants serving water spinach. I had to visit the rest room and the fiery presentation of the 10. Plate, Kgaroo Sauteed missed with wine flame. Basically, they put wine on the kangaroo dish on a hot plate that leads to a fiery volcanic spectacle. I still came back in time to see the bowl. The 11th court was Alligator with lemongrass. Have you ever been a frog or an event rabbit? Alligator reminded me of this meat. The taste of the dish was okay, but the meat did nothing for me. The 12th dish was chicken with lemongrass and chili. The chicken was better than the alligator. Overall, the best I liked was the meat that was most familiar. I would recommend if you try this place, call in advance to order the baked catfish in advance. You have a small private parking lot. Otherwise, his street parking.

A tasting dinner of 12 dishes? In a restaurant known for its variety of dishes and exotic meat? How could I refuse? Yes, I live in Santa Monica, so the trip to Rosemead was creepy, but I mutated it for the promise of Quail Eggs, Alligator and Kangaroo. Yeah, Kangaroo! After the tireless journey from the west I was grateful for the comfort of the parking lot behind the restaurant. I had saved my appetite all day, I was hungry, and I was ready for the zoo. When she entered Phong Dinh, it looked like a typical family-style restaurant. Large round tables with lazy susans in the middle, restaurant / hotel excess chairs, T.V.s on the wall shows Americas Next Top Vietnamese model. Since I did not travel regularly to San Gabriel or Alhambra for Asian cuisine, I remembered an average Chinatown restaurant. A quiver that tickled me especially: on the back wall near the bathroom, there was a Street Fighter II Arcade Relic, and a Whoopie pillow machine. I was sold. To the food:

First impression, looks like the typical Chinese/Asian style restaurant with round tables and lazy susan trays, but of course Phong Dinh is advertised as a Vietnamese venue. The menu boasts of exotic and your common everyday meats as well as the accustomed seafood items, catfish, lobster etc… If only Banh Mi was part of their menu, then I will eat here once a week – imagine charbroiled barbecued alligator in Viet style french bread….ooohhh. Perhaps on my next visit, I will gently recommend that option. Please read my reviews on each dish, yes it was a 13 course dinner and thankfully shared with 12 others.