Dr. LT's Food Adventure: Dat Thanh

10032 Mcfadden Ave
Westminster, CA 92683
(714) 650-0910

We had our doubts when we first heard about this place. "Hmm, good spring rolls? M Kay. Hmm, good com tam and bun? M Kay." I have been strolling in Little Saigon for 12+ years. Although not as fierce as that of for Beef Pho Bo, everyone and their mother is quite fanatic about the best Com Tam combination rice place. So, approached the information we a dignified caution.

We first tested the water with their spring rolls, which turned to way better than expected. Brodard Schmodard. No more lines for me. A tres bientot, Dat Thanh, au revoir Brodard!

So, we came again .... and again for their Com Tam broken rice and Bun vermicelli and always left very satisfied.

Oh, and I must mention that the owner's service is very well (his name is Hy), not only for the area's norm but also in general. He kept filling our water and asking us how we were doing. It also looked like Bossman knows most of his patrons and spent time talking to them, including us. Excellent.

Details:

Bun with Pork Chop, Shrimp Tofu Skin Wrap, Pork Skin, and Egg Cake (the toppings that I like): first of all, food (meat, noodle, lettuce) quality is very good and is much higher than the norms of the area. When you start a dish with something fresh, the result will be good. The rice noodle is cooked perfectly resulting in a good texture. Lettuce and peanut taste very fresh. Daikon and carrot pickle is very fresh and has a nice acidity kick. Fish sauce is diluted to a good concentration and has a great balance of fishiness and saltiness. Pork chop is sweet and has a strong lemongrass backbone. It is grilled to order and has both a nice char and moist. Egg cake has a nice texture and the minced pork inside is not too fatty. The pork skin tastes very fresh and has a great crunchy texture. Tofu skin wrap has a nice moist minced shrimp filling. If there is any critics, it is the skin of the wrap that is too thin and is not crispy enough (nobody does it better than Com Tam Tran Quy Cap on Harbor Blvd and their "fake" Com Tam Tran QUI Cap on Bolsa Ave). Portion is quite generous. I am very impressed: this is my place for both Bun and Spring Rolls now. I declare this as the best of the genre in Little Saigon although I wish they had a crunchier skin with more layers for the Tahu Ky. 5- stars.

Com Tam Broken Rice #6: Pork Chop, Pork Skin, Egg Cake, Shrimp Tofu Skin Wrap, Grilled Shrimp. Pretty much the same toppings with the Bun above but added Grilled Shrimp. Ah, they have this combo so it is easier to order this way. Of course, a very similar note with the Bun above. Broken rice has a correct consistency. Grilled Shrimp has the same marinade with the pork chop. However, the lemongrass backbone on the shrimp is less pronounced due to the nature of the meat. Nice light char, too. Again, the same picky critic about the Tahu Ky. 5- stars.

Phan Chao Grilled Shrimp Spring Rolls: The grilled shrimp paste has a nice texture and shrimp flavor. There is the usual spring roll skin crunch inside adds more texture. Sauce is almost indistinguishable from Brodard's unless compared side by side: thick and has a very strong shrimp and pork stock base. However, as I chewed the spring roll I noticed different texture and flavor. Apparently, they have two not-so-secret weapons here: a cucumber slice to add even more texture and to balance the flavors; carrot and daikon pickles that usually go to bahn mi sandwich or com tam rice platter. These seemingly obvious additions do elevate the flavor. This roll here will give its run for the money against Brodard's. Brodard still has a stronger and more delicious shrimp taste on the grilled shrimp. 4 stars.

Nem Nuong Grilled Pork Spring Roll: quite similar note with above, even the same sauce. The different is the grilled pork instead of grilled shrimp backbone. The grilled pork proves to be more substantial and adds even more depth to the taste. In my book, this is better than the shrimp above and by far better than so so Brodard's. It is also better than Thuan Kieu's which has been my get to go. 4+ stars.

PS: if you are not familiar with Vietnamese spring rolls, buy only what you can eat in a couple of hours just like a sub. If you let it sit too long, then the skin will become hard, the crunchiness is gone, and the lettuce will wither.