Quan Hy Restaurant

9727 Bolsa Ave., Westminster, CA 92683

714-775-7179

Hours of Operation:

9:00 am to 9:00pm every day.

Take out. No reservations. Vietnamese restaurant. Very busy on weekends prepare to wait.

THE ROOM:

Here in the Long Beach area we have the opportunity to explore the cuisine of Vietnam because we have a "Little Saigon" right here in Westminster CA. It is a unique and magical area that I recommend everyone explore. In touring the area I stumbled upon Quan Hy restaurant. I understand that the movie The Fast and The Furious was filmed in the plaza where the restaurant is located. It is one of the nicest and cleanest of Vietnamese restaurants I've seen and many people think it has one of the best kitchens. On entry there is a quaint walking bridge that spans a koi pond . Don't step into the pond! The room itself is quite large with tables and booths which are separated by two huge fish tanks and bamboo branches with a very large picture of a Vietnamese palace on the main wall. Like most countries Vietnam's cuisine varies depending on the area of the country and the ingredients that are available. This restaurant prepares Hue food from Central Vietnam.

THE FOOD:

This was the first time I had ever ordered food in a Vietnamese restaurant but I had done a little research. I was looking for some Pho but I didn't find it here. Pho is from South Vietnam. The menu doesn't actually tell you much if you are , as I was, a neophyte and the wait staff are quite unhelpful. So I just pointed at the food at the table next to me and ordered what they had. I ended up with Bahn Beo a type of appetizer which I would say is their specialty and their most popular item. It is steamed rice cakes sprinkled with diced shrimp and diced onions served with a slightly sweet fish sauce. A unique flavor. I think I liked it! I also had the Bun Bo Hue which is a spicy beef broth soup made with vermicelli noodles. You can get different versions of this made with shrimp, oysters, clams or pork. Fresh ingredients like Thai basil, onions, bean sprouts are served on the side and at first I didn't know what to do with them but I observed my dining neighbors and added them to the soup.The broth has a rich and unique flavor but it didn't rock my socks. I subsequently have had Pho and I am a Pho fan which I think has a better flavor the Quan Hy's soup.

THE SERVICE:

As I mentioned the wait staff were not helpfull. In reality they were downright unfriendly, civil but unfriendly. I got the feeling, because I was a neophyte, I was being laughed at. I have been there several times now and and on occassion I have felt a little more welcome. I think they need to vastly improve their service especially with their new customers who want to explore the cuisine of Vietnam.