Newly opened restaurant Ha Noi Corner, in Garden Grove, is serving up the most authentic Northern Vietnamese cuisine this side of, well, Hanoi. Right off of Garden Grove Blvd., this family owned establishment presents a full menu with recognizable Vietnamese dishes, as well as more specialized regional items, such as deep fried egg fish and grilled escargot. Vietnamese food has become one of my favorite cuisines to explore as of recent. I enjoy phở, búns, and baos as much as the next gal, but it was definitely a nice change of pace to experience some of the more unique dishes that the culture has to offer. Below were some of my favorites from our foodie feast!

Hến xào xúc banh đa: Baby clams chopped with various spices and served with rice crackers. I love dishes that encourage you to eat with your hands. With the rice crackers on the side, this was the perfect opportunity to build my own Vietnamese nachos.

Bánh cuốn thịt chả nướng: Steamed rice paper with Ha Noi grilled pork served with fresh herbs and fish sauce. The grilled pork was flavorful, juicy and the perfect portion size.

Gỏi cuốn nem nướng: Spring Rolls with Grilled Pork. You can never have too many grilled pork rolls in your life. Never ever.

Bánh cuốn thịt bằm: Ground Pork, fried tofu, ham, and a sunny-side-up egg on top of rolled rice paper. I fully believe that you can put an egg on 90% of your meals and it will take it up just one more notch. This dish would’ve been just fine with the meats and tofu on top of the rolled rice paper, but the egg on top made it the perfect small plate of comfort food.

Bún cá rau cần thìa là: Vermicelli soup with fried fish fillets, fish pastry, dill, and water celery. Irene of YuRockstar.com demonstrates her superb noodle pull skills in this photo! I thought that I knew all there was to know about búns, but boy was I wrong! I loved this hot take on the cold noodle dish that I was more familiar with.

Special thanks to my fashionable friend for modeling the House Special Coffee with Sea Salt Cream. In addition to their extensive food menu, you will be overwhelmed by their drink list. They have Vietnamese Iced Coffee, Strawberry Lemonade, a variety of iced and hot teas, and a variety of milk teas with optional add ons, including Honey Boba, Egg Pudding, Jellies, Red Bean, and Aloe Vera.

As you can see from the full spread, this was truly a foodie feast for the record books. We all had a great time learning about each dish, many of us trying something for the first time. Between the wonderful hospitality and numerous dishes to choose from, I will be back.

Speaking of returning, this Saturday and Sunday (January 7th and 8th), the first 100 guests will get a FREE drink. After that, it’ll be a BOGO drink deal for everyone, AND all meals will be 10% OFF! Be sure to LIKE the Goc Ha Noi Corner FB page or Instagram to qualify! See you this weekend!