Mon Ami means my friend in French, but this place is anything but a friend. My experiences gave me the impression that they were anything but friendly. The first time I went to this restaurant, my friend and I waited and waited, until another party walked in. The other party was immediately greeted by the host, who didn’t acknowledge us. The other party helped by telling the host that we were first, but not making eye contact, the host waved us to follow them and both parties were seated at the same time.
Flash forward to current times.
I recently went there again, hence the flashback. There weren’t many places that were opened with seats, so my friend and I decided to eat here. Did we make the right decision? I’ll let you decide for yourself. This time around, my friend and I were seated properly and in a timely manner. I ordered the nui xào bò (stir-fry beef pasta) with a chè ba màu (three color dessert) and my friend ordered the bò lúc lắc (shaken beef) with a Thai tea. A salad adn dipping sauces were given when we sat down.
The smell of the food filled the room as the server walked over with the steaming hot dishes. It was intoxicating and I remembered thinking, “this is promising.” However, when I saw the plate of rice, I was disappointed. The rice wasn’t in a completed mound, it looked as though someone stuck a spoon into it (highly impossible, but imagination is a scary thing). Perhaps it wasn't pressed tight enough.
The shaken beef was cooked with bell peppers and white onions and laid on a bed of lettuce. It smelled delicious, but traditionally, it is served with a salad and garnish with tomatoes and red onion. Naturally, it confused us both when we saw the bell peppers. I didn’t taste the shaken beef, but my friend described the dish as mediocre because the sauce was runny, salty, and pooled at the bottom. The beef wasn’t medium rare (I know it’s a preference, which we should’ve asked).
The nui xào bò was on a piping hot skillet cooked with bell peppers, white onion, and garlic. The steam rose from the pasta and the beef even as it was set down on the table. I thought the flavor is where it should have of been, neither salty nor bland, it has a nice mouthfeel, but I got to the bottom and I started to taste bitterness. I can only assume that it was burnt garlic, but it was on a skillet and must’ve continue cooking, so it wasn’t anyone’s fault. The stir-fry beef pasta was good overall, but it would’ve been perfect if the meat had been medium rare.
The three Vietnamese dessert really hit the spot for me. I love coconut and tapioca, so I enjoyed it very much. It was refreshing after a heavy meal.
I understand there could be many factors that goes into what went wrong as it’s leaving the cook’s station. However, when a plate is presented to the customer, the dish should be presentable and appealing. Being ignored and dismissed is not a good feeling for anyone especially as the customer. The pasta, shaken beef, and the dessert was decent, but the most disappointing was rice and the service. I would have to think twice before coming back to this restaurant, but if you decide to go, I would love to hear about your experience.
Hours | Su-M,W-T : 9:00 am to 9:30 pm
T : 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
F-Sa : 9:00 am to 10:00 pm
Address | 14291 Euclid St Ste D116, Garden Grove, CA 92843
Phone Number | (714) 554-9888
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