The Little Saigon Cookbook: Vietnamese Cuisine and Culture in Southern California's Little Saigon [Paperback]

Ann Le (Author), Julie Fay Ashborn (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2006

There’s a rule savvy diners seeking the ultimate in ethnic authenticity always follow: Eat where the locals eat. The Little Saigon Cookbook takes you inside the local restaurants in Southern California’s Little Saigon, the site of the largest single population of Vietnamese outside of Vietnam. From the French-inspired bakeries, the lunch delis, and the food courts to the weekend mayhem of the Pho house and wedding receptions at the boisterous seafood restaurants, these are the extraordinary meals that Vietnamese diners and others in the know enjoy every day.

The Little Saigon Cookbook offers dozens of family recipes, many surviving through oral history alone. It takes readers on a tour of culinary landmarks and introduces them to the wealth of authentic dishes found in Little Saigon—from the hot and crispy Vietnamese crepes down Bolsa Avenue to the crunchy, tangy chicken and cabbage goi salad from the Asian Mall.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

 

As featured on the Los Angeles Times website!

 

 

For authentic Vietnamese food savvy diners need look no further than Southern California's Little Saigon. From the French-inspired bakeries, the coffeehouses, and the food courts, to the weekend mayhem of the noodle houses and wedding receptions at boisterous seafood restaurants, The Little Saigon Cookbook takes you inside this spectacular enclave and introduces you to the extraordinary meals that Vietnamese diners and others in the know enjoy every day.

The Le family was one of the first to settle and work in Little Saigon after fleeing Vietnam as boat people in 1975. With this cookbook, Ann Le shares the family recipes that she grew up with - many of which survived through oral history alone. She also provides insider tidbits on this wonderful cuisine so home cooks can create their own Vietnamese dishes, just like the locals.

 

Try these Vietnamese favorites at home:

Traditional Shredded Chicken and Cabbage Salad
Grilled Beef with Lemongrass and Garlic
Rice Flour Crepes with Mushrooms and Ground Pork

Beef Pho

Braised Eggplant and Tofu in Caramel Sauce
Vietnamese Water Spinach Sautéed with Garlic
Steamed Tilapia with Ginger, Scallions, and Onions
Drunken Crab

Warm "Shaking Beef" Salad with Watercress and Tomatoes

Chicken Braised in Ginger and Coconut

Crispy Coconut and Turmeric Crepes

Banana Tapioca in Coconut Milk

Fresh Avocado Shake

About the Author

Ann Le has lived most of her life in the area of Southern California known as Little Saigon, where her family moved in 1975 right after the fall of Saigon. She grew up eating and cooking Vietnamese food and is acquainted with many of the people and restaurant owners in the Little Saigon community. She speaks and writes Vietnamese fluently.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Globe Pequot; 1st edition (January 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762738316
• ISBN-13: 978-0762738311
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #196,939 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #17 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Asian > Vietnamese

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Armenian man with a vietnamese food fetish, March 2, 2007

By 

Andre (Little Armenia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Little Saigon Cookbook: Vietnamese Cuisine and Culture in Southern California's Little Saigon (Paperback)

I've always had a thing for vietnamese food. I love everything about it, only problem is, I've just never been able to cook any of it. Born into an Armenian kitchen, the flavors, spices, and methods of cooking I've learned do me no good. I had resigned myself to eating out for vietnamese the rest of my life.

Then I saw an article in the March issue of Sunset magazine. A girl with dimples promising to teach me how to make vietnamese food. On a rare impulse, I bought The Little Saigon Cookbook (I think it hit a chord of sentimentality since I live in LIttle Armenia). The recipes are simple, fast, and delicious! I've now been able to make new friends and influence people using my new found cullinary skills. Thank you Ann Le!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FANTASTIC recipes, great for entertaining!, January 18, 2006

By 

Hannah Heller (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Little Saigon Cookbook: Vietnamese Cuisine and Culture in Southern California's Little Saigon (Paperback)

I bought this fabulous cookbook and immediately planned my first annual "Little Saigon Dinner Party" - the recipes are easy, fun, beautiful, and delicious - our guests could not believe that we made the food ourselves. The cookbook is beautifully illustrated and easy to follow in terms of the recipes themselves, and the author takes care to explain the ingredients and where to get them (nothing was too hard to find at all, once I knew what to look for!). Vietnamese cuisine demystified! This cookbook would be worth triple what I paid for it, and is a STEAL at this price. You'll amaze and delight your dinner guests or your family - delicious and simple and healthy too!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the little saigon cookbook: vietnamese cuisine and culture in Southern california;s little saigon, January 18, 2006

By 

Cheryl R. Revkin (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Little Saigon Cookbook: Vietnamese Cuisine and Culture in Southern California's Little Saigon (Paperback)

This was a fascinating book! I felt like I learned so much about the history of Little Saigon, the current and past culture, and the perk of having some fantastic recipes. The text is very well written and extremely informative. The recipes are inviting and, so far, delicious. Its opened up a new type of cuisine for me!