Brodard Restaurant is neatly hidden away behind a shopping center.
So many people have gotten lost trying to find it that getting to the restaurant seems to be like being invited to a secret club complete with complicated stealth handshake and all.
Brodard’s is known for their spring rolls, particularly the pork ones. Although they do serve other types of Vietnamese dishes, the spring rolls are what keep people coming back.
The Chai Gao, or Eggrolls, are filled with pork, shrimp and crab along with vermicelli noodles and vegetables served with a chile lime fish sauce. The eggrolls come steaming hot, clearly right out of the fryer. When bitten into, a nice resounding CRUNCH can be heard and felt. The balance of ingredients work well together. The addition of vermicelli noodles is a Vietnamese twist on the Chinese classic and may catch diners off guard if eating them for the first time. The eggrolls are served with pickled daikon and carrots in addition to the chile lime fish sauce. The sauce is not overly hot, but it helps to cut through the richness of the oil.
The Nem & Chao, Hai Cuon Moi Loai, or Mixed Spring Rolls, come two to an order. This is split between the infamous shrimp and pork spring rolls. These are not made with distinguishable pork or shrimp, but instead is a paste with a slightly sweet taste. The first thing you notice about the spring rolls are their size. These are, by far, the biggest spring rolls that I have ever seen. In addition to the sausage like pork or shrimp paste filling, each spring roll contains lettuce, carrots, mint. Cucumbers and spring onions that stick out one end of the spring roll like antennae. The spring rolls are served with a “house special sauce”, which is an Oompa Loompa orange and is a mystery as to what it contains.
The Bun Bo Xao is a meal in a bowl. It contains sliced beef over vermicelli noodles with crushed peanuts, shallots and greens. The dish is very refreshing and is almost like a noodle salad. The dish is served with a chile lime sauce that gives an acidic punch to the dish but not much heat. Like most Asian dishes, the amount of protein in this dish is minimal compared to an American counterpart, which is my only complaint about this dish.
Brodard’s is definitely a destination restaurant for their spring rolls. Although the other dishes are okay, it’s the spring rolls that keep people coming back for more.
Brodard Restaurant
9892 Westminster Avenue, Suite R
Garden Grove, CA 92844
(714) 530-1744
