Whole Life Times: China Beach Vietnamese Bistro

May 2006 | Tastebuds

China Beach Vietnamese Bistro

Love, from Vietnam—in every bite

by Matthew Flanzer

This afternoon I took a little jaunt from Venice Beach to Vietnam via bicycle. Vietnam is a beautiful country, marked by optimism and carefully balanced, full flavors. To find it, I had only to ride to the corner of Venice Boulevard and Pacific Avenue, a block from the ocean, where China Beach Vietnamese Bistro offers authentic, modestly-priced cuisine. My tour guide was Hiep Thi Le, film star and restaurant proprietress.

A bright, pleasant bistro, China Beach is the result of Hiep’s effort to bring real Vietnamese home cooking to the Westside. In Vietnam, she explained, restaurants are often in peoples’ homes, so every meal is home-cooked. To maintain that tradition, each recipe at China Beach comes from Hiep’s observation of her 70-year old mother’s kitchen alchemy.

Vietnamese food is all about balance, Hiep said. Each dish is part of a well-planned, nutritious meal: carbohydrates in rice; protein in tofu; abundant vegetables and greens; and sweetness in the sauce. Being vegan, I was specifically there to sample the extensive vegetarian menu, inspired by her vegetarian parents’ studies with Buddhist monks.

First was China Beach’s unique green tea. Toasted in-house, this healthy blend was subtle and refreshing. It arrived with Goi Cuan Chay—rice noodles, fresh herbs and sautéed tofu wrapped in transparent rice paper wraps, served with a sweet tofu-peanut sauce. The herbs (from local farmer’s markets, like most of China Beach’s produce) are key in Vietnamese cooking, especially sweet basil, tangy lemongrass, fresh mint and cilantro.

These ingredients surfaced again in a delightfully sweet and sour Canh Chua Chay soup, swollen with tasty mushrooms, tofu, veggie ham, veggie shrimp and sweet pineapple—a savory, satisfying meal unto itself. More was to come; thankfully I had brought a friend.

Together we shared two entrées: Bun Chay is a cold noodle dish served with salad, vegetarian spring roll, tofu and veggie ham—especially delish with Hiep’s own sweet veggie sauce. Com Dac Biet Chay is a large combination plate of tofu, veggie ham and veggie fish served with salad and steamed rice. This plate also came with an uncommonly scrumptious item: a charbroiled skewer of tofu and veggie ham with a hint of barbecue, wrapped in a Vietnamese leaf called La Lot.

Our epicurean expedition ended with a delicate, house-made caramel flan and very strong Vietnamese coffee. Vietnamese drink their coffee over ice midday—and so it is served at China Beach, with or without thick cream.

The restaurant is small and parking is limited, but servings are generous and prices reasonable. None of our entrées cost more than $10.

China Beach is named for the province in Vietnam where Hiep was born. A “boat child” who immigrated with her sister to California, she later landed the lead role in Oliver Stone’s film, Heaven & Earth. Her career as an actress took her around the world, but was relegated to the backseat when she started her own family. Hiep’s experiences have instilled in her what she calls “a true Vietnamese outlook”—a positive attitude, always expressed with a smile. The love she possesses for her culture, her family and most evidently, her food brings a smile with every bite.

China Beach Vietnamese Bistro, 2024 Pacific Ave., Venice, 310.823.4646, chinabeachbistro.com.

Matt Flanzer is a writer for print and screen. Look for him riding his bike around Venice or online at flanzer.com/matt.

Recommend this page to a friend

Top Ten pages recommended to friends: