Thirty-four years ago, the Vietnam War ended when Saigon fell on April 30.
Little Saigon in Orange County, California is the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam. There are now more than 11,000 Vietnamese-owned businesses in Orange County offering almost every kind of service and serving almost every kind of dish.
In a non-descript strip mall in Westminster lies Binh Dan Restaurant. The specialties at
Binh Dan (Vietnamese for commoner) are
mon nhau (Vietnamese for drink-friendly food) and
de 7 mon (Vietnamese goat in 7 courses). Nothing fancy here. Basic working-class food.
Goat can be an acquired taste for many people. At Binh Dan, the goat is locally sourced, coming from the owners' father's farm in Riverside County. The cooks are known for removing the gamey taste from the meat. I've been curious to try this restaurant ever since reading Kirk of
Mmm-yoso's visit. With
Foodbuzz's 24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Posts to foot the bill, I invited a few of my more adventurous eating friends -
kevinEats,
Pepsi Monster, Danny of
Kung Food Panda, and Aaron of
Destination Eats, who specifically said he likes gamey meats. I told them the 7 courses of goat was on the menu, with perhaps a side order of
de vu nuong (Vietnamese grilled goat breast/udder).
My main concern when introducing others to unfamiliar dishes or cuisine is that the person doesn't balk at trying anything, including udders. I said it! Well, technically breast is a correct translation too, but if they're game when I utter "udder" and "blood pudding" then they can hang with me. ;)
