Whenever I manage a trek back home, I always make sure at least one meal I enjoy is Vietnamese. The only Vietnamese place in Harvard Square is Le’s, where the dishes are pitifully flavorless. I’ve heard good things about Xinh Xinh in Chinatown but I’ve yet to make the trip. (And I don’t think trendier fare like Pho Republique counts in terms of authenticity.) So with fours years in Boston under my belt, I’ve only had a handful of Vietnamese meals there.

When I visited Vietnam last summer, I was pleasantly surprised that the food tasted exactly the way it did at restaurants back home in Southern California. No doubt this is because of the large numbers of Vietnamese immigrants in the area. In high school, I frequently went to Noodle City in Alhambra. The restaurant changed owners sometime in the past year and renamed itself “New Noodle City”. Creative, eh? I’ve heard rumors that the food hasn’t been as good since, and I remember being unimpressed when I ate there during my Christmas trip home.

Broken rice with charbroiled pork

Egg rolls with vegetables

Luckily, it turns out the old establishment has set up shop in Monterey Park. Same menu, same waitstaff, and from what my tongue can recall, same chef. I went there last night and left as satisfied as expected. I don’t want to overemphasize its merits; there’s tons of great Vietnamese to be had in the San Gabriel Valley, after all. Noodle City, however, has nostalgic value for me, and with limited time (and limited meals!), I like to go back to what I know I can count on.

Noodle City
848 East Garvey Avenue
Monterey Park, CA 91755
(626) 573-3718