Hoa Nguyen Vegetarian Kitchen

Authentic Vietnamese restaurants are plentiful in Orange County, but I was especially happy to discover Hoa Nguyen Vegetarian Kitchen in Little Saigon.

Orange County is home to many Vietnamese immigrants who began arriving here after the Viet Nam war. Many settled in Westminster, Garden Grove and surrounding areas, and Vietnamese culture is evident everywhere you look.

Little Saigon is roughly between Disneyland and Orange County beaches, so it's a great place for tourists to visit. You'll find a whole lot of excellent restaurants and shops.

My family and I were heading to a popular Pho restaurant, but it was packed and had a long line. Instead, we pulled into the parking lot at a nearby shopping center to see what we could find.

Yes, I was thrilled that we had stumbled upon a vegetarian restaurant. Vietnamese cooking makes good use of vegetables and herbs, but many dishes include meat broth or fish sauce. I was happy to know that everything on the menu at Hoa Nguyen was vegetarian. Most items were also vegan, other than desserts and beverages.

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