Cay Dua Restaurant

One of the best in Orange County, they specialize in mám, which is a hot soup that has a fermented shrimp or fish paste as a sauce base. Other than that, I come here for banh khot and banh xeo. Their banh xeo is honestly the best I've had anywhere and it comes with a huge amount of vegetables, exactly how you would get it in Vietnam. You can't really find that dish anywhere else. Prices are good, and the owners are also really nice when we visit.

This hidden gem is tucked away in a small plaza just a few blocks from Little Saigon. Restaurant is clean, not too crowded. We ordered their famously known for Vietnamese pancake/crepe and anchovy hot pot.
Here is the verdict:
- Vietnamese pancake /crepe was delicious. The crispness of the batter was balanced out the softness of bean sprouts, mung bean, slice onions and mushrooms. I like the shrimp here was totally peeled. Yayyy! Slice pork was lean, no fat at all. Very healthy. It served with mixed fish sauce and all the trimmings such as lettuce, various mints... Sooo good. Lol.
- Anchovy hot pot. OMG, it reminded me of my mom's cooking. Lol. Although the aroma of the anchovy soup is not too strong, however, the taste was all there. The sweetness and saltiness was just perfect. I like the taste of eggplant, lemongrass, pork belly, catfish, shrimp... What can I say. Heavenly good. It also served with lots of trimmings including lemon, lettuce, shredded cabbage, bitter melon (this is new to me, but it's oh so good!)
My husband, my sister (from Canada) and me, we finished the soup to the last drop. Haha. So satisfied with the food, we also ordered to go their catfish with sour soup, caramelize braised catfish and anchovy noodle soup. They were all good.
Service was friendly and attentive. The lady owner even gave us free flan for dessert (it was good too. Seriously.)
My family, we'll definitely come back to try some new dishes next time.

Good bún mắm, chả cá Thăng Long.
Check in on Yelp for a free flan/table.
Average $15/person.

Wow, some of the best Vietnamese food I've had! Granted, I'm not an expert by any means. But this place was delicious.

I really enjoyed the banh khot, which isn't on the menu but you know to get it because everyone on Yelp tells you to order it.

We also meant to get the banh xeo but go this other fried rice cake instead. It was delicious so we went with it.

The cha ca thang long, a sizzling fish dish with dill, was amazing! You must get it.

And last but not least, the fish congee was absolutely delicious as well! I know congee is a simple dish, but when made well, it's so good. I was also sick at the time, so it was the perfect finish to the meal.

Also, bonus points, the owner is super nice. Came to check on us several times and told us stories. I definitely will be back when I'm in OC again.