I'm going to introduce Brodard, a popular restaurant in Irvine that was packed with Vietnamese people!

To be precise, it's not actually in Irvine, but in Fountain Valley, a suburb of Irvine, located in a small mall.

If you visit without a reservation, you'll most likely have to wait. So, I recommend checking the wait time on Google Maps and making a reservation for your desired arrival time.

The interior space was much larger than I expected. Even with so many seats, there was a constant stream of people waiting. I made a reservation on Google Maps, checked in at the counter, and was seated after waiting about 5 minutes. While waiting, I took a look at the dessert bar located to the left of the check-in counter. I had no idea there were so many different kinds of Vietnamese desserts!

I recognized pudding and cake, but I had no idea what the other things were, like the garlic-shaped jelly, seaweed-like thing, or the rice roll wrapped in leaves.

The dessert bar is operated separately from the restaurant. Most people seem to buy dessert here after their meal.

After admiring the interesting dessert bar, I was shown to my table.

Brodard's signature spring roll. You have to try this spring roll when you come here!

It's filled with meat, vegetables, and something very crispy in the middle (I think it's fried rice paper). It's the only place you can taste this perfect spring roll with its fresh vegetables, juicy meat, and crispy texture.

Dip it in the sweet and salty sauce and you'll get a dopamine rush. I still think about this spring roll from time to time.

While I was enjoying the spring roll, a Vietnamese couple sitting next to us started whispering and giggling at us.

When I looked at them with a confused expression, they said they were laughing because we were using chopsticks to eat the spring roll, and it's supposed to be eaten with your hands.

I went to this place because I was craving pho that day. However, I couldn't find pho on the menu, so I asked the server and they said they don't have pho. 

I asked for a similar dish and they recommended this beef noodle.

The broth was clean and flavorful with a meaty base, but the noodles were thick and chewy udon noodles, which felt a bit out of place. It had a variety of meats, so it's recommended for people who like meat in their soup.

And you can't go wrong with pad thai. It wasn't anything particularly surprising since it's a familiar taste, but it was a decent dish.

It was a bit salty, so you might want to ask for it to be less salty when you order.

The spring roll was so incredibly delicious that the main dishes felt a bit underwhelming in comparison, but it was still a satisfying dinner.

- Address: 16105 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley, CA 92708

- Google Map: link