Pho Hue Oi (Redondo Beach)

One of OC’s Best Vietnamese Restaurants Brings Quality Pho to Redondo Beach | Eater LA

"I found a ray of hope in Redondo Beach, right off the 405, with Pho Hue Oi, the Duong family's new outpost of their well-regarded Hue Oi from Fountain Valley. The stylish space—reclaimed wood walls, black-and-white Vietnam photos, and red cushioned banquettes—seats about 40 (versus 100 in Fountain Valley) and aims for a more modern setting, ambiance, and service. Their phở ($7.50–$10.50) features a well-balanced beef broth—beef bones, brisket, tendon, flank, cloves, star anise, dried licorice, onions, cinnamon, ginger, dried nutmeg, and chicken powder bouillon—simmered roughly 13 hours, served with a generous portion of rice noodles, thin-shaved white onions, scallions, cilantro, and the usual bean sprouts, basil, jalapeño, and lemon on the side; you can choose three proteins including chín (well-done brisket), gân (tendon), nạm (flank), bò viên (meatballs), or filet mignon (small supplement). The bún bò Huế đặc biệt ($9.95) is an eight-hour pork-and-beef bone broth built with fish sauce, shrimp paste, and lemongrass—spicier and funkier—with tender beef shank, chewy bone-in pork hock, firm pork meatballs, and congealed blood pudding cubes, finished with rice vermicelli and a more limited set of garnishes (it skips basil, rau ram, and ngò gai). Standout items include bánh bèo chén ($8.95), a dozen bouncy steamed rice cakes topped with ground shrimp, green onions, fried shallots, and crispy pork rinds; cánh gà chiên nước mắm ($7.95), six juicy fried chicken wings marinated with fish sauce, ground red pepper, and garlic; pungent mì tỏi tôm nướng ($14.50) with grilled tiger prawns; and a caramelized cơm đặc biệt ($10.50) with grilled chicken, pork, shrimp, a fried egg, and pickles—while tré ($2.95) was the one dish that missed the mark, coming off too chewy and gritty. The Duong family—chefs Linh Duong and Vinh Le, son Long, daughters Thuy and Ny, and son-in-law Dao Tran—bring recipes and history from Huế (they ran a restaurant there in the 1980s) and have transplanted that regional focus to the South Bay, offering Westsiders and South Bay denizens easier access to compelling Vietnamese flavors without a trek to Little Saigon or the SGV." - Eater