Roll your own Vietnamese Spring Rolls in PHX?

Question

In Denver, me and the wife loved a dish we found at most Vietnamese restaurants we visited (my fave, Thai Hiep in the Federal Center).

It was simply, a huge plate of fixins (including rice noodles, grilled pork/chicken/beef, sprouts, and various greens). They then brought out a boiling pot of water, some uncooked rice wrappers, and you wrapped up your own roll.

I haven't done an exhaustive search in Phx yet (only been to Avina's, in Glendale - good, athentic Vietnamese food, in a friendly mom-and-pop restaurant), and the dish wasn't like we like. They brought out the wrappers already cooked, and it just wasn't right.

Has anyone found good roll-your-own spring rolls in Phx (preferably North Phx)? I want the preperation where you cook your own wrappers in boiling water when you are ready for your next roll. This was a staple dish for us in Denver (at least once a week), so I need to locate this soon (to get my fix!).

I plan to try Da Ving this weekend. Hopefully they serve this dish. I have heard good things about this restaurant otherwise.

Answer

I haven't seen a roll-your-own spring roll since I was in Dallas, and even that place closed in '98. I've been to a number places around the Valley and haven't seen any.

Answer

Too bad nobody knows of a place serving this dish. In Denver, every Vietnamese restaurant I went to, without exception, had this dish on the menu.

I guess I will chalk this up to regional differences. I will have to make this my special treat when I go to Denver.

Answer

THE SOUTH EAST CORNER OF ROSEVELT AND HAYDEN HAS THESE SPRING ROLLS THEY ARE SERVED WITH A PLUM SAUCE* ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!

Answer

This is new to me as well (and I used to live in Denver's Vietnam community and also near Little Saigon in SoCal).

Most places will bring just-cooked spring rolls, for example, and a plate of greens/veggies to build your own wrapped feast. But cooking the rice wrapper is a new spin.

It's almost like a Mexican place offering a chance to make a tortilla from scratch, or a taco shell. A few hound types will like it, but most folks want the end result.

I'm guessing if you ask the cooks/owners, they'll be happy to mix things up.

Answer

This dish really isn't that unusual. In fact, I have found it at Avina's and Da Ving. It is on the menu (we usually ask the server for roll your own spring rolls - then they point where it is on the menu).

But, the rub is that it just isn't prepared the way I like (with the bowl of boiling hot water, and the massive amount of fixins). So far, in Phx we get already cooked roll wrappers (which is a significant difference, trust me), and small plates of fixins (which I suppose could be overcome by getting 2 orders).

BTW, we liked Da Ving pretty well. It had a great atmosphere. By great, I mean it was very divey, with tons of asians eating there (which always bodes well for an ethnic eatery if the locals are there). I had a bowl of Pho (was feeling a little under the weather, and it usually makes me feel better quick like). The broth was tasty. My wife's noodle dish was just OK. It didn't have much flavor (even with the addition of a bunch of fish sauce).

So, just to be clear, we have found the dish, which seems to be listed on every menu if you look hard enough, but it just isn't quite what we are looking for. We will just chalk it up to regional differences.

I am headed to Denver in 2 weeks, so I will have to talk my sister into taking me to my favorite spot, and I can get the dish how I like.

The hunt for my favorite Vietnamese place continues.

Answer

Booger, Have you made it to the place on Roosevelt and Hayden yet? I think its called Dong Phuong (in the same plaza as Chasers Nightclub)? I moved down here to Chandler and all I can find are little pewny rolls that are missing all the good ingredients that the one up there includes. :-(

Answer

Most Vietnamese places do not offer this type of dish, usually it's already prepared. However, it's a fun dinner party idea. Our family, during the summer, prep all the items, boil water (warm water, and buy the rice wraps (at Asian stores). The best thing is you can use any kind of meat to wrap. You can just order a side of the cook meat with some noodles and use that to wrap.

Answer

Thank you Da Beebz! I'm curious... is Pho Saigon the place in Lee Lee Market on Warner? ; the smell is so bad you cant even eat there= please tell me it's a different place. (also we tried the new buffet next door - i dont even think it was real food, it might have been card board cut out replicas of what food might look like. The pigletts in the window drew us in - but the taste threw us out! The memory of eating there is branded forever.

Answer

Booger:

 I've been to Avina's a time or two. I've like Da Vang for years. There's a couple of choices further in the north, however. Damned if I can recall the NAME of either, but perhaps the location will ring a bell for the other hounds. 

 Avina's former spouse, Pat, runs a nice place located DIRECTLY across the street from the north entrance of ASU's Glendale campus. That's 'roughly the 4600-4900-blk of west Thunderbird Road. It's in a nice clean little strip plaza on the north side of T-bird. 

The other is JUST south of Northern on 19th Ave. It's in a dumpy little strip on the west side of 19th which borders the McDonald's parking lot at the s.w. corner of the intersection. There's also a Russian market which seems to be the centerpiece there.

Answer

these are great, but I'm surprised nobody has come up with the vietnamese name for these "roll your own" rolls from a menu! I have had these in Orlando at Anh Hong a few times, but keep forgetting to write down the name... 

Bahn Mi sandwichese are another great vietnamese contribution!

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