Dip’s Grill – San Gabriel, CA
March 15, 2012
Tags: asian, dining, food, restaurants
Now that you’re ready to venture beyond Pho.
Seems like the hot soupy Vietnamese staple [pho] has managed to make its way across cultural boundaries serving as a welcome late-night, post partying, morning after – hangover food for both Asian and non-Asians alike. But for those of you who have barely caught onto this Vietnamese phenomena there IS a world beyond just pho.
steamed rice flour cakes
Dip’s Grill is a hybrid between gastropub and traditional Vietnamese fare with a modern twist. Menu items range from deep fried snacks such as spicy battered wings, egg rolls, and skewers, to more traditional items such as mixed vermicelli bowl and spicy beef noodle soup. This is the perfect place to take someone who is trying to slowly transition into Vietnamese cuisine with the safety net of Americanized options for those who don’t like change -_______-“
With several beer options on tap and large flat screen TV’s around the dining room, Dip’s Grill can get a little busy on game nights so expect a little wait. The happy hour menu Mon-Fri: 3pm – 6pm and Fri-Sat 10pm – 12 am features $1 sliders, $1 skewers, $3 beers on tap and lots more yummy deals.
pork belly buns [4 count
So here’s what I had during my last visit:
Pork Belly Buns $8 [5*]
The pork belly was cooked to perfection, moist, fatty, and flavored to perfection. The serving of pork belly was also pretty generous.
Chicken Curry $8 [3.5*]
I had mixed feelings about this one. The flavor was quite good but the curry itself was more watery than what I am usually accustomed to. The bowl of curry itself was a good size but I wish there were more chicken and vegetables since this IS an entrée. Bonus points for the sweet potato, I thought this was a nice touch in my opinion.
Steamed Rice Flour Cakes $7 [5*]
This was the first time I had this dish and honestly I was expecting the more chewy mochi consistency of traditional Korean or Taiwanese fried rice cakes but the consistency of these rice flour cakes is more soft much like udon noodles. Topped with ground dried shrimp, crispy onions, and green onions, with a side of house spicy sauce, it’s a simple dish with complex flavors and textures. I found that mixing it with curry also worked well :]
chicken curry
FINAL VERDICT:
Dip’s Grill is a great place to hang out with friends, grab some cheap happy hour hearty eats. The menu is pretty simple and straight forward with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage options including my favorite, Thai Ice Tea [they even have a Thai Tea Float option with two scoops of vanilla ice cream, drools]. Total bummer, I tried to return last Tuesday night for dinner only to find that they’re closed on Tuesdays. Dip’s Grill I will return soon!
