East Borough — Restaurant in Costa Mesa

It's been a very long time since I've revisited. I was in the area to get a tire rotation and wanted to grab lunch while I waited. The service was going to take roughly 30-45 minutes, so why not start the year with a brisk walk. Plus, it beat the hassle of looking for parking in that lot!

After a short stroll, there were only a few places opened before 11am when I arrived, but East Borough caught my eye considering it was the first shop I saw when I entered the plaza. After a quick walk through, I chose to stop in and grab a sandwich. I wanted something quick at first, but then I decided to place another order to bring home to the boyfriend, which happened by two transactions haha.

First and second order was pork banh mi. Once bf confirmed, I went on to Yelp and found that they had a check in offer for $2 specialty drinks. The options were Jasmine Lime Ice Tea (similar to an Arnold Palmer as it's mixed with a sort of lemonade), Oloong Tea (unsweetened) and Vietnamese Iced Coffee. I originally wanted to try the Jasmine, but the drinks are pre-made and not adjustable by sweetness. I was a bit hesitant about it, so I opted for the Vietnamese coffee (originally $4.50). It probably has way more sugar out of all the drinks, but at least I can dilute it for the next few days since it's such a strong beverage for someone who's sensitive to caffeine

The pork banh mi is prepared with all the toppings: pickled radish/carrot, cucumber, cilantro and jalapeño all inclusive. The jalapeños were not too spicy and the pickled vegetables were an equal balance of crunch and pickled flavoring. I love their baguettes since they're not the type to cut sh*t up in your mouth, while maintaining a good crust + fluffy interior.

Quality feels the same from when they first opened and the menu, to me, has expanded from what I remembered. They now have brunch and other unique items - dip sandwiches, rice bowls, salads, spring rolls.

Now that I think about it, I prob should have gotten two different protein options, but I was playing it safe! Next time, I'll have to try their other protein options - shrimp (cajun coconut milk), tofu (braised black sesame?!) and braised pork belly. Hopefully before my next tire rotation...

I love this spot! They have great salads, rice bowls, vermicelli, spring rolls, and banh mi! I'm sure everything else is delicious, but being that I don't eat meat these are pretty much the only things I've tried which is basically most of their menu LOL! Their ingredients are very fresh and everything is very flavorful! They make something for everyone vegan, vegetarian, omnivores, and carnivores. I especially enjoy their shrimp banh mi sandwich. I also really like their chia lychee dessert it's the bomb dot com!

I have had nothing but good experiences at this place. Tonight is a great example my husband and I went to pick our my rice bowl, banh mi sandwich, and spring rolls. Before they gave us our order the gentleman checked it and realized that there were no egg rolls with the rice bowl because it was nearly closing time and they were out for the night. He offered to compensate and we asked for the veggie spring rolls he also brought us out two of the jasmine tea lemonades. I was very impressed with this because many places don't catch their own mistakes or even bother to check. The fact that he checked without us having to get home and be frustrated about it then compensated accordingly is definitely a plus in my book.

The ambiance of this spot is also very chill. It's great for spring and summer dining, but let's be real being that we live in southern California it's good to eat here anytime (they have heaters on the patio for when it's chilly out also). I love the babbling sound of the water feature and that it's open...

I visited East Borough on Friday evening because I'm a huge fan of Bahn Mi sandwiches. I had read that the food here is really delicious and even though the name might sound more like a deli, I assure you that this place is pure Vietnamese goodness! I took my mom with me as she also enjoys clean, light, fresh tasting dishes. She ordered the lemon grass chicken with the vermicelli noodles salad and of course I choose the chicken Bahn Mi. Both dishes were fantastic! The salad, which I sampled, was crisp with red cabbage, mint and vermicelli noodles. And the lemon grass chicken was marinated perfectly. My Bahn Mi was wonderfuly warm with loads of chicken, daikon, carrots, and cilantro. Definitely, they did not skimp out on making a robust, delicious sandwich. I also ordered one of the Vietnamese iced coffees. Sooooo good!! Not overly sweet, but just enough of balance between the coffee and a rather smooth chocolatey finish. The whole meal was awesome and very filling. Do be aware that the Camp has a bit of a parking challenge as there is a premium on parking spots. So do try to go in a non peak lunch hour. Also, in case you're hoping to sit inside, East Borough is a patio style dinning set up. So, if you visit in the evening make sure you take that into consideration and dress appropriately....