Xoia: Vietnamese Eats with a Mexican Twist

What do you get when a husband-and-wife duo of Mexican and Vietnamese descent decide to open an eatery in their Echo Park neighborhood? Fun fusion served in a sleek, modern space, compliments of owners Thien Ho and Jose Sarinana.

Beyond the lovely partially enclosed patio—a big step up from table-on-the-sidewalk style alfresco dining—the casual spot features polished concrete floors, glossy red chairs and clean, white walls punctuated by vibrant pops of modern art.

The menu is dominated by traditional Vietnamese dishes: pho grounded in a dark, rich broth ($8.25); bun, made with cold vermicelli rice noodles and beef, pork or tofu ($8.25); Vietnamese crepes (banh xeo) stuffed with beef and shrimp, tofu and mushroom or pork and shrimp ($7.25); and specialties like mi quang, a Hoi An dish made with wide yellow rice noodles, shrimp, pork and banana blossom ($9.25).

Bahn mi sandwiches on fresh crusty baguettes get a little more creative. If you’re after a fusion experience, try the pork carnitas variety ($6.50). Or, for a French-dip style sandwich, opt for chicken curry served with a flavorful but not-too-spicy curry soup dip. Yes, the dipping gets messy, but so does slurping pho, now doesn’t it?

If you’re leaning more toward Mexican fare, go for a trio of tacos served with homemade red salsa ($5.75). Order the corn tortillas topped with pho beef (infused with the broth of the namesake soup), mi quang pork spiced with parprika and shallots, or the new crispy pork chicharrones (fried pork rinds).

There are plenty of vegetarian options on the menu as well. Tofu curry shows up in several dishes, and you can get a meatless version of both the pho and mi quang, along with veggie-friendly spring rolls, tacos and crepes.

While the prices may not be as bargain basement as traditional pho shops, the portions are plentiful, ingredients fresh and the lunch special is hard to beat. For $6.99, you get half a bahn mi sandwich and soup of your choice—a whole lot of food and flavor for seven bucks.

There are a few minor downsides. It’s cash only, for one, although there is an ATM on site. Parking can also be a pain if you’re not lucky to snag one of the four spaces in the back. Finally, there’s no booze. You’ll have to opt for a refreshing mint limeade soda, made in house, or a bottled Mexican Coke to cut the spice (both $3).

The upside? Xoia is open late—10 p.m. during the week, and midnight on Friday and Saturday. That means you can stumble over to slurp up a tasty bowl of pho after a few beers at El Prado, or while your ears are still ringing from a show at the Echo.

Xoia is located at 1801 W. Sunset Blvd., 213-413-3232.