AOL City Guide
Fresh Vietnamese gains ground in Silver Lake

Vietnamese cuisine obtains a significant style upgrade at Gingergrass, the chic and comfortably cozy restaurant that resides on Silver Lake's outskirts. The restaurant is a natural draw for the neighborhood's mod community, which spreads itself delicately across Gingergrass's polished wood bistro tables and along the stretched, wall-hugging couch to sip heart-racing drip-brewed coffee and nibble chili-packed pork baguette sandwiches. Southeast Asian culinary fans, particularly those accustomed to the cheap and tasty eats of crowded San Gabriel and Alhambra cafes, may be surprised to see traditional pho soups and tofu plates extending well over the standard six-dollar price range, but they won't be disappointed with Gingergrass's stringent requirements on fresh flavors for its dishes. Savory starters such as the charbroiled sugar cane shrimp and the signature Gingergrass fresh rolls with crab, avocado, lettuce and cucumber and entrees like the wok-tossed shaking beef and banana leaf fish with shiitake mushrooms are strictly intended for slow consumption. -- Jesse Torres

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