Trieu Chau

The intersection between Chinese, Vietnamese, and Cambodian cuisines is particularly fun to explore at Trieu Chau, a Santa Ana institution with an overwhelming menu of noodle dishes. Dating back to 1986, this small chain restaurant has a much larger collection of different options to consider than its younger rival Hu Tieu De Nhat; however, the latter now offers the best local version of a Cambodian “dry noodle” soup Trieu Chau calls “rice and/or egg noodle soup,” and Hu Tieu De Nhat calls hu tieu nam vang, or “hu tieu soup in the style of Cambodia.”

Soups – served either fully assembled or with broth on the side (“dry”) – can be ordered Chao Chow style with shrimp, duck, chicken, and five different types of pork in the same bowl, plus your choice of two different types of egg noodles and/or two different types of rice noodles. Many other dishes offer a wide variety of protein choices ranging from shrimp, crab, fish, and mixed seafood (adding squid) to beef, chicken, sausage, duck, and assorted meats (including seafood). The menu’s 105 choices become easier to navigate if you just focus on the eight major themes (“steamed rice plate,” “porridge”) and appetizers, then pick one theme and one appetizer per person.