I had a very busy day yesterday running around and doing errands. Didn't realize by the time I was done, it was 7:00 pm. It was rather late for us for dinner so we wanted somewhere close by for a quick eat. We looked up and District 5 came up with high ratings for shaken beef. Hubby had the shaken beef filet mignon (of course) with fried rice and it was very tasty. Beef was tender and flavorful and the fried rice was also good. I ordered the pho house special with meat balls, rate steak, brisket, and a big beef rib. Everything was delicious. The broth was a bit salty so the kitchen replaced it quickly when notified. They were very nice about it. Service was excellent. Server was very sweet, quick and attentive, so was the lady from the kitchen, which I think is the owner. The restaurant is in the plaza right next to The Hat, but hidden towards the back (next to Enterprise Car Rental) so it was not very noticeable and rather quiet but the food was delicious. read more

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So glad we gave District 5 a chance. When we arrived there was no workers to be found however after they came out they apologized for the wait and warmly greeted us. There was one table finishing up their food and another gentleman waiting for a to go order. The restaurant has a weird smell when you walk in which almost prompted us to go before we were served. It's a very small mom and pop with like 6 small tables. My husband ordered the lomo Saltado with garlic noodles. This was delicious! Son and I shared a brisket/rare steak pho which comes with unlimited noodles/broth. We loved the pho the brisket was particularly good the cut was thicker than normal places. It was a decent sized bowl of pho for only 13.95? And tasty! Fish sauce chicken wings-- good and tasty but a little dry. Mango smoothie. Son liked it. He said it wasn't too sweet which a mom always appreciates. The service was excellent. They were very kind and warm. read more

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A smallish not fancy place on a strip mall but with excellent service & very nice staff. The menu is large & varied with typical Vietnamese cuisine that was more typical of the home country than was bastardized for strictly wimpy American tastes. I had a Pho with plenty of vegetables, noodles & protein. I added some chili oil to it & lit up a fire in my mouth, just the way I like. The iced tea helped to calm down the oral flames. I recommend this place for those who like authentic Vietnamese food whether spicy hot or otherwise. Also, there appears to be plenty of parking. read more

I still love the taste, and its fresh bunh mi sandwich will always be a must-have on the go. Another favorite is the garlic noodles, so when they're on special, grab some it's a must for noodle lovers . I'll have to come back for more tries. I hope this place expands its options for different bunh mi flavors. The service is always great, and the place is clean. read more

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It really pains me to write 1-star reviews, but in this instance, it's warranted. I've sat on this review and have come back to it a few times, but I stand by it. Perhaps it was a really off day, but everything was just bad. So much so that we will not be returning. We came in for lunch on a Saturday. It was empty. After looking through the menu, we wanted to try some egg rolls to start, only to be told that they "ran out" of the pork and shrimp. They just opened - did they run out or did they not prep? Or not receive a shipment? Who knows. We tried the spring rolls and they had a few pretty huge holes in the wrappers. And they were loaded with noodles. I've made many spring rolls and definitely felt like these were subpar. I'll comment on a couple of the dishes only, but the general theme was present throughout. First, the house special vermicelli. Looked good to me at first, but that was just the top of the dish. Out of the whole depth of the bowl, there was only toppings in the first maybe 3/4" or so. The rest was noodles. So many noodles. Don't get me wrong - I love noodles. But when the dish is so heavily skewed, I feel like I'm just eating noodles and sauce. I did appreciate the crunch on the egg roll (singular, cut in half), and the shrimp tasted okay. Three people ordered pho. The bowls were pretty huge. Deceptively huge. In fact, upon closer inspection, the same thing - almost all noodles. Here's the thing that irked me: my son's noodles were clumpy. Not only clumpy, but I don't think they were fully cooked or soaked. The noodles were brittle and broke really easily. No chewiness or elasticity in any bites either - they just broke and broke and broke. The others at my table weren't impressed either. As someone who has made this at home many times, married into a Vietnamese family, and has eaten at several really good places that serve pho in Orange County, this was unacceptable. My wife also ordered a salted coffee. Her drink was forgotten for most of the meal. She didn't get it until we were almost ready to pay. I knew it was forgotten because I saw the frantic realization as it was being made. The server kept coming over to apologize for the wait, but having our meal take almost 1.5 hours was a bit overboard. I fully appreciate being potentially short-staffed, but the order of food that came out of the kitchen was also weird. Two parties came in after us and ordered after us. Our table got one dish, then another table got both of theirs, then we got 3 dishes a few minutes later, then another table got a dish, then we got 1 dish, then everyone else in the restaurant was served before we finally received our final dish. The time from our first dish coming out to our last dish coming out was over 10min. We did have people at our table not wait for everyone to have dishes, but the order of dishes coming out didn't match the order of the parties coming in and ordering. I really hope that it was just an off day. And judging by other reviews on here, it probably was. read more

District 5 - House special vermicelli - light on toppings, huge on noodles. - Noodles Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Very friendly spot! I ordered Togo after work and while they were getting my order, they were very careful. We ordered the Fish Sauce Chicken Wings and Saltado Shaken Fries with Fried Rice and one with Garlic Noodles. For one of the Saltado, I asked for no tomatoes since my husband does not like tomatoes. It was nice that they asked if there was a reason like allergies, so they can adjust their cooking. They also didn't want to cook right away and wanted to wait to closer to pick up time to cook. I like how they were attentive and caring to their customers! The fried rice was so good and flavorful. Their Fish Sauce Chicken Wings were not too fishy which is great for everyone to eat. Everything was good & portions are huge and it is another closer alternative to Vox Kitchen for us! read more

District 5 - Fish Sauce Chicken Wings; Saltado Shaken Fries with Garlic Noodle; Saltado Shaken Fries with Extra Fried Rice - Noodles Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Very nice mom and pop shop that delivers some home cooked meals. They're pretty good for being in the area and having some Viet fusion food! The service was a bit slow despite being empty but I would definitely still go here again to support the local mom and pop shop! The food was just alright. read more

District 5 - Garlic noodles - Noodles Near Me - Lake Forest, California

WOW! Just wow. District 5 has some of the best food I've tried in OC. We ordered their tofu banh mi, the vegan pho, and the filet minion saltado fries. All of these dishes we can confidently say are the best we've ever had.... The banh mi's veggies were perfectly pickled, the bread fresh and rich with butter, and the tofu fried to perfection. The fresh cilantro complimented the sandwich well. The vegan pho was so simple but full of flavor. I'm not sure what the broth was made of but it was incredible aromatic!! We kept eating this until we almost burst.... Finally the saltado fries, which my boyfriend ordered. He said the beef was very tender and the fried rice was fragrant. The French fries are always the glue that holds the dish together - and District 5's fries were just that. Their green sauce and special chili sauce took it to the next level. All the foods were chock full of veggies and so you still feel healthy. From a price point too, district 5 cannot be beat!! Incredibly affordable. You're looking at $6 for banh mi and $20 filet minion. I'd recommend this eatery to everyone I know!! The owners are so genuine and kind. Thank you District 5, for the wonderful dinner experience read more

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Great Vietnamese place! I had the brisket pho and the portion was very generous and tasty

Great food and cute and clean restaurant! We ordered the spring rolls with shrimp, house special vermicelli and stone pot bone broth glass noodle soup. Everything was delicious :) service was very nice as well! read more

This is a small mom and pop shop with good service! Seems like it was just one waitress but she was attentive. Garlic noodles with filet 8/10: the beef was very soft and tender which went well w the chewy thickish noodles. The garlic flavor was very prominent which I enjoyed. It came w a mini salad which was good to balance out the oiliness of the noodles. However I do wish it came with more meat for an $18 plate Chicken wings with fish sauce marinade 7/10: the chicken itself was crispy on the outside and soft in the inside which was great! However I do wish it was a bit more marinaded. They prob needed to marinade it a bit longer so the flavor sticks. Overall not bad! Would I come back? Maybe? I just feel like there are a lot of restaurants out there especially in OC that serve similar items so nothing really made this place stand out. read more

District 5 - 20. Garlic Noodle with filet - Noodles Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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The food was amazing, Passion Tea is made fresh, the services was stellar and they were very attentive.

We had filet minon with garlic noodles and fried rice and they were delicious!!!. It was our first time and will come back for sure. Very courteous service! Cozy ambiance. read more

Just got this door dashed for my lunch Prompt delivery right during requested window It was fresh and delicious Would definitely recommend their spring rolls- got the shrimp ones and pork ones , both good but liked the pork ones better (which surprised me) Love the rice noodle wrapping- very tender and fresh, not too crispy or hard read more

i appreciate all the great reviews! i had a tofu bahn mi that was very tasty and a good size. the roll is tender but not quite crusty enough and next time i'll ask for extra veggies and cilantro. at the sweet employee's suggestion i also got garlic noodles with shrimp and mushrooms. for me the noodles are overcooked but the flavor with the mushrooms is incredible! a small salad is included and how could i pass up avocado spring rolls...fantastic and beautifully prepared. you'll find service with a smile here! read more

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It used to be under another name, so I do not know how much of the ownership changed but the menu is similar as I recall. GARLIC PARMESAN FRIES w/ketchup: -- not my preferred style as these is fatter and thicker and almost more like mashed potato fries -- I am a thin and crispy or crisper fry's fan -- there are some firm or crisper portions in fries but not enough to be my jam -- moderate dusting of garlic and parmesan cheese is good. A bit more cheese would be better for better distribution. -- I liked dipping them in the creamy cilantro or basil aioli from my entree (I think it came w/my entree anyway) RATING = A- GARLIC SHRIMP NOODLES: -- small/medium-sized shrimp perfectly cooked and nicely seasoned -- really nice noodles (more spaghetti or slightly thicker gauge) -- I poured the cilantro or basil creamy aioli on top of the noodles to make them creamy and even tastier. The sauce is not as spicy as it used to be or can be at other Vietnamese restaurants that serve this dish. That is a big PLUS in my book since I have GERD. This was much more enjoyable for me yet still flavorful. RATING = A COCONUT BLENDED ICED COFFEE: -- it sounded good, but we were there too late on a "school night" so I vetoed it...next time I will "sniff in" They have some other nice sounding beverages as well. STAFF are friendly and efficient. read more

A great place for Vietnamese food. The brisket Pho and shaken beef over rice were savory and delicious. Our server was attentive and food came out in 10 minutes. Ambiance is casual and cozy. Worth checking it out next time you're in Lake Forest. read more

District 5 - Pho Shaken Beef - Noodles Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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My family likes going here for dinner. The food is delicious. And friendly service here. read more

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I am torn about how to rate Fam's Kitchen. Honestly, I am. The Yelp rating is really good, photos of the food look amazing...but this was not my experience at all. I can't speak to the inside of the restaurant or the service/ambiance as we grabbed our stuff to-go. I unfortunately did not get much photos of our food. I couldn't get to my phone at the time we were eating. What we ordered; 1) Stone bowl soup with glass noodles - I took a close up photo and short video of this item to focus on the noodles. I had a few issues with this dish. For the meat and noodles ratio to the broth, there was not enough broth. The noodles were placed in a produce bag like ones in a grocery store. The noodles were dry, raw, uncooked. Yes. I am not exaggerating nor am I joking. I wasn't sure what to do with it. I've never had to handle pho noodles before. I don't make my own pho (this is not a pho soup btw, but it's between glass noodles or pho noodles, and I chose the pho noodles). Was I supposed to cook it or was I supposed to just put it in the broth and let it soften? I had no idea. Nobody said anything to us about how they would be providing the noodles. I have ordered food from other places before that used pho noodles, but it was always given to us on the side and already cooked. So I am puzzled by how this should've been packaged for a to-go order. I tried to let it sit in the broth, but being that there wasn't much, the noodles would not soften. We ended up boiling some water to cook the noodles with. It was fine after this. The soup though was very tasty. I honestly enjoyed it. The meat was easy to remove from the bone and was delicious. 2) Banh mi - I love me a great banh mi. This was not it. There was barely any meat between the bread, nor much pickled veggies and barely or no spread at all. I am used to having a meaty and thick banh mi from Lee's sandwiches. I was not satisfied with the banh mi here. I felt it was lacking. 3) Spicy shrimp and pork wonton - this wasn't bad. The sauce that it came with was tasty and I enjoyed it. 4) Eggrolls - I was not a fan of this one. It was just ok. I felt like the wrap was thicker and there was too much of it rolled around the meat. I had to remove some of the wrapper. They also gave us a very tiny container of the fish sauce. The fish sauce was super salty, unlike Vietnamese fish sauce that I am used to. It was difficult to enjoy the eggroll with it. The saltiness was very overpowering. Overall, for me I think the food was a 3 out of 5 stars. I am willing to go back and try again because of that soup. I just don't think it will be anytime soon. I was quite disappointed. read more

District 5 - The dry uncooked noodles - Noodles Near Me - Lake Forest, California

My husband and I tried their Shaken beef with fried rice and mango smoothie. We also ordered some of their Ban mi to go. Food is great and flavor is spot on. Also, it's close by our hotel which is a bonus. Service was great and place is clean. read more

District 5 - Noodles Near Me - Lake Forest, California

The stone bowl soup came out boiling hot and stayed hot throughout my meal. The soup was full of flavor and very tasty. The rib was super tender and falling off the bone. The garlic chicken wings were delicious. They were juicy and have a really nice garlic flavor. I didn't care for the popcorn chicken or the fries. The chicken tasted like it was dry and the fries were too crispy. I didn't care for mayo sauce either. Small restaurant. We arrived around 6 pm before the crowd and didn't have to wait. The restaurant was playing Korean music. The soup was Korean style but they had Peruvian Saltado. Fusion of all types of food. HAPPY FUSIONING! read more

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This restaurant is family owned and has an Asian fusion style menu. I was pleasantly impressed they offered an Avocado Smoothie drink as it's not available in many similar restaurants. We had a party of 6 with 3 children and it was both a cozy and celebratory meal during the winter season. The waiter was quick and attentive to our requests. We arrived for an early dinner and the restaurant filled up quickly. read more

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District 5 is legit one of the best Pho spots I have been to. I ordered the beef rib pho and it was really good. We also got the crispy egg rolls and the beef ribs with garlic noodles and everything was amazing. The sauces were on point too. I came in a little late and the staff was super nice, patient, and genuinely helpful. Great energy all around. They made us feel comfortable right away and gave amazing customer service without being over the top. You can tell they actually care about their guests. Definitely recommend this place. Five stars all day. read more

We stumbled upon this hidden gem because I was drawn to the look of their garlic noodle dishes--and I'm so glad we did! The garlic noodles with filet mignon were outstanding! At first, we were a bit confused, thinking the place might be closed because the 'Open' sign wasn't on, or that it was just unusually quiet. But once inside, we found a clean and welcoming spot, with a kind server. We ordered the house garlic noodles with filet mignon and the lychee sweet tea, which came with small bits of jelly and lychee. Both were absolutely delicious, and we finished every last bite and sip. The noodles were perfectly cooked--not greasy, with just the right amount of garlic and Parmesan, and not overly buttery. Highly recommend! read more

District 5 - House Garlic Noodles and Lychee Sweet Tea - Noodles Near Me - Lake Forest, California

The food is so good and the service was great! We got the chicken vermicelli, egg rolls, filet and fried rice and garlic noodles. Everything was fresh and delicious. read more

Excellent reasonable price and foods are so tasty ....saltado shaken beef with fries and rice is so delicious tasty compare to another known restaurant in fountain valley serving same dishes but price is much higher there ...and District 5 pho is not so bad either ...just like in LITTLE SAIGON restaurants read more

District 5 - Shaken beef fries saltado is in my stomach....sorry!!! too good to leave left over - Noodles Near Me - Lake Forest, California

The customer service is 5 stars - they're so sweet here. House special pho gives a great amount of meat and different kinds. They're fast with their orders. Pork/shrimp egg rolls are flavorful! Their stone pot has more of a cleaner tasting broth and has a good amount in it despite looking small. read more

I tried their pork ban mi sandwich so flavorful and reasonable. Staff there is super nice and attentive! I will definitely come back for try different dishes. Staff said they will expand more of lunch specials!! read more

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I have really been enjoying the food and service here, the pork belly banh mi and the lychee tea is my favorite. All the food is tried is satisfying. the only thing I can point out is the bathroom was so unclean I can't get myself to go back, I hope that it gets addressed. read more

This little place is such a surprise! We were looking for some quick bite in the area and found this. We got the #12 and #15. Food is so delicious and everything is very freshly prepared. The owner even gave us free Lychee Lemonade as a token for our 5 minutes wait for the table. I would highly recommend this place! read more

District 5 - Lychee Lemonade - Noodles Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Love love love this place. All the foods are absolutely delicious and the staff is super friendly, welcoming, and helpful. It's a small cozy spot in between other stores. We come here at least once a week. I recommend this place to everyone. This place is a total gem !! read more

Gave this place another chance after the last bad meal. Wish I hadnt, it was even worse this time around. Ordered 2 orders of the Garlic chicken wings hoping the last time was a mixup and they would be the old beautiful golden delicious wings of yore... Nope, they were so overcooked they were inedible. They were also dinky, so small that they threw in a few extras to make up for how small they were. Unfortunately them being so small, they were easily overcooked. The were also a dark brown another indication of them being overcooked. The teaspoon is there to show how small they were, but I had to use it to scoop up all the garlic off the bottom of the container and put it on the wings. Fooled me a second time, wont be back, ever. read more

When I first moved to Lake Forest, I would frequent this place weekly. I would get my favorite dish - Saltado Shaken Fries with Filet Mignon and Garlic Noodles. After awhile, it just became way too expensive so I didn't go as often. In fact, I hadn't gone in 3-4 months and had been craving it so I went last week. I'm not sure if it was just that fat or if this the new norm. The portion size seems to have decreased compared to before. The fries weren't the same and the garlic noodles were absolutely disgusting. I love garlic noodle and for the first time, I didn't even finish it. It was so bland and just wasn't worth it. The amount of filet mignon was significantly less too. I really want to support small family businesses such as this, but I just can't let go of my disappointment. I also ordered take out and as I paid, the employee was staring at me as I entered the tip amount. Apparently my tip wasn't up to par with her standards cause her face clearly showed it. Luckily my food was already made when I arrived so she handed it over but I guess it couldn't have tasted any worse than it ended up being. read more

District 5 - Saltado Shaken Fries Filet Mignon with garlic noodles - Noodles Near Me - Lake Forest, California

The service was very good, very cordial and polite male server. The ambiance is quiet and they have a lot of take out as well as dine in. We ordered the beef ribs soup which was delicious. The meat literally fell off the bone however would be nice to have some veggies. Mainly 2 ribs, an egg and a few straws of mushrooms. The vermicelli with pork and shrimp were delicious especially the egg roll. I would definitely come back for more. read more

District 5 - Pork and shrimp bun - Noodles Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Clean and bright entrance. Note that this is not your conventional Vietnamese, Pho or Bahn mi shop. Fams Salad Spring mix, Roma tomatoes, cucumber, tangy sesame dressing. High acid and tart, but works well with the sweet tomatoes. Stone Bowl Soup This was the highlight - an expert creation of savory broth, glass noodles, enoki mushrooms, fried egg and fresh herbs. Fried Rice with chicken wings Well done fried rice and the chicken wings were crisp and tender. I was surprised the restaurant was empty but maybe because we came a little late and on a weekday. Note that the place closes a little early. That's all... read more

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My son and I love popping into Fam's Kitchen for a quick and delicious lunch or dinner. While his go to is the Pork Banh Mi, mine is the Lomo Saltado (18. Shaken Beef with crispy fries and tomatoes + fried rice). Our favorite starters are the spring rolls and egg rolls. So good! The service is friendly and on point and the food is so fresh and flavorful. I'm so happy that I can get good Vietnamese food in South OC. Saved me a drive to Little Saigon and it is just as good. I also like ordering ahead and picking up when I want to eat at home. Highly recommend! read more

Authentic Asian food, great service! Good choice in this strip mall. Food is great and reasonably priced. read more

District 5 - Com Bo Luc Lac - Noodles Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Great food, stellar service every single time! I recommend the Stone soup if you want a special treat. There are so many restaurants in this area but if you're wanting a nice home cooked meal...try this place first! read more

Amazing, delicious food, clean restaurant and super friendly staff! My husband and I come to District 5 multiple times a week to get their filet mignon shaken beef and rice vermicelli. Every time we get it it's consistently delicious! The filet mignon shaken beef is tender, juicy and flavorful. A great combo with the rice vermicelli and fish sauce. We also get their seafood pho that has mussels, scallops, squid, shrimp and a flavorful broth. Their lychee lemonade is the perfect balance of sour and sweet, definitely recommend. read more

Honestly what's not to love. Quick service. Good price. Great food. Had a random video playing of some mfs cooking. I like when restaurants do that. Solid. read more

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