Quan He Pho belongs under the nhau classification of Little Saigon dives—a local pub for drinking, debauchery and chicken wings. But far from hardcore, there's something playful about the bright, boba-pop dcor. Quan He Pho has a comprehensive Vietnamese menu and blaring techno music that make a Heineken at 3 in the afternoon just about the best thing you can do in the Bolsa. This is the kind of place where the regulars hail Heineken as “green balm” in homage to the all-purpose curing ointment. No full bar, but who cares when the beer is TJ-cheap and their happy hour runs from 2 to 10? Gigantic sliding doors open the restaurant to the streets and evoke the relaxed atmosphere of the old country. The removal of this fourth wall often transforms the place into one huge smoking patio. And FYI to the ladies: you will get the “Bolsa stare” from men, who will treat your appearance in the male-dominated nhau world as they would that of an apparition. But that's all they'll do: stare.
QUAN HE PHO, 14942 BUSHARD ST., WESTMINSTER, (714) 775-9988. CALL FOR HOURS.
Ngo is a Little Saigon-based writer. Visit www.bolsaconfidential.com. Be like Taylur and tell us where you love your liquor most. Send a 200-word essay on your favorite bar to ga*******@oc******.com. Entries must include a name and telephone number, and we reserve the right to shoot you—with a camera—at said booze barn.
