Hidden behind Spires coffee shop, tucked away in a strip mall on the corner of Manhattan Beach Bl and Hawthorne Bl is a Pho gem -Saigon Dish. The magic of Saigon Dish is the result of a collaborative effort between John and his cousin. The legend goes: First there was John, single and working in the corporate life after getting his business degree; he was looking to make it big. Then there was John's friend, a family man and successful businessman; he was struggling to cut a balance between his business and quality time with his family - a perfect swap, John traded places with his friend. John quickly realized that running a restaurant was not easily and brought in his cousin. Between John manning the dining room and his cousin, the kitchen, they created quite a gem of a restaurant.

As I looked back to the first time I tried Saigon Dish, the first thing I noticed as I walked in was the décor. The light color woods and colorful cushions gave the dining room a fresh and airy feel. However, this visual was fleeting; John's welcome pulled our focus to a young articulate charismatic entrepreneur and I immediately knew one of the reasons why Saigon Dish was successful.

What's the other reason you asked? Why of course the food - the other half of this collaboration. Every time I come I always have #7 the Pho with steak, tendon, tripe and meatballs. As a matter of fact we all, always order a Pho dish, in one form or another; everyone one of us, big group or small group it didn't matter - always Pho. The Pho is so good and you get plenty of it. Well, today we finally broke the habit, well kinda. We ordered one #7, a #22, Special spicy noodle soup and an order of Crispy Vietnamese Egg Rolls. Everything was excellent as usual.

Now that I've broken the habit, next time I think I'll order one of the rice dishes.