Le V Cuisine

Alright, even though there is another review that says that Le V is closed down, it reopened a week ago as a Thai restaurant. So it is no longer French/​Vietnamese/​Fusion.
Tiki, the new owner, who’s also the owner of Sushi on Fire on Main Street in Huntington Beach, was extremely welcoming, attentive and funny. She gave us some little triangular shaped bread that we dipped in a deliciously spiced up peanut sauce. We ordered hot tea as they will have their liquor license by the end of the month only, the chicken satay as an appetizer. The chicken was great, perfectly cooked and tender. For the main courses, we ordered the Po Taek, which is the Thai seafood soup, and the yellow curry with chicken. The Po Taek was FANTASTIC!!! The fish was perfectly cooked and practically melting in our mouth. All the seafood in it was awesome. It had a perfect balance of lemongrass, lime and basil. So yumm!!! The yellow curry dish was splendid as well. We finished with a Chai Tea and iced coffee, once again on the house! I never liked Chai tea until this one!!! They sure know what they’re doing!!! I look forward to our next visit as I want to get the Tom Yum Kai as well as their curried duck dish which looked great.
So again, LE V IS OPEN but no longer as a French Vietnamese restaurant, but as a THAI RESTAURANT! Come and try it, you will love it.
Lastly, their phone number isn’t up yet but I guess that will happen very soon. Thanks Guy for pointing us in that direction! I haven’t had this great Thai food in over 4 years!

Pros:
The place setting, and food presentation is very nice. They lit a candle and the layout and decorations inside the venue was very dark, dim, and i suppose they were trying to portray a romantic type of setting.
The food was splended, and i highly recommend the french onion soup, and Chateaubriand — a filet mignon wrapped in bacon. with crab meat and black pepper sauce. The food came out quickly, but not too quick, and hot! :D
The dessert was soo good! My friend and I got the chrispy banana flambé with vanilla Ice cream. It was yummm! the waiter brought it out, lit it on fire, and tossed it around until the fire when out. haha, we didnt expect them to do so in front of us, it was quite amusing and delish.
Over all, the presentation was well, of the food and decors. The food was delish, and service was great.
Cons:
Dun dun dun, there is a bar inside, but it could probably sit only 2 – 3 people, and i didnt see any bartender behind it!
Although the décor was pretty and simple, it was quite cramped. leading me to that the venue was not the best of choice. The location is in a small plaza near a dry cleaners? not the most attractive area and so they may require alot more promoting to keep the business busy and flowing. The tables seemed too close together. If i were to be on a date or with friends, i’d like have my space from other people, and not hear their conversations.
I saw a nice back area and to seem to be walls of bamboo, and a firepit? however… it was not put to use??? no lighting outside. Perhaps they should have made a bigger bar on the outside? This is a «lounge» also no?

Is this place worth the price? MAYBE not.
But if there is one thing I’m a complete sucker for it’s soft shelled crab. Le V Cuisine is one of the few places that I know of that fries yummy soft shelled crab. Is it worth the 13 bucks? My asian mind says no, but my stomach says HELL YES.
Burned down a couple times, Le V Cuisine rises from the ashes to offer classy food and zen-​filled ambiance. I’m somewhat of a romantic, and this place would be great for a date! Sensational dim lighting, a sexy grand piano in the middle of the room, & good food – What more do you need?
Oh wait. I forgot to mention that you do NEED to try the fresh mango salad with grilled jumbo shrimp. If it’s as big and delicious as I remember to this day, then it is definitely worth all 12 dollars. It’s so refreshing and light to eat that it doesn’t make me feel guilty walking down the parking lot to get some Baskin Robbins. The sweetness of the mango along with the crunch of the lettuce is really addictive. I like the salad so much that I think it deserves to be in the Bible. MHM.
Overall, Le V Cuisine is not like your average fusion restaurant because well. the restaurant as a whole will exceed your expectations of a fusion restaurant. Happy eating! And what ever you do, don’t forget to use a fork and knife when you eat here. This is America, for god’s sake!

First came the Kumamoto oysters, über fresh, über delicious — we ate a dozen but I could have sucked down 40 dozen! It’s a french joint, so we had to try the escargot and man! buttered snails have never tasted any better!
Absolutely enjoyed a bottle of Napa red varietal wine (very last bottle of only 900 made) went perfect with our steaks. So one bottle was apparently not enough for us so we ordered and dusted off a bottle of red zin that was zinfully good and yes, we were lit by check time.
Main course: Excellent grilled rib-​eye steak with melted butter on top with mashed potatoes and greens. I ordered my steak medium rare and it was probably one of the most perfectly cooked piece of red meat I have ordered. Seriously, it was amazingly delicious.
The service was super friendly and attentive and the server’s knowledge of wine was very helpful and impressive. Wish I had a larger stomach to try their desserts (the main course portion just stuffed me) which is a reliable gauge to rate a French restaurant. Oh, well… next time, and yes there will be a next time for sure.
I mean for a French restaurant run by Vietnamese-​Americans, they really do show their former Franco-​colonial flair and influence in a tres grande way. I will definitely return to dine at this elegant little gem with stunning décor tucked at the end of a strip mall next to an AM/​PM! Merci, Le V Cuisine! Je suis un fan!

I Brought A Date Here! Nothing But Love!
The reviews on this place have been driving me nuts for awhile now. Apparently, you either love it or hate it.
I finally made it in. I called in advanced and they said they would have my table ready to accommodate me. the way I wanted.
With my date in hand, I entered the restaurant and was greeted and seated. This was indeed a very special date. We were celebrating two occasions (Valentine’s and New Year). My date was sporting a brand new outfit so I knew I had to impress. She loved it. See below and details are as follows:

~Food-3.5 Stars
1. Soda Chanh (lemonade with Soda/​Carbonated) 5 Stars.
Nostalgia! This has been one of my drinks of choice since I was a kid. I don’t know where else to get it, other than Bolsa. Over the years the quality has deteriorated. NOT HERE. Best Soda Chanh I have had in a loong time! Fresh, Very Fresh Lemonade, Perfectly Sweetened and it was in a large glass. The price? 3 Bucks. Nice.
Duck-3.5 Stars. Definitely not the best I have had. But, it was good. Bread w/​butter-​3 Stars. The bread was ok. I am used to fresher stuff on Bolsa
~Décor/​Ambiance-​5 Stars
New. Modern. Pleasing to the eye. Relaxing. The perfect place to take my date. Low lighting, elegant table clothes and black napkins were quite impressing. I had three servers waiting on me. When my date dropped her butter knife, they rushed over with a new one. When she dropped her napkin, they brought a new one. Wow!
My Date Loved The Lounge Area!

So, I agree with Steven and Tam (TwoYelpers I usually share the same reviews with. the best Vietnamese at the best prices are the old school places… Bolsa! So, order French here. They gave this place 2 stars so check out their reviews for a good range of opinion.
***So, how is this place different/​Why Come?***
1. They have French Dishes and Seafood on the menu.
2. They have a good wine list. Yup, they serve wine. As a matter of fact,
they have a full bar and a lounging area. WOW.
3. Easy as Cheese to Park.
4. My service was amazing. Perfect!
5. Uhh Umm. this place is romantic!
I am so a fan of this place. I want to go back and kick it in the lounge corner with my dessert and possibly an after dinner wine.
Le V Cuisine of Fountain Valley… another reason the OC is the best place to live.

Nothing is perfect. But this place came pretty close to it.
Small and cozy, the classy decorations of this sophisticated establishment provides a nice atmosphere. The service here is grade A and the food is astoundingly amazing.
Upon entrance of Le V, my party was greeted nicely and were seated promptly. The tables could not have been more spacious, especially at the booths. When seated, the usual baggette slices were offered as is the tradition of French restaurants. However, these were no ordinary baggettes. These were simply amazing and are hands down the best baggettes that I have ever tasted so far. Even the butter was nice as it was not frozen or melted. It was perfect for spreading on the bread.
Our waiter was always close by and attentive and my party ordered quickly. I ordered the duck al’orange, which was amazing upon its arrival at my table. It was just right and was generously glazed with an orange sauce. It was greatness to my tastebuds.
In addition, their ono fish was extremely tasty. Le V is one of the few places that has impressed me with its fish. The fish was nice, soft, tender, and juicy. Ahhhhh my belly was happy.
As for desert? A scoop of a vanilla ice cream that tasted so beautiful that I couldn’t help but smile.
The only fault that I could find was the price and the parking. Dining at this restaurant is not cheap, however the food is great. Parking spaces are hard to find as the parking lot is not that big.
Overall, Le V is quite amazing.

My first thought coming here was «Where the heck am I going to park?» This situation was easily rectified as there was a line of parking spaces next door where the gas station is.
At the time I went there, a private party was in session. But, luckily, someone in my party knew the owners and she managed to get us a table. Entering this place, I was surprised at how nice the décor was in this restaurant. The giant wine rack was also very spiffy.
Now onto the food…
For the appetizer, I had the spicy tuna on crispy rice. I really liked Le V’s spin on the spicy tuna roll. The crunchiness of the rice balanced very well with the flavor of the tuna.
For the main entrée, I had the broiled Ono filet. This dish came with steamed rice and a bunch of assorted veggies. The filet was very juicy and flavorful. It also had a very nice smoky flavor that I highly enjoyed.
For desert, I had there signature banana flambé with vanilla ice cream. Unfortunately, due to my lactose intolerance, I had to skip out on the ice cream. Nonetheless, it did not make the dish any less enjoyable. The banana flambé was very yummy when I paired it with the blueberries in the dish.
In the end, I had a very nice time and left Le V with a majorly full stomach.

The Good: First off, wow, I didn’t know this place had all these bad reviews. I came here randomly with my girlfriend during happy hour and it was empty. I was a little nervous, but both of us had a great meal there! The restaurant has a nice décor with a fine dine vibe. All of the dishes we ordered were at least a ⁴⁄₅. Well, we had good service because we were the only customers at the time.
The Bad: Like all fine dining places, the prices are up. Luckily, we came during happy hour so appetizers were half off.
Try: Crispy spring rolls, Filet mignon, and spicy tuna on crispy rice. Try coming here during happy hour (Tues-​Sun, 3 – 6) because otherwise the appetizers are too expensive.
Don’t Try: the phở. I’ve never had it, but I just know that phở is best made at authentic Vietnamese restaurants.

I love this place. It’s a Vietnamese joint which has a fusion of french influence. I love the ambiance which is elegant, and simple. My favorite dishes include escagot, mango salad, clam banana salad, lamb chops, tuna on crispy rice and banana flambé. The best thing ever is their hama hama oysters.

this place has so many mixed reviews, I figured I’d try to equalize it with a 3 star. Most people either love or hate this place. I say it’s OK.
Service = This can be good or bad depending on the diner’s mood. If you’re in a hurry, don’t go to a «fine dining like» (notice the quotes) environment. Also keep in mind this is still vietnamese run, so however bad it is, it’s still better than your usual Phở place.
Dinner Assumption = When going to places like this expect to to be there 1.5 hours. That is the usual time the French allocate to dining. 10min between courses. 10 mins to eat each course. 20min for coffee/​cocktails and conversation.
Myself I have no problem with the slow service. I like to take my time and enjoy my food and wine.
Quality off food = the quality of the meats and veggies are top grade.
The appetizers are all tasty. Most of the menu is decent except for the Beef Cube Pasta. Let the record show that Steak does not belong in pasta. It should be next to pasta. Also whats up with the baby veggies. I would rahter have better portions of regular veggies. They could save so much more money using regular veggies and pass the savings onto us.
Wine = they have a good selection of french wine. nuff said.
Value = Some say it’s pricey. I say it’s not. The price is average comparable to most places. If you compare the price to any similar american eatery it’s quite cheaper. We are so use to the low prices at «vietnamese eatries» that we think it’s pricey.

Exceptionally limited dining choices on New Year’s Day combined with a friend’s desire to satiate a curiosity regarding food at Le V drove us there on a cloudy afternoon. With all the surrounding establishments in the strip mall apparently closed, and a considerable amount of cars in the parking lot, one had to believe that all the patrons would be in Le V. But I discovered that was not the case when I walked through the inviting garden entrance into a not so inviting deserted restaurant.
I wasn’t sure what to make of the scene. I noted one cook in the kitchen and one waiter who seated us promptly upon arrival. The single dining room had décor similar to that of other upscale Vietnamese restaurants, save for the fact that this one had some «2009» trimmings strewn about to welcome the new year.
The sign outside had touted a 2-​course lunch special for $ 15, and a 3-​course prix fixe dinner for $ 25. Another advertised the fact that it was happy hour and select appetizers were 50% off.
I decided to sample the happy hour menu with a few appetizers. While I appreciate the effort in presentation, I was let down by the taste, or lack thereof, in my dishes. My order of steamed mussels proved to be flavorless in its soupy sauce. And my baked salmon roll was even more disappointing as the fish was too dry.
The service was especially deplorable considering that I was part of the only party there. The one waiter hardly checked up on us and no dishes ever arrived together. Also, the time between each dish was just awful. My «lunch» that normally takes about half an hour anywhere else dragged to well over an hour. You’d think that if you were the only patrons, the staff would pay more attention to you.

I thought overall the food was decent especially with M — Sun happy hour from 3:00 — 6:00~
Escargot was decent (though i’m not a fan anyways)
Calamari = REAL good! (my fav)
clam on banana leaf = good (interesting to eat — interesting flavor)
baked muscles = REAL good!!! (my fav)
salmon roll — good
Boiled Salmon + Grilled Rib Eye (both from price fixed menu).
Really liked the Salmon — Rib eye was good too
Would be interested in coming back to try other stuff on the main menu~

This place use to be Le Jardin and I really liked it. We use to have large parties out in the back garden and the food was good as well. However, we ate inside this time and the experience was just up to par and not that great.
Although the atmosphere was nice, the music was just too loud. There were some good songs like Crazy by Patsy Cline, but overall, it was just too loud for me. My friend was sitting right across from me and I couldn’t hear a thing he was saying.
The food was very below par. The mash potatoes were crusty and tasted old. The lamb chops were better, but nothing special. The bo la lot was bland according to my friend, and I thought the Chateaubriand was really really bad. Everything was also really really expensive for the quality we got. I was very very disappointed in my $ 45 dollar meal.
The wine list was good though. Most of the reds we looked at were French wines, so I thought it was limited, but the two we tried were good. The selection for a glass is limited as well, but buying a bottle was hideously expensive.
Spent too much and no satisfaction. Not coming back.

I came here with my friend for lunch on a weekday. It was my first time there (I never got to try Le Jardin so I couldn’t compare. We were starving, too, stomaches-​bare) ANY WAY, the outside décor totally shocked me. I’ve driven by the location so many times and I thought nothing of the plain façade (as seen from the streets). But when I stepped past the gates into Le V’s beautiful entryway, I was blown away. It was like entering a secret garden or a whole new world-don’t you dare close your eyes! The inside was really fancy schmancy with the futurisitc chandelier lighting, heavy drapery, and open kitchen setting. It seems like a real happening place on weekend nights – with the piano stage and side bar, but I’ll never know.
The service was excellent. (Mind you it was lunch time so there was only 1 waiter for the 3 – 4 tables) We decided to share the shrimp garlic spaghetti, duck fried rice, and the spring roll appetizer add on ($ ³⁄₂ pieces). I kind of wish I just ordered the spring rolls alone for lunch, cuz they were GOOOD. You wrap them up in lettuce leaves and pickled veges, and dip it into their watery sauce of idk what. But trust me, they’re good. The spaghetti was pretty tasty, a bit greasy though. The fried rice was bleh. Nothing special. If I came back, I’d def try the other menu items.

I would like to thank the French for their influence on Vietnamese food or the other way around. I’m not sure… either way, I get to eat the results! Don’t let the fact that this place is in the corner of a strip mall fool you… inside it’s a whole different world.
They serve food like an izakaya so you can share. We had all of this for $ 65 (this is without alcohol drinks):
–Banana flower salad with baby clams in lemon dressing and crispy rice crackers (probably my favorite of all the dishes)
–baby lamb chops with blue cheese potato fondue on top =P
–shaken filet mignon and tomato rice =P
–Orange duck fried rice (not so great, but not bad)
–crème brûlée with raspberries =P
–Hot tea
–Coconut drink (actual coconut water)
it easily filled the two of us… as if the food wasn’t good enough, from about 7PM they had a piano player playing soft and upbeat music and he was really getting into it… hahaha and to listen to that along with my friend’s soft, sweet voice and the food, I thought I was going to pass out! The tables are white tableclothes and very modern and spare design. I really love the wine display they have behind the glass that takes up one entire wall… it’s not so fine that you would feel out of place in normal street clothes, but it’s no noodle shop either… and I don’t really care because I am going back for more… this is my new favorite restaurant in my neighborhood…
On top of all that, the service was incredible. They also have an outdoor garden section loaded with trees if you want to sit outside and eat there… it’s behind a gate so you don’t have to look at Brookhurst St.
it will be nice in the summer…

I’ve visited this place quite often since they started cause I live near by. I also saw different comments about this restaurant. What I have to say is they are growing up. They really get better day by day.
The Fench cusine is pretty good.
The prices aren’t quite cheap but fair.
Owner is nice, the staffs are friendly and professional.
They also have beautiful patio and such a wonderful décor.
About some of your concerns about the waitress, I though that were some of the girls that they were training at first; however, there is only one waitress so far, and I think she is brilliant. Maybe you guys should come again and check her out! :D

I never went to this restaurant when it was called Le Jardine back in the days and recalled some people saying that the food was good.
Le V strives to more than actually what it is with its overpriced food, meek menu selection and weak service. I have never found a good Vietnamese fusion place since Vietnamese food is pretty affordable in general and when paired with higher price cuisine like French, the cost never fares well with customers.
The food was OK. I ordered Bo Luc Lac (shaky beef) which I could have gotten elsewhere for the same taste and lower price.
The most amusing part of the meal was when the chef came to our table and asked if we could order the appetizers and main courses at once since there were already large parties and informed us that he would not be taking any more patrons since tonight was busy– and this was said when the restaurant was only HALF full. Really, you would reject patrons? He was taking his job way too seriously and did minimal cooking as he greeted customers and brought out food to the tables. Really? Aren’t you a cook?
The décor was nice, but through the smoke and mirrors, the experience was average overall and my party and I agreed that we would not return again.

It used to be Le Jardines. i used to go here for the baked catfish…
but its now known as Le V Cusine.
it’s a fusion … the food were adequate at best… the only thing i like aobut this place is the tables outside.
which is really great if its warm.
its so serene… but other than that… not really worth a trip…

By my estimate, Le V is mediocre at best. Strange that all of the 4 & 5 stars are from folks with only one review history… just an interesting observation.
Nonetheless, the food was fair at best, but not for the over hyped price. We had to overly fried, overly greased soft shell crab and the overly season escargot. The spicy shrimp pasta was bland and very mediocre.
Service was adequate; the servers were very attentive by Asian restaurant standards. But you still have to have to get their attention for more basics like water. They are quick to get them, but not very proactive.
On the up side; decent pricing on wine, but they are trying too hard with their wine offering by featuring primarily French wines. I may have missed any other labels, but I guess if you drink enough, the food will get better. Moreover, the renovation from Le Jardin to Le V was nicely done, and it is a very attractive restaurant. With all the positive external changes, they need to add substance to their menu.

Everywhere you look these days, another Asian fusion restaurant is opening up in Little Saigon.
All so far have had mostly awkward results and Le V Cuisine doesn’t look to to be the exception. It’s only been open a month so I’m sure there are kinks to be ironed out, but my first impression is a weak one.
This used to be home to Le Jardin which was fairly respectable in its heydey. To be sure, Le V now is a lot more sophisticated in appearance. Dark wood floors and a rather elegant motif. The four of us were seated at a windowside booth. Butcher paper lined the table.
The menu reflects French, Japanese and Vietnamese influences. Price points are of course much higher than what you’d find at other Vietnamese restaurants … think $ 7 to $ 8 eggrolls. We started with the lamb chops with a blue cheese fondue ($ 12) and albacore tataki with fried onions and ponzu ($ 10).
The lamb was done well and the blue cheese fondue sauce it came with was lip-​smackingly good. Easily my favorite offering of the meal. Erik A. ordered the phở ($ 7) just to see what fancy phở would taste like. Our buddy Lenin ordered the broiled salmon ($ 16), Geoffrey A. got the bo luc lac or shaken filet mignon ($ 12) with tomato rice and I got the tarragon cornish game hen ($ 12).
Our waitress was terrible. She was utterly clueless about the menu and completely untrained in serving. Normally this is par for the course at regular Vietnamese joints but when you’re charging 75 percent more, you’d better step up your game. When I asked her what the sauce was for our lamb appetizer, she looked at us blankly and said, «I think cheese» and walked away. She could not describe any of the dishes to us. Only 3 of 4 of our entrees came out at the same time. We all sat there for 10 minutes before Erik’s phở (of all dishes) came out and she said, «Oh sorry, nobody ever orders the phở here.» OK then why even have it on the menu?
Our drinks were never refilled and we had to ask for some utensils. She cleared the plates before checking to make sure we were done. Now, onto the rest of the food. The albacore tataki looked appealing though it was completely buried underneath piles of fried onion. Not sure the albacore was sushi grade quality but the flavoring of the onions, ponzu and chili oil was a good combination.
Erik’s phở broth tasted like water and the noodles were all clumped together. Geoff’s shaken beef was tender indeed, but too sweet. Lenin’s salmon was a gorgeous presentation. A perfectly broiled slab of fish atop a bed of creamy rice and spinach swimming in a sauce of fish broth, beets and lemon and crowned with a heap of whisper thin fried onions. Excellent.
There was no mistaking the tarragon in my dish, it was very strong. OK dish. Wouldn’t order again, but I guess I found out tonight I’m not a tarragon kinda girl. Erik thought it was tasty, but then again, he had to contend with his bland phở.
Much to our surprise, the chef came out to our table to greet us and to ask what we thought of the meals. He was really nice and gracious so we told him we really enjoyed the lamb appetizer.
I’ve been trying to give all the Brodard Château, S Restaurant and Aysya types a chance but I think Le V put the nail in the coffin for me. Dining at these places only makes me feel dumb for spending twice the amount of money for food that’s half the taste quality of what you would get in a restaurant that serves straight up Vietnamese food.