The classic American diner, with its promise of comforting, hearty meals, has always held a special place. It’s a days-of-yore concept offering such staples as hash browns, burgers, eggs, patty melts and milkshakes. Introducing new ideas and flavors to such an indelible part of Americana is often cause for cautious optimism. Sometimes it’s a resounding success, like Santa Ana’s sublime Le Hut Dinette. Other times, the execution leads to bewilderment (the pre-launch of Tesla’s upcoming retro-futuristic diner comes to mind).
The latest contender to reinvent the all-American classic, District 36 in Fountain Valley, has hit the mark by seamlessly stitching traditional and not-so-common diner fare with Vietnamese influences.
Among its roster of inspired items — which include a breakfast burrito with Vietnamese sausage or candied bacon, and a “cha hash bowl” featuring lemongrass sausage, scrambled eggs and a sweet-salty fish sauce — the five-spice chicken fried “steak” stands out as a true star on a menu full of bangers.
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This diner staple swaps tenderized cube steak for a katsu-style breaded chicken cutlet seasoned with five-spice. While often associated with Cantonese cuisine in the U.S., the five-spice blend (known as ngũ vị hương in Vietnamese, typically composed of star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan pepper and fennel seed) is also a key ingredient in some Vietnamese dishes, like ga nuong (grilled chicken) and sườn kho ngũ vị hương (braised pork ribs).
The addition of five-spice does wonders to this typically laden dish, infusing it with a welcome warmth and suggestion of sweetness. The golden-brown cutlet is generously smothered in a homemade gravy, then anointed with tangles of house-pickled onions and microgreens.
Gilding the lily, District 36 boosts the dish with a side of crispy tater tots and two eggs (rice substitution is also available). While the meal was indeed a substantial one, it left just enough room for me to enjoy Mama’s crispy rolls, a delightfully shatteringly crisp concoction filled with pork, shrimp and mushrooms, and served with a light yet bright fish sauce (nước chấm) for dipping.
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Tucked inside a Fountain Valley shopping center boating an array of Asian eateries, District 36 opened its doors in early May. Other notable dishes here include beef and chicken pho, a bun bowl, steak and eggs, pancakes with fruit compote, street grilled rice plate and Vietnamese coffee. Keep it on your radar for a place to get breakfast fare for lunch and dinner!
Also warranting a mention is the decor that nods to diner culture without ever careening into kitsch or parody. You’ll find plenty of vinyl-booth seating, diner-style chairs, teal-colored walls adorned with illustrations of pho and Lucky Strike cigarettes (a common ration for U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War) and white subway tile along the main room’s divider. A prop telephone in the back invites customers to listen to a riddle, the solving of which earns a discount. Instead of ketchup, sriracha bottles sit alongside tins of chopsticks and stainless steel napkin dispensers on every table. (Ketchup also available at request.) All of this, along with the aforementioned chicken dish, helps create a place that feels both deeply familiar and distinctly new.
Hours: Open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Find it: 18912 Brookhurst St., Fountain Valley