Brodard will be opening a location in Long Beach at the 2nd & PCH retail complex in the former Tocaya space. The famed Vietnamese restaurant is based out of Fountain Valley and has been named one of the best restaurants in the state—making it a welcomed addition to the city’s lacking Vietnamese food scene.
“As of right now, we don’t have a specific date as to when Brodard Long Beach is opening,” said Roberto Lemus, a representative with 2nd & PCH. “But it is coming sometime in 2026.”
It joins tiny but growing list of traditional Vietnamese spaces—Sesame Dinette and Pickle Banh Mi come immediately to mind—that are offering Long Beach the flavors of the southeast Asian culianry cornerstone.
Wait—what is Brodard and what will it bring to Long Beach?
Brodard stands as one of Little Saigon’s most enduring culinary landmarks. And it’s a restaurant whose influence extends far beyond its Fountain Valley address. Opened in 1996 by Diane Dang and her daughters, Brodard helped define what Vietnamese dining could look like. For its own Vietnamese refugees who now called OC home. And for a broader Southern California audience: Approachable. Precise. And deeply rooted in tradition while quietly setting new standards.
Its most iconic dish is an ode to the spring roll called Nem Nuớng Cuốn. And it has rightfully become a point of obsession for generations of diners. (That includes Los Angeles Times food critic Bill Addison when naming the restaurant one of the finest in California.) A meticulously assembled rice-paper roll layered with fresh herbs, vegetables, a sheet of crisp egg-roll skin, and a rust-tinged, gloriously salted grilled pork patty. The kitchen produces thousands daily, each nearly identical, a testament to the discipline and craft that underpin the restaurant’s success.
There are what’s called “broken rice dishes, or Cơm Tấm. These Classic Southern Vietnamese plates are built around fractured rice grains, typically paired with grilled meats, egg, pickles, and fish sauce. Simple. Satisfying. Emblematic of everyday Vietnamese cooking. There’s the Bún Chả Tôm, a comforting vermicelli noodle soup featuring fish cake, pork hock, and seafood balls in a light yet deeply flavorful broth. It’s a go-to for regulars seeking something soothing and traditional. There are bun- and hu tieu-style noodle and vermicelli dishes slathered in herbs…
The importance of Little Saigon itself in the broader scheme of SoCal’s food culture.
The breadth of the food at Brodard mirrors the story of Vietnamese food in Little Saigon itself, which began taking shape after the fall of Saigon in 1975, when waves of Vietnamese refugees settled in Orange County to an unwelcoming American crowd.
What followed was not a carefully planned dining district but an organic, community-driven one: family-run restaurants opening in modest strip malls, serving the foods people missed most from home. Over time, these unassuming plazas became culinary treasure troves, housing some of the most respected Vietnamese cooking outside of Vietnam proper. Dishes like pho, bun, com tam, banh mi, and regional specialties flourished here, refined through repetition and sustained by a fiercely loyal local audience that knew exactly what “good” tasted like.
Brodard occupies a special place in that ecosystem, bridging generations. As Little Saigon evolved, so did the restaurant. It expanded into spin-offs such as the more upscale Brodard Chateau. And relocated its main restaurant to its current Fountain Valley home in 2017. Yet it never lost sight of the food that made it essential in the first place.
For many diners, Brodard is where Vietnamese cuisine first became legible and beloved; for others, it remains a source of deep comfort. In a community defined by resilience, adaptation, and memory, Brodard is not just a restaurant—it’s a culinary anchor, helping tell the story of how Vietnamese food took root in Southern California and flourished in the most unexpected of places.
Brodard Long Beach will be located at 6480 E. Pacific Coast Hwy. #100 in the former Tocaya space.
GREAT news