The plaza at the intersection of Rosemead and Las Tunas used to be an Edwards Theater that featured 4 movies at a time. It went out of business and was an abandoned lot for several years. Now the plaza is alive again with so many good restaurants and shops including Kang Ho-dang Baekjeong, Sunmerry, and Green Zone. I love one-stop shops (or in this case, corner plazas). It’s a very southern Californian thing, and we should embrace it.
One restaurant that caught my eye as soon as this plaza was open and running was Summer Rolls. Unlike the usual SGV heavy hitters, Summer Rolls felt like it belonged in Pasadena with its outdoor patio and craft beer signs.
It didn’t disappoint. Here’s what we ordered:
Banh Beo: Little savory steamed rice cakes. I’ve never had this before and they reminded me a little bit of the Taiwanese dish, ba-wan, which is a savory, starchy dish that literally translates to meat ball. Banh Beo is a really simple dish made of steamed rice cake, crispy pork skin, dried shrimp and sliced jalapenos. They’re a fun appetizer.
Nem Cuon: Charbroiled pork and shrimp spring rolls. These are substantial rolls that come in a set of 4. They’re definitely the star of the show and are really well-made spring rolls where all the ingredients are equally balanced, wrapped up in a beautiful, chewy rice paper.
Banh Xeo: I love this dish. Summer Rolls does a good job on the rice flour pancake filled with bean sprouts, shrimp, scallions, and pork. You cut off a piece and wrap it in lettuce, add some mint, and dip it into nuoc cham sauce. It’s an amazing, amazing experience with 3 to 4 different textures going all at once. They’re generous with the shrimp, too.
They have a variety of craft beers to choose from. I was happy with my Modern Times Hazy IPA. Love that there’s a place in SGV now to get a solid beer and spring rolls. It’s a winning combo.
JULIENNE CARROTS 