399 Vietnamese Kitchen

Many years ago, The Market Place on Tustin’s and Irvine’s border had a somewhat novel outdoor food court, using a single plaza corner to host very good Thai, Indian, Mexican, Chinese, and American restaurants, plus shared seating, next to fountains and ample parking. Over the years, while options elsewhere have become better, the quality of these establishments declined, with once-great fast-casual Thai Spice circling the drain before disappearing. Its closure made room for a new restaurant in 2022: 399 Vietnamese Kitchen, also known as 399 Kitchen.

399’s menu isn’t long, but it has lots of familiar options for fans of Vietnamese food. On our early visit, there were a few bun vermicelli noodle variations, a collection of proteins served either with rice or garlic noodles, handfuls of banh mis and phos, some rolls, drinks, and one dessert: a good but not standout Pandan Waffle stuffed with coconut shreds. Drinks notably included a housemade lychee lemonade, which was strongly lychee flavored and served with actual fruit pieces, a nice touch.