Good Girl Dinette

To be entirely truthful, I’d never been to Highland Park (embarrassing to admit as an L.A. native!) prior to visiting Good Girl Dinette. But the six-year-long siren song of breakfast banh mi sandwiches and Vietnamese-style iced coffee was enough to lure me to make the trek down Figueroa Ave. for brunch at this Vietnamese-American restaurant. With its cheerfully bright interior nestled next to the seemingly serious façade of an old Masonic lodge, Good Girl Dinette is run by chef and owner Diep Tran. A former social worker and immigrant from Vietnam who came to Los Angeles in 1978, Tran demonstrates a penchant for crafting fusion comfort food with locally sourced, organic ingredients. Tran’s family roots in the culinary world run deep – her aunt and uncle established the first chain of Vietnamese restaurants, Pho 79, in Southern California in the 80’s; and Tran focuses on evoking tried and true Vietnamese classics with her modern, Los Angeles spin. For brunch, black pepper pork confit with a coddled egg (and plenty of chile sauce on the side) paired with a fresh-squeezed Tangelo homemade soda made for a perfect start to the day – though I also had to splurge and try the famed and delicious banh mi, with scrambled eggs, bacon, pickled daikon, and cilantro-maggi mayo as well. Pleasantly quiet first thing in the morning, I’m excited to return for lunch or dinner, when the restaurant is bustling (and I hear the spicy fries with chilies, garlic, and cilantro are a must!).

Dress: Folter Clothing Evolution Sugar Skull Dress
Lips: Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in American Doll
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW® Pomade in Soft Brown
Glasses: Bonlook Bonnie & Clyde
Bag: Kate Spade New York

Vietnamese-style iced coffee.

Black pepper pork confit with coddled egg.

Breakfast Banh Mi with scrambled egg, bacon, pickled daikon & carrots, cilantro-maggi mayo.

Fresh-squeezed Tangelo homemade soda.