Song Long is now closed. It is the end of an era. Thank you for being one of the first "higher" end Vietnamese restaurants in the area. I've always had great service from the wonderful ladies of Song Long. I have had so many cherished family meals here. From the cha ca, to the red rice ga rot, and their cheap French steaks. You will be missed and have a forever place in our heart. What a great run, what a run.

I've been coming to Song Long ever since I was a baby, and my parents and grandparents have been coming since the 80s! I always get their fish salad, which comes with shrimp chips. I forgot to take a photo before I started eating, so the one I attached shows the salad partially eaten. Some of my family's other favorites are the rib-eye steak and the noodle soups. We also love the free bread! When we went today, we found out that the restaurant is shutting down on July 25. The owner, who's basically like a third grandma to me, is now 81 and ready to retire. I think it'll be replaced by a Laotian restaurant. So sad! If you've been wanting to try Song Long, this is your sign to go.

If you like dill, I recomment the sizzling fish with dill (cha ca thang long). It comes with the yummiest pungent sauce, truly the perfect combo with the caramelized dill and onions, veggies, noodles, lettuce. Wrap it to your heart's content! I don't really try anything else when I come here. We had the bo luc lac, which was okay. No frills restaurant, order and eat. The limited hours make it hard for me to make it out. At least there's some parking!

Needed to find some lunch after ao dai shopping, so we walked around until we fell upon this restaurant. There were a lot of great Vietnamese dish options, and I honestly had a hard time picking something from their extensive menu. I ended up getting the catfish rice dish. The fish was cooked perfectly and was not dry at all. The nước mắm, as usual, really pulled the dish together. My boyfriend really liked his fried tofu dish. It was such a large portion that in addition to giving me some to try, he was also able to box a good amount to eat later. Service was fast and efficient, and we were pretty happy to have stumbled upon this spot.

I'm writing this review because of the suspicious reviews written by this place. A few review talks about the food their mom purchase. Another review in Vietnamese complains that the food is one day old, and the owner basically forced this person to tip. These reviews are also written by folks who have less than a few reviews written. If you grew up on Orange County you would know Song Long has been an institution in the community. The restaurant has been around as long as I've been alive. This place specializes in breakfast food and French-Vietnamese cuisine. My family and I still go here a couple of times a year. The owner is still the same. It's used to be a husband and wife team but now it's just her. She treats everyone kindly and has always been courteous even to older folks who may struggle to even order because they now have some type of mental disability. She is extremely patient with them. There are def some items that are pretty solid and has been that way for some time. Some of them are cha ca Thanh long, bo kho, and some of the French entrees. You will find that most of the patrons here are a bit older and some knows the owners personally. Some of the more recent reviews are suspicious. Seems like some type of smear campaign. It is the exact opposite of my experience, especially having been eating here about 30 years. If you want to support a local business run by an owner with integrity and treats all that with courtesy and kindness, you should give this restaurant a try.

Update the new menu and prices on 08/2022. I am recommends for French Entrees menu. The best I had try is Filet Mignon Steak.

I suppose chả cá Thăng Long can be sold anywhere else that offering Vietnamese food in OC, cause you know, competition :) Plus I never tried this dish before, because when you say chả cá, in my mind it would be fish cake which you will buy fish fillet then minced or ground them til it turn into a patty, then you will fry it. Well that wasn't what I expected here, I was born in South Vietnam, and rarely tried any Northern dishes, so the fishes were cooked on a sizzling plate with peanut, dills, onions, and they weren't minced, they were just cubes, lightly cooked on both sides, then you got a plate of bún, bánh đa and rau sống plus mắm nêm to eat with. The fishes were a bit over seasoned, but if you mixed them with other stuffs, it should be fine, I am glad I didn't skip any of them and went for the fish alone, otherwise I will have to drink a lot of water to make up for that I did ask the waiter twice are you sure this is fish cake, she said yes. Lol I felt like an idiot after I realized this was Northern style fish cake, also when I ordered the dish by myself, the people there seemed surprised, because they say one person could not finish it. Well they were wrong, it was enough to fill me up. Also got an iced coffee, and still have room for more, but I got it down ok. After that day, I learned more about Northern cooking, it was different, I still prefer my Southern style food, but I don't mind trying it once in a while.

When someone mentions the phrase "phenomenal food", I immediately think of Song Long's Rib-Eye Steak. Specializing in both Vietnamese and French-inspired dishes, Song Long is very detail-oriented, which is evident through appealing food presentations and lasting flavors. There are many phenomenal dishes here at Song Long, but the most notable is the Rib-Eye steak, priced at $18.95 + tax. The term "medium-rare" is beautifully realistic and the steak is cooked so carefully that it maintains its juiciness. When ordering takeout, make sure to heat up the special sauce in the small cup pictured below; it is the perfect combination when you have tender, flavorful steak with an irresistible topping. Give the steak a try!