Cut the Prices and Cut the Crowd Scene

Draped in gold-trimmed robes and sitting amid curls of burning incense, corpulent Buddha statuettes grin ear to ear, greeting visitors at storefronts and restaurants in Little Saigon, a pocket of Westminster that has become a commercial hub for flavors and wares from Vietnam. “Happiness is around the next corner,” read one fortune cookie message that came with the dim sum lunch at the Dragon Phoenix Palace. Such prophetic words can only mean one thing to a shopper: There’s a bargain close at hand.

Just downstairs from the restaurant, discount signs in English and Vietnamese hang at store entrances to draw customers in. Stretched along Bolsa Avenue, this Vietnamese shopping mecca is dotted with strip malls that may seem unremarkable at first until you realize the clutter of marquees are mostly in Vietnamese.

While some gleeful shoppers may be salivating over the big, post-Thanksgiving sales at department stores and other retail outlets, bargain hunters in search of a fun alternative shopping experience will find Little Saigon enticing. Here, the price is right and the crowds few.

Long lines are rare in this neighborhood marketplace of mom-and-pop shops. Big chain stores are virtually nonexistent. This booming shopping district draws its support largely from the thousands of Vietnamese American residents who settled in the area in 1975, after the Vietnam War drove a wave of refugees from South Vietnam to the United States. The area is anchored by the Asian Garden Mall and Asian Village Shopping Center, conveniently located on opposite sides of the street. Dozens of other stores also are scattered along Bolsa.

Shoppers young and old looking for home decor, stylish fashions or one-of-a-kind holiday gifts can duck into store after store and find name-brand items and some peculiar, quirky merchandise.

Take the wandering bamboo plant with loopy stems that bend and curl. The bamboo and other good luck plants, such as the pachira and narcissus bulbs, are easy to grow and make unique holiday gifts. They’re inexpensive too, selling at $2 and up.

Merchants are known to burn fragrant incense beside their lucky Buddha shrines in hopes of a prosperous business day. The scent wafts in the air as these vendors exchange Asian-themed goods, including statuettes of dragons, token-spitting frogs and spiritual icons, for dollars.

Vietnam has been long known for its orchid farms, textile industry, artisan ceramics and lacquer artwork. It’s no surprise, then, that Little Saigon is an ideal place to buy blossoming orchids, fine silks, exquisite vases and traditional Vietnamese artwork. Most items you can purchase for less than $75.

Fervent shopping at the Asian Garden Mall may effectively distract shoppers from the awful dance-music mixes that blare in the background. The regulars appear to tune out the noise just fine.

Most retailers speak English. Those who don’t are quite accommodating, even if it requires rudimentary sign language or the occasional pointing. Besides the possible language barrier, some stores are cash-only and do not accept credit cards or checks.

Store clerks at the indoor Asian Garden Mall showcase products that include Guess, Tommy Hilfiger and Polo. The second floor houses a jewelry mart. Shop owners adorn their windows with sparkling 24-karat gold and jades in an assortment of hues that are priced at $40 and up.

Across the street, the Asian Village offers 99 Ranch Market, a popular Asian food grocer that is the largest and most distinctive business in the center. Businesses adjacent to the supermarket are a grab bag of sorts.

The specialty shop Phap Quang warrants a nickname to the effect of “electric lotus land.” In this tiny store, Buddhas have neon auras. Plug-in candles and lotus-shaped lamps illuminate the room.

“Most of the items we sell in the store are spiritual symbols,” said Dieu Ly, a saleswoman behind the counter. Sure enough, images of gods made of wood, plastic and stone are crammed into every nook and cranny in the store. Three-foot marble and stone statues of dragons for sale make impressive additions to gardens or entrances to the home. The store also sells coiled incense, meditative music on tape and compact discs and embroidered paintings.

What’s shopping without a few indulgences, namely the mouth-watering traditional Vietnamese dishes you can sample at restaurants and the scores of bakeries and fast-food venues in the district? A caffeine jolt of iced coffee or a fresh-squeezed exotic fruit shake is just the thing to energize any shopper for another round of bargain hunting.

The Route

Start at Bolsa Avenue at Magnolia Street, walking east. Cross at Brookhurst Street and head back up Bolsa. The total loop could take about three hours to browse and at least eight hours to truly shop and explore.

A sampling of some stores:

* Phap Quang, 9191 Bolsa Ave. #115, (714) 891-1465. The store offers new ideas for decorating the home. Specialty items such as lotus lamps go for about $24 and up. Two- to 3-foot statues of dragons carved in marble or stone starting at $950 are impressive additions to gardens or entryways.

* Anna Fabrics, 9211 Bolsa Ave. #119, (714) 897-9577. Some of the finest silks and velvets are here. Some have Asian patterns designed in a combination of fabrics. Vietnamese- and Chinese-style dresses and suit combinations are pre-made and sell for $20 to $40.

* Mimi Gifts and Toys, 9221 Bolsa Ave. #K7-10, (714) 892-2835. This small vendor is located on the west side of 99 Ranch Market in the Asian Village and sells exquisite ceramic vases and flowerpots in different sizes. Smaller pots are $3 to $7; medium pots go for $20 to $45; and large pots are about $75.

* 99 Ranch Market, 9221 Bolsa Ave., (714) 894-3888. This grocery store has fresh Asian herbs, vegetables and fruits. It has an impressive seafood section where the catch of the day includes live fish, crab, clams, lobsters and oysters.

* Dat-Shun Ginseng and Tea Co., 9211 Bolsa Ave. #118, (714) 892-9333. Thousands of Chinese medicines, dietary herbs and spices are sold in bulk at the shop. There’s also a large variety of teas and brewing accessories and health foods.

* Tao Dan Music Center, 9200 Bolsa Ave. #113, (714) 898-1669. On one side of the store, you can hear the latest Vietnamese pop music trends. On the other side, you’ll find traditional folk music. There are often good sales. You can get four CDs for $10.

* K-Shoes, 9200 Bolsa Ave. #207, (714) 899-3362. This shoe store is big on boosting one’s height. Platform boots and casual shoes, stilettos and pumps line the shelves and every inch of wall space. Even sandals have oomph. Sandals start at $8 and shoes are about $20.

* Instyle, 9200 Bolsa Ave. #210-211, (714) 897-3999. This is one of the larger clothing stores, with a display that resembles trendy shops on Melrose Avenue. Guess, Polo and Calvin Klein are on sale. Pants, tops, sweaters, jackets and leather belts are available for men and women. Most items are about $35 and up with an added store discount.

* Oppa’s, 9200 Bolsa Ave. #202, (714) 799-6959. This is a young shopper’s haven. Cute knickknacks include Hello Kitty and Pokemon items. You’ll find lollipop bouquets, piggy banks, key chains, journals and a wide array of greeting cards. Accessories include bracelets and hair barrettes in pastels. Most items are $5 to $18.

* Tieng Thu, Art Statue Lacquer, 9200 Bolsa Ave. #133, (714) 892-3313. This fine-art store sells handmade artwork, such as sculptures and lacquer. A small 18-by-24-inch lacquer portrait painting of a mandolin player will cost about $60. The store customizes orders.

* Thanh Binh Oriental Art and Craft Gifts, 9200 Bolsa Ave. #114B, (714) 891-1749. All sorts of whirly miniature Asian fountains crowd the store. Small and tall figurines of Buddha and white-bearded wise men are available. Tall decorative vases sell for $70 and samurai sword displays are about $150.

* Kim’s Fashion, 9200 Bolsa Ave. #124, (714) 897-8522. This is a great shop for affordable fashion. Vogue skirts with fanciful trimmings go for $10. Mechanic pants, jeans and slacks are $17 to $24. Evening gowns and adorable casual dresses start at $27.99.

* Van Khoa Bookstore, 9200 Bolsa Ave. #123, (714) 892-0801. One of the few Vietnamese bookstores around, the shop houses volumes of Vietnamese folk tales, scholarly works, poetry and pulp fiction. You’ll also find books on politics and history as well as art, music, dance and theater. Bilingual dictionaries are about $22.

* Hoa Binh Fabrics, 9242 Bolsa Ave., (714) 895-1975. Get fine silks from Hong Kong for about $10 a yard. Hundreds of fabric spindles are stacked neatly floor to ceiling. You can buy the fabric and have an outfit tailored for a total of $75.

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The Scoop

Where: The area known as Little Saigon is located along Bolsa Avenue between Brookhurst and Magnolia streets in Westminster. Exit the 405 freeway at Brookhurst or Magnolia and head north.

Hours: Most stores are open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; many restaurants are open until 10 p.m.

Parking: There’s plenty of free parking in lots at both the Asian Garden Mall and Asian Village. There is no street parking on Bolsa.

Stores: See accompanying story.

Where to grab a bite: See listing on E3.

ATM: A Bank of America ATM is located in the Asian Garden Mall at the front entrance facing Bolsa; another can be found at the branch located about half a block west of Magnolia Street on Bolsa. You can also get cash back if you shop at the 99 Ranch Market.

Apres-Shopping: Stopping for a Bite

* Thien Huong Rong Vang, 9191 Bolsa Ave, No. 131, (714) 897-9143. This fast-food shop offers delicious eggrolls, pastries, dumplings, specialty meats and desserts. You can order fresh-made sandwiches and rice dishes. Most gourmet items are less than $5.

* Thao Quyen Restaurant, 9211 Bolsa Ave, Nos. 120-121, (714) 373-1232. Refreshing sugar-cane drinks and fruit shakes are satisfying with an order of meat-filled pastries, sandwiches, spring rolls, sweet bread rolls and other Vietnamese snacks. There’s also a variety of beef jerky and dried seafood. Most items are less than $5.

* Pho 79, 9200 Bolsa Ave., (714) 893-1883. Pho is the Vietnamese name for the specialty beef noodle soup that is eaten at all hours of the day. It is prepared in minutes and served steaming hot with greens and thinly sliced beef. Most orders are about $3 to $5 a bowl.

* Dragon Phoenix Palace, 9211 Bolsa Ave, (714) 893-1976. Silver dim sum pushcarts filled with steaming meat, sweet buns, vegetable dumplings and desserts are always a fun way to do lunch during a break from shopping. A full lunch for two costs about $20.

* Pho 54, 8932 Bolsa Ave, (714) 892-2623. The service isn’t great, but the food is. The pho is ready minutes after you order and goes down easy with an iced coffee drink or jasmine tea. Bowls are about $3 to $5.

* Van’s Bakery, 9211 Bolsa Ave., No. 125, (714) 898-7065. The bakery serves fluffy and creamy French, Chinese and Vietnamese specialty cakes as well as sandwiches, exotic fruit juices, eggrolls and dumplings. They also have pickled and dried snacks such as salted prunes. Most items, including sandwiches and a single small cake, are less than $10.