Perilla is a neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant on Irving Street, the kind of casual spot locals swing by on a weeknight for a pile of garlic noodles. The five spice chicken is the signature dish — crispy-skinned, moist underneath, doused in fish sauce — and it's most often ordered paired with those garlic noodles, or swapped for beef in the same combo.
Beyond the noodles, the menu runs through solid pho, rice plates, and appetizers like papaya salad, cabbage salad, and imperial rolls. The kitchen works from carefully selected ingredients and keeps the format simple: no-frills room, fast turnaround, food built for repeat visits rather than occasions.
The restaurant's chef was a James Beard Best Chef: California semifinalist in 2024.
Beyond the noodles, the menu runs through solid pho, rice plates, and appetizers like papaya salad, cabbage salad, and imperial rolls. The kitchen works from carefully selected ingredients and keeps the format simple: no-frills room, fast turnaround, food built for repeat visits rather than occasions.
The restaurant's chef was a James Beard Best Chef: California semifinalist in 2024.