A recipe loved by us all, and our customers back then when my parents opened the restaurant in San Diego. It is not really an authentic vietnamese dish, but something that we concocted ourselves, with a blend of french and asian seasonings.

Ingredients:
2 Cornish hens (or 6 chicken thighs with skin)
Sea salt and pepper
2 T soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, sliced
Juice of 1-2 lemons
2 T butter
Maggi sauce

Directions:
Split the Cornish hens in 2. If using chicken thighs, score the meat but not the skin. Season with sea salt and pepper. Go easy on the salt. Marinade with 2 T soy sauce for an hour.

In saucepan, heat oil. Add marinaded chicken, skin side down. Turn heat to medium and do not attempt to turn the meat until the skin is well browned. When chicken is cooked, remove it to a plate.

In same saucepan, add onion. When onion is soft, add garlic. Add 2 T of butter, some maggi sauce, and lemon juice. Then add the chicken back to the saucepan, skin side down. Keep spooning the sauce over the meat until sauce is mostly gone.

Serve with rice, or on a bed of butter lettuce. Spoon the sauce on top of the chicken.

Note: I imagine this dish would be heavenly matched when served with Coconut Rice,  in this recipe:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/56059/asian-coconut-rice/