Saigon
4455 El Cajon Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92115
619-284-4215
By Judi Curry
How does one review a restaurant when the menu runs 19 pages? How does one review a restaurant when there are 8 people eating at the same table and each one orders something else? This is going to be a challenge. A lot will be done by pictures.
Mary, Anna, Judi, Rich, George
Five of us arrived at the restaurant early – 7:00 – and decided to order appetizers while waiting for the others to join us. Our hosts, Anna and Rich, selected an order of Vietnamese egg rolls, (Cha Gio) that were made with tofu, lettuce, and served with a nice fish sauce. The cost for 6 rolls was $4.95. In addition, an order of pork rolls ($3.25) and an order of Shrimp and Pork rolls ($3.25) was ordered.
By the time all of the guests arrived, so had the appetizers and we all delighted in trying everything that was put on the lazy susan in front of us. (I have always rued the fact that I am short because I could never reach things in high cupboards. Now I have another reason to wish I were taller – or at least that my arms were longer. Even thought the lazy susan was large, I still could not reach things placed on it without partially standing up to reach the dish I wanted. But everyone around me was helpful, and at no time did I go without food because I couldn’t reach it!)
spring rolls
Our waiter was somewhat impatient with me, which I didn’t appreciate. I asked some questions about differences in menu items, and he could not answer me, primarily because of lack of English. He told me to have Shrimp and broccoli when I asked what was in the Sauteed Shrimp, but I don’t care for broccoli and didn’t want it. When I asked other questions he ignored me and I ended up ordering something I was not sure I wanted.
I do not remember being asked if I wanted a drink, and only had water. So did the rest of us. Lisa, one of our braver diners, ordered a “BOBA” tea, that had funny little black things at the bottom of the glass. This tea, commonly called Pearl Milk Tea is a sweetly flavored tea beverage invented in Taiwan. The chewy black things are tapioca. Although interesting, I did not find much flavor to the tapioca, and can see where many people just swallow them without trying to chew them. It is interesting to note that the diameter of the straw served with the tea was almost one half inch round. The cost was $2.99
Avocado shake
Later in the meal, Anna and I ordered an Avocado Shake – Sinh To Bo ($3.50) that tasted like ice cream with a slight avocado flavor. People at the table liked it; I would have like a more avocado taste. I would not order it again, but others would.
Each of us ordered something different so that we all had a variety of food to taste. I am so sorry that I cannot tell you everything that was ordered, but the following are those I remember and can find on the menu: Goat Curry was a favorite of Anna’s and very tasty. Unfortunately, the picture I took did not come out.
I ordered Sauteed Shrimp, and it was served nicely. It was slightly overcooked – it was difficult to peel the shell away from the shrimp, which was served with antennae, tails, and legs. Because of the way it was served, the vein was not removed during the cooking process and it was very prominent when the shell was removed.
BBQ Grilled Beef
George ordered vegetarian eggplant cooked with sweet and sour and fresh ginger sauce and said it was delicious ; Lisa ordered BBQ beef char grilled with a coconut sauce that was also tasty. The fresh ginger chicken with onions and garlic and vegetables that Rich ordered was also very tasty and was served with a huge pot of steamed rice. An order of stirred fry vegetables with tofu and mushrooms was ordered by Mary and it was delicious. Tom ordered a Pho dish and said it was very good. His wife did not order anything and nibbled on what was on the table. Believe me, there was a lot, and we took bags and bags of food home. Suffice it to say that the portions served to us on everything was huge.
Of course I cannot go to a restaurant and be happy with everything – it is not in my makeup. Suffice it to say that the food was good; it was all served hot, and because there were so many orders I would not expect it all to be served all at one time. But for the most part we did not have to wait for any order.
Sauteed shrimp
The service, however, left something to be desired. Since we were all drinking water, it would have been nice if our water glasses had been refilled. George asked to have more water and only his glass was refilled. I was seated two seats down from him and my glass was empty. It was not refilled until just before we were ready to leave. It would have been nice if serving spoons had been available with each entrée. As it was, we all used our chopsticks to put food on our plate, and after the first “go-around” all of the chopsticks had been in our mouths. Hopefully none of us were ill or had contagious diseases.
Pho
It was quite noisy and I don’t think anything can be done about it, but I have to say that not having a television to contend with was wonderful. Anna told me that at one time they had karaoke but do not have it anymore.
There is a large parking lot available which I imagine can fill up when the restaurant is full. Trying to park on El Cajon Blvd. is a chore, so the lot was welcomed.
The most amazing thing about this meal for the 8 of us was the final cost. Are you ready for this? Without the tip, the meal was $130. If someone had told me that I would not have believed them. But I was seated next to Rich and saw the bill. I was truly surprised.
So…would I go there again? Maybe. If I had to give it a letter ranking what would it be? Probably a B or B-. But it was a fun evening; sampling so many different entrees was an experience, and for that reason alone I would return.
Judi Curry
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All the reviews on Yelp for this place had a lot of the same things to say as you did Judi. Poor service was the most commonly mentioned. Not sure how a place stays open when service sucks. I guess if the food is decent? Hmmm.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Boba drinks! I got turned onto them a couple of years ago working in Kearny Mesa, the land of boba drinks and other good Taiwanese food. I like a milk tea, which can have flavors like Thai Tea, or almond, peppermint, and other more exotic tastes. I’ve even had an Ovaltine one! But I’m very particular about my tapioca pearls. It depends on how long they are soaked to make them soft. I hate it when they are too mushy. Just the right amount of chewiness reminds me of a good gummy candy. I still go back to Kearny Mesa to get my fave one from a place called Tea Garden on Convoy. They make it the best and I also love their salt and pepper fish. Mmmmm.
When I was released from the hospital after my hip surgery, I had to make my son take me to Tea Garden to have my Boba drink! I even have a frequent Boba card from this place.
Haven’t been to Saigon yet. Someday.
Hi Judy,
I enjoy reading your reviews. How about putting a map in the review. I’m a part time resident and don’t know where all the streets are. Yes there is google maps, but I’m lazy :)
I read this review, and it sounded good. But then you say you don’t know if you would go again. So, should I go when I’m in town, or is there a better option at that price?
thanks,
Thanks for the nice words, Ken. There are many Vietnamese restaurants in San Diego. I have enjoyed all that I have been to, but only one on Convoy Street that I return to. I have to admit that I think that is because my husband liked it and it brings back happy memories. The name of it is Pho Convoy, 4647 Convoy Street, SD 92111. The phone number is 858-277-0133. The menu is similar to the Saigon, but there were a lot of things ordered that I had never had before: Anna’s goat curry, the Boba, etc. and am not sure they are available at the Pho and what they taste like. There is an extensive menu, however.
If a large party of yours wanted a fun place to go, the Saigon is good. There is a beautiful fish tank in the middle of the room that is wonderful to watch. The service is much better – or was the last time I was there – at the Pho Convoy.
I will talk to my “editordudes” about a map.
Enjoy eating!
I really enjoyed your review Judi! We chatted at dinner about some of the things you brought up in your review. I think you laid out the expectations many of us have in a dining experience. You brought up the issue of being presented shrimp complete with eyeballs (they looked like black eyeballs), antennae, legs and sand vein. You also raised the issue about not being able to communicate with our server about how the food was prepared.
I realized that I too had those same expectations and more when dining in City Heights restaurants. The meat in my delicious goat curry had many small bones. If I had ordered a fish dish, it would have come with bones, too. Until I moved to San Diego and specifically City Heights, I expected shrimp to be served shelled and de-veined– that’s the way my mother always did it and that is the way it was served in the East while I was living there. Fish was served carefully filleted; cuts of meat with bones, particularly small bones, were used for flavoring and not served unless the meat was picked from the bones. And I often rely upon the server to explain the ingredients in a dish. I detest cumin, for instance and want to know if it is an ingredient.
During the course of our conversation & dinner, I realized that over the course of a few decades I have gone totally City Heights. That means that I continue to order and eat shrimp, knowing that I am going to get the whole enchilada (to mix metaphors). Did you notice that I ate the goat meat with my fingers and chopsticks, picking out the little bones? I use my hands a great deal when I eat in neighborhood restaurants, particularly Vietnamese and Ethiopian. I am now totally flummoxed when I go to a formal dinner and face an unending array of cutlery, glassware and plates.
It has taken me longer than it should have to realize that many of the servers in local restaurants speak little English. That is different than bad service. And that means that I am sometimes surprised by the difference between what I thought I ordered and the reality. There are times when I don’t like the food and won’t eat it. I know it won’t go to waste- My Beloved is a gormozer.
This is a long winded way of saying that I think it is a good thing to talk about cultural expectations. Your review really got me thinking about those kinds of things and it helps readers decide whether they want to dine at a particular restaurant.
PS- That was one of the liveliest dinners I have had in a long time. I am still savoring it!
I noticed, Anna, that every time one of us sampled your goat curry you made the comment about the bones. It surprised me, because as I visualized a goat I didn’t see “bones” that were small enough to mention. Your comment above helps me understand your comment. I was not concerned about the shrimp; I frequently am served shrimp in the shell but I recently read an article about that kind of shrimp and the author said to realize what the vein consists of, and, possibly when it is cooked it could contaminate the entire shrimp. True? I don’t know, but I have stopped ordering whole shrimp. I tried to ask the waiter how it was served, but his English was limited. Not a big issue, but people going in to eat should know that there may be a language problem. (Remember, I house foreign language students in the US to learn English and know how one word may mean something else to them as it does to me.)
There are some restaurants that I expect to eat with my fingers. Ethiopian is one. I don’t mind “digging in”; it adds to the fun of the meal, but I was a buttery, greasy mess after eating my shrimp and because it was slightly over-cooked did not come away from the shell well. I hate looking at people eating that have their hands in their mouths taking out bones, shells, etc. At least we were all eating the same thing and doing the same thing. But I would go back – but only in a large group.
“But I would go back- but only in a large group.” Judi, that is one of the things I really enjoy and value about you–you enjoy the adventure of food as much as the joy of eating good food. I see another boisterous dinner party in our future….
Fun side note. When I judge BBQ competitions, all the judges are only allowed to use our fingers for all the categories. Even pulled pork! I do love me some finger food!
Also, I’ve eaten quite a bit of goat stews on the Caribbean Island I go to, and it always has bones in it. I think I even had it here recently, same thing. Boney animal I guess!
Every bit of goat stew I ate while living in the Caribbean had dem bones. Wouldn’t taste right if it didn’t. Ah, the memories….
OKKKKKKKKKKKKKK! Let me know when and where.