Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 344 2020
The newest addition to Cleveland's East Fourth Street strip of restaurants is Saigon, a Vietnamese restaurant opened by the owners of #1 Pho on Superior Ave.
Do not confuse #1 Pho with Superior Pho, the delicious restaurant I have mentioned before. In fact, #1 Pho, and Saigon, cannot even compare to Superior Pho. Based on our experiences with #1 Pho, we did not have high expectations for Saigon but were willing to give it a shot. They had a good range of menu items to impress us with, but unfortunately the flavors did not.
We were one of three tables in the whole place at 9:30 on a Friday night. It was during Cleveland's first annual Restaurant Week, and this could be one of the reasons why they were so slow.
The decor is modern and sleek. Back lit blue framed pieces adorn the walls and there are Bamboo accents and divisions throughout the space. There is a three seat bar at the rear of the restaurant, which you would think would be larger considering that it is located right on the East Fourth strip. You would think a larger bar would be much more attractive to someone looking for a quick appetizer and sake, but instead there are about ninety seats spaced out over the shiny hardwood floors.
We started with the spring rolls and summer rolls. I liked the presentation of the summer rolls, with the sauce at the end of the dish.
Unfortunately, the flavor was not as impressive. The spring rolls, as my companion pointed out, tasted as if they had just been defrosted from a grocery store. The fresh julienned cucumber slices were the best part of the two appetizers, not a good sign so far. Next, we ordered the Rare Beef Pho soup and the Vermicelli and Barbecued Pork. The Pho broth was salty and had a strange powdery undertone, the beef had a gamey essence to it that was a bit unnerving. The Barbecued Pork was bright red and had a good flavor and the Vermicelli noodles were nice and refreshing with the crisp bean sprouts, this dish was not too bad.The service was great and our server was very friendly. Only three tables were occupied, and I wondered if they ever get busy. Was she so pleasant because the rush was over, or because she finally had customers?
All in all, if Saigon continues to dish up sub par meals and remain empty on a Friday night, I doubt they will make it much longer.
2 comments:
hmm. sounds like the place has some potential. it's too bad the food didn't taste that fresh...seems like freshness is key with vietnamese food. maybe the spring rolls were assembled a few days ago and kept in the fridge? it's possible.
I hear ya about the pre-assembly, but it was not a good start to the meal. If I were in the area I might stop in again if I were really in the mood for such cuisine.
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