By Juliana Yao, Co-Opinion Editor
Situated on the second floor of the King of Prussia Mall, Vietnamese restaurant Saigon Eats immediately catches the eye. With warm string lights, intertwined leaves and vines, the environment provides a cozy atmosphere for a comforting dining experience.
Saigon Eats is the second restaurant venture from couple Kim Tran and Dan Dieu along with their children, Kim and Troy Dieu. The family’s most recent endeavor lives up to its goals of sharing Vietnamese cuisine and flavor fusions to Greater Philadelphia.
The service is fast, and Saigon Eats is a relatively independent experience for consumers with customer autonomy through online menus and ordering with a QR code.
The menu boasts Vietnamese staples such as banh mi and pho. These classics did not disappoint, providing satisfactory portion sizes and rich flavors. Although the flavor of the banh mi shifted toward the heavier side with a thick layer of mayonnaise, the overall combination of crispy bread, bright daikon and savory pork made this appetizer a must. As for main dishes, the broth’s umami flavor starred in the generously portioned beef pho, enhanced by bean sprouts and lime.
The rice and vermicelli rice bowls were a pleasant surprise. Saigon Eats does especially well with striking a balance in these dishes and delivering complex and satisfying bites. The lemongrass pork bowl was a favorite, providing fragrant rice and tangy pork alongside bright notes of the flavor-packed yet minimal lemongrass. The chicken vermicelli aces texture, and the tofu and mushroom vermicelli is perfected by the savory and incredibly tender tofu paired with sweet and juicy shiitake mushrooms. Overall, the proteins in these dishes are stellar. However, the actual rice and noodles slightly lack flavor.
The restaurant provides a self-service station with various sauces, allowing consumers to customize the flavor profiles in their dishes. Adding chili oil to the chicken vermicelli, for example, significantly improves the modest blandness of the noodles themselves.
In the same vein, Saigon Eats is also relatively vegetarian-friendly, offering customization to exclude sauces with meat and fish. The vegetarian alternatives to some appetizers hold their own as well: The veggie spring rolls with chili sauce are a wonderful addition to any meal.
Prices near $10 for appetizers and around $6 for drinks such as the Vietnamese Coffee. Entrees range from $15-$17. For those willing to pay the prices, Saigon Eats is a commendable spot for atmospheric and culinary delight.
Juliana Yao can be reached at [email protected].
