Saigon Cafe

I really liked this place and can’t wait to go back again. It was easy to order from the menu to ensure my dinner was vegan. I had the Banh Cuon, slightly tweaked (plum/​peanut sauce on side etc) and it was so nice. Also the atmosphere was very pleasing — quiet (meaning they weren’t blasting obnoxious music), which is increasingly difficult to find at NYC restaurants. I love this place.

2 words: curry soup. It is so good! Not too much coconut milk, plenty of spice to keep things flavorful, but not so much that your nose starts running. Basically exactly how you want a «mild» level of spiciness to taste.
I also got the papaya salad and while I liked it, I would probably skip it next time for the shrimp summer rolls. The salad was layered with the basil on bottom rather than throughout on a fairly small plate so you kind of end up eating papaya, then basil and papaya together, then have a layer of heavily dressed basil on the bottom of your plate. Like I said, good, but if you’re looking for that sort of fresh feeling from a papaya salad, try the summer rolls.
If you’re considering coming here, but the 3 stars are scaring you off, I would advise that you try it, but really study the menu for something other than Pad Thai or Beef and Broccoli. Maybe Drunken Noodles or Green Curry could do it for you. (;

Extremely delayed delivery time with cold food. Don’t order from here,

I would give it 3.5 stars. I went with a friend. Soon as you walk in, you notice that its a tiny but still nice spot. Theres one wall full of wine that really stands out. Other than that, the wooden tables and chairs are pretty basic looking. Nothing too elegant.
For appetizers, we ordered the Cha Gio Spring Roll and Curry Puffs. The spring rolls were delicious; all sorts of different things in them and way better than any chinese egg rolls ive ever had. The puffs had more of a sweet taste; i was expecting something with a spicy kick. Regardless, they werent bad.
For entrees, my friend ordered the Phở Do Bien Soup. It had some sort of seafood meat inside of it. Everything else comes on a side dish, and youre suppose to dump it into the soup as you please. It was definately a huge bowl; she couldnt finish her meal. My Xuong Nuong was spectacular; 4 decent sized grilled pork chops. The taste was so rich and even had sort of a sweet flavor to it. They can easily compete with any latin fried pork chops ive ever had. To accompany my pork chops, i ordered brown rice. The rice i wasnt too crazy about. Even though they serve you a good amount, it was pretty bland and lacked flavor. I suggest ordering some sort of seperate sauce to mix the rice with.
For dessert, we had vanilla fried ice cream. That was awesome as well. It comes in a well portioned/​sized ball of fried dough. They split it in half for you and even throw some whipped cream inside. After all that food, neither one of us could finish it.
Overall, its a quiet place. Great if you want some asian cuisine, other than chinese. The prices are inexpensive and the place doesnt pretend to be something that it isnt. The waiter wasnt too attentive though. He would just come by and take a plate if he saw it empty. He didnt ever ask if i wanted another drink, unless i told him to bring me one. Other than that, i guess its a cool spot to stop by if youre in the area, or if youre just hanging out with a friend

Sabotage! When you read multiple bad reviews on Unilocal that all occur on the same day and one of the «reviewers» has only submitted one review in his entire Unilocal history, you know it’s foul play.
I’m a pretty harsh critic and as you can see by most of my reviews, I’m very demanding, as well, and I’m happy to report that the Saigon Café is the real deal and excellent all around!
The staff are friendly, warm and nice. They take pride in their food and service. The food takes a bit of time and is not typical of the lightning fast preparation of most Vietnamese restaurants in the city. There’s no cold grilled pork lying around and plopped on a plate or on top of a soup. The meats here are tender and juicy; made fresh upon ordering. The sushi is sublime, fresh and decorative. The noodles, soups, curries, vegetables are all first class and the best Vietnamese I’ve had in Manhattan. Phở has a rich homemade flavor and you can taste the meat, bones and marrow stewing for hours. I’ve tried them all from uptown to Chinatown and Saigon Café is heads and shoulders above the others! I didn’t care for the Vegetable Tempura and Fried Calamari from my friend’s plate, however, I’m not a fried food fan, so, my taste might not be trustworthy on those dishes.
I discovered this place by accident and have been going regularly ever since. You can either believe the hysterical one star reviews which are clearly written out of jealousy and hate, or, you can go for yourself and see how great this place is for both food and service. It’s just more good food and empty tables for me to choose from.
*On a side note. I personally feel that this restaurant is suffering in the shadow of the old Saigon Grill which closed its doors in scandal and curiosity some time ago and lived across the street (up one block on 90^th and Amsterdam). Memories of picket lines, angry mobs and health department closures still haunt the minds of neighbors who remember those times. I have no idea whatever happened at the old Saigon Grill and I don’t really care. I will say this, however: I once spoke to the picketers who were rumored to be angry delivery people who weren’t paid. I told them that if they want the sympathy of the neighborhood and if they want people to avoid going into the restaurant, they should treat people with respect and be quiet and vigilant. They shouldn’t scream, insult and throw things at people who go inside the Saigon Grill, because customers were never treated badly inside that restaurant. They proceeded to yell at me and insult me. These people, I assume, are the same disgruntled, angry, jealous people that once stood outside, one block away with picket signs. They are hanging on to some old baggage and only want revenge. I could never understand why they dug their heels in and never moved on with their lives. The Saigon Grill is long dead and gone. Let it rest. One of my friends told me that the reason people have bad feeling for the Saigon Café is because they associate it with the Saigon Grill — typical stupid UWS baloney. This is just my theory from word I’ve heard and experiences I remember but it’s probably true. The bottom line is that NYC finally has a great new, affordable restaurant and it should be celebrated!

Maybe I am unwise for ordering sashimi takeout but the eel and striped bass strips of fish had some unfresh smell. The salmon, I’m guessing because it’s ordered more was fresher. One of the decorative leaves was slimey and appeared as if it were beginning to wilt. The eel I was very suspicious of because they topped it with sesame sauce, had wierd color and looked fried, so I didn’t eat it. The striped bass had poor taste and texture and I’m lucky if I don’t get sick. I also became suspicious when instead of single slices there were two, which I thought too generous. The wasabi tasted like a nuclear experiment. I threw out out the extra remaining sashimi down the toilet.
Miso soup good.
Salad alright.
Won’t order again.

Thai iced tea was super sweet– but I needed something to put hair on my chest after a long flight. The basil fried rice was decent size portion, nothing to super write home about. The winners was some drunken noodle dish. They have a full service bar– some folks in our group got a lychee martini and some various sake. Overall considering the huge group (18) they did a great job having the food come out all at once etc.

Recently came here with a co-​worker, it was pretty good. Despite the bad reviews, we tried the spring roll, it was not as bad as others have describe it. It was pack with filling. As for the main course, we tried the phở and steak cubes. The soup base for the phở was amazing and the steak cubes was marinated just right. Both dishes are a MUST if you ever visit.
As for customer service, Elaine did a wonderful job, she check up on us every once in while. No complains there.
Overall, I recommend this place, and definitely try the dishes I mentioned.

I found the food inedible. The spring rolls were not crispy, but chewy. They were very greasy, saturated as though they had been fried for the second time. I took 2 bites then pushed it aside. I took 1 or 2 bites of basil shrimp and told the waiter that it had no flavor, what so ever, and the shrimp were mushy. I told him and the manager that I did not intend to pay, but they insisted on full payment or they would call the police. one of the worst experiences ever.
I work at a business near there with hundreds of employees with 3 shifts. I have removed every menu I could find there. I’d say insisting on that $ 20 has cost them hundreds on the short term. Not the best business decision there, Saigon Café!

***UPDATE: I have ordered from or gone to this place at least 4 times since my review. Every single time the service has exceeded expectations and the quality of the food has been exceptional. Everything has been fresh (including the sushi), well seasoned and well cooked.***
I have been here once with my wife. Before writing a review I wanted to go back or order delivery to be sure that nothing has changed.
These guys did NOT disappoint! For starters, the order arrived faster than ANY other order I have placed. The food was also better than I was expecting.
The Cha Gio spring rolls were INCREDIBLE. They had more meat than dough! A bit on the greasy side, but I would order two orders for dinner!
The shrimp Bun Xao was really good and had a lot of shrimp. The only negative is that they did not add any basil.
The other negative is that their rice vinegar was not very flavorful. But for the price and quality I give these guys 5 stars and will definitely be ordering again!
Edit: I went back and read the negative reviews. People complain about the siliest of things! If you don’t like onions than let the server know! Most dishes have onions! Also, don’t penalize a place for not loading food up with salt. I watch my salt intake and appreciate it. You want high blood pressure? You can always add as much salt or soy sauce as you wish!

Due to other reviews I decided to review this AGAIN.
Simply put, this is not a high end place, the food is very generous portions compared to the Bronx where I live.
Try the Bun Xao with shrimp (my usual)
Pork chops to compliment the meal.
Dont say the food is tasteless, due to lack of salt. A lot pf places reduce salt due to AVERAGE people watching their sodium/​blood pressure. THATS WHY THERE IS SALT ON THE TABLE JERK.
There is another vietnamese spot I enjoy but wont post due to advertisment (which i find highly unethical and is also a form of slander)
THE CITY OF NEW YORK, THERE IS A BILLION OF PLACES TO EXPLORE, honestly if you dont like any food or drinks, either tell your server or find somewhere else. Ive had a issue previously at this establishment where the server responded to in the appropriate manner.
Stop throwing negative reviews at small establishments that are catering to a bunch of spoiled brats! (who cries about lack of salt?! seriously)

Reasonable prices with attentive service. I love the shrimp tempura rolls and the spicy tuna here. You can’t get enough of the chicken and rice.

The worst restaurant experience I’ve ever had in my life, period. The worst food I have tasted (I had beef phở and my friend has chicken phở, and they were both so bad) and also terrible service. No one should ever waste their time, or money, or calories, visiting this restaurant.

Terrible food and service. You are better of throwing money down the toilet. Don’t waste your time and money here.

I wanted to eat real Vietnumese food but Phở Bo I had was the one of the worst and service was terrible.

Besides two very good things — 1) cheap prices and 2) free hot green tea — this restaurant is not worth the visit.
I went with my friend, she ordered the Tom Xao Sa Ot (Lemongrass Shrimp) that ended up being more than ½ a plate of chopped onions, and I ordered Basil Vegetable, which did not seem to have any bean curd as it claimed, and was quite bland with awkward uncooked chopped hot green peppers scattered throughout.
After evaluating with my friend, we decided that the food is tasteless, lacking salt (I tend to find most restaurant food salty) and spice (even when marked with a red chili pepper on the menu), which are two very basic things I would otherwise expect from any decent Asian cuisine service. As an added note, pouring their red hot chili pepper sauce all over our food did nothing to enhance the taste/​flavor beyond basic spiciness or saltiness.
Okay, and finally, «Vietnamese and Japanese Cuisine» is misrepresentative. No real Phở, too much Thai food, and an overall eclectic Pan-​Asian selection on the menu, where it’s difficult to put faith in any of the remaining dishes having been done well.

Low quality, processed meat, spoiled lettuce & vegetable dumplings were big chunks with hardly any vegetables. The phở Ga was ridiculously poor quality with processed meat. I walked out it was so disappointing

This is about as Charming as NYC gets for me. My experience here was nothing less than enjoyable. If I ever do make it back up there I will be sure to pay this place a visit. One of the best people who have ever waited on me, Erik ! Such a delight knows how to make everyone feel at home doesn’t matter the gender race or age. He makes this place.
As far as the food. All of it, none too short of fantastic. Authentic Vietnamese food all the way. Loved every damn bite.

Overall a very disappointing experience. I was looking for some phở and stumbled upon this place through Unilocal.Due to the dearth of reviews, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. The phở bo felt like instant noodles with 3 pieces of meat. The papaya salad had no taste and was the worst papaya salad I have had at Vietnamese restaurants. The vegetables were not fresh at all. I would give the bun xao a 3/​5, but in terms of authenticity the restaurant would only get a ¹⁄₅. We didn’t have any Japanese food so hopefully it was better than what we experienced. Would NOT recommend.

Take out was disappointing. Food was and under flavored. Won’t be ordering from here again.