A Saigon Cafe

Yummiest fish in black bean sauce I have ever had. A must to eat at this place!

Wow!!! Amazing food and awesome staff (staff are hilarious)! Simply that! Furthermore, their menu caters to all types! Drop on by!

If you’re a local and you don’t know about this place, you have to go ASAP if you want delicious food with a local, easy atmosphere. If you’re a visitor, go in with an open mind-it’s definitely not classy-it’s a good experience. The waiters are hilarious. Very witty and sharp-​if it’s not your cup of tea, please don’t be offended, this will probably be your best local dining experience. Did I mention how delicious the food is?!

Hospitality was great. The owner has a good life and it’s very comical. The food service is pretty quick and the staff is efficient. I think I like the hot pot over here the best. It’s a nice sweet and sour mixture.
We stopped for lunch and one serving was pretty filling if you have a medium appetite. Initially we only got chopsticks it turned out for the better as it was a fun experience. The serves dish comes with a spoon.
Check out is a breeze. Payment is at the table with credit card and mobile printer device which was pretty cool. Makes for a good talk with the server. Overall pleased with the food. Great for any hunger level based on menu option and seeing what other people ordered. Would gladly come again.

We are visitor from Honolulu and this is the first time we ate here, the Phở was ok but we were disappointed by one of the waiter the guy with the eyeglass, first i ordered Phở and requested more beef balls and he replied don’t worry you worry i don’t worry?! And then next i ordered side satay sauce and that same guy just passed it without saying anything or giving any eye contact, just threw on table and gone. My wife wanted to walk out as soon as he did that but the food was coming. The other waiter was nice but not the loud guy in the eye glass.
On our way out we noticed him handing the sauce to the other table politely. A far cry from how he did our table. The restaurant was filled with people but we were the only local in there. This review is not about the restaurant. This review is about one particular waiter. Food is 3 stars. Waiter, none

The place was hard to find (hidden), but once you are inside. It is clean and nice. The servers are funny but sometimes a little swamped. Our drinks took a little but we got them. I ordered the fried egg rolls (it was good). I got the chow mein with chicken and added fried tofu (loaded with chicken and tofu). It was a little bland in the sauce for me. It is pricey for the amount of food and quality of food you are getting.

Saigon Café is probably the best Vietnamese food joint in Maui. Coming from a family that owned and operated its own Vietnamese restaurant and catering services, I can’t help but be a little more critical and compare the food here to what I grew up with.
This place has a very wide selection of dishes far beyond the standard «phở» and rice dishes like most Vietnamese places on the island carry. Some of the dishes even give me the «ratatouille» feels but of course, they’re not completely spot on but they are damn close! This could be because of the limited ingredients they have available on the island or the quality they have to sacrifice because the cost of said ingredients is exponentially higher. Regardless of that, I really have to tip my hat to them for being able to provide such a lengthy menu even though they’re limited in resources out here.
They offer some of the usual staples you’d find in a regular Vietnamese restaurant — phở, rice dishes, spring rolls, and bun. In addition to these staples, they also offer chicken curry, duck noodle soup and other non standard dishes that you wouldn’t typically see on a menu unless you were dining at a mom and pop shop where the matriarch of the family is cooking away in the back.
The prices are much higher but so is everything else in Maui so it should be expected. If you absolutely have to have Vietnamese food in Maui, I’d recommend Saigon Café.

There was a hair in the food, and the food was really nothing special. Bland and boring unlike Vietnamese back home.
The careless waiter spilled hot sauce on me!
Sure if you’re stuck craving Vietnamese this may fulfill your cravings but i won’t be back
The real kicker is that they cheated on the bill. They added an extra 5 dollars to the total that was totally unaccounted for!!! Tax was listed but the total mysteriously didn’t add up. After complaining the the manager they fixed the bill but i cant imagine how many hundreds of dollars they take home a night from unsuspecting and trusting people!

Yummy food and a fun staff make this staple restaurant a favorite for tourists and locals alike.
Awesome, fresh, whole fish dressed with yellow curry? Yes please!
Tons of selections for any appetite and a great beer (and liquor) selection too. Def. one of my fav places on Maui.

Second time coming here. The server we had was funny gave me a good laugh. Food was great and the Thai ice tea was awesome. I love it and would love to come back again.

Came here for Sunday lunch after reading the glorious reviews on Unilocal.It is a hidden spot and took us a little while to find :).
Food: I ordered phở — just the same phở like what I’ve had everywhere else. My boyfriend got their signature noodle soup (forgot the exact name); it turned out to be a seafood noodle soup, but the taste was full of MSG and the fishy smell. He couldn’t really finish it in the end because of the smell.
Service: Unlike all the other reviews below, we had a pretty bad experience with the servers. The first part was good: sitting down, ordering, then getting the bills; afterwards though, it took FOREVER (~10 mins) for us to be able to pay and leave. One of the servers walked by several times without noticing that we had our payments out; he then said he’ll come back later, and that took another several times walking back and forth past our table. When he finally took our card, we waited for another 5 mins for another server to finally come back with a machine asking us to swipe the card. I mean, all that 5 mins and you didn’t even swipe the card for us?
I hope this was just us who had a bad luck, but this was a pretty bad experience especially comparing to all the other fabulous restaurants that we went to in Maui.

PORK CHOPS!!! I don’t know if they brine it first in some kind of special, addictive drug, but this has to be the best chop I’ve ever had. Simple boneless chop, fried, and pre-​cut when it comes to the table. The meat is so juicy and tender. When I bite down, I keep thinking I’ll need to tear into it like a caveman (lifetime of tough chops… sorry Mom). But then… ahhh. I realize I’m at Saigon.
I used to be addicted to… rice in a clay pot, Vietnamese burritos, Vietnamese Steak, etc. But I’m so happy I tried something new.
WHOOMP.THERE IT IS!!!

‘Oxtail, oxtail, oxtail, oxtail, oxtail, oxtail soup!’ (sing song mantra in my head)
At the time of this review, this dish is my #1 favorite on the whole island of Maui!
It fixes a trance on me, glazed eyes, sticky lips and fingers, mumbling how happy and delicious is life!

As someone who doesn’t normally care for Vietnamese food, when my friend suggested that we eat at this Vietnamese restaurant for dinner I wasn’t all that excited. However, he said the place was good, so I gave it a shot.
The menu is quite extensive. It’s better if you know what you want prior to going because the workers come by quickly and are ready to take your order. As a newbie to this restaurant, I was totally overwhelmed! Just a note… the owner (I think he’s the owner… or at least manager) has a sarcastic/​witty personality. Don’t be turned off by it. At first I found him to be a little rude, but as the night went on, I realized he’s just one playful guy. Actually pretty funny once you give him a chance.
After reviewing the menu and checking out some pictures on Unilocal,I decided on the Create your own Vietnamese burrito and my friend got the Com Tay Can (clay pot).
Be ready for an experience when ordering the Create Your Own Vietnamese burrito. If you’ve never had it before, let your server know and he will be more than happy to show you how to make it. The circle paper wrappers come on a plate on top of a bowl of hot water. The hot water is what makes the wrapper moist so it becomes like a summer roll. Quickly put the wrapper on your plate and add your ingredients on top. They give you a hefty plate of lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, radish, bean sprouts, and tofu. Make sure not to put too much ingredients inside your wrapper or you’ll have a difficult time rolling it up. You also won’t have enough ingredients to last you until your last wrapper if you stuff up your first few burritos. Now the magic happens… use both hands to carefully wrap everything together. Use one hand to hold down the ingredients and the other to roll, roll, roll, and roll! Hopefully, you will find success and be able to keep everything all in one ‘burrito’. I honestly think they should just call it ‘Create your own summer rolls’ because these are not your average burritos at all.
My friend’s clay pot was quite tasty. The sauce that they used to mix up all the ingredients had an oyster sauce kind of flavor to it. The shrimp pieces were cooked very well.
We also got the calamari. Very good choice! The calamari pieces were nice and crispy on the outside and the inside was chewy. They came on top of lettuce and some kind of chips. It was kind of like shrimp chips, but much crunchier (which I really enjoyed).
I also ordered a thai iced tea. I’m pretty picky when it comes to thai iced teas, but theirs was spot on. A little pricy compared to what I usually see for thai iced teas, though.
I’ve got to say that I was impressed with this place. Just learn to deal with the owner’s personality and you’ll enjoy the experience.

We’ve been in Maui for 3 days and have eaten here twice. So. Delicious.
Recommendations: 1) Oxtail soup, 2) phở, of course. 3) Vietnamese beef burrito, kind of DIY with your own rice wraps. If you don’t know how to roll the wraps, the staff here is so friendly and willing to teach you. 4) Whole, crispy fish. We only left the bones on the plate after deep consideration of smuggling them back to the mainland to make broth. ;)

Service and food is delicious!
Eat the phở, Vietnamese crêpe, cubed steak with onion.
Watch your belongings the waiter will take it. So have a great sense of humor. They are fun!

I love coming to this resturaunt due to the fact the servers are funny as hell, idk if they’re serious or joking around when they argue but its entertainment… I had the sweet & sour pork & it was onolicious. Parking can be a hassle bcuz some ppl don’t know how to park. I would def hit this place up again=)

This spot pretty much got Maui on it’s Vietnamese cuisine rampage. Plain and simply put, the food is super tasty.
LOCATION:
This is the former Naokee’s Steakhouse (any long time local will remember that.) The easiest way to find them is to locate the corner of Nani & Kaniela Streets. Forget the listed Main Street address as it’s actually on Lower Main Street. That’s the problem with Wailuku… Gotta drive around the horse’s arse in order to get anywhere lol.
ATMOSPHERE:
The place got a major renovation done in 2013, and much needed it was. Gone are the ripped & duck taped booth seats, as well as that open-​air private dining room. Everything inside is brand new, along with outdoor seating, and a cool bar that serves both environments. Unfortunately, the menus have seen better days.
FOOD:
Green Beans — Super crunchy and sautéed in a brown sauce with mushrooms, onions, and carrots. Really good side dish to any meal.
Bok Choy — Blanched then drizzled in a mild sweet/​salty sauce.
Vietnamese Steak — Chunks of savory broiled steak over a bed of lettuce with tomatoes and cucumber slices.
Green Papaya Salad — The papaya is cut into paper thin strips and tossed in a slightly sweet and tangy sauce with a strong basil flavor. Comes topped with either tofu crumbles or shrimp. Very refreshing starter.
Calamari — Thick cut strips only (no tentacles, boo) over a bed of shrimp chips and lettuce. The batter is thicker than usual but had great flavor and was crispy. The dipping sauce is a tasty shoyu-​vinegar mixture. Great job!
Sautéed Shrimp — If you love shrimp, you have to try this. Deep fried and battered shrimp with an onion-​based stir-​fry on top. Get it with the shell on or off, I like the latter, and your choice of spice. The flavor is mild but the batter mixed with the toppings has an excellent marriage of flavor.
Clay Pot with Chicken — This has been my favorite dish since the beginning. Jasmine rice, frozen peas, chicken, carrots, fresh white & shiitake mushrooms, steamed in a sweet & salty sauce in a searing hot clay pot. The rice at the bottom of the pot is super crispy, so mix the contents as soon as the dish comes to you.
Beef with Egg — Chunks of steak and onions sautéed in a tasty brown sauce, topped with sliced hard boiled eggs and an onion/​garlic stir fry mixture. Delish!
Steamed Fish — It’s a whole steamed fish (head and all) with a mixture of veggies done in a soy-​based sauce and poured on top. This is a big portion so it’s great for family style dining.
Crispy Egg Noodle — The traditional deep-​fried egg noodles topped with mounds of veggies sautéed in a dark brown gravy, and meat of your choice (we got chicken.) Loads of flavor and big enough for four to share.
Saigon Egg Noodle Soup — Highly recommended dish for the ramen fan. It’s not strong in sodium like your usual ramen and has a nice, lighter, savory flavor with thin noodles, fresh chicken strips, and green onions.
Pork Chops — Wow! I’ve found my new favorite entrée. Chunks of super tender pork done in a dry rub that is so tasty and flavorful, you’ll wish you could mimic this at home. Highly recommended!
Vietnamese Beef Burrito — Dried and super thin shells made of rice, I believe, are brought to your table which you dip into a bowl of hot water to soften them. You then add the already cooked beef, bean sprouts, and lettuce. Similar to a spring roll. The dipping sauce is a tangy concoction.
Chicken Vegetable — Chicken strips sautéed in a savory brown gravy with broccoli, onions, mushrooms, and green beans. Good but no wow factor.
Noodle Soup Special — This is a Vietnamese ramen. The broth is clear, lightly salted with a minuscule hint of sweet, but not in a gross way. You have the option of rice or flour (the one I chose) noodles. Toppings are fresh shredded chicken, green onions, dehydrated onions, 2 fresh shrimp, and rubbery calamari strips which I picked out because I hate them in soups. Thankfully there was zero cilantro in this dish. Highly recommended for the ramen fan!
RESERVATIONS:
Recommended on the weekends only.
SERVICE:
The servers are all friendly and quick. There’s one infamous gentlemen in particular who comes off as a pushy salesman but he really means well. If you don’t want something he’s trying to up-​sell you, just say so; you won’t be punished for it.
OVERALL:
Great Vietnamese food. Prices have gone up a lot within the past year, along with every other place on Maui.

If you can find this place in Wailuku without making at least one u-​turn, I commend you. It took us at least three, and we found it only because of the identical name for the apartment building they’re underneath.
As conspicuous, by not the only, haoles in the restaurant, we were well taken care of and had a great lunch. We started with the Buddah roll with peanut sauce. Terrific, just as described with fresh veggies in it. Then I had a great steak phở, with generous portions of meat.
It’s hard to find and not much to look at, so focus on your great food. Good service too.

My boyfriend and I had a fantastic dinner: crispy summer rolls and very tasty phở!
We sat outside and the patio was lovely.
also totally affordable which is quite a feat in Maui.