Saigon Bistro

Whenever I go to a restaurant, I employ one of two ordering strategies.  Strategy number one involves seeking out the most unique/rare dish on the menu.  If the restaurant offers something that can’t be found anywhere else, then carpe diem!  Strategy number two involves identifying the restaurant’s “signature dish.”  If a certain dish made the eatery famous, then I want to know first-hand what all of the hubbub is about!  

At Saigon Bistro in Lakeside Village, either strategy results in the same choice.  Behold… the pho!

This is a very very robust and complex dish.  Pho is street food in Nam, and it comes in many different varieties.  Examples of pho that can be found both in Saigon, Vietnam and in Saigon Bistro, Lakeland are as follows:  rare beef, meatball, chicken, vegetable, seafood, and for the brave… combination! (pictured above)

Aside from the customizable protein choices, Saigon Bistro also features customizable seasoning options.  Think of it this way; an iconic American street food is the hotdog.  Some people prefer their hotdogs with ketchup, others with mustard.  Take a look at what could be the “ketchup or mustard” equivalents for pho.

As you can imagine, I was a bit overwhelmed and confused by these complimentary condiments.  Our waitress recommended the Vietnamese basil (green leaves from upper picture) accompanied by one whole scoop of Hoisin sauce (middle jar) and a half scoop of Sriracha sauce (top jar).

Even without all of the new and fun condiments, the soup is packed with multiple layers of flavor.  The broth is delightfully subtle, but the tripe and tendon are not.  Tripe is intestine.  Tendon is what it sounds like.  TRIPE AND TENDON ARE NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.  I must concede that my “unique/rare” ordering strategy can get sketchy sometimes.  If you’re feeling Vietnamese fare but are not feeling super daring, check out some of the more easily palatable plates pictured below.  (Or, simply check out any version of the pho other than “combination.”  Only “combination” includes the tripe and then tendon.)

By “easily palatable,” I mean in comparison to the “combination” pho.  The upper picture depicts the curry chicken, which is notably spicy and the accompanying “fish sauce” is delicious, but definitely not for everyone.  The spring roles were delicate and dainty with “peanut sauce” that tasted exactly like peanut butter.  For me, peanut butter is candy/dessert, but for my wife, it was critical that it ended up in our to-go box to be savored again at a later time.  The waitress was also helpful enough to package up my pho.  I loved it, but the portion size was enormous so it had to come home as well.

At first, I wasn’t sure if I enjoyed the pho.  My American taste buds were overwhelmed by all of the layers of flavor and confused by the textures of the tripe and the tendon.  However, my American taste buds did what many Americans do best, which is assimilate.  I woke up in the middle of the night with a craving for this weird stuff, and I happily finished off my pho under the moonlight.

Feeling brave?  Feeling extra hungry?  Feeling multicultural?  Give Saigon Bistro a shot.  You’ll end up coming back for seconds, just like we did!