A well cared for Buddha occupies the front entrance to Saigon. The night I went, his plate was piled high with pears. For those who have never had Vietnamese food, think of it like this, every dish has a little bit of everything. There is no boring segmentation of food groups here, no regimented sections for starch or meat or vegetable, instead, every dish is a joyful pile of textures and flavors. The vermicelli bowl with beef and egg rolls has a base of white rice noodles topped with bean sprouts, thin slices of smoky beef, bite size egg roll pieces and nice, crunchy shredded cabbage. But wait, on the table is this mysterious pot of red stuff. The red stuff is your friend. It is called sriracha sauce and it is a spicy mix of chili peppers, garlic and vinegar. A few spoonfuls of sriracha on your noodles or in your soup give everything a good kick. Speaking of soup, the egg noodle soup is a huge, delicious treasure hunt. One moment you are enjoying the clear broth, then up pops a wonton, then slices of pork with bright red edging, then crunchy bean sprouts. By the time you leave this restaurant, you too will feel well taken care of, and you might even be a little Continued on page 58
Photo by Greg Nichols
Mouth-watering delights in every bite
Top, Special Combination with vermicelli; bottom, Vietnamese Crepe from Saigon Restaurant.
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