Always great food hot ready and delicious when they say it will be The calamari and general tso chicken are my favorites

Saigon kitchen is the best vietnamese restaurants in town among the various not so good choices. I enjoy the service as the wait staff is generally pretty fast and responsive. The food on the other hand is so so. For example, I ordered the grilled beef vermicelli and the beef looks like it was re-heated, dried, and burnt at the same time. In addition my pho broth is unnecessarily sweet from too much sugar or rock sugar added to the broth. Their chili oil is definitely the highlight of my visits:) read more

Food was good, we came just before they stopped serving on a Friday night(9:38om and they stop taking orders at 9:45om) Unfortunately they did rush us out, cleaning around us and then said we needed to finish and leave. It did change the experience. I recommend going early as to not sour the experience by feeling rushed. Pho was good, and other items, like rolls. read more

Pho and some spring rolls and a Vietnamese coffee.. the perfect lunch or dinner. Will make you happy on a sad day and happier on a happy day. This place is well worth the wait on a busy night! read more

Saigon Kitchen - House special pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

To be honest , this is not the delicious. Apparently it contains a lot of MSG and makes me thirsty. The fish is also not so good. I think it was basha, deep fried and covered by cardamom juice. The fish must be frozen, which is acceptable. But uneven,not crispy, heavy paste is a disaster. The sauce doesn't delicious too. Basically, I could only tell salty. All in all, they didn't cover the unpleasant flavor of the fish. read more

Saigon Kitchen - house special pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Great classic Vietnamese cuisine, good options and freshly made. Very clean and careful during COVID as well

My partner and I went to Saigon kitchen for the first time on Sunday afternoon for a lunch date. We ordered the sriracha hot wings for an appetizer. The food came out pretty quickly we were excited. My partner had grabbed the biggest wing and started chowing. Into his second bite he realize the chicken wasn't fully cooked. He looked and showed me where the chicken was still raw with blood. He politely called over the waiter to inform them. Them waiter did not say anything just quickly took the plates off the table and left. He came back two minutes later saying the chicken was fine that's how it's supposed to be and that he could cook it longer but it would be the same. We were a bit confused by this statement and refused to have the chicken again. We liked the flavor but a bit concerned with their cooking methods. We got our bill and sure enough they charged us for the wings. My partner called for a waiter and explained again what had happened. The waiter refused to listen to us and was dead set that the chicken was cooked. The waiter kept saying that if we worked in a kitchen we would understand that this kind of thing is normal. Which was insulting as I had mentioned when he said that the first time that we both have worked/work in kitchens. So overall bad customer service and questionable kitchen practices. read more

Had the house special pho. Wouldn't recommend it, see photo for picture of mystery meats and fats. Other things coming from the kitchen looked good. I might give it a second chance and try something else read more

Saigon Kitchen - Meat? Looks and tastes like brain and fat.... - Vietnamese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Enjoyed the summer rolls and jungle fried rice. I expected the rice to be spicy per the menu, but it was not. Still delicious though!

The food is fine. Not the best, not the worst. But it's so uncomfortably crowded and Americanized. I come here because i don't always want to stand by the stove for 10 hours and make my own, but every time I come here I end up wishing it was more. read more

We decided to try this place since it had the best ratings in Ithaca. We unfortunately were disappointed. We ordered the summer rolls, one chicken, one shrimp and they were both bland and unimpressive. My BF ordered the house special pho and I got the pho ga. He complained that his barely had any meat and my chicken was totally bland. We had to load it up with hot sauces to make it edible. The service was lacking and we definitely recommend skipping this place. read more

My family visited Saigon Kitchen while in Ithaca to watch a swim meet. The meet had wrapped up in the afternoon and we were looking for a spot to grab a bite for lunch. Overall I felt like the experience was good. It definitely isn't the same as eating Vietnamese food in the city. The flavors are more simple and you definitely don't get all the same garnishes and extras. Also the prices are a few bucks more than city prices but I get that this is Ithaca and options are limited here in terms of Asian food. I wish we could give 3.5 stars since I think that would be a more accurate rating. Summer Rolls Appetizer $5 - A nice tight wrap and fresh ingredients but I felt like they could have added more cilantro and mint. Also the sauce was thick and clumpy, not necessarily a bad thing but just different from what I've seen before. Crispy Squid Appetizer $8 - This dish was good, nice and crispy, you could tell it was just out of the fryer. It just felt a little expensive for the 15 small pieces you get. Bo Vien Pho $10 - This is the meatball pho. The broth was on the sweeter side and they give you a lot of pho noodles which is great! On the side they gave you basil, lime and bean sprouts as usual but I would have loved some cilantro and culantro. Tai Nam Bo Vien Pho ($10) - This is the round steak, brisket and meatball pho. Grilled Vietnamese Pork Chop Rice ($11) - Nice sized. I would recommend they make the pork chops thicker as ours were very thinly sliced which made them a little dry and chewy. Avocado Shake ($4) - Very good! Fresh avocado. Space: The restaurant was nice and casual. Had nice seating and had a lot of tables. Service: I feel like they could have been a little more flexible with there lunch special times. We came in around 1:52PM and the server told us that if we order lunch special we needed to order right away as the lunch special ended at 2:00PM. He came back around 1:55 and we said we weren't sure if we what we wanted to do. At 2PM another guy comes over to take our order and my mom decided she did want to order something off the lunch menu. He asked us what time it was, when we said it was exactly 2 he said that means it's too late - lunch is over. I mean...I get it but I also felt like it was poorly handled. He still could have given us the lunch special. I understand if you get seated at 2 or after 2 but we were there and I'm not kidding - it was literally 2PM when we were ordering. That's where they lost some points with me. Parking: There isn't actually any restaurant parking behind the restaurant like it looks. That lot is all other business parking and vendor parking. There is quite a bit of metered street parking out front though. read more

My favorite restaurant in Ithaca. It's the best place in terms of food and price in Ithaca. My boyfriend is vegetarian and always orders the crispy tofu. When they have it, I will get the beef stew (delicious and unique), but seriously you can't go wrong with anything! read more

I was placed on a liquid diet for three days. This wonderful Pho got me through what could have been very difficult for a true foodie. The intensity and flavor of their home made broth is absolutely incredible. read more

Tonight my family and I went here for dinner after my brother's graduation. Due to separate paths they were about to embark on, my brother had just broken up with his college girlfriend (somewhat mutually); not knowing Ithaca well, we went to Saigon Kitchen recommended by this girlfriend just yesterday. This was the stuff of Dawson's Creek; we walk in, and this now-ex-girlfriend's entire family is also waiting for a table. Oh shit. We should have known; it was her recommendation afterall. Both families chatted a bit, and turns out her parents are the nicest people. They get a table first; my family and I joke that this is the stuff from Dawson's Creek. 15 minutes later, our table is ready. Of course. Why wouldn't it be. Right next to her family. As we all awkwardly looked at each other, my dad exclaims, "Well why don't we just put the tables together!?!" We all ate happily ever after, and the bitter breakup turned into a "Let's talk later." ...So that's what Saigon Kitchen does to you. PS: Incredible customer service. Owner (I assume) Mr. Lam = SO AWESOME. Our server Vi = SO AWESOME. I am a stickler for great customer service, and they genuinely cared about their customers. In Mr. Lam's words (paraphrased), "I just want for you to be happy!" As a family of 5 (and 3-4 of us vegetarians) there were tons of options for us. Almost everything comes in beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, or tofu, and you can choose. I am very, very happy with Saigon Kitchen, and cannot wait to return when in Ithaca again. read more

This place opened up in the past several months, and I truly wish that this place opened up 6 years ago when I first came to Ithaca for school. But first things first. I am Vietnamese. I know what I am talking about, and I rarely write reviews on Yelp but this time I have to, just to do everybody else a favor, especially those who aren't aware of this place yet. Ironically, I only found out about this place after smelling pho while strolling in The Commons but I knew that the only place was in Collegetown. Went home and did some research - sure enough, there was a new place that opened up a month ago! When compared to the other place in Collegetown, this place BLOWS the other one out of the water. No comparison, at all, hands down. DO NOT EVER go to the Collegetown place EVER again. The one in Colelgetown, poorly named Vietnam Restaurant, was below average but was better than nothing without any competitors around. Actually, the Vietnam Restaurant has decent bun but when you are talking about the staple dish, pho, there is no comparison. This is due to the simple fact that the chefs behind Vietnam Restaurant are actually Chinese - Cantonese refugees from Vietnam. On top of that, the pho they serve have been obviously influenced by their Chinese cooking (hey, they even share the same kitchen with their neighboring, Chinese restaurant, Hai Hong (which itself is actually quite good). Saigon actually gives you a side dish of bean sprouts, lime, and basil - which is the authentic way to go. If they wanted to up it a notch, they could have added sliced jalapenos and mint to that dish as well. Other places also have finely shredded onions on the side, too. More the merrier. Rachel S. below claimed the soup to be a little oilier than it should be - that's laughable. Seriously, it's REALLY good pho - and I've been to good ones in Montreal, just as good as this one in Ithaca! I am coming from California, where we are LOADED with Vietnamese restaurants, and this ranks up in the top 10. It's that good. Everything else has been "Americanized" down. For example, they serve you with forks and spoons. Seriously? Bring the chopsticks and white soup spoons - let the others ask for metal utensils. Or when they serve Vietnamese coffee, it's already pre-made. The authentic style brings out two glasses - one filled with only ice, the other with a couple spoonfuls of sweetened condensed milk on the bottom with a hot coffee dripper on top of the glass, actively dripping. You're supposed to mix the hot coffee/milk together after the drip finishes and then pour this into a glass of ice, then drink. Or that their lettuce in the vermicelli is too finely shredded. Speaking of vermicelli, they skimp on the sweet/sour sauce (which really serves as your basting soup for the dish). But the chefs speak Vietnamese, they obviously know how to anchor their staple Pho dish down, the place is ALWAYS packed with a line (remember this rule: if a restaurant is empty or near-empty, never eat there), and it's the same price as Vietnam Restaurant. Seriously good pho. read more

Real talk: if someone told me I had to quit my job to continue eating SK's grilled shrimp bun, I would gladly move into my car and sleep in parking lots for eternity. Of course, this means I'd have to panhandle for bun money, but I ain't too proud to beg. If you complain about Saigon being busy, you're missing the point- good food is worth the wait. So pull up a piece of wall and wait for it. The fried squid is as close as I'll ever get to heaven. The vegetarian pho- Pho Chay, I believe- is lemongrassy and delicious. I love you, Saigon Kitchen, and I don't care who knows it. read more

I'm vietnamese and I give this place a 2 thumbs up. 'Nuf said right? Great pho and service was awesome. Everything we ordered was tasty. Was visiting the hubs family in the area and had a wicked craving for pho. Went here and was skeptical because I'm so use to eating the best of viet food being from the lil Saigon area of OC. This place did not let me down! We ordered the summer, spring rolls, and pho. Everything was Delish. This was also my in laws first time trying viet food, so I'm so glad this place didn't embarrass me! Lol. Great job, and I hope to revisit on our next trip! read more

Popular restaurant that I've eaten at dozens of times. Be sure to specify if you want your food vegetarian, because there's fish sauce in absolutely everything. Including thing indicated on the menu as vegetarian. read more

Price quality of food and service was better than average Asian places. $10 for pho and $5 for the spring rolls. Lots of Choices on menu. Better Ambiance and entertainment would have earned 4 1/2 stars. Severs were not too friendly or smiling. read more

In this town this is seriously as good as it gets! Consistently delicious! Note: they no longer deliver. read more

Saigon Kitchen is by far the best Vietnamese restaurant in Ithaca. It wouldn't stand out as exceptional in a bigger city, but the pho here is pretty solid by Ithaca standards. Unfortunately, this is no secret, and there are consistently long waits for a table here. read more

Saigon Kitchen - House special pho ($11) - Vietnamese Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Pretty much one of the only restaurants in Ithaca that I like. Definitely the best Asian restaurant in Ithaca. The pho here actually tastes like authentic pho. I would recommend Saigon Kitchen to anyone in the area, it is a much needed establishment there. However, I'm used to paying 6.50 for a large bowl of pho.. whereas it costs upward of $9 for a bowl. The menu is also very Americanized. But that is understandable since it is Ithaca. Therefore, I find myself giving Saigon sympathy points.. it would be nothing special in a city (3 stars). read more

This place was one of the first places I tried when I arrived in Ithaca about a month ago. I was worried about the quality because everyone before arriving, I was told I would never find good Asian food in town. This place changed my mind immediately. It more than exceeded the expectations and was pretty comparable to what I've had back home. You don't get an option on the bowl size, but they do give you a big bowl. The pho here is a little more expensive than what I'm used to paying at home. But it's not unreasonable; appetizers are actually cheaper than what I've seen at other places, and almost all entrees are under $10. Service is good and very attentive. The place looks like it's always pretty busy but it doesn't ever look like people have to wait to be seated. I just wish that it was a bit closer to campus so I could get it between classes. read more

I've been missing proper pho for a long time. Finally the Saigon Kitchen comes and brings me the taste of home I've been missing. The beef pho is the best because the broth is unlike any noodle soup base you've ever tasted. I got take-out because I live in Collegetown, but the delivery was pretty fast and the soup was still hot when it came. It was just like I remembered it! I am definitely ordering from here again. read more

FANTASTIC restaurant. My favorite in Ithaca for price, experience, and quality of food. Everything here is excellent. Obviously the pho is on point, but don't hesitate to try any of their other dishes. The Vietnamese steak is one of my favorites - really tasty and tender meat. For pho my go-to is tai gau - love brisket and rare steak. They also have really good drinks. The rainbow one is definitely interesting - it has red bean which may not be for everyone, but I don't like red bean and I still like it. All the other boba flavors are good too. There's always a wait, and they don't take reservations. However, once you're seated the service is fairly quick. Come through!! read more

My friends and I were so excited to check out this recently opened Vietnamese restaurant. We started with the chicken summer rolls and crispy calamari appetizers. Both were quite tasty. One of the owners brought us a complimentary order of Vietnamese imperial rolls which were amazing! For dinner, two of us had the pho which received high praise. I'm definitely not a pho expert but i tasted my hubby's broth and really liked it. I found it to be sweeter than others I've had in the past with a very mellow star anise flavor. Another friend ordered the Vietnamese steak which was also delicious. The meat was cubed and sauteed in a sweet and flavorful brown sauce. I ordered the vermicelli with grilled Saigon pork patties which was excellent! The pork patties were delicious and a great compliment to the noodles and other fresh ingredients. I especially liked that it wasn't just a giant bowls of noodles. The ratio between fresh herbs, lettuce, carrots and noodles was perfect. The interior is very modern and clean. They did a great job with renovations. The service is quick and attentive even though they're still trying to find their groove. We will definitely be back! read more

FINALLY A PLACE THAT SERVES REAL PHO IN ITHACA! The broth was amazing, full of flavor and spices. Generous portions and okay prices. Staff was tentative and friendly. So far the best Vietnamese place in Ithaca! One major downside is the fact that they charge for tea. read more

What can I say? I've been to this place a number of times already and it has never let me down. Sure, the service can be a bit slow at times, but it's understandable since the place is always packed. And there's a good reason this place is packed every day of the week, the food is excellent. I've tried a number of things here from the curry to the pho, and wow do I love the pho. The broth by itself is absolutely delicious. I could eat just that and I would be happy. All the meat options you can choose from are excellent. The sliced steak and brisket are juicy and delicious. The tendon and meatballs are also really good. I have a hard time deciding which ones I want so I usually get a combination of all of them. I also really love their fried squid appetizer. If you haven't tried it, let me tell you, it is some of the best fried squid I have ever had. It's crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. The sweet sauce that they bring out with it is also amazing. Usually when i come here I also order a glass of boba. The only problem I have with their boba is that the glass it comes in is soo tall that the straw they give you doesn't reach the bottom. That makes getting the last few drops a bit awkward. Other than that though all of the boba flavors I've tried have been really tasty and I love the tapioca balls at the bottom . :D Overall, a really good restaurant. I encourage you to not only try the pho, but to venture out and try some of their other dishes as well. You will not be disappointed. read more

FINALLY. Pho in Ithaca. For those who have been here for a while, you know that pho in Ithaca has been non-existent. Sure, Collegetown has a "Vietnamese" restaurant with "pho," which strangely consists of the most un-pho-like concoction that I have ever seen. Cabbage? In pho? Er... Saigon Kitchen finally brings a respectable pho to the table. It's decent, it's reasonably priced, and it has all of the fresh accompaniments that except to find. Granted, it's not nearly as good as pho that you might except to find in Vietnamese hot spots like the west coast or DC, but come on. This is Ithaca, where a Vietnamese restaurant by name only continues to thrive in Collegetown. I'm still scratching my head over that one... read more

I had the lemon basil stir fry with chicken - very delicious! The wait was about 25 minutes for two people but that's to be expected for a Friday night. The turnover of the restaurant is very quick and the service is speedy and professional. The hostess (possible owner) was very attentive toward us while waiting for a table, and made sure we were seated and settled in. I also tasted my roommate's Chow Fun, the noodles were AMAZING. Very tasty overall but I will be sure to call ahead for a table next time! read more

Stopped in here while visiting Cornell. This was far away from campus (unless you have a car) but totally worth it. in fact, as a rule, if there's a restaurant that's sort off off the beaten path, I assume it's good - otherwise it'd be out of business. It was very quiet, and there was a very friendly and attentive staff. I ordered whatever it is that this page says everyone orders, and i agree with pretty much everyone - it was delicious. I think what I liked most though was how darn fast it was. I didn't feel like i was wasting a ton of time there at all (i was there alone, though there were many other happy groups of people there). Nothing really out of the ordinary to say about the atmosphere or the food, just that it's very delicious and I'd be sure to go here if I were in Ithaca again. read more

Went again last weekend and again I couldn't be more pleased. The pho was as amazing as ever and the service was good. My wife ordered the Honey Lemongrass chicken. The portion was actually quite small and came with rice. She and I liked it, good flavor, but probably wouldn't order it again as she was still hungry and attacked my pho after she was done haha. I tried the Imperial Roll too which was good, definitely order it again. I like that they are consistent with their food though, this is definitely a place to keep coming back to! read more

This place is one of the best restaurants in Ithaca. I wouldn't say it's the best pho I've ever had in my life or the best Asian restaurant, but I think it's the best in this area by far, especially when you comparing pricing. It has a great atmosphere, fast service, delicious noodles, very kind serving staff, and a pretty easy to get to location. I will say this place is a sort of college hot spot, so Friday and Saturday nights just be prepared to wait, sometimes for really insane amounts of time. I think it's ideal for a weeknight dinner. It is one of the only places you can regularly find pho in Ithaca, which is perfect for the temperature we seem to always have here. read more

I visited Saigon Kitchen at lunch last week. This was my first visit to a place that I've heard only good things about, and it didn't dissapoint. I had the lunch special of Lemon Basil Stir Fry with chicken. The plate I was served was hot, HUGE, and only $6.95! It was perfectly spiced...not so much heat that it over-powered the food, but enough to make my tastebuds say: Wow! I can't wait to have dinner here...I think it is probably a place that is best enjoyed when you have lotsof time. I hestitated to give it five stars because the service was a bit slow, but the quality of food and friendliness made up for that. Enjoy! read more

I am new to the Ithaca area, but will be spending about half of my time here, due to a new job. And I have to say that Saigon Kitchen was the first restaurant that gave me culinary hope for Ithaca!! My first sip of young coconut juice and I heard a chorus of angels sing!! Pros: The food is authentic and excellent. The service is friendly. The chef is to be applauded for delicious flavor profiles. Cons: The space is small and quickly becomes crowded. Wait staff has a tendency to "linger" if you are too slow to leave, but given the waiting crowds, this isn't surprising. While they excel at authentic dishes, attempts at more Americanized fare like Crab Rangoon is a little lackluster at times. MUST TRY: The Tai Pho, the young coconut juice with pulp! read more

We went to Finger Lakes and had to stop by to see Cornell campus (go Food Science/Sensory Science people!). After a weekend of wine drinking and hearty Viennese food, Vietnamese sounded perfect. This place was packed on a Sunday night so that's good, it's where the students go. I had the special beef pho and inhaled it and not bothering to talk to my friends. I guess I was that hungry :) They ordered one of the noodles dish and it was very tasty. Restroom was clean for campus restaurant and friendly staff. Worth your while. read more

We came down from a long drive to this place and were really looking forward to some good food . And I must say we were not disappointed . I am a pure vegetarian and Saigon had Buddha dishes on their Menu ,which had good options . I started with a cup of vegetable soup which was a light and tasty . Had summer rolls as appetizer ,worth a try . If you have a sweet tooth then you will definitely like the peanut sauce which comes with the rolls . For the main course I had Buddha stir fry ( portions are good enough for one person ) . This dish would have tasted better if the sauce would not have been that sweet . I would have preferred more on the salt and spice side rather on the sweet side . My husband had chicken with yellow curry and he really loved it . He found it much better than many of the Thai/Asian places he tried so far . So all the chicken lovers , I will recommend to go for it . Service was good and they provide 4 types of different sauces on your table so that you can make your dishes as spicy as you wish . I will definitely recommend to dine at this place . read more

Best Asian food in Ithaca but there's not much competition for that title. The food is good, I especially like the pho. One problem with this place is that dishes come out at different times. I ordered the curry and my meal came out of the kitchen about 10 minutes before my husband's rice dish. I either had to let it sit and get cold or start eating without him.... Taking off another star because the staff is often pushy and I always feel rushed here. Especially during peak hours they make it pretty clear that the minute you finish eating you are expected to pay and leave. We were finishing our wine (they don't serve alcohol by the way but you can bring in your own) and the waitress kept coming by to see why we were still there. They also don't allow two people to share one dish. read more

When we went here the Pho was lukewarm and beef was not cooking in the soup. Unfortunately there are no Vietnamese restaurants in this area so you're kinda stuck. read more