I passed Saigon Rose this afternoon, and came home with a hankering for Vietnamese. With really good reviews on Yelp!, we decided to dine out and put the Lite & Easy off for tomorrow. :D The joint was virtually empty at 6p. We told the hostess/waitress we were two for dinner. She stated that we had to be done by 7:30p, as the place was (apparently) booked solid that evening. No worries; we breathe our food....
Started with a Boag Draught ($7) -- my partner-in-crime had a double-shot of Glenfiddich ($16) (which, in truth, would've been a single back in the States) -- and the Mixed Entree for two ($18) (four items: pork & prawn rice paper rolls; crispy duck skin with pounded prawn; prawn rolled in ham with avocado and carrots; salmon & asparagus spring rolls; each with its own dipping sauce) as a starter. It was a beautifully plated entree that tasted scrumptious. Each bite-sized item was distinct, yet melded well with the other. For me, my favorite wss the crispy duck skin with pounded prawn, which (for me) was amazingly flavorful! Everything on the plate was delicious. Even the thinly sliced iceberg lettuce that was used as a bed was fresh and crunchy -- not that bagged crap that many restaurants use as a garnish/bed in their dishes.
Also, as an entree, we ordered the unusual-sounding chicken breast and banana ($7.20), which was a deep-fried, thin-sliced piece of chicken breast that blanketed a spread of mashed banana, spread atop a piece of super-thin bread. We both really enjoyed it. The flavor of the banana was extremely subtle (virtually nil), and I could see how a fellow Yelper! described it as a grilled cheese/chicken breast sandwich, without the cheese, because that is definitely the consistency and texture of the dish. Really very good, but more a novelty rather than a dish I'd order regularly.
We decided to order two main dishes to share. One was the popular Saigon Rose Salted Squid ($18) (tender pieces of squid, lightly battered, tossed with a special house blend of herbs and spices, a touch of chili, spring onions and fresh garlic). The second was the Sizzling Garlic Squid ($18) (squid sizzling on a plate of fresh garlic and vegetables). The Salted Squid was super! Great flavor; very light and flavorful. Again, the bed of shredded iceberg, and fine-chopped spring onions and herbs were fresh and meshed perfectly with the salted squid. The Sizzling Squid had a wonderful garlicky scent, with a subtle flavor. The vegetables (broccoli crowns, chopped celery, baby bok choy, sliced carrots, snow peas, white onion, and baby corn) were a bit overcooked, esp. the broccoli, which was mushy. The star of both dishes (the squid) was cooked perfectly in each main, and were a substantial portion.
We were both very full at the end of the meal. Sadly, there was no room for desserts. (Maybe next time.) Personally, I enjoyed the entire meal slightly more than my partner. The wait staff was friendly and attentive. We got out of there by 6:40p, well-before the 7:30p cut-off. (The place was filling up.) We didn't, at all, feel rushed. (I tried to be a bit more civilized and stretch the meal out; alas, I pretty much wolfed it down....) I can't wait to come back and do more exploration of Saigon Rose's menu...! :D read more