Saigon I

Recommends

DickMiale

Joined 3 years ago

The mother of all Vietnamese Restaurants in Hampton Roads. Well, don't expect this to be the Vietnamese version of Olive Garden, because you'll go home disappointed. This is Vietnamese cuisine at it's finest. Yes, it's not a fancy sit down restaurant but it's something you'd find if you were living in Saigon and wanted to take the family out to dinner. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable about their foods. I've been coming here since they opened and even though I have tried other Vietnamese restaurants in town, Saigon 1 maintains their authentic flavors and will spice it up even more if you ask. I have 2 sons who live away from here, and when they return home, they both insist on visiting Saigon 1 for that tradition bowl of Pho. My preference is the Pho Tai Nam with a side order of Goi cuon ( fresh rolls) I prefer my rolls served with a seasoned nuoc mam with which they add thai chilis for me. The have pictures of the dishes there and will help you pick out something from the menu. And if you are an iced tea junky, the jasmine iced tea is to die for. The restaurant has been updated recently, and if you go on a Sunday, expect to see a crowd of Vietnamese families enjoying a large bowl of Pho.

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susanfl

Joined 7 years ago

Good food, good prices!. As another reviewer said, a little hole in the wall but very very authentic and comfortable place. Their food is lovely but if you do not know Vietnamese food and/or tend to be squeamish, make sure you read carefully what you are getting and if at all unsure, ASK as they do use some ingredients that Americans are not necessarily used to eating.

Not the prettiest place today but probably was lovely in the 80s. Cozy and a good place to go if you want to read a book or something while eating. Usually not terribly busy so you can pretty much sit as long as you want to. Nice and friendly staff - while not all of them speak good English, they will do their best to help or get someone who speaks better English if they cannot.

This is a good place to become a "regular" at!

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kbruyette

Joined 8 years ago

Great soup, bubble tea. If you are a fan of Vietnamese soup (pho), this is one of the few places in town I trust, the other being Pho 76. This is somewhat of a hole-in-the-wall in a strip mall, but those places usually have the best food at a good price. Highly recommend the soup here, hot, spicy and plentiful. Also, bubble tea fans need look no further. They make a great one here. They're a little short on ambience, but that comes along with being in a strip mall. That aside, it's a great value.