Saigon Bistro — Restaurant in Altenburg

German Adaptation vs. Authentic Flavor Peking A, unfortunately, embodies the difficulties of finding authentic, unadapted Asian cuisine in Germany. As someone who has dined at Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants across Germany and compared them to the robust flavors found in the Netherlands (and, ideally, in Asia itself), I found this experience disappointing, feeling as though the dishes were overly adapted to a simplified German palate. The main issue is the distinct lack of complexity and seasoning. While the reduced use of salt or MSG (Ve-tsin) is perhaps a healthy choice, it leaves the dishes tasting frustratingly bland—good, perhaps, but not tasty. The vibrant, integrated flavors you’d expect from dishes like Babi Pangang, Tjap Tjoy, or Foe Yong Hai found in the Netherlands are simply missing here. I ordered a standard dish, and the experience was baffling. I received an extremely deconstructed plate: the main component was a large portion of very dry, baked meat served with the sauce separately. This sauce, which tasted distinctly of orange peel, was thin and did little to liven up the main ingredient. The small, segregated portions of the side dishes were equally perplexing: • I received a bowl of rice generous enough to "drown" in sauce (if there had been enough sauce to do so). • The "vegetables" consisted of perhaps two spoonfuls. • The overall presentation felt like a set of independent ingredients rather than an integrated, flavorful dish. While the quantity of the main meat portion and the rice bowl was generous, the overall quality and flavor profile left me questioning, "What the hell is this?" It was nowhere near the satisfying, complex, and harmonious meals I'm used to—where ingredients are beautifully mixed, and you can simply push aside a vegetable you don't like while enjoying the rest. I understand that Chinese cuisine often involves preparing and sharing multiple dishes, making cooking for one person a significant undertaking. However, the fact that Chinese restaurants in the Netherlands consistently manage to deliver these rich, well-balanced, and generously sauced dishes proves that it is possible to successfully adapt authentic flavors for a European setting without completely sacrificing taste. Peking A offers large portions, but the food is bland, dry, and fundamentally restructured in a way that eliminates the joy of classic Asian dining. If you are looking for the rich, complex, and satisfying flavors of Dutch-Chinese cuisine, you will be deeply...

Grottenschlecht. Essen wurde zur Abholung vorbestellt. Keine Begrüßung von seitens des Personals. Man wird einfach ignoriert und stehengelassen. Nach Ewigkeiten kam das Essen. Auf Nachfrage, ob alles wie bestellt ist, kam ja. Bei der Rechnung hat die Alte mehrfach versucht zu bescheißen. Hat total schnell und unverständlich wirres Zeug gefaselt. Die Preise der Speisekarte stimmen hinten und vorne nicht. Da meinte die Fidschialte, der Fehler liegt bei der Werbeagentur. Die Alte ist total unfreundlich geworden.

Nach dem Ankommen die Speisen kontrolliert, es waren nicht wie bestellt große Portionen und das extra vorher bestellte war nicht dabei. Keine scharfe Soße und Röstzwiebeln. Das ist nun schon das Vierte Mal passiert!! Scheiß...

We were served by a very kind, friendly lady in this beautiful restaurant. The Pho was delicious and very well made. There was also a very good toilet, which seem hard to come by in Germany. This place deserves to be so much...