Saigon Babylon — Restaurant in Cambridge

SERVICE: I was extremely wary of the review themes of "rudeness and high salt dishes" on another platform. I will say the indirect staff seem aloof walking by. It does seem odd to not have a smile returned when we make eye contact and then you are the picture of warmth when you drop off a dish. Pick a lane and get comfortable. To be fair, everybody was moving. This is not a large restaurant, and it was as if they were preparing for the Queen [R/I.P.]. OUR SERVER JOSH WAS IMPECCABLE. Friendly, attentive w/o hovering and his suggestion was spot on. FOOD/DRINK: I had the Cicada Breeze, which is supposed to be spicy. When I order a spicy cocktail, I expect it to be 'angry'...this was delicious, but I would say it was 'mildly annoyed'. Josh did have them 'add more anger' which was better but if you enjoy spicy, this may not satisfy. We only ordered appetizers, beginning with Josh' recommendation of Squab. This is pigeon, to be clear but it is rich and moist and I did not find this to be overly gamey. The Lemongrass Beef was glorious. This was actually the largest of the dishes and it was flavorful and delicate. My only complaint was it comes with one cracker that is the size of a small tortilla. Even if I had been eating this solely, it would hardly have been enough, so it became a rationing game between my pal& I. Two would have balanced the meat portion. The Corn was the only item I would not order again [though I would eat it again]. These kernels were dense and almost gummy but in a good way. The amount was akin to a large ear of corn. If you have ever paid $15 for a corncob, please stand up. I could definitely duplicate this for a fraction of the price, so that was a disappointment, but we end on a good note with the Fluke. Fish, peanut butter and Mint is the combo you might want to rebuke but I assure you: your palate deserves this. Admittedly, the fluke seemed minimal but I will overlook that for the delight that was this dish. It is Mint-heavy but somehow, they managed to present a dish that is not overpowering. It looked like raw mint with zero preparation but was so light, my pal devoured it. He does not like mint! In all, the evening cost $96.80. Two points of contention: Kitchen appreciation fee and satiety.... With the current climate of rebounding financially from global occurrences, I am not a fan of this fee. Patronizing a restaurant is the way a customer shows financial support in a time when luxury has to be limited. It is rather dark inside, so I did not see this prior on the menu. It may not be there. I tipped on the total because Josh was fantastic but be aware: if not paying attention, you will be tipping on the Fee and the Taxes. Which segues into a full meal....as flavorful and fresh as everything was, $100 later, I wanted to go to TastyBurger. Everything was so light, I was not starving after but definitely could have had a second dinner with another friend! The larger dishes may fare...

For $18 apps and $35 main course prices I was expecting the restaurant to be a little more on point. The place had new restaurant vibes. For a restaurant this expensive I would expect:

Noodles cooked perfectly — not mushy not overly cooked and slightly too salty duck portions that reflected the price tags. Even the $30 plates were the size of appetizers. And the entrees took a long time to come out. Wait staff training to not happen front of house in front of waiting customers staff meals like McDonalds not viewable when walking to the restroom shade for the roof top seating. Head there after the sun goes down. Heat radiates off of the roof and the sun is definitely in your eyes almost the whole time. transparency / forewarning of a 3% kitchen charge. I would have preferred a blanket 20% charge if this was the case. not having to head to the register to pay my $300 bill (we’re not in a food hall…)

Still, the food was delicious but some of the dishes (re: duck with taro) were a little too salty. All of the noodle dishes (duck with taro, monkfish, and short rib) had noodles that were too soft! For a restaurant where the culture revolves around noodles and for one that is this pricy, it was very disappointing to see. If it were a cheaper place i would still consider avoiding just on account of how they overcook the noodles.

Dishes in order of favorite: Squab with sticky rice. Nothing to criticize here. Perfect flavors and each morsel of rice perfectly cooked Clams. Excellent flavors I asked for a bowl of the sticky rice after for the soup. Note, they do not sell sides of rice or noodles. You must purchase a dish with rice or noodle to get extra. Short rib with pineapple — slightly over cooked noodles. And this was more like mini steak tips with mini pineapple. Good but again quantities are very small. Monkfish with salty shrimp paste great flavors — mushy noodles Duck with taro. More traditional flavors. Slightly too salty and mush noodles.

We got both desserts espresso and the pandan soft serve. Soft serve was a delight! Subtle, cool, and creamy.

I liked the food but the prices, quantities, and the uncomfortable seating (hot, no shade. we came at 5 pm) makes it hard for me to want...

New rooftop bar from the Cicada Owners

Recently took a visit for dinner. We arrived a few minutes before they opened, and there was already a line for the rooftop terrace. Although the outdoor terrace area looked enticing, we chose a regular dining reservation since the terrace was limited to drinks only. The main dining area was quite small, featuring a long shared table in the center and three tables along the windows. As a group of two, our best option was to sit at the end of the long table, which had the advantage of being partitioned by an elephant statue.

From their small plates, we got the Lemongrass Beef and the Banana Flowers. The beef, served raw and cold with yuzu crackers, had a flavor profile similar to the Spicy Minced Duck we had at Cicada: spicy and zesty, which we found enjoyable. The Banana Flowers, a mix of different herbs and pickled veggies, made for a refreshing salad. However, I personally didn’t enjoy it due to its cucumber-ish aftertaste.

All the bigger plates we ordered were great, but my favorite was the Bac Ninh, a rice noodle dish topped with grilled duck. The ginger sauce added a good depth of umami and I liked the textural contrast of the thinly sliced duck and thick rice noodles.

The coconut salmon was a close second. The salmon was very lightly seared, leaving the inner parts slightly raw that resulted in a softer, crudo-like texture. However, the coconut sauce tasted more like soy sauce with a slight hint of sweetness. In terms of flavor, it wasn't particularly interesting. The Whiskey Beef was the least interesting dish, as there was nothing particularly special about it, but it was still enjoyable.

Overall, it's a good place to hang out in the summer if you're looking for a rooftop experience in Cambridge. Their cocktail selections weren't very impressive, so it would’ve been much nicer if they allowed food on the terrace. I'm not sure if the food is better than at its two sister restaurants, but I would...