Hello Saigon — Restaurant in New York

The Solitary Gourmet – Ep 1. Vietnamese pho with Pork ribs, Greenwich Village, NY “Whatever their society, when a man indulges in satisfying his huger, he will become selfish and be liberated for a moment without being disturbed by anyone. To eat freely is an act of aloofness – this act is the best comfort given to any man(Stalker,Nancy, 2016, Opening sequence of The Solitary Gourmet)”

This chilly fresh air, Christmas carols in CVS and my sour throat. It is definitely a holiday season. I have a bottle of Doxycycline pills which I was prescribed for my sour throat, but, first, I need a bowl of Vietnamese pho which will comfort my throat and mind.

Ah, suddenly I am too hungry. OK, let’s look for a restaurant. Now my mind and stomach are being fully controlled by hot pho. I will find the best pho even if I have to die to try. Takumi Ramen, no thanks! Go Go Curry, Pass!

Ah, See! There it is! Hello Saigon. The sign looks authentic. I’m counting on you today. Whoa! … On the standing menuboard, they have a lot! phos, vermicelli noodles, even Banh mi….This is definitely a Vietnamese place. This is a miracle! Hey hey hey hey! Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh. This is going to be good here. They have lunch specials for 9 bucks! It is worth the walk.

“Excuse me, can I get a pho with pork ribs?” “Oh! Also, can I get the pork ribs on the side?” Good job that I did not forget to order the ribs on the side so that I can enjoy the crispy ribs, not the ones soggy from the soup. It is very important. Hmm. It’s a quiet thriving shop. I love the chill, unpretentious vibe here. I am like in the night market in Vietnam. By the way, what are these sauces on the table? Chilli sauce, sriracha of course and a black sauce. They look nice. I am so hungry by the way. When will mine come soon?

“Excuse me, this is pho for you “ Ehhhhhhhhh! They give me 3 dishes and they look overwhelming. I ordered just a pho noodle and they give one dish for carb & broth, another one for protein and the other one for even greens? All for 9 dollars? I came into a huge windfall today! I feel that this is nutritionally complete. And look at these ribs. These grill marks! They are perfectly roasted on the grill. Hang on a moment. Let me count the pork because I want to distribute them evenly so that the pork is not running out before I finish the noodle. One two three four… there are 7 pieces of pork ribs total. This dish alone can even be served as a meal.

Now let me start eating soup first. Um, they serve hot hot hot soup. Some restaurants fail to serve the soup hot enough and I hate that. The broth should always be hot so that I can burn the roof or my mouth. Lukewarm soup, that is the worst. Oh, I almost forgot that I should bury my greens and bean sprout in the ground of this bowl below the noodle coil before this soup loses its heat. I like the bean sprout half boiled to the extent it still has its crunchiness in the core. Also, I should not forget to squeeze the lime wedge and then bury it in the soup too. Let me start to eat the noodle first without the pork (Slurping) Woooow what is that. This honest broth with softly cooked rice noodles! UMAI! My sour throat does not have any difficulty swallowing it. Then, let’s have noodles with a piece of rib. These thick plastic chopsticks are a little slippery but it is ok I can handle because I am an Asian! Hooooo! This pork rib is for real. The savory smell of the fire instantly permeates the soup and the noodles. I am savoring the harmony of the flavors. They are pleasantly mixed in my mouth and making a perfect harmony. A large mouthful of food - It is such a great, satisfying feeling beyond compare. I do not think of anything now. It is a meditation. Let me just have the rib alone. (Chewing) Wooooow this rib! Moist, chewy inside and crispy outside. And this real fire smell. I especially love this chewy part of the thin membrane from the bone. And what is the seasoning they used? (Eating and Slurping) Ah, my stomach is full. I cannot eat anymore. I ate all anyway. Ah, it was such a...

I am always on the look for a good Vietnamese Restaurant that matches the one you find in SoCal or in NoVa. Eater and a food critic always does these post of rated Viet eats in the city. Of the list I can say 90% of the authentic eats aren't that 'authentic.' By which I mean a place I can take my mom to and she doesn't cringe at every dish that comes out.

Hello Saigon was new to the list and I was optimistic. They boast one of the few Viet restaurants that served Bu Bo Hue. They Yelp reviewers were all like must try! This a spicy beef noodle soup from the central region of Vietnam. It is one of my favorite comfort noodle dish on cold, rainy nights.

That said the menu had many of the typical main stay in any Vietnamese menu. The noodles with lemongrass chicken/pork. Spring rolls, fried spring rolls etc. The rainy night we went the special was the Bo La Lot (Beef in Betel Leaf) which is similar to stuffed grape leaves Vietnamese style. This was very good. Nice flavor and grilled with all the side plus rice paper to wrap in leafy greens. The papaya mango salad was good and came with the traditional prawn crackers. So are so good. The Seafood Banh Xeo (Seafood Crispy Crepe) wasn't the typical filling but my sister seemed to like it okay. The vermicelli with grill pork is something hard to mess up in my book. The one dish which I was excited for came out and right off the bat the broth was a disappointment. The broth lacked any flavors and it was way to sweet. The addition of lime and some condiments didn't help it either. It was an overly sugary soup. I ate some of the meat and the other dishes we ordered.

Hello Saigon was a hit and miss but generally I would say it was okay. They got somethings right and somethings wrong. I'd probably go again when I need to get my fix for some taste of 'like' home. The final question is would I take my mom here? The answer would be...

My first impression of this place was that it was BRIGHT! The lights were way too bright for me. They would benefit from getting some dimmers on there switches!

My second impression of this place was that the staff was incredibly nice and accommodating. They were doting on our table of 11people like we were the only people at the restaurant (even though the whole restaurant was filled).

The food was decent. Not the best Vietnamese food I've ever had but certainly not the worst. The favorite part of my meal was the Green Papaya Salad with Beef, which was authentic to taste (I've been to Vietnam many times) and my least favorite part of the meal was the Vegetarian Noodle Soup (I realized after I ordered that I ordered wrong, and should have ordered Vegetarian Noodle Soup WITH Beef Pho Soup Broth). The Soup was very bland but I still enjoyed that they gave you a plate of thai basil and sprouts, limes, etc. etc. to throw in your soup, that made it much more palatable.

The price of the bill was TOTALLY affordable and undoubtedly the best part of the night! For all our food (for 11 people) and all of us drinking, the bill (including the tip) cost each person only $42, which i was totally impressed with. I think we even brought some leftovers home, which always feels...