Saigon Restaurant — Restaurant in Portland

My wife and I have been eating here since first coming to Portland and hands down it is the most friendly, well priced, and consistently good place to eat in town. Also, the Chinese portion of the menu, is the only good Chinese in Portland, hands-down.

The owner and all the staff greet us with warm friendly smiles whether we're picking up or dining in, and always offer us a warm cup of tea or soup with questions of "how have you been?" For two people living far away from our families, Saigon is our home away from home. And neither of us could imagine the cold hard winters, the brilliant summers, or the ups-and-downs of life without this place.

In reading some of the few poor reviews here, I sit confused as to what kind of ass-hat you'd have to be to find a problem with this restaurant? If you're looking for the bland, WASPY, country-club experience I'm sure you'd be happier someplace else. But if you're looking for an amazing Vietnamese home-cooked meal, where the family puts love into every bite.. and yes may be laughing, arguing, and living life behind the counter, then this is your spot. If service isn't quick and servile enough for you hit McDonald's. If it isn't open late enough, well order some Otto's. If it isn't bland enough for you, well go get another buttered lobster. HCHRIST!

Last thing, beware the 5-star spice.. the cook sees it as a...

We were served by an elegantly dressed, INDIFFERENT teenage lad. I travelled 2 hours from the north, to meet my daughter before she was away for a long trip. He never cleared our dishes, but made great show of gesturing at my daughter;s; sideways-parked car in their LIMITED parking space, to other staffers. The non-bussing, I assume, was our sign to leave as soon as possible? I finally had to ask him to clear our plates. This was my 4th visit to this restaurant. I had a late meeting after our dinner, I spent the first 10 minutes of that meeting in the restroom. I finished the meeting in fair shape, but have spent the night in shock and gastric-awe. 5 minutes on the rampant snow banks, would clear the ENTIRE back row of their parking lot. I tipped this little snob generously...when really, I wanted to grab him by the scruff of the neck, drag him outside and put the snow shovel from the back of my pickup truck in his hands, and point him toward the MERE 5 minutes of labor it would take to make adequate space for patrons. Meanwhile, we watch an ELDERLY staffer, head out on a MOPED with a takeout order. Thanks for explosive toiletry, and TERRIBLY...

Honestly I didn't have high expectations when I came off the highway after driving for 7 hours. All I wanted was a hot bowl of pho, and this was a highly rated Vietnamese place on the way. However, as soon as I walked in, my friends and I were taken care of in an impeccable manner. We were served a hot pot of jasmine green tea, and shortly followed by a tiny bowl of soup (just enough to take away the hanxiety, but not enough to fill us up). The pho came out in steaming huge bowls, with a heaping plate of sprouts, basil, jalapenos, cilantro, and sauces. The broth was clearer than I've seen in other pho places, but the flavor was delicate, flavorful, and clearly well-crafted. I felt like I was eating food for the soul. After slurping my bowl until I could slurp no more, and requesting a container for the rest, the check was miraculously delivered with perfect timing amongst slices of fresh oranges, a perk that satiated my post-dinner sweet tooth. All in all, I was blown away by the service, the intuition, and the food that I had here. Definitely worth a visit if you're up to the challenge of finishing their...