Saigon Café — Restaurant in Provo

I am a customer of 7 years and I have gotten to known the family that runs this place a little. This family business has operated for the past 13 years. They are doing something right a business can stay open for such a time (yes there are older and more impressive businesses). This review is sort of spurned from David Hamblins review.

I have had the chicken pho and I like it. The broth is slighty different from what most pho places are but it isnt special. Their specialty lies in there chinese food. David Hamblim claims child servers and fish gills in his chicken pho which I will tell you is plane wrong. There is 1 "child" (13 years of age) and he is the sons owner which helps on occasions but does not serve unless extremely busy. There are 2 main servers a Lady (the mother and owner and another Son (20 years of age). Mr. Hamblin refers to the server as "kid" in the whole review showing his disrepect for younger men (the 20 year old serving him).

The chicken pho as explained to me by the kitchen of saigon when I enqired (because of Hamblim) has a bit of fish sauce in it but does not have "fish gills" as he proclaims. Little white chunks that came floating off is an ingredient know as "EGG". They season their chicken in a little bit of egg to give it flavor. Steam rolls are somewhat an acquired taste as me and my family have found. Majority of my family like it and there are a few who dont.

My review now: I like this place a lot not to the point where I would say "love it". Price/Portion ratio is very good. Lots of food for a good price. Service ok sometimes and good others. I have yet to have a bad experience but there is a first for everything. They have over 100 items on there menu and there is always something for everyone. The matter is can you find something that you like. I have known people to go to places once and not like the dish and bash on it. Maybe you found the one dish you didn't like? There sauces are all homemade which is the difference maker in the chinese places around here in utah county. Panda express is a big known chinese place and they have factory made sauce in large quantities thus tasting generic. This place is also known as more of a take out place then a dine in place. A majority of there sales are take out.

I know all this and some more just because I asked the 20 year old "KID/CHILD".

Overall this is probably the best place for chinese food in Utah County. I say OVERALL as in a whole. They are some better places in certain categories like their service isnt the best but it isnt that bad. But the rest of the categories like taste and...

Servers are children (literally) with horrid serving manors including touching the tip of my straw that was in my cup with his grubby hand. Ok, fine, I'll get over that. I order beef pho and my wife orders chicken pho and we split an order of spring rolls. We are served our appetizer quickly enough although the spring roll appetizer wasn't quite right. My wife took one bite and couldn't stomach any more. I finished mine even though it didn't taste good at all. The peanut sauce which is a typical dipper for spring rolls was Skippy peanut butter mixed with water. Whatever, I'm not too picky. Soup comes out, I get served a bowl of what I assume is fish soup? Not really sure. Chunks of white balls floating in broth. Maybe artificial lobster? Not really sure. My wife is served her chicken soup... Or does she? Why does the broth smell like fish water? And what are these little bits of white? Looks like they tossed some raw chicken into water and boiled it, maybe? Looks like chunks of fat and skin floating around? Not really sure what these baby chunks white are... Whatever? I guess... But why does it smell like fish? I inquire. Kid tells us they put fish oil in their chicken soup broth... What!? Why!? Never had that before at any other pho joint. At this point, after the extreme dirtiness, terrible spring rolls, her chicken soup crawling with fish gills, and me waiting for my order to be fix, we decide we just can't eat this stuff. I tell the server we would like our bill for the spring rolls and to not worrying about bringing my correct order of soup. After explaining to him why, he tells me we have to pay for the spring rolls and BOTH bowls of soup... WTF!? We didn't even put a spoon or chop stick in either! They are nasty bowls of rancid water you got from your molding fish tank and you want me to pay!? Hell no! I left a $5 on the table and we left. My wife still won't eat Asian and it's been 3 months....

My husband and I love this place. We've been coming here on average once or twice a month for over a year now. Cheap and delicious. The people who work there are funny, too. I don't know their names because they never wear nametags, but the son of the lady who appears to run the place always looks desperately bored. He's fun to talk to. :)

We've gotten pretty much every special combination meal several times. Our favorites are the Moo Goo Gai Pan (gotta love those juicy mushrooms!), orange chicken, Veggie stir fry (all fresh veggies! You can tell they've never been frozen, and so yummy!). Sesame chicken is also delicious, and so is the garlic chicken. Just don't order that one if you hope to do any smooching later, because it leaves your breath smelling pretty strong! A lot of people like Mongolian beef. I used to, because the beef is so impossibly tender (so is the beef in the beef and broccoli), but I got tired of it.

Just . . . just go. Go in person. Order over 15$ worth of food and they'll deliver for free. Pick up take-out and go. Just . . . eat there. It is wonderful. Oh, and also? If you eat there, the crunchy wonton wrappers they serve you with that sweet sauce are SO GOOD! I love those things!

And a helpful hint? The soup is not uber-flavorful (don't get the hot & sour--just the egg drop), so add a bit of sriracha and hoisin sauces for a kick. They have them at every table...