Sai Gon Xua Cafe and Restaurant — Restaurant in Westminster

I don't usually post reviews but felt compelled to write one for Saigon Xưa on Moran Street in Westminster (somehow there's another restaurant with the same name on Bolsa Avenue).

I am a single man so eating 4-5 days a week is the norm. And Saigon Xưa is where I find myself whenever I am in Little Saigon to eat.

First and foremost the foods here are made with quality ingredients you can appreciate. Must try are: Shaking beef with elbow macaroni - tender meat morsels sautéed with onions and served on a bed of lettuce and tomato slices. Nem Rán Cua Bể - the northern Vietnam's version of egg rolls, make with real crab meat (so tasty) Bún Riêu - a soup from northern Vietnam with primary ingredients being crab patties, tomatoes and tofu. Bone broth is pork based. And if you're feeling adventurous, try it with snail meat. Bánh Mì Chảo - a breakfast dish that's served all day, which comprises of sunny side up eggs, sausages, mushrooms, pate, cheese and sautéed onions. Bánh Đa - A recent favorite of mine, another soup from northern Vietnam, again with crab patties, fish cakes, tofu and water spinach with a tomato based soup. Somewhat similar to Bún Riêu but each with very distinctive flavors.

There are many other dishes but me being a creature of habit and a picky eater, the dishes above are what I always order. My friend also speak highly of: Bánh Canh, Hủ Tiếu Mực, traditional egg rolls.

The restaurant's drinks are some innovative smoothies and shaved ice with varieties of fruit. But my friend and I are always go with Vietnamese ice coffee with sea salt cream (yes, even in cold weather).

As for services, the staff are young and energetic, without being overbearing. Definitely a big fan of the services here.

Try Saigon Xưa out....

This place had new owner about a year ago, but kept the same menu with small increases in prices. Only 2 other parties for a Friday lunch, so it's not popular. We were sitting in front under the tent, where it was cool and one can smoke.

Went for a Bun Rieu Oc, $15. The bowl was large, loaded with lots of proteins, shrimp, snail, blood curls, fried tofu, served with a small plate of morning glory and papaya flower. It's a good value.

Proteins taste good, except the snails which were small and way to tough, inedible. Will not order snail in the soup in the future. The broth is tasty, typical of pork stock, but lacks the fragrance and deep, creamy taste of fresh crab in traditional bun rieu, which we can only find at Van Restaurant so far.

The shrimp paste smells half fermented, very fishy, typical of Northern shrimp pastes, very disgusting I could not eat it and had to move it away. Other brands smell rotten but in a good way and are fully fermented, tasty.

Will come back for other dishes but not Bun Rieu...

I ordered Nem Rán Cua Bể and Bánh Khọt Tôm for dine-in, and Bún Mắm to-go. The Bánh Khọt Tôm was delicious—it’s a western-style Vietnamese dish, with a batter similar to Bánh Xèo. The shrimp was fresh, and it came with a generous amount of vegetables. This was my first time trying Nem Rán Cua Bể, but I enjoyed it. The filling was perfectly seasoned, and the outer layer was nice and crispy. Wrapping it in lettuce and dipping it in the sauce made it even better. The Bún Mắm had a strong, flavorful broth with a noticeable fermented fish aroma. While the toppings were a bit sparse, I can’t complain since it was only $9.99. The only downside was that the catfish wasn’t fully cooked, so I had to cook it myself. As for the ambiance, it's nothing special—typical of many Vietnamese restaurants. Parking is limited out front, but you can also park behind the mall. Service was quick since it wasn't...