Saigon Sushi: Some good dishes, but . . .
In the two decades we have been dining out in Vero, we have been on the lookout for a dependable Asian restaurant – one where you know you are going to get good Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese or Japanese food, time after time, whenever you choose to visit.
For 20 years, we have been searching for that elusive dining place; visits to Vietnamese, Thai or Japanese restaurants have always been hit or miss affairs (mostly misses), and notwithstanding the enthusiasm of many for the venerable Szechuan Palace, we would contend that Vero continues to badly need a good Chinese restaurant.
But we were quite excited recently when several beachside residents told us the old Saigon Bistro, which used to be on 20th Street, had morphed into a place called the Saigon Sushi, reopened in a new location on 14th Avenue, and was serving consistently interesting food.
So off we went. The new restaurant, like the old, features Vietnamese, Thai and Japanese offerings. While the menu has been simplified, it continues to present a daunting variety of choices presented on page after page of a multi-hued menu.
But the one area where you are not overwhelmed with choices is wines. Asked as we were seated what we would like to drink, we mentioned wine, and our attention was directed to a card on the table offering Opici by the glass. No bottles. No carafes. Opici. Not the greatest start, but we opted for pinot grigio, which is on the whole a decent – though not great – pairing for many Asian dishes.
A couple of minutes later, a tiny plate featuring a crab and citrus offering from the sushi bar — an Asian amuse-bouche — was presented to each of the three of us. A very light, refreshing start – perfect for a steamy summer night. Things were looking better.
Next came the appetizers. Over the course of two visits, we sampled a variety.
The one the servers recommended on both occasions was Four Company ($9.95), a combination of crispy spring rolls with chicken, steamed rolls — winter (with pork) and summer (with shrimp) – and fried chicken dumplings, served with rice noodles, peanuts and scallions.
We tried this on our second visit. The mini-spring rolls were excellent, very delicately fried and very tasty. The dumplings also were a treat. The steamed rolls, both winter and summer, were a disappointment – nondescript to the point where they could not be rescued by either of the two dipping sauces: a clear and sweet Saigon sauce and the customary plum sauce.
A better appetizer was the Vietnamese crepe ($7.95), a flash-fried egg batter crepe filled with pork, shrimp, onion, scallion and bean sprouts.
But of all the appetizers, the simplest may well have been the best: the chicken vegetable dumplings, served fried as part of Four Company, were even better as a steamed dumpling appetizer ($5.95), perfectly prepared and delicious.
Offered a choice of Miso soup or salad, we opted for the salad. Mistake. Dishes of tired iceberg lettuce with a dense, bland Asian dressing on top were less than wonderful. Go with the soup.
For entrees, on our most recent visit I had the featured Jimmy Special ($16.95), a very nice presentation of grilled jumbo shrimp and scallops in green curry over a bed of rice noodles mixed with peppers, tomatoes and cucumber. The shrimp and scallops were fresh and tender. On our first visit, I had the Garlic Jumbo Shrimp ($16.95), shrimp sauteed in a garlic and wine sauce and served atop steamed vegetables. Also very nice.
My husband, on our first visit, enjoyed a luscious plump breast of Basil Duck ($16.95), a crispy glazed duck prepared with basil, bell peppers, onions, scallions, carrots, snow peas and chili paste. On our second visit, he opted for the Salt and Pepper Squid ($16.95), pan fried crispy squid with scallion, bell peppers, salt and pepper sauce. He rated that highly as well (though as its name implies, it is quite salty).
Our companion on our second visit had the Crispy Noodle Combination ($13.95), a plate of crispy egg noodles topped with shrimp, chicken, and lots and lots of vegetables. While she reported that the shrimp was good, and the steamed vegetables fresh and crispy, the chicken was v-e-r-y dry.
Portions here are not small, and we never made it to the desserts.
Is the food at Saigon Sushi on the whole pretty good? Yes. Have more dishes that we ordered been good than been disappointing? Yes.
We also should note that there are many dishes here – including the sushi and sashimi dishes – which we never got to. Who knows, some of these may be wonderful. There simply are too many things on the amazingly diverse menu for a reviewer to sample on any reasonable number of visits.
In offering guidance, all we can reasonably draw on are our experiences. Was the overall dining experience at Saigon Sushi such that we can’t wait to go back soon? No.
For approximately $70 for dinner for two before taxes and tips but with several glasses of Opici, Saigon Sushi falls into the category of one more Asian restaurant where you can get some good dishes some of the time, but can’t count on a really good dining experience all of the time.
I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at tina@verobeach32963.com.
The reviewer is a beachside resident who dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.
Special note: Parking is limited in front of the restaurant, but on the west side of the highway is a large open parking lot, lit by a Yellow Dog sign. From there, it’s about a two- to three-minute walk across U.S. 1 to the restaurant.
Hours
Daily, 4:30 to 10 pm
Bar
Beer and Wine
Address (MAP)
1866 14th Avenue, Telephone: (772) 299-5997
