Saigon Dish

Sometimes, even while on vacay, you just might want to go basic with something less expensive and also less heavy.  This was the case here when Viv and I decided to just grab some Vietnamese nearby our hotel.  We made our way to the highly-rated Saigon Dish in Lawndale.  I guess we weren't the only ones thinking that as there was an extensive wait list going on.  Instead of giving up, we merely put our name down on the iPad and waited in the car.  Almost 45 minutes later, we were seated.

A bit out-of-character, we decided to order the Shrimp Tempura.  Nope, no spring rolls, no salad rolls and no salad.  Nothing really unusual about this dish as it was what we expected.  It consisted of meaty shrimp that had some rebound texture while coated in a light tempura batter.  The outside was crispy while the batter was slightly greasy.  It came with a sweet chili dip and the whole thing just ate pleasantly.  Not sure if this would be the most interesting thing to order as a starter though.

Viv went for the Phở with lean steak and brisket.  This was a solid bowl of noodles as the broth was clean but had depth.  It wasn't too salty while the natural sweetness of the components did come through.  There was sufficient tender meats, but they could've put a bit more to balance out the amount of al dente noodles.  But really, it was a good value and was more than enough food for Viv.

For myself, I had the Bún Bò Huế.  Unlike many versions out there, this one was legit as there was a large pork knuckle sitting in the fragrant broth.  Unfortunately, there was no pig's blood, but I can understand it may not be a big seller.  Now back to the broth, we could taste the lemongrass for sure, but there could've been more shrimpiness.  The spice was medium where it did add impact.  The noodles were slippery and chewy while the meats were tender (including the pork hock).

Lastly, we added the Bo Luc Lac with rice.  Despite the considerable amount of onions, it really didn't define the dish.  The cubes of beef were super moist and tender.  It had been stir-fried enough to slightly caramelize the onions and hence provide some sweetness.  This complimented the black pepper and soy.  I would've liked to see some peppers added to the mix rather than just onions.  Overall, the food at Saigon Dish was quite good and very reasonably-priced.  That is probably why they are so busy all the time.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Solid eats
- Fairly fair portions

The Bad:
- Pretty busy, you might have to wait (unless you do the online waitlist)
- Seating arrangements are not the most comfortable