4. Restaurants

Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine

164 N King St, Honolulu, HI, 96817
  • (808) 599-1866
  • Store is closed

Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine Menu

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.

  • Claire F.

    My favorite pho to date!! I work in Iwilei, so Chinatown is pretty convenient for an hour lunch break. I've tried a few places in Chinatown for pho, but nothing beats this place!!! The pho broth is DELICIOUS! Rich and salty with tons of finely chopped green onions, slices of regular onions, and of course you can add mint leaves, saw leaves (I don't know what the correct name for these are), and beansprouts, all which give the pho a great complementary crunch. They also give lots of noodles and good pieces of meat/chicken. I usually get chicken pho but if you do get meat, I recommend getting it "outside" aka raw. It's delicious dipping each piece individually and cooking it in the broth to a medium/medium-rare doneness!! With the delicious broth and the variety and quality of ingredients they put into the pho, it's probably my favorite bowl of pho ever! Sizes are good too: they have a regular and a large = both pretty sizable! Pho Ga (chicken): yelp.com/biz_photos/saig… I know most pho places use MSG and this place is no different (I think). About 50% of the time I get a headache about an hour after eating the pho. If you're sensitive to MSG beware, BUT for me, the pho is soooo good I usually just suck it up, haha. The servers are all really friendly, the tables are always clean (and not that wet rag smell), my water glass is always asked to be refilled before its empty, and they offer complimentary iced tea! I don't come here THAT often but they still remember me! Only thing is it sometimes can be pretty busy during lunchtime but somehow there always seems to be at least one table open/opening up. Being located in Chinatown, parking can be a real pain. We usually just park in the municipal parking lot fronting Nimitz on the corner of Nimitz/River. Only need about 1-1.5 hours since the service and pho in general is a pretty fast meal. **Tip: They only accept credit cards if the bill is over $10!

    (5)

  • Rissa K.

    This place is pretty authentic and right in the heart of Chinatown. I had the Vermecilli noodles with BBQ pork and sugarcane fishcake. My Bro had the rare steak pho and we shared an order of Spring rolls. This place is the bomb! Pho broth here is amazing! They also have sugar cane juice here which was delish! The only down point to coming here is having to find parking in Chinatown and/or park in one of the garages and needing to pay for parking. Other than that this place is worth going to! Service was good too!

    (4)

  • Jennifer S.

    The food is delicious and it's made even better with the wonderful customer service!! Everything tasted so fresh!! It seemed like their goal as soon as we walked through the door was to make us comfortable and happy customers!! First time here, I will definitely be back!!

    (5)

  • Nicholas W.

    Very tasty Vietnamese place. The other reviews might seem to suggest that the pho is the best dish to get here, but it seems that is often forgotten that there is more to Vietnamese cuisine than pho. I quite enjoyed trying the banh hoi and the banh mi here. Though, I think that the banh mi was the tastier of the two dishes. The sandwich bread was nice and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The pork in the sandwich was nice and flavorful. Service was prompt and my waiter was very helpful when I struggled with wrapping the banh mi. The only reason that I am not going to give this place a 5 star rating is that as good as the meal was, it was a bit salty.

    (4)

  • Lei L.

    Gosh I've been here 3 times thus far & have loved each & every meal. I love the fact that they are open SO early! I rolled in there at 8:30am and got the most delicious beef stew this morning. If you've never had Vietnamese beef stew, you are missing out. It's totally different from the good old American or local-kine beef stew. It has so much different spices and herbs that your tongue will have tons of flavor explosions. The darn thing was only $10!!!!!! Seriously, a huge bowl of stew, a loaf of French baguette & a plate full of veggies. Unreal! I also had.... the spicy beef with noodles-awesome Vermicelli noodles with spring rolls/pork-great But my all time favorite has to be their beef stew! Amazing Bon Appetite

    (5)

  • Kimberly L.

    My mom lives on Maui and has a list of Vietnamese restaurants on Oahu. This one was one of them. They make really great Bun Rieu (seafood soup with crab-meat balls) and Bun Bo Hue (spicy beef and pork soup). Yum. They also make great pho too! Food: They do have a great list of goodies but I had to try the Bun Bo Hue. It was good. It had pieces of beef, cubed pork blood, and pigs feet. It was heaven. Although I'm used to my aunt's Bun Bo Hue, and hers is spicier. This one isn't super spicy but there are condiments on the table to spice it up. The server was also nice but I think it's because they know my mom and that we were Vietnamese. But he was very knowledgeable on different phrases. My mom's Filipino boyfriend was with us and he did hit him with a "salamat" lol..very personable and great food. Oh and food came out super fast! Oh and you know being a spoiled maui girl, some places on Oahu kind of freak me out. I thought that we were going to walk into a small restaurant with old looking tables, cramped with "stuff" and dirty walls.... but the restaurant was clean and decor was nice. The outside doesn't do it justice. :) Definitely watch the videos on the TV. They are of actual places in Vietnam.

    (5)

  • Elsa M.

    I've been eating here for past 2 years.. It's family running business. The staffs very friendly. They already know my fav pho and coffee and making the way I like. I went at least once a week. Highly recommend it. Try their BBQ chicken or pork or lemongrass chicken also very good. I love their springrolls but once a while, I will crave for their delicious Vietnamese Crepes but it's humongous and min with 2 persons.

    (5)

  • Chelsey A.

    One of the best pho broths we've ever tried. We always come to this spot in all of china town because of their pho and make-your-own summer roll selection. Everything is always so tasty. Also think this is one of the best places you can get a sugar cane drink! All around great place to casually dine!

    (5)

  • Dave I.

    Whenever i eat here,i seem to get upset stomach,not sure what it is,plus the restaurant smells bad.

    (1)

  • Justin D.

    There are few Vietnamese restaurants where the food transports you to another place. Stepping into Saigon is lite warping from Hawaii to Ho Chi Minh. The he food is authentic and so are the people who own and run it. Everything is so delicious. My favorite pho outside of Vietnam and the sandwiches are delish.

    (5)

  • Brian L.

    I haven't been here in awhile. Got here menu looked different. Hmmm. Where my iced tea? Its OK maybe new owners? Some of the ladies looked familiar..I could be wrong Get my order in. Just a basic pho tai beef outside. Guy asked me large? I looked over at another tables bowl..he says its a regular. Large it is. Get my bowl and its big..full of soup. I mix the noodles up a bit and WOW. Seriously? This thing had enough noodles to fit in those small Chinese rice bowls. Like I could've gone home and made a cup of noodles and had more. I'm taking my time writing this..and taking a few spoons here and there so my mom has enough time to finish her rice plate. LOL ya...not coming back.

    (2)

  • Beth I.

    In keeping with my coworkers tradition of Pho Wednesday, we went on a quest to try a new pho place for the new year. There are a bunch of Vietnamese places in chinatown and downtown also with "Saigon" in the name, but I think this one is going to the top of the list. The place is roomy (in comparison to some other cramped noisy pho places where your elbows bang the table behind you while you eat), air conditioning, and is elevated above the street level. I have no idea the purpose of this, but it's interesting. The pho broth was delicious and not too heavy on the cardamom or overpowered by cinnamon like some places and they gave a heaping pile of super fresh veggies. I love fresh basil and some places give you one or two stalks and here we got a huge handful. Wow, generous. I ordered the regular with everything (tripe, raw beef, meatball, tendon) which was about 7.50 and there is also a large size on the menu for a dollar more. It was a lot of noodles and goodies inside. I was surprised I was so full and not finished! I'd say this is one of my new favorites. I'm ready to go back and it's only Thursday. Pho Wednesday Review #1

    (5)

  • Robert P.

    Pho Ta, Bang Xeo and Spring Roll all expertly prepared and delivered with heaps of fresh veggies and herbs. Restaurant is very clean and staff was pleasant and helpful. A perfect lunch after a walk through the Chinatown markets.

    (5)

  • Doris D.

    On a whim I decided to get a banh mi with shredded roast pork ($6.50). It was just ok - the bread was great (with a little reheating) but the shredded roast pork was not at all what I had expected; it was more like super minced pork with some wiggly gelatinous noodle things. The pickles were kind of tasteless. Overall a bit disappointed.

    (2)

  • Kathleen G.

    Hmmm... What's a great way to celebrate your first year anniversary at work?? Keep the Pho Wednesdays tradition going -- a carry over tradition from my previous job for 4 years!! My coworker and I started this quest of looking for a good Pho place to eat in...... From Fort Street we started walking, talking, and yelping our way to Chinatown for a good place. *yelping, yelping, yelping*.. oohhh "wanna try this place?". "sure". We actually were yelping for a different place but since Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine is 1) two doors before the other one, 2) looks bigger of a place than the other one, and 3) the two people in front of us went in here, we decided to go here and we did not make a mistake. "Do not judge the book by its cover". Although it was along N. King and there was a construction on the road just outside it, the inside is clean and the tables are all spaced out well. Just watch out, the floor is elevated above the street level. The whole time we were there, people coming in get tripped or something on the two-step stairs. I had the regular pho with beef balls, meat, tripe, and tendon. oh boy, the serving is big! $8.45 spent well. The broth is good and they serve generous amounts of fresh veggies. I didn't get to finish it since I was also talking most of the time. o-O Service is good, quick and they roam around to see who needs what. Will be back for sure! :) Pho#1/365

    (4)

  • nicholas n.

    A gem among the dives in Chinatown. This place is relatively clean, good service, and reasonable price. Food:4/5 Pho 4/5. Very good. tasty broth. Rice with grill pork chop 4/5 Noodle with egg roll & grill pork: 4/5 Bun rieu (noodle soup crab base) 4/5 Banh xeo (rice crepe) 4/5 Service: 4/5 good for dive Cleanliness: 3.5/5 Parking: 2/5 too many homeless near area. Not safe at night Cost:3/5 $12/ dish Overall:4/5 good food and service in Chinatown. They take credit card &have air condition.

    (4)

  • Randa D.

    I love this place, spicy beef and raw beef salad is the bomb!!

    (5)

  • Michelle L.

    I think I found the best Vietnamese restaurant on the island....thanks to my majah! I've been to Saigon Vietnamese twice and both times have been for breakfast. Weird, right?! Also, both times have been with my Mom after she dragged me around and about Chinatown with an armful of groceries. Way to work up an appetite! It is kinda off the main drag of Chinatown and I would not expect a Vietnamese restaurant this spectacular here! Head down King Street Ewa side until you pretty much reached the end, across from Chun's Meat Market. The spring rolls here are excellent and they are very generous. You get eight pieces with vermicelli noodles, mint, and lettuce. The pho is great too! For about $9, you get a huge bowl of pho. The broth is flavorful and they give a lot of veggies. The meat is fresh too! One of the best pho around. However, the one item I love was the banh hoi...which is what I think it's called according to the Yelp reviews. It's the make-your-own summer rolls. We ordered the BBQ shrimp one for about $13.50. It came with 12 rice wrappers, about 8 pieces of perfectly cooked jumbo shrimp, vermicelli noodles, cucumbers, pickled veggies, and lettuce with fish sauce for dipping. This was sooooo good and it was pretty healthy too! After awhile, I decided to wrap the fillings in the lettuce and wrap the lettuce with the rice paper. It kept everything from falling out. yelp.com/biz_photos/tNDR… Sorry, the banh hoi looks a lot better but my mom and I started picking at it by the time I remembered to take a picture lol. Service is amazing! Everyone is so friendly! I can see why she loves it here because the workers remember her and knows what she likes. My mom is kinda paranoid about eating raw veggies so she gets a bowl of water to rinse the veggies out. They always bring her a bowl of water without her having to ask. Impressive! The place is clean too which is always a plus. Unfortunately, it's not handicap friendly has there are steps to get up to the dining area. If there is a crowd by 9AM, you know this place is good! I highly recommend checking this place out if you're in the area. If my mom ever wanna drag me out of bed before 9AM on my day off to eat here, I will gladly accept because I can't wait to eat those summer rolls again *wipes drool*

    (5)

  • Steve D.

    I can only say the raving reviews eludes me... Sure the waiter arrives with a ear to ear smile, interior is a soothing baby blue, walls nicely decorated with hints of Halloween and there is a reassuring echo of Vietnamese in the background but guess being overcharged for my Pho probably negated all those great little things that everyone 5'starred about. Ordered a regular sized Pho with raw meat and beef balls. Volume was perfect to the T and my choice of going for a regular vs a large was justified but I just couldn't find the magic fellow Pho lovers were talking about. Broth was salty, raw beef was rubbery, beef balls were just chewy balls, noodles were standard and well... I left with no thoughts of bringing my friends here. Perhaps I will revisit this review once I have tried a few other things on the menu but as for the Pho its really not worth the trek to go out of your way for Saigon.

    (2)

  • Russel M.

    Fresh Clean Atmosphere. Good Service. The food is fresh and most people order the Pho. I tried the Lemongrass Chicken and wished I was at Pho Thinh instead.

    (4)

  • Jay C.

    Located on the corner, hard to miss. I came here on a Wednesday night and it was completely empty... Fortunately, my food as good and came out within 5 minutes. I got the Pho Thai and found their broth tasty and not too salty. The accompanying vegetables were fresh and didn't seem old. This place is family run, and all the people seem to speak a little but not a whole lot of English. Sort of tacky synthesized background music. Good for a quick fix, or after beer munchies...

    (3)

  • Chino C.

    We visiting here from houston tx and we have plenty for good viet food in houston but this one tops it all, it's been 7 days since we landed here and found this place 6 days a go and believe it or not we been here all 6 days, staff is very friendly and polite, it's neat and clean, over the weekend they have Duck which you must try, come early cause they run out of duck pretty quick.

    (5)

  • theresa s.

    Yelp 31 days Challenge: 30 of 31 I can't believe I haven't written a review about this place yet. Been on my rotation of restaurants I visit at least once a week. Although one of the reviewers describe this place as a "hole in the wall," I disagree, as it is actually one of the nicer restaurants in Chinatown. The place is clean, the servers are friendly (and can speak English!), and the food top notch. They do have a little more fat in their broth, but if you don't like it that way, just make sure you ask them for "clear soup/broth", which is what I do. Quality of meat is good, and sliced thin. Veggie plate is always abundant. I have tried almost everything on the menu. My favorites: pho, do-it-yourself wraps with grilled pork and shrimp, banh mi, and hu tieu.

    (4)

  • Ivy Lou H.

    I got eluded by the reviews that made me try the pho (last night) that they were talking about. I ordered the combination pho thinking I'll get much meat because it's combination but it turned out that I got 4thin sliced beef and a meat ball that was cut in half. The broth was salty! Instead of getting enough noodles I got only little of it and more basil leaves and bean sprouts without lemon! I was so sad eating last night looking at my pho, it wasn't the pho I'm expecting. Definitely I will not Come back here. For those pho lovers, I know a little place for a great pho! It's located at ward warehouse, next to Dairy Queen. They are not famous because you can't see them on yelp. I hope my review helps!

    (2)

  • Matt A.

    When it comes to pho i'm all about the broth and the meat - both of which are awesome here. Definitely my #1 go-to pho place downtown. Meat: They don't give a lot of rare steak but the quality is so much better than other pho places. I'd rather had a few pieces of really good meat than a bunch of chewy, tough meat. I also love the brisket in the combination. Broth: LOVE it. Very flavorful - not bland like other places. It's not sweet either and has a heap full of green onions which is great. If you're downtown and you love Pho, you gotta try this place before you pick a favorite.

    (4)

  • Susanne D.

    I've been by this place a million times and it wasn't until I was searching for a restaurant that accepted cards that I finally went in. I was very pleased with it! The decor is adorable and the wait staff was great, very helpful in helping a sick girl find food to settle her stomach. The menus had pictures of each dish, which is always a plus! I literally pointed to a picture and said "I want this" and it showed up in front of me. Amazing! Definitely will be back!

    (5)

  • Nat N.

    I am not a big fan of Vietnamese cuisine, don't ask me why. The ingredients they use just don't turn me on, and although I'm a fan of practically any kind of noodle (e.g. saimin, ramen, chow mein/fun), I cannot stand pho. So when a friend invited me to lunch at Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine, I was not leaping for joy. However, I must tell you that my friend and his family are the real deal when it comes to everything Vietnamese ... his mom is the master at cooking Vietnamese food. So, when he told me that his mom is the one who brought him to this place, because they offer this one dish that no other Vietnamese restaurant on the island offers, I did get a little excited. My friend did all the ordering for us, and when I asked both him and the wait staff for the name of what we ordered, all they could do was show me pictures in the menu of what we ordered, so I can't tell you what it is. I can only describe it for you. To start off the meal we had their won ton soup. I normally don't like won tons in soup (I prefer the deep fried, crunchy kind), but these were awesome. The soup had a nice flavor to it too. A must try. Then came the main course (this is the course that you can't find anywhere else on the island). They brought us a plate rice papers, a bowl of hot water, and a large plate filled with veggies (lettuce, pickled veggies, mint leaves), meats (mini spring rolls, vietnamese sausage, bbq beef, bbq shrimp, and this shrimp thing filled with a large piece of sugar cane), and rice noodles. Time to eat! So it's basically a DYI summer roll dish. You put the rice paper in the warm water and then place it on your plate. Add your veggies, meats, roll, dip in the fish sauce, and take a bite. OMG, it was fantastic. I must have eaten at least 7 summer rolls, and would have eaten more had we not run out of the fillings! Tip - use the bathroom somewhere else before you come here - my friend used it and she said it was pretty nasty.

    (5)

  • Laurie P.

    So I don't know what is required for good banh mi. But I know what I want, I want tasty grilled meat on an amazing baguette. A baguette that has a hard shell, but a soft chewy interior. I want a baguette slathered in a little butter and mayo where I have a hard time taking a bite because of how filled with deliciousness it is. I want the baguette to make my jaw hurt from chewing it! I want it to leave flakey little crumbs all over the place when I am done. And based on all my personal criteria, Saigon delivers my favorite banh mi on island to date. Their chair siu banh mi came with a few slices of char siu, stuffed with pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro, and peppers (which must be requested). I usually have to add sambal to my banh mi to increase flavor, but this banh mi was so delicious it didn't need anything else! I powered one down in the time it took me to drive from Maunakea to Kalihi on Nimitz. When there was no traffic. I definitely have to go back and try all the different options, like meatball and bbq pork (which is my usual go to, but I decided to be adventurous that day!)

    (4)

  • Norm G.

    Today was my first time to try Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine, and I am really glad I did! My wife and I wanted to try something different while we were shopping in Chinatown, so I suggested walking down King Street toward River Street, and we came across this restaurant. The restaurant looked pretty crowded, and it looked like it was filled with mostly Vietnamese patrons, and these two facts are usually good signs that you're going to be eating some pretty good Vietnamese food. I ordered pho with rare steak and beef meatballs. I was very pleased with the fragrance of the broth when the pho arrived at our table. The usual vegetables were provided: long coriander, basil leaves, bean sprouts, hot green pepper and lime wedges. The meat was comprised of three very thin slices of rare steak and 6 beef meatballs. My wife and I both agreed that the wedges of lime added a nice touch compared to lemon wedges that are served in some other Vietnamese restaurants. The broth was very smooth tasting, with just the right amount of spices in it. They were more generous with their noodles than some other restaurants. I ordered iced coffee with condensed milk, which was a perfect accompaniment to the savory pho. The service was very friendly and attentive, and I will definitely return to try some other dishes.

    (5)

  • Sheena C.

    Yes, To-Chau was still closed, so I decided to try this place. I rate Saigon Vietnamese 3.5 on taste. The broth was very flavorful (about as good, or slightly more flavorful as my number one's--To-Chau), however, about 5 minutes after I ordered the pho tai, the waitress came back to inform me that they were out of the raw meat........! I was heartbroken and wanted to leave, had it not been the SO who insisted we stay since we drove all the way to China Town. :/ Anyway, I settled for the meatballs in my pho and was not very happy. The server did apologize when he brought our dishes, so that was nice. The SO had a bahn mi (can't remember which) and said it was very good. A positive about this place is that they accept credit cards for purchases over $10. Overall, yes, the broth was delicious, but I am loyal to my pho-mate, so I probably won't be back unless I am already in China Town, craving pho, and To-Chau is closed again.

    (3)

  • Tim H.

    I try to go to a Vietnamese restaurant when I am in different city. I like to compare my usual meal with places I have back home. In this case, I was in HI over the Christmas break and decided to try the pho and the spring rolls here. I found the pho to be similar to the pho I have here in MD. The broth seemed to have more of a star anise flavor than I am use to and the broth was very pungent due to the star anise. The broth was tasty and the meat was good too. The fresh thai basil and bean sprouts were crispy and flavorful. The lime was fresh too. The spring rolls were good. They served more than I thought I would get in an order. Over all, I liked this place and if I were to be in Honolulu again I would return.

    (3)

  • lisa h.

    This is going to be our new go-to Vietnamese place while in Chinatown. Love the interior, cool vibe, friendly servers, delicious good, clean bathroom. Winner! My kids got the beef ball pho, and it was great. Slightly sweet, very mellow and tasty broth (I don't really eat noodles, but tried the broth and it was yummy). The spring rolls we had were maybe the best I've ever tasted, and my chicken salad was really good....no offending, sketchy pieces of chicken and nice, fresh veggies (and what I didn't eat was delish later, for dinner). We used to always go to Pho My Lan but I like the quality of meat and some of the menu options at SVC better, so we are converts. We had to wait a few minutes for a table (it was lunchtime on a Sunday) but it's totally worth it. Parking in Chinatown is of course a PITA but I usually just suck it up and pay for lot parking--easy.

    (5)

  • Eva H.

    friendly service. I had the banh hoi which was excellent. the shrimp were perfectly cooked, plump and generous portions. The sandwiches were very good too. I think this is the best Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown. They also do a duck bamboo soup only on sundays which wish I was I was around to try.

    (4)

  • Elaine C.

    Good stuff! The Saigon pork sandwich, fried spring rolls and friends all got the regular pho - which were HUGE! All the food ordered were solid and decently priced. + clean bathroom + good complimentary iced tea - had to ask for refills twice and then went up to the register and refilled my own cup - mixed up our bill twice

    (4)

  • Joshua P.

    Right when we entered they welcomed us with a smile and sat us. The waitress was nice and didn't hover. The food was delicious! I tried a "healthy drink" that was interesting but better than I thought it was going to be. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the price was great!

    (4)

  • Val D.

    My lunch buddies took me to this hole in the wall in chinatown. There are so many vietnamese restaurants that serve pho, but what makes a really good pho is not the noodles or veggies that go with it, but the broth that they make, and this place has one of the best broth for only $6.50 for a regular bowl, or $7.50 for a large. I usually can eat a large bowl at other restaurants, but the broth was so flavorful and the veggies that came with it was a large portion, that the regular size was just enough for me. You also have a choice of regular water or iced-tea with your meal. At first, I asked about the chicken noodle soup since I am watching my cholesterol levels at this time, but being the chinese I am to get my money's worth, I succumbed to ruining myself and asked for the assorted beef balls, tendon and tripe instead since I usually don't cook that. I guess she forgot because I was served the chicken noodle soup, but I'm glad that she got my order mixed up because then my cholesterol would be sky high, and I was able to taste the best chicken broth I ever had, which I probably cannot replicate. Chicken noodle soup - 5 star - very flavorful, I think the flavor that kicked it up was cinnamon, but I could be wrong. Not your usual canned chicken broth, served with fresh chicken, pho noodles and your usual pho veggies. Service - very friendly and the tea tasted refreshing. Right in the heart of chinatown, so you can go shopping at all the stores for veggies and stuff after. After I check my cholesterol, I think I'll order the beef pho noodles next. hah.

    (5)

  • Marcia L.

    this is where i come for pho in chinatown! when in doubt, get the combination :) they have a lot of other food options including vietnamese crepe, porkchop rice, pork bun, etc!

    (5)

  • Shirley L.

    Came here with friends for lunch. Didn't really try anything else but the banh hoi - which was excellent!! I will definitely be back, and the wait staff was very helpful, even though you have to waive them down a few times to get service. Banh hoi - "make your own summer roll" (although, technically the term refers to the layered vermicelli noodle that is fried and made available for rolling) - absolutely delicious! We had pretty much every kind of filling - ground shrimp on sugar cane, sausage, fried shrimp, fried pork, etc. Not sure how many I had!

    (4)

  • Alt K.

    Yes it's a hole in the wall and downtown parking makes you want to shout "Shut the Full Cup!," but the quality of their food at cheap eats prices makes it all worth while: * The baguettes used in their Banh Mi was crispy on the outside and oh so soft on the inside. * The Rare Beef Salad (actually raw beef) prepared with daikon was the best I ever had. * The Vietnamese Crepe was the dish of our meal: tasty and textured once dipped in the accompanied sauce it makes you say "baby where have you been all my life." * And oh yeah the Pho was solid as well. If it's Vietnamese cuisine you are looking for SVC can't be beat.

    (5)

  • T J.

    This place is pretty good. I had better food. The location is not that great. In Chinatown and around the the neighbourhood there are a lot of people in drugs or alcohol. We didn't feel safe. I wish the city could clean the neighbourhood. Sad to see a place like this one in paradise.

    (3)

  • Liza R.

    The pho broth here is really flavorful. Yum! My husband got the shrimp and pork vermicelli noodle dish and I was jealous! It was really good! The spring rolls were also awesome. Great service and non scary bathroom.

    (4)

  • Peter H.

    Great authentic Vietnamese food right in Chinatown. Their pho, hu tieu, and bun riu are fairly decent. Price is right. Above average Vietnamese food. Will definitely come again.

    (4)

  • Rebecca C.

    I think this will be my new go to pho place... :)

    (4)

  • Ola C.

    I had to update my review because this place is pretty much as good as it gets. It's close to Downtown, clean, has great service, and the pho is great! They serve iced tea complimentary, have a bathroom!!!, the restaurant is cleaner than all the other vietnamese restaurants in the area, and the have AC.

    (5)

  • Calvin C.

    This is probably one of the best pho places I've had in Hawaii. the staff has been super accommodating and willing to explain the proper way to enjoy any of their dishes. I have yet to have one even mediocre dish here. my favorites include pho ga, the crab soup, and the lemongrass chicken on top of vermicelli noodles, its quite unique and the flavor combination is outstanding. the Bánh xèo is also great. The beef pho was ok, but i usually don't eat much beef so it really wasn't my thing, however i don't agree with some of the other reviews claiming it was rubbery, it wasn't.. The place is clean and they are always watching strange videos about some countryside in south east Asia, its pretty amusing actually.

    (5)

  • Michelle M.

    I have to think I'm really lucky for finding this place. One afternoon, me & my foodie friend were hoping to have lunch at To Chau...no luck--Closing! So we walked a few steps up King and found this great little place. Nice, clean, air conditioned...great service, lots of tables...but that's not what we were there for...the FOOD! The food was great! We had: Summer Rolls with Tofu-- SOOOO Yummy! The aged tofu was fantastic along with the soft rice wrap...and the peanut sauce....ohhhh the peanut sauce was jest perfectly flavored! OMG! Ended up being fatties and ordered 2 of them! Vegetable Pho--Lots of fresh veggies and tofu. The broth was great with lots of flavor. My foodie friend was actually determined to finish his bowl and got pretty dang close to doing just that! Spicy Lemon Grass Chicken with Long Rice--This was fantastic!! I totally finished my plate! The flavors were on point, nice and spicy...but not too spicy. The dressing was a little on the bland side, but I was able to quickly remedy that with the assortment of tableside condiments. Iced Lemonade--Nice, sweet and refreshing...We ended up ordering 2 each! Yes, they were that good! I will definitely make it a point to come here everytime I'm in Town and have a craving for some Vietnamese. This is a great place, and the owners are very sweet. They remembered us from our visit several months before and knew exactly what we would enjoy having! You guys should all try them...if can.

    (5)

  • Leimomi S.

    The beef and chicken pho at Saigon are the best! The owner is very friendly and helpful when trying to make dining choices. The flavor of the broth is very close to home style cooking. Also, the barbeque bun noodles are another choice that keeps us coming back to Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine

    (5)

  • Lynn R.

    Always a treat to have good authentic Vietnamese food when ever I'm in Chinatown !! Love this place.... Try it!!

    (4)

  • Lalaine V.

    Been here twice so I must like it. From the clean and air conditioned interior to the nice waitstaff, especially the guy who, without fail, greets and brings a menu and a glass of water before I'm seated. My order is always medium pho combination and iced coffee. Pretty standard. Everything tastes the same with hoisin and sriracha. I also like that their veggies are washed properly with no traces of dirt at the stem. That's very important.

    (4)

  • Huli H.

    The Hu Thieu here is pretty good. The portions are fairly generous too.

    (4)

  • Diane B.

    Vegetable pho with vegetarian broth was fantastic. I was surprised that it was so tasty and my carnivore friends tasted and loved it, too. There was a lot of tofu and plenty of veggies. I am so happy to have found vegetarian pho!

    (5)

  • Duane G.

    I love this place. The Bun Bo Hue is the best that I've had on this Island. Yum Yum

    (5)

  • Abbey Y.

    I would give this place higher except for the fact that the last few times I went, I left quite disatisfied. The pho, I would have to give it at least a 4.5 or 5 as well as their iced coffee. Note: If you don't speak any vietnamese come on a weekday. They recently hired a new worker (male) that no speak engrish who appears only on the weekends. We wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt because I know that some have a hard time adapting to a new language. The lady that usually takes our order is very nice and very friendly. This male on the other hand messed up our orders consistently. We ordered beef outside, but got beef inside, we asked for a hot tea and ended up with iced tea, we asked for cooked bean sprouts and ended up with raw ones. If this had been opposite day, it would've been the best service ever.

    (3)

  • Myron I.

    very good broth here. one of the nicest pho places

    (5)

  • El T.

    We recently stumbled upon this restaurant while walking through ChinaTown. The staff here is very very nice. They have really yummy food for a very reasonable price. The pho is good and the Banh Hoi is AWESOME! How come no one told me about this place before!!!!!! I am longing to go back as I am writing this review :\....

    (4)

  • Joseph L.

    The food is good, I didn't taste anything different from the other places around China town, but then again my pallet is not refined for Vietnamese food. The service was pretty horrendous but again I don't speak Vietnamese so how can I expect to be able to communicate... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~­~ I came here with my girlfriend's family and the food was pretty good. The server got almost every order wrong. Of the 4 dishes and 2 drinks we ordered, 3 dishes and 1 drink was wrong. I had some of their pho with steak and it did come with many more garnishes (other than beansprouts) than many other places I have been to. The soup was good and their noodles were pretty average. I may be very biased on this review as I did just come back from San Diego and had many EXCELLENT experiences eating pho in both San Diego and LA.

    (3)

  • Gleb C.

    Don't let the simple restaurant front fool you. This place is out of control good. I've eaten authentic VN food all over the United States (NY, DC, SF, Houston, Tampa) and this is by far one of my favorite places. The owners here are total foodies themselves, and will treat you really well. Try to get a seat by the window so you can enjoy the views of the busy Chinatown life outside. I've had Pho Dac Biet here several times, and it is really really good. Cafe Sua Da (VN iced coffee) is fantastic. Talk to the owner while you're waiting for your meal -- he has quite a story to tell. Can not recommend this place highly enough. Keep it up!

    (5)

  • Ketchum H.

    I completely forgot about this restaurant...used to enjoy it years ago...from appearances it does not seem to have changed a bit...I can still see my initials carved in the off pink formica table I always enjoyed...the tip here is to come on Saturday around noon...before you enter be sure to wander around Chinatown for an hour or so...this pushes us into the fifth star...life is ripping in Chinatown on the weekend mornings...like visiting asia without the horrid flight...take your time and relax with your lunch...there is a lot going on in this family restaurant...when is comes time to order you can either point at the "for idiots only" picture menu, choose from the descriptive menu or just look around at other tables and select that way...I enjoyed lunch with a notoriously famous artist and his beautiful wife...suddenly he noticed green laser light roaming the ceiling...he wanted it...now...so he bought it and another one to use in an upcoming art exhibit!...the owners were stoked to sell it to him...as an added bonus, the bathroom is a clean well lighted spot... added note... the reviewer of this restaurant who mentioned "small portion, not worth it" reminds me of an experience I had once at a midwest gas station...two big gutted guys filling up their respective RV's that were headed in opposite directions were discussing places to eat along the route...the heaviest of them was going on about what a great place there was down road..." really great spot, huge portions"...

    (5)

  • Tom S.

    small portion, not worth it

    (2)

  • Yen V.

    Love this restaurant! The food is very authentic and the owners of the restaurant are exceptionally friendly. The banh hoi is amazing here! I come here every time I visit Hawaii.

    (5)

  • Tammy C.

    Decent food for a decent price! Okay, food was good! Why 3 stars? Caught two HUGE cockroaches crawling around the restaurant! Not good. Well, that was two years ago. ..I'm not sure how things have changed since then. This is a review based on me dining two years ago. Maybe I'll try it again when I get back on Oahu!

    (3)

  • David D.

    This place offers Pho for breakfast! They open at 7:30am! The customer service is really great here as it's always with a smile :) The owner says, "The customer service is #1. The food is #2." That says a lot about the environment in this restaurant. Aside from the delicious food, cool things about this restaurant is the air conditioner :), the colorful decor, and television playing random Vietnamese videos. If you're a pho lover in Chinatown Honolulu, it's a must try!

    (5)

  • Thiep N.

    I've been here several times and the Vietnamese food is great! The prices aren't too steep and they have a large variety of Vietnamese food. Also they have pictures in the back of the menu and a good description on what your eating, lol.

    (5)

  • Sasha B.

    When you want to talk about good food this is the resturant to go to. Not only is it the best vietnamese food, I just feel this is the best resturant ever. You have to try the Banh Mi Thit sandwhichs, Yes its that good I had to learn the name, I cant get enough of them. Not only is the food top of the line, the serivice is Awesome. The cute son who works to help his mom out, mom the cashier, dad cooks in the back, and grandma who works the kitchen. Overall, this nice family resturant is a delight to eat at. Iv'e fallen in love with vietnamese food and thank the Family resturant for introducing me to delicious yet authentic Vietnamese cusine!

    (5)

  • Jesse G.

    The true measure of a Vietnamese restaurant is its pho. The most important part of the pho is the broth. It needs to be slow-cooked and flavorful. Effort is needed to skim the fat off the top of the soup. The broth here is the best on the island. My mom is a first generation, Vietnamese immigrant and she agrees this place is authentic and serves quality pho. I usually enjoy the pho, but on occasion I order other items and enjoyed them just as well including the spring rolls, summer rolls, bun and beef stew with french bread. Street parking is quite hard so you'll likely park blocks away at one of the municipal lots. Walking on the narrow sidewalks through Chinatown to get here can be challenging as well. But it's well worth the effort. I normally take a few of my workmates on the journey all the way from Bishop street in the mid-day, sun-scorching heat to enjoy a bowl of steaming hot noodles and soup. By the time we get back I'm usually drenched, but oh so satisfied.

    (5)

  • Yossarian H.

    This place was fantastic! The owner was friendly and helped us order the right food. They even gave us the pancake he was going to eat with the other workers because we were in a rush. The food was perfect and the prices were rock bottom. I loved this place.

    (5)

  • Lei L.

    Gosh I've been here 3 times thus far & have loved each & every meal. I love the fact that they are open SO early! I rolled in there at 8:30am and got the most delicious beef stew this morning. If you've never had Vietnamese beef stew, you are missing out. It's totally different from the good old American or local-kine beef stew. It has so much different spices and herbs that your tongue will have tons of flavor explosions. The darn thing was only $10!!!!!! Seriously, a huge bowl of stew, a loaf of French baguette & a plate full of veggies. Unreal! I also had.... the spicy beef with noodles-awesome Vermicelli noodles with spring rolls/pork-great But my all time favorite has to be their beef stew! Amazing Bon Appetite

    (5)

  • Kimberly L.

    My mom lives on Maui and has a list of Vietnamese restaurants on Oahu. This one was one of them. They make really great Bun Rieu (seafood soup with crab-meat balls) and Bun Bo Hue (spicy beef and pork soup). Yum. They also make great pho too! Food: They do have a great list of goodies but I had to try the Bun Bo Hue. It was good. It had pieces of beef, cubed pork blood, and pigs feet. It was heaven. Although I'm used to my aunt's Bun Bo Hue, and hers is spicier. This one isn't super spicy but there are condiments on the table to spice it up. The server was also nice but I think it's because they know my mom and that we were Vietnamese. But he was very knowledgeable on different phrases. My mom's Filipino boyfriend was with us and he did hit him with a "salamat" lol..very personable and great food. Oh and food came out super fast! Oh and you know being a spoiled maui girl, some places on Oahu kind of freak me out. I thought that we were going to walk into a small restaurant with old looking tables, cramped with "stuff" and dirty walls.... but the restaurant was clean and decor was nice. The outside doesn't do it justice. :) Definitely watch the videos on the TV. They are of actual places in Vietnam.

    (5)

  • Elsa M.

    I've been eating here for past 2 years.. It's family running business. The staffs very friendly. They already know my fav pho and coffee and making the way I like. I went at least once a week. Highly recommend it. Try their BBQ chicken or pork or lemongrass chicken also very good. I love their springrolls but once a while, I will crave for their delicious Vietnamese Crepes but it's humongous and min with 2 persons.

    (5)

  • Chelsey A.

    One of the best pho broths we've ever tried. We always come to this spot in all of china town because of their pho and make-your-own summer roll selection. Everything is always so tasty. Also think this is one of the best places you can get a sugar cane drink! All around great place to casually dine!

    (5)

  • Dave I.

    Whenever i eat here,i seem to get upset stomach,not sure what it is,plus the restaurant smells bad.

    (1)

  • Justin D.

    There are few Vietnamese restaurants where the food transports you to another place. Stepping into Saigon is lite warping from Hawaii to Ho Chi Minh. The he food is authentic and so are the people who own and run it. Everything is so delicious. My favorite pho outside of Vietnam and the sandwiches are delish.

    (5)

  • Brian L.

    I haven't been here in awhile. Got here menu looked different. Hmmm. Where my iced tea? Its OK maybe new owners? Some of the ladies looked familiar..I could be wrong Get my order in. Just a basic pho tai beef outside. Guy asked me large? I looked over at another tables bowl..he says its a regular. Large it is. Get my bowl and its big..full of soup. I mix the noodles up a bit and WOW. Seriously? This thing had enough noodles to fit in those small Chinese rice bowls. Like I could've gone home and made a cup of noodles and had more. I'm taking my time writing this..and taking a few spoons here and there so my mom has enough time to finish her rice plate. LOL ya...not coming back.

    (2)

  • Beth I.

    In keeping with my coworkers tradition of Pho Wednesday, we went on a quest to try a new pho place for the new year. There are a bunch of Vietnamese places in chinatown and downtown also with "Saigon" in the name, but I think this one is going to the top of the list. The place is roomy (in comparison to some other cramped noisy pho places where your elbows bang the table behind you while you eat), air conditioning, and is elevated above the street level. I have no idea the purpose of this, but it's interesting. The pho broth was delicious and not too heavy on the cardamom or overpowered by cinnamon like some places and they gave a heaping pile of super fresh veggies. I love fresh basil and some places give you one or two stalks and here we got a huge handful. Wow, generous. I ordered the regular with everything (tripe, raw beef, meatball, tendon) which was about 7.50 and there is also a large size on the menu for a dollar more. It was a lot of noodles and goodies inside. I was surprised I was so full and not finished! I'd say this is one of my new favorites. I'm ready to go back and it's only Thursday. Pho Wednesday Review #1

    (5)

  • Claire F.

    My favorite pho to date!! I work in Iwilei, so Chinatown is pretty convenient for an hour lunch break. I've tried a few places in Chinatown for pho, but nothing beats this place!!! The pho broth is DELICIOUS! Rich and salty with tons of finely chopped green onions, slices of regular onions, and of course you can add mint leaves, saw leaves (I don't know what the correct name for these are), and beansprouts, all which give the pho a great complementary crunch. They also give lots of noodles and good pieces of meat/chicken. I usually get chicken pho but if you do get meat, I recommend getting it "outside" aka raw. It's delicious dipping each piece individually and cooking it in the broth to a medium/medium-rare doneness!! With the delicious broth and the variety and quality of ingredients they put into the pho, it's probably my favorite bowl of pho ever! Sizes are good too: they have a regular and a large = both pretty sizable! Pho Ga (chicken): yelp.com/biz_photos/saig… I know most pho places use MSG and this place is no different (I think). About 50% of the time I get a headache about an hour after eating the pho. If you're sensitive to MSG beware, BUT for me, the pho is soooo good I usually just suck it up, haha. The servers are all really friendly, the tables are always clean (and not that wet rag smell), my water glass is always asked to be refilled before its empty, and they offer complimentary iced tea! I don't come here THAT often but they still remember me! Only thing is it sometimes can be pretty busy during lunchtime but somehow there always seems to be at least one table open/opening up. Being located in Chinatown, parking can be a real pain. We usually just park in the municipal parking lot fronting Nimitz on the corner of Nimitz/River. Only need about 1-1.5 hours since the service and pho in general is a pretty fast meal. **Tip: They only accept credit cards if the bill is over $10!

    (5)

  • Rissa K.

    This place is pretty authentic and right in the heart of Chinatown. I had the Vermecilli noodles with BBQ pork and sugarcane fishcake. My Bro had the rare steak pho and we shared an order of Spring rolls. This place is the bomb! Pho broth here is amazing! They also have sugar cane juice here which was delish! The only down point to coming here is having to find parking in Chinatown and/or park in one of the garages and needing to pay for parking. Other than that this place is worth going to! Service was good too!

    (4)

  • Jennifer S.

    The food is delicious and it's made even better with the wonderful customer service!! Everything tasted so fresh!! It seemed like their goal as soon as we walked through the door was to make us comfortable and happy customers!! First time here, I will definitely be back!!

    (5)

  • Nicholas W.

    Very tasty Vietnamese place. The other reviews might seem to suggest that the pho is the best dish to get here, but it seems that is often forgotten that there is more to Vietnamese cuisine than pho. I quite enjoyed trying the banh hoi and the banh mi here. Though, I think that the banh mi was the tastier of the two dishes. The sandwich bread was nice and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The pork in the sandwich was nice and flavorful. Service was prompt and my waiter was very helpful when I struggled with wrapping the banh mi. The only reason that I am not going to give this place a 5 star rating is that as good as the meal was, it was a bit salty.

    (4)

  • Robert P.

    Pho Ta, Bang Xeo and Spring Roll all expertly prepared and delivered with heaps of fresh veggies and herbs. Restaurant is very clean and staff was pleasant and helpful. A perfect lunch after a walk through the Chinatown markets.

    (5)

  • Michelle L.

    I think I found the best Vietnamese restaurant on the island....thanks to my majah! I've been to Saigon Vietnamese twice and both times have been for breakfast. Weird, right?! Also, both times have been with my Mom after she dragged me around and about Chinatown with an armful of groceries. Way to work up an appetite! It is kinda off the main drag of Chinatown and I would not expect a Vietnamese restaurant this spectacular here! Head down King Street Ewa side until you pretty much reached the end, across from Chun's Meat Market. The spring rolls here are excellent and they are very generous. You get eight pieces with vermicelli noodles, mint, and lettuce. The pho is great too! For about $9, you get a huge bowl of pho. The broth is flavorful and they give a lot of veggies. The meat is fresh too! One of the best pho around. However, the one item I love was the banh hoi...which is what I think it's called according to the Yelp reviews. It's the make-your-own summer rolls. We ordered the BBQ shrimp one for about $13.50. It came with 12 rice wrappers, about 8 pieces of perfectly cooked jumbo shrimp, vermicelli noodles, cucumbers, pickled veggies, and lettuce with fish sauce for dipping. This was sooooo good and it was pretty healthy too! After awhile, I decided to wrap the fillings in the lettuce and wrap the lettuce with the rice paper. It kept everything from falling out. yelp.com/biz_photos/tNDR… Sorry, the banh hoi looks a lot better but my mom and I started picking at it by the time I remembered to take a picture lol. Service is amazing! Everyone is so friendly! I can see why she loves it here because the workers remember her and knows what she likes. My mom is kinda paranoid about eating raw veggies so she gets a bowl of water to rinse the veggies out. They always bring her a bowl of water without her having to ask. Impressive! The place is clean too which is always a plus. Unfortunately, it's not handicap friendly has there are steps to get up to the dining area. If there is a crowd by 9AM, you know this place is good! I highly recommend checking this place out if you're in the area. If my mom ever wanna drag me out of bed before 9AM on my day off to eat here, I will gladly accept because I can't wait to eat those summer rolls again *wipes drool*

    (5)

  • Steve D.

    I can only say the raving reviews eludes me... Sure the waiter arrives with a ear to ear smile, interior is a soothing baby blue, walls nicely decorated with hints of Halloween and there is a reassuring echo of Vietnamese in the background but guess being overcharged for my Pho probably negated all those great little things that everyone 5'starred about. Ordered a regular sized Pho with raw meat and beef balls. Volume was perfect to the T and my choice of going for a regular vs a large was justified but I just couldn't find the magic fellow Pho lovers were talking about. Broth was salty, raw beef was rubbery, beef balls were just chewy balls, noodles were standard and well... I left with no thoughts of bringing my friends here. Perhaps I will revisit this review once I have tried a few other things on the menu but as for the Pho its really not worth the trek to go out of your way for Saigon.

    (2)

  • Russel M.

    Fresh Clean Atmosphere. Good Service. The food is fresh and most people order the Pho. I tried the Lemongrass Chicken and wished I was at Pho Thinh instead.

    (4)

  • Doris D.

    On a whim I decided to get a banh mi with shredded roast pork ($6.50). It was just ok - the bread was great (with a little reheating) but the shredded roast pork was not at all what I had expected; it was more like super minced pork with some wiggly gelatinous noodle things. The pickles were kind of tasteless. Overall a bit disappointed.

    (2)

  • Kathleen G.

    Hmmm... What's a great way to celebrate your first year anniversary at work?? Keep the Pho Wednesdays tradition going -- a carry over tradition from my previous job for 4 years!! My coworker and I started this quest of looking for a good Pho place to eat in...... From Fort Street we started walking, talking, and yelping our way to Chinatown for a good place. *yelping, yelping, yelping*.. oohhh "wanna try this place?". "sure". We actually were yelping for a different place but since Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine is 1) two doors before the other one, 2) looks bigger of a place than the other one, and 3) the two people in front of us went in here, we decided to go here and we did not make a mistake. "Do not judge the book by its cover". Although it was along N. King and there was a construction on the road just outside it, the inside is clean and the tables are all spaced out well. Just watch out, the floor is elevated above the street level. The whole time we were there, people coming in get tripped or something on the two-step stairs. I had the regular pho with beef balls, meat, tripe, and tendon. oh boy, the serving is big! $8.45 spent well. The broth is good and they serve generous amounts of fresh veggies. I didn't get to finish it since I was also talking most of the time. o-O Service is good, quick and they roam around to see who needs what. Will be back for sure! :) Pho#1/365

    (4)

  • nicholas n.

    A gem among the dives in Chinatown. This place is relatively clean, good service, and reasonable price. Food:4/5 Pho 4/5. Very good. tasty broth. Rice with grill pork chop 4/5 Noodle with egg roll & grill pork: 4/5 Bun rieu (noodle soup crab base) 4/5 Banh xeo (rice crepe) 4/5 Service: 4/5 good for dive Cleanliness: 3.5/5 Parking: 2/5 too many homeless near area. Not safe at night Cost:3/5 $12/ dish Overall:4/5 good food and service in Chinatown. They take credit card &have air condition.

    (4)

  • Randa D.

    I love this place, spicy beef and raw beef salad is the bomb!!

    (5)

  • Jay C.

    Located on the corner, hard to miss. I came here on a Wednesday night and it was completely empty... Fortunately, my food as good and came out within 5 minutes. I got the Pho Thai and found their broth tasty and not too salty. The accompanying vegetables were fresh and didn't seem old. This place is family run, and all the people seem to speak a little but not a whole lot of English. Sort of tacky synthesized background music. Good for a quick fix, or after beer munchies...

    (3)

  • Chino C.

    We visiting here from houston tx and we have plenty for good viet food in houston but this one tops it all, it's been 7 days since we landed here and found this place 6 days a go and believe it or not we been here all 6 days, staff is very friendly and polite, it's neat and clean, over the weekend they have Duck which you must try, come early cause they run out of duck pretty quick.

    (5)

  • theresa s.

    Yelp 31 days Challenge: 30 of 31 I can't believe I haven't written a review about this place yet. Been on my rotation of restaurants I visit at least once a week. Although one of the reviewers describe this place as a "hole in the wall," I disagree, as it is actually one of the nicer restaurants in Chinatown. The place is clean, the servers are friendly (and can speak English!), and the food top notch. They do have a little more fat in their broth, but if you don't like it that way, just make sure you ask them for "clear soup/broth", which is what I do. Quality of meat is good, and sliced thin. Veggie plate is always abundant. I have tried almost everything on the menu. My favorites: pho, do-it-yourself wraps with grilled pork and shrimp, banh mi, and hu tieu.

    (4)

  • Ivy Lou H.

    I got eluded by the reviews that made me try the pho (last night) that they were talking about. I ordered the combination pho thinking I'll get much meat because it's combination but it turned out that I got 4thin sliced beef and a meat ball that was cut in half. The broth was salty! Instead of getting enough noodles I got only little of it and more basil leaves and bean sprouts without lemon! I was so sad eating last night looking at my pho, it wasn't the pho I'm expecting. Definitely I will not Come back here. For those pho lovers, I know a little place for a great pho! It's located at ward warehouse, next to Dairy Queen. They are not famous because you can't see them on yelp. I hope my review helps!

    (2)

  • Matt A.

    When it comes to pho i'm all about the broth and the meat - both of which are awesome here. Definitely my #1 go-to pho place downtown. Meat: They don't give a lot of rare steak but the quality is so much better than other pho places. I'd rather had a few pieces of really good meat than a bunch of chewy, tough meat. I also love the brisket in the combination. Broth: LOVE it. Very flavorful - not bland like other places. It's not sweet either and has a heap full of green onions which is great. If you're downtown and you love Pho, you gotta try this place before you pick a favorite.

    (4)

  • Susanne D.

    I've been by this place a million times and it wasn't until I was searching for a restaurant that accepted cards that I finally went in. I was very pleased with it! The decor is adorable and the wait staff was great, very helpful in helping a sick girl find food to settle her stomach. The menus had pictures of each dish, which is always a plus! I literally pointed to a picture and said "I want this" and it showed up in front of me. Amazing! Definitely will be back!

    (5)

  • Nat N.

    I am not a big fan of Vietnamese cuisine, don't ask me why. The ingredients they use just don't turn me on, and although I'm a fan of practically any kind of noodle (e.g. saimin, ramen, chow mein/fun), I cannot stand pho. So when a friend invited me to lunch at Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine, I was not leaping for joy. However, I must tell you that my friend and his family are the real deal when it comes to everything Vietnamese ... his mom is the master at cooking Vietnamese food. So, when he told me that his mom is the one who brought him to this place, because they offer this one dish that no other Vietnamese restaurant on the island offers, I did get a little excited. My friend did all the ordering for us, and when I asked both him and the wait staff for the name of what we ordered, all they could do was show me pictures in the menu of what we ordered, so I can't tell you what it is. I can only describe it for you. To start off the meal we had their won ton soup. I normally don't like won tons in soup (I prefer the deep fried, crunchy kind), but these were awesome. The soup had a nice flavor to it too. A must try. Then came the main course (this is the course that you can't find anywhere else on the island). They brought us a plate rice papers, a bowl of hot water, and a large plate filled with veggies (lettuce, pickled veggies, mint leaves), meats (mini spring rolls, vietnamese sausage, bbq beef, bbq shrimp, and this shrimp thing filled with a large piece of sugar cane), and rice noodles. Time to eat! So it's basically a DYI summer roll dish. You put the rice paper in the warm water and then place it on your plate. Add your veggies, meats, roll, dip in the fish sauce, and take a bite. OMG, it was fantastic. I must have eaten at least 7 summer rolls, and would have eaten more had we not run out of the fillings! Tip - use the bathroom somewhere else before you come here - my friend used it and she said it was pretty nasty.

    (5)

  • Laurie P.

    So I don't know what is required for good banh mi. But I know what I want, I want tasty grilled meat on an amazing baguette. A baguette that has a hard shell, but a soft chewy interior. I want a baguette slathered in a little butter and mayo where I have a hard time taking a bite because of how filled with deliciousness it is. I want the baguette to make my jaw hurt from chewing it! I want it to leave flakey little crumbs all over the place when I am done. And based on all my personal criteria, Saigon delivers my favorite banh mi on island to date. Their chair siu banh mi came with a few slices of char siu, stuffed with pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro, and peppers (which must be requested). I usually have to add sambal to my banh mi to increase flavor, but this banh mi was so delicious it didn't need anything else! I powered one down in the time it took me to drive from Maunakea to Kalihi on Nimitz. When there was no traffic. I definitely have to go back and try all the different options, like meatball and bbq pork (which is my usual go to, but I decided to be adventurous that day!)

    (4)

  • Norm G.

    Today was my first time to try Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine, and I am really glad I did! My wife and I wanted to try something different while we were shopping in Chinatown, so I suggested walking down King Street toward River Street, and we came across this restaurant. The restaurant looked pretty crowded, and it looked like it was filled with mostly Vietnamese patrons, and these two facts are usually good signs that you're going to be eating some pretty good Vietnamese food. I ordered pho with rare steak and beef meatballs. I was very pleased with the fragrance of the broth when the pho arrived at our table. The usual vegetables were provided: long coriander, basil leaves, bean sprouts, hot green pepper and lime wedges. The meat was comprised of three very thin slices of rare steak and 6 beef meatballs. My wife and I both agreed that the wedges of lime added a nice touch compared to lemon wedges that are served in some other Vietnamese restaurants. The broth was very smooth tasting, with just the right amount of spices in it. They were more generous with their noodles than some other restaurants. I ordered iced coffee with condensed milk, which was a perfect accompaniment to the savory pho. The service was very friendly and attentive, and I will definitely return to try some other dishes.

    (5)

  • Sheena C.

    Yes, To-Chau was still closed, so I decided to try this place. I rate Saigon Vietnamese 3.5 on taste. The broth was very flavorful (about as good, or slightly more flavorful as my number one's--To-Chau), however, about 5 minutes after I ordered the pho tai, the waitress came back to inform me that they were out of the raw meat........! I was heartbroken and wanted to leave, had it not been the SO who insisted we stay since we drove all the way to China Town. :/ Anyway, I settled for the meatballs in my pho and was not very happy. The server did apologize when he brought our dishes, so that was nice. The SO had a bahn mi (can't remember which) and said it was very good. A positive about this place is that they accept credit cards for purchases over $10. Overall, yes, the broth was delicious, but I am loyal to my pho-mate, so I probably won't be back unless I am already in China Town, craving pho, and To-Chau is closed again.

    (3)

  • Tim H.

    I try to go to a Vietnamese restaurant when I am in different city. I like to compare my usual meal with places I have back home. In this case, I was in HI over the Christmas break and decided to try the pho and the spring rolls here. I found the pho to be similar to the pho I have here in MD. The broth seemed to have more of a star anise flavor than I am use to and the broth was very pungent due to the star anise. The broth was tasty and the meat was good too. The fresh thai basil and bean sprouts were crispy and flavorful. The lime was fresh too. The spring rolls were good. They served more than I thought I would get in an order. Over all, I liked this place and if I were to be in Honolulu again I would return.

    (3)

  • lisa h.

    This is going to be our new go-to Vietnamese place while in Chinatown. Love the interior, cool vibe, friendly servers, delicious good, clean bathroom. Winner! My kids got the beef ball pho, and it was great. Slightly sweet, very mellow and tasty broth (I don't really eat noodles, but tried the broth and it was yummy). The spring rolls we had were maybe the best I've ever tasted, and my chicken salad was really good....no offending, sketchy pieces of chicken and nice, fresh veggies (and what I didn't eat was delish later, for dinner). We used to always go to Pho My Lan but I like the quality of meat and some of the menu options at SVC better, so we are converts. We had to wait a few minutes for a table (it was lunchtime on a Sunday) but it's totally worth it. Parking in Chinatown is of course a PITA but I usually just suck it up and pay for lot parking--easy.

    (5)

  • Eva H.

    friendly service. I had the banh hoi which was excellent. the shrimp were perfectly cooked, plump and generous portions. The sandwiches were very good too. I think this is the best Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown. They also do a duck bamboo soup only on sundays which wish I was I was around to try.

    (4)

  • Elaine C.

    Good stuff! The Saigon pork sandwich, fried spring rolls and friends all got the regular pho - which were HUGE! All the food ordered were solid and decently priced. + clean bathroom + good complimentary iced tea - had to ask for refills twice and then went up to the register and refilled my own cup - mixed up our bill twice

    (4)

  • Joshua P.

    Right when we entered they welcomed us with a smile and sat us. The waitress was nice and didn't hover. The food was delicious! I tried a "healthy drink" that was interesting but better than I thought it was going to be. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the price was great!

    (4)

  • Liza R.

    The pho broth here is really flavorful. Yum! My husband got the shrimp and pork vermicelli noodle dish and I was jealous! It was really good! The spring rolls were also awesome. Great service and non scary bathroom.

    (4)

  • Peter H.

    Great authentic Vietnamese food right in Chinatown. Their pho, hu tieu, and bun riu are fairly decent. Price is right. Above average Vietnamese food. Will definitely come again.

    (4)

  • Rebecca C.

    I think this will be my new go to pho place... :)

    (4)

  • Ola C.

    I had to update my review because this place is pretty much as good as it gets. It's close to Downtown, clean, has great service, and the pho is great! They serve iced tea complimentary, have a bathroom!!!, the restaurant is cleaner than all the other vietnamese restaurants in the area, and the have AC.

    (5)

  • Val D.

    My lunch buddies took me to this hole in the wall in chinatown. There are so many vietnamese restaurants that serve pho, but what makes a really good pho is not the noodles or veggies that go with it, but the broth that they make, and this place has one of the best broth for only $6.50 for a regular bowl, or $7.50 for a large. I usually can eat a large bowl at other restaurants, but the broth was so flavorful and the veggies that came with it was a large portion, that the regular size was just enough for me. You also have a choice of regular water or iced-tea with your meal. At first, I asked about the chicken noodle soup since I am watching my cholesterol levels at this time, but being the chinese I am to get my money's worth, I succumbed to ruining myself and asked for the assorted beef balls, tendon and tripe instead since I usually don't cook that. I guess she forgot because I was served the chicken noodle soup, but I'm glad that she got my order mixed up because then my cholesterol would be sky high, and I was able to taste the best chicken broth I ever had, which I probably cannot replicate. Chicken noodle soup - 5 star - very flavorful, I think the flavor that kicked it up was cinnamon, but I could be wrong. Not your usual canned chicken broth, served with fresh chicken, pho noodles and your usual pho veggies. Service - very friendly and the tea tasted refreshing. Right in the heart of chinatown, so you can go shopping at all the stores for veggies and stuff after. After I check my cholesterol, I think I'll order the beef pho noodles next. hah.

    (5)

  • Marcia L.

    this is where i come for pho in chinatown! when in doubt, get the combination :) they have a lot of other food options including vietnamese crepe, porkchop rice, pork bun, etc!

    (5)

  • Shirley L.

    Came here with friends for lunch. Didn't really try anything else but the banh hoi - which was excellent!! I will definitely be back, and the wait staff was very helpful, even though you have to waive them down a few times to get service. Banh hoi - "make your own summer roll" (although, technically the term refers to the layered vermicelli noodle that is fried and made available for rolling) - absolutely delicious! We had pretty much every kind of filling - ground shrimp on sugar cane, sausage, fried shrimp, fried pork, etc. Not sure how many I had!

    (4)

  • Alt K.

    Yes it's a hole in the wall and downtown parking makes you want to shout "Shut the Full Cup!," but the quality of their food at cheap eats prices makes it all worth while: * The baguettes used in their Banh Mi was crispy on the outside and oh so soft on the inside. * The Rare Beef Salad (actually raw beef) prepared with daikon was the best I ever had. * The Vietnamese Crepe was the dish of our meal: tasty and textured once dipped in the accompanied sauce it makes you say "baby where have you been all my life." * And oh yeah the Pho was solid as well. If it's Vietnamese cuisine you are looking for SVC can't be beat.

    (5)

  • T J.

    This place is pretty good. I had better food. The location is not that great. In Chinatown and around the the neighbourhood there are a lot of people in drugs or alcohol. We didn't feel safe. I wish the city could clean the neighbourhood. Sad to see a place like this one in paradise.

    (3)

  • Calvin C.

    This is probably one of the best pho places I've had in Hawaii. the staff has been super accommodating and willing to explain the proper way to enjoy any of their dishes. I have yet to have one even mediocre dish here. my favorites include pho ga, the crab soup, and the lemongrass chicken on top of vermicelli noodles, its quite unique and the flavor combination is outstanding. the Bánh xèo is also great. The beef pho was ok, but i usually don't eat much beef so it really wasn't my thing, however i don't agree with some of the other reviews claiming it was rubbery, it wasn't.. The place is clean and they are always watching strange videos about some countryside in south east Asia, its pretty amusing actually.

    (5)

  • Michelle M.

    I have to think I'm really lucky for finding this place. One afternoon, me & my foodie friend were hoping to have lunch at To Chau...no luck--Closing! So we walked a few steps up King and found this great little place. Nice, clean, air conditioned...great service, lots of tables...but that's not what we were there for...the FOOD! The food was great! We had: Summer Rolls with Tofu-- SOOOO Yummy! The aged tofu was fantastic along with the soft rice wrap...and the peanut sauce....ohhhh the peanut sauce was jest perfectly flavored! OMG! Ended up being fatties and ordered 2 of them! Vegetable Pho--Lots of fresh veggies and tofu. The broth was great with lots of flavor. My foodie friend was actually determined to finish his bowl and got pretty dang close to doing just that! Spicy Lemon Grass Chicken with Long Rice--This was fantastic!! I totally finished my plate! The flavors were on point, nice and spicy...but not too spicy. The dressing was a little on the bland side, but I was able to quickly remedy that with the assortment of tableside condiments. Iced Lemonade--Nice, sweet and refreshing...We ended up ordering 2 each! Yes, they were that good! I will definitely make it a point to come here everytime I'm in Town and have a craving for some Vietnamese. This is a great place, and the owners are very sweet. They remembered us from our visit several months before and knew exactly what we would enjoy having! You guys should all try them...if can.

    (5)

  • Leimomi S.

    The beef and chicken pho at Saigon are the best! The owner is very friendly and helpful when trying to make dining choices. The flavor of the broth is very close to home style cooking. Also, the barbeque bun noodles are another choice that keeps us coming back to Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine

    (5)

  • Lynn R.

    Always a treat to have good authentic Vietnamese food when ever I'm in Chinatown !! Love this place.... Try it!!

    (4)

  • Lalaine V.

    Been here twice so I must like it. From the clean and air conditioned interior to the nice waitstaff, especially the guy who, without fail, greets and brings a menu and a glass of water before I'm seated. My order is always medium pho combination and iced coffee. Pretty standard. Everything tastes the same with hoisin and sriracha. I also like that their veggies are washed properly with no traces of dirt at the stem. That's very important.

    (4)

  • Huli H.

    The Hu Thieu here is pretty good. The portions are fairly generous too.

    (4)

  • Diane B.

    Vegetable pho with vegetarian broth was fantastic. I was surprised that it was so tasty and my carnivore friends tasted and loved it, too. There was a lot of tofu and plenty of veggies. I am so happy to have found vegetarian pho!

    (5)

  • Duane G.

    I love this place. The Bun Bo Hue is the best that I've had on this Island. Yum Yum

    (5)

  • Abbey Y.

    I would give this place higher except for the fact that the last few times I went, I left quite disatisfied. The pho, I would have to give it at least a 4.5 or 5 as well as their iced coffee. Note: If you don't speak any vietnamese come on a weekday. They recently hired a new worker (male) that no speak engrish who appears only on the weekends. We wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt because I know that some have a hard time adapting to a new language. The lady that usually takes our order is very nice and very friendly. This male on the other hand messed up our orders consistently. We ordered beef outside, but got beef inside, we asked for a hot tea and ended up with iced tea, we asked for cooked bean sprouts and ended up with raw ones. If this had been opposite day, it would've been the best service ever.

    (3)

  • Myron I.

    very good broth here. one of the nicest pho places

    (5)

  • El T.

    We recently stumbled upon this restaurant while walking through ChinaTown. The staff here is very very nice. They have really yummy food for a very reasonable price. The pho is good and the Banh Hoi is AWESOME! How come no one told me about this place before!!!!!! I am longing to go back as I am writing this review :\....

    (4)

  • Joseph L.

    The food is good, I didn't taste anything different from the other places around China town, but then again my pallet is not refined for Vietnamese food. The service was pretty horrendous but again I don't speak Vietnamese so how can I expect to be able to communicate... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~­~ I came here with my girlfriend's family and the food was pretty good. The server got almost every order wrong. Of the 4 dishes and 2 drinks we ordered, 3 dishes and 1 drink was wrong. I had some of their pho with steak and it did come with many more garnishes (other than beansprouts) than many other places I have been to. The soup was good and their noodles were pretty average. I may be very biased on this review as I did just come back from San Diego and had many EXCELLENT experiences eating pho in both San Diego and LA.

    (3)

  • Gleb C.

    Don't let the simple restaurant front fool you. This place is out of control good. I've eaten authentic VN food all over the United States (NY, DC, SF, Houston, Tampa) and this is by far one of my favorite places. The owners here are total foodies themselves, and will treat you really well. Try to get a seat by the window so you can enjoy the views of the busy Chinatown life outside. I've had Pho Dac Biet here several times, and it is really really good. Cafe Sua Da (VN iced coffee) is fantastic. Talk to the owner while you're waiting for your meal -- he has quite a story to tell. Can not recommend this place highly enough. Keep it up!

    (5)

  • Ketchum H.

    I completely forgot about this restaurant...used to enjoy it years ago...from appearances it does not seem to have changed a bit...I can still see my initials carved in the off pink formica table I always enjoyed...the tip here is to come on Saturday around noon...before you enter be sure to wander around Chinatown for an hour or so...this pushes us into the fifth star...life is ripping in Chinatown on the weekend mornings...like visiting asia without the horrid flight...take your time and relax with your lunch...there is a lot going on in this family restaurant...when is comes time to order you can either point at the "for idiots only" picture menu, choose from the descriptive menu or just look around at other tables and select that way...I enjoyed lunch with a notoriously famous artist and his beautiful wife...suddenly he noticed green laser light roaming the ceiling...he wanted it...now...so he bought it and another one to use in an upcoming art exhibit!...the owners were stoked to sell it to him...as an added bonus, the bathroom is a clean well lighted spot... added note... the reviewer of this restaurant who mentioned "small portion, not worth it" reminds me of an experience I had once at a midwest gas station...two big gutted guys filling up their respective RV's that were headed in opposite directions were discussing places to eat along the route...the heaviest of them was going on about what a great place there was down road..." really great spot, huge portions"...

    (5)

  • Tom S.

    small portion, not worth it

    (2)

  • Yen V.

    Love this restaurant! The food is very authentic and the owners of the restaurant are exceptionally friendly. The banh hoi is amazing here! I come here every time I visit Hawaii.

    (5)

  • Tammy C.

    Decent food for a decent price! Okay, food was good! Why 3 stars? Caught two HUGE cockroaches crawling around the restaurant! Not good. Well, that was two years ago. ..I'm not sure how things have changed since then. This is a review based on me dining two years ago. Maybe I'll try it again when I get back on Oahu!

    (3)

  • David D.

    This place offers Pho for breakfast! They open at 7:30am! The customer service is really great here as it's always with a smile :) The owner says, "The customer service is #1. The food is #2." That says a lot about the environment in this restaurant. Aside from the delicious food, cool things about this restaurant is the air conditioner :), the colorful decor, and television playing random Vietnamese videos. If you're a pho lover in Chinatown Honolulu, it's a must try!

    (5)

  • Thiep N.

    I've been here several times and the Vietnamese food is great! The prices aren't too steep and they have a large variety of Vietnamese food. Also they have pictures in the back of the menu and a good description on what your eating, lol.

    (5)

  • Sasha B.

    When you want to talk about good food this is the resturant to go to. Not only is it the best vietnamese food, I just feel this is the best resturant ever. You have to try the Banh Mi Thit sandwhichs, Yes its that good I had to learn the name, I cant get enough of them. Not only is the food top of the line, the serivice is Awesome. The cute son who works to help his mom out, mom the cashier, dad cooks in the back, and grandma who works the kitchen. Overall, this nice family resturant is a delight to eat at. Iv'e fallen in love with vietnamese food and thank the Family resturant for introducing me to delicious yet authentic Vietnamese cusine!

    (5)

  • Jesse G.

    The true measure of a Vietnamese restaurant is its pho. The most important part of the pho is the broth. It needs to be slow-cooked and flavorful. Effort is needed to skim the fat off the top of the soup. The broth here is the best on the island. My mom is a first generation, Vietnamese immigrant and she agrees this place is authentic and serves quality pho. I usually enjoy the pho, but on occasion I order other items and enjoyed them just as well including the spring rolls, summer rolls, bun and beef stew with french bread. Street parking is quite hard so you'll likely park blocks away at one of the municipal lots. Walking on the narrow sidewalks through Chinatown to get here can be challenging as well. But it's well worth the effort. I normally take a few of my workmates on the journey all the way from Bishop street in the mid-day, sun-scorching heat to enjoy a bowl of steaming hot noodles and soup. By the time we get back I'm usually drenched, but oh so satisfied.

    (5)

  • Yossarian H.

    This place was fantastic! The owner was friendly and helped us order the right food. They even gave us the pancake he was going to eat with the other workers because we were in a rush. The food was perfect and the prices were rock bottom. I loved this place.

    (5)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :7:00 am - 3:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : No
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : No
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : No
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes

Saigon Vietnamese Cuisine

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