Saigon’s Restaurant
3624 Waialae Ave, Honolulu, HI, 96816
Saigon’s Restaurant Menu
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Address :
3624 Waialae Ave
Honolulu, HI, 96816 - Phone (808) 735-4242
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
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
Caters : No
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B A.
This is our go to spot for pho and Vietnamese food - good food, close to home, but also always a good experience. Owners are always so nice, remember us, talk story, etc. I left my umbrella once and a few weeks later when we came back they gave it back to me - hadn't even realized I'd left it. That's good customer service! My boyfriend really likes the pho and oxtail soup and I think the BBQ tofu is great - good flavor. They are open when I ask to change little things too. They give lots of garnishes with spring rolls - lots of mint, rice noodles, cucumber slices, carrot and daikon shreds, lots of sauce. Too fat to eat sometimes when you roll them up! Went to Pho 777 today due to location and had small portions, hardly any garnish with spring rolls (little and not fresh lettuce and mint, rice noodles), and a piece of plastic wrap in the pho broth! We were sad we didn't just wait to go home and eat here instead. Waste of $$$ Service is usually really fast, but a little slow here and there. They are a mom and pop type place though so we will keep going. Worth the wait and not the disappointment elsewhere. Gave 4 stars because we usually get the same things on menu - not sure how the rest is - but nice people and we like what we get.
(4)Renee S.
Saigons is 5-star! From the Pho, spring rolls, plate lunches BBQ chicken, curries to their iced coffee. Food is fresh, tasty, and plentiful! You would never find any herbs that weren't fresh. Service is great, friendly :)). I always look at the cleanliness of the establishment, Saigon is always clean, I look at the condiment containers. . Ha ha.
(5)Jim M.
This is my favorite Vietnamese Place on this side of town. I was so glad they opened because I miss the Green Papaya restaurant that used to be across the street. Located at the top of the hill on Waialae Avenue, they are convenient and parking is usually decent at the municipal lots nearby. My favorite are the vermicelli dishes but the Pho is great and so are the lemon grass dishes. Try the spring rolls and summer rolls for starters. I love the summer rolls and the peanut sauce. The food and the food quality are much better here than at Hale Vietnam around the corner. The service is always good and the owners are friendly. After just two visits they remembered me and welcomed me back.
(4)Sandy S.
I love this restaurant! I go often and have the vegetarian spring rolls, vermicelli with grilled shrimp and a coconut tapioca for desert. Everything is fresh and very tasty. The restaurant is clean and the service good. One other reviewer said no parking but actually there is a free one hour parking lot on center street near the restaurant!
(5)Kellie K.
I heard a lot of good reviews but was ultimately disappointed. I left with a full stomache but I was not satisfied. The interior was nice and clean but the pho was not up to par. This place reminded me of super pho they both have lots of noodles but there was also a lot of nothing. I ordered a combination pho meat outside. I only saw one tripe in my whole bowl and didn't see any brisket. The only beef that was in my pho was the rare beef. The broth tasted like Packaged pho broth with a lot of msg. For pho that cost almost cost ten dollars I expected a lot more. I still prefer pho Tri. The pho @pho Tri is an epitome of how pho should taste like. . .
(2)Kimberly L.
The first one isn't always the best...except when it is! Saigon's, you're the among the first Vietnamese I've tasted, and even after spending almost a month in Vietnam and tasting dozens of other American Vietnamese restaurants, you still win. Why have I stayed away for so long? I don't pine for you when we're apart, but when we're together, we are sooooo good together. You put the moves on me with your svelte masterpiece-theater style interior, then I find out that you're actually a pretty cheap date. I'm drunk on your buns (vermicelli noodles with salad and and bbq pork and spring rolls) for $9.25. The other Viet places on the block think they can compare, but your prices and proportions rock my world compared to them. You slice your carrots so delicately, and the promptness with which you serve your water and the neatness of your service elicits my secret smile. Those others give themselves fancy names like Super Pho like I'll know they're Clark Kent in disguise, or try to play up the local card like Hale Vietnam, or claim their skinny beauty with the likes of Pho Thinh... I may stray to them for months or years at a time, dining at other places, sullying their napkins with my lips, strewing food on their tables as I eat with gusto. I may have even ventured to your mother(land) to sample the same things you offered me first. . . . But doesn't it mean we're meant to be if I always love you when I come back to you? Every time I come back to you, I know you're the one!
(5)Sherylynn S.
Great service! Good and fresh food! The people who works there have a very strong accent. I am deaf so I can definitely tell. We also have some misunderstanding, but very interesting how we both can interact the words or come to any kind of sense so it was kinda fun :-P I have come here twice so first time was ordering my Pho to go, so it is nice to get it all ready to pick up and go. The second time, we came with friends so it was pretty quiet and good times.
(4)Shayna K.
Vietnamese restaurants are not famous for being the cleanest places on earth. Yet this one breaks the mold. Saigon's tables are not tacky, their menus are not made of sticky old plastic that you wish you had a pari of gloves to slip on before handling. The chili oil container does not make you feel afraid. I didn't even feel the urge to wipe down the highchair with an alcohol swab before putting my daughter in it. The place gets 5 stars for cleanliness. That in itself is a big win that will keep us coming back. The food also tastes clean. Not as oily as other Vietnamese places we've tried. The vegetables seem...well, washed. And spun dry--not sitting in a puddle of water. All these little things add up. They get one ding for their answer to my "is there MSG in the food?" question. Their answer was typical: "Only a little bit." But, we're still coming back. Because I'm convincing myself that the feeling of clean makes that tiny little bit of MSG well worth it.
(5)Kristan L.
My friend and I both ordered regular pho steak & meatballs and side two spring rolls. Quick serve. Yummy. Overall, very satisfied. Totaled around 23 & left tip. Everything seemed fresh and very tasteful. Nothing I can complain about. Nice environment and good customer service.
(5)Dan G.
This family run restaurant is one of my favorites in the area. The food is solid, consistent and carefully made. The veggies are fresh and the portion size is good without being overwhelming. The BBQ tofu is one of their best dishes with a robust flavor and only minor spiciness. Their pho is great with many options. Each comes with fresh basil, lime, and sprouts. The staff is very helpful and went above and beyond to help out our picky kids. The place is casual and friendly. Parking can be a pain, but can be found in a large nearby (pay) lot if you cannot find on street parking. The quality of the food for the price is great and their menu has very affordable options for all budgets. Enjoy!
(4)Nicky H.
If you know Pho then you know it's all about the Broth and thankfully Saigons broth is all beef and phoking delish! The resturant is clean and the owners are friendly. The prices are slightly low for the quality of vietnamese food your getting. So instead of taking a trip to chinatown for pho im so stoked that this place is only 10 mins away and parking across the street is easy. And they have salty lemonade!?! If you dont know what it is the next time you are sick/hungover go get some pho make it spicy and get a salty lemonade, you wont regret it, the nap you'll have afterwards will be amazing! And its BYOB, Cheeeehee!
(5)Joann Y.
Clean and nice place. Yummy food. Friendly staff. What more can you ask for? I came with my girlfriends, and we got the Oxtail Curry, Oxtail pho, Beef salad, and Nam vang soup. Everything was so delicious! The oxtail was cooked well in both dishes, which is a plus. I've tried oxtail at other places, and it wasn't as tender. The soup is delicious too. I especially liked the nam vang soup. The flavors were very subtle but you can still taste the shrimp and the pork, which is great!
(4)Kimo S.
I remember stopping in here almost 20 years ago when I worked at Toys N Joys to grab their Banh Mi sandwiches for a snack, while ownership has changed over the years this place is still an amazing spot decades later. Saigon's has great service, I've never experienced the guy that runs this show having a bad night. He always has a smile on his face and hustles the tables gracefully yet with purpose. BYOB. +1 star automatically. Food is excellent here. My favorite dish and one that keeps me up at night planning my next visit is the Spicy Lemongrass Vermicelli - chicken & spring roll is my combo. The spring rolls are equally fantastic, a great way to start your meal with all the yummy fresh veggies that come with this dish. You don't feel so guilty having a little fried roll when it's layered in delicious veggies, at least that's what I tell myself. This place does a great job at being a good restaurant and sometimes I appreciate that as much as I do an excellent (yet pricey) restaurant.
(5)Ivan S.
Slow service but very apologetic workers. Tasty viet food with tasteful presentation.
(3)Alexis K.
I crave for their summer rolls . Love eating here . It's clean , the food is good and the owners are always nice . Every time that I have been here our food came out fast . Until I get a bad experience , I'll keep coming back .
(5)Ed L.
Just got back from eating here (4/29) after they had remodeled their restaurant and it's under new management. Of course, seeing that 15% off banner in front of the restaurant for the month told me to enter just to see if it gotten better since the last time I was in here. I must say that the decor was way better than it was before. It is nice and refreshing to see it brighten up the room, instead of drab and boring. The most noticable item was the big screen tv that was at the counter. Then there was the art work that hung from the walls, which was a cool touch. Everything is much better here and it was just what they needed. There was a couple of tables open when I walked in. Then minutes later, a few others walked in too. So that's promising for this restaurant. This time around, I indulged and got the OXTAIL Pho. While it was pricey @ $11.75 a bowl, I was like try it once. I had it along with the summer rolls. The rolls I could tell were made to order. None of that refrigerator nonsense. A squeeze of hot sauce inside the peanut sauce and I was good to go. The bowl of Pho was large like an egg. It wasn't wide like other Pho bowls. Just a deep, tall bowl. It's quite fascinating how every restaurant has their bowls. From medium to large, and - for some restaurants - XL bowls. For me, the Oxtail Pho bowl just came in the large bowl. I ordered the Pho with extra noodles, but I don't think they gave me it. With just 5 pieces of oxtail, 2 large pieces, 1 not so large, and 2 small dinky ones, Its safe to say that this bowl of Pho did not live to expectations as far as value is concerned. I was disappointed at the amount of Oxtail they did give. The Pho broth was clear and tasty. It was average, but good. The service was good and decent. This was one of those restaurants where you needed to get up after eating and march yourself to the counter where the cash register is to pay your bill. Most other Pho houses give you your check at the table. This one doesn't. I probably waited like 10 minutes just to see if the servers would do that - but they were just talking story with each other while I used my iPhone. The prices are higher here, but the food was just ok. While they have made greater strides to improve the overall experience, they could do more to enhance the food aspect. I probably should have gotten the beef Pho and save the Oxtail Pho for the good Pho restaurants. B-
(3)Victoria S.
Their vegetarian pho is really good. It's one of the only places in the area that I know serves vegetarian pho (in vegetable broth!) their tofu summer rolls are also really really good with an awesome peanut sauce. Only down side is they are often out of cold bun noodles, so you cannot order many of the dishes on their menu. Still waiting to try those dishes!
(4)Taylor M.
This is my favorite place for pho! Love their broth! I always come here with my boyfriend and we usually order the #10 pho, one with egg noodle and one regular and we also order the sauteed beef, onion sandwich. The french bread sandwich is so yummy and perfect when you're eating it with the soup. There's meter parking across the street and right in front, but being that it's Kaimuki parking is a little hard sometimes. The service is good too! Once you've been here just one time, they will remember you.
(5)Yogini S.
I and my husband are love their vegetarian spring roll, lemongrass tofu and vegetarian pho. It's so delicious! Try it out!
(5)Lauren C.
Yummy! I always come here for the Veggie spring rolls over a cold rice noodle salad bowl. It's consistently the same and always good. My roommates eat the pho from here too and rave about it. Always good, never disappoints!!
(5)Catherine H.
I am a FAN! I haven't been here in while(2-3years) but since then, they did a mini renovation! Looks way better and now I'm here on a bi-weekly basis. What I like: Clean, friendly family-like staff, always a table open for us, really strong Thai Coffee, Service is awesome, food is yumo! (most important, DUH), great place to lounge around and talk story (bcuz its pretty dead, usually when I go) The not-so bad, bad: Street parking OR municipal parking lot across the street, meaning I need to cross the street a couple of times :( So really, not much bad.I would highly recommend for a PHO restaurant! Spring rolls are one of my very favorites!!!
(4)Chelsea A.
Wait staff is very friendly, always easy to get a table and everything I've had here is delicious. Green papaya salad, spicy lemongrass eggplant/tofu, cold vermicelli noodles with tofu, etc. Always fresh, fast, ono. I wish I could remember if their pho only has beef broth or if I just always find something else I want to order instead. Next time!
(4)Lindsay G.
I think I've found my new go to pho place! I've been dedicated to Pho Saigon for years as my go to pho restaurant. Since they are closed for renovations I've tried many different pho restaurants trying to help satisfy my pho craving. Finally I found it at Saigons! I had stopped eating pho for awhile looking for a new place to eat pho so of course I yelped it and Saigons came up and with a 4 star rating how could I not try, I was desperate. So I tol my husband this is where we are going tonight. It was a friday night around 8 when we got there, most of the tables were taken but it didnt have busy feel and was seated right away. I was surprised, from the outside it doesn't look like much but it nice, clean and spacious on the inside. The menu isnt as big as other vietnamese restaurants but they have the basics and everyone can order something they like. I orderd a regular pho with tripe, flank and steak with a side order of spring rolls, my husband had the steak pho and my father in law orderd the pork chops. Our order of spring rolls came out pretty quick with the usual fixings (lettuce, cucumber, vermicelli noodles) it also came with picked carrots. My husband loves spring rolls and considers himself a good judge of them and he really liked these.The spring rolls werent too skinny or big. I liked how we could have ordered 2, 5 or 6 spring rolls depending on how hungry we were. Our main dishes came out soon after. After fixing up my pho the way I like it I took the first taste... the broth was delicious, after the second bite with some meat and noodle I could feel my pho craving being satisifed, Immediatly I though I found my new pho place!!! The noodles were cooked just right and the broth was not too sweet or sour. They gave good sized portions of meat and tripe. My father in law enjoyed his pork chops, he said they marinated them well. I need to add, his plate came with jasmine rice, I swear they must use premium jasmine rice or had a very good rice cooker because their rice tasted like no other jasmine rice I have tasted, it was so good. I think I will be eating pho a lot more now that I have found this place!!! Just to let you know, the regular size pho was more than enough pho for me and i can eat a lot of pho.
(4)Diane L.
Fast service. Modern atmosphere. Food tastes yummy. Try your pho with different sauces!
(4)Brandon S.
Have you been here recently? It's a new owner (the original owner's nephew). The interior has been redesigned and spiffed up. Digging the new set up, big screen TV and overall new/cleanliness of the joint. The taste of the food hasn't lost a beat, still tastes good. However, I'm a little disappointed that the menu offerings are less, the portions are a little smaller and the prices got steeper. It's almost as if they took a page out of Hale Vietnam around the corner. So I guess if you're in the mood for Pho and in the Neighborhood, you've got two similar joints to go to.
(3)Karen S.
I can't remember what it's called but the wrap-your-own shrimp paste summer rolls are sooo good. pho is also pretty good, the lemongrass eggplant vermicelli (?? I think that's what it was called) was really good. plus nice service and plenty of parking around the corner!
(5)Adam W.
Excellent pho place been going here since I was a kid. Always hard working family with great authentic vietnamese food. Spring rolls combo pho is the way to go. Great currys and fried rice too. No time? Call for take out
(5)Ah Lan R.
I rarely give out 5 stars to any restaurant because I do not want to give other Yelpers an unrealistic expectation that they will love what I love. This was the first time I tried this place. Well this Vietnamese restaurant is awesome! Excellent service and excellent food. The interior is very clean which is one of the first things I notice. I love their interior decorating too. It was simple and beautiful. There is beauty in simplicity. The seats were comfortable and the lighting is excellent. My mom first ordered the spring rolls. Mmmm 'ono loa. Then my mom ordered a regular side seafood pho ($8.50) while I ordered a large beef pho ($9.25.) Yes it's on the high side but I am in real estate. Business owners have very little choice to combat quantitative easing but anyways. Check out the pictures that I uploaded. I love their broth! I will be back again. I highly suggest :)
(5)Alisha C.
When it rains, it triggers my urge to seek out some Pho. So while visiting Hawaii during a rainy week, girl needed some comfort to bring some positive thought during drab weather. Saigon's Restaurant delivered. The menu was extensive and had many options if you are not in the mood for pho. But I was in the mood, and ordered the beef and meatballs. Although not the best I've ever had but it was still pretty tastey. My girlfriends also enjoyed their soup as well. The place is clean and small. Service is super friendly, especially when I believe the owner's sweet 7 year old daughter comes around with a basket of assorted candies to conclude our meal. If you're in the mood for Vietnamese, check this place out.
(4)Kea H.
I have never been able to eat at an establishment so often without getting tired of the food. Everything is SO GOOD! My favorite is the Shrimp paste wrap on sugar cane, but their pho and ox tail soup are excellent as well! Oh, and their spicy lemongrass vermicelli soup... Yum! I have never had a bad meal, in the 15+ times I have been here over the past few months!!
(5)Christine L.
I am pretty stoked that I found Saigon. They are the only actually clean pho restaurant I have been in for awhile. While their broth isn't as flavorful as I am used to the product was very fresh. The pho ga is served with a ton of fresh thai basil, sprouts, and lemon grass. The bowls are huge, with tons of noddles and all white meat chicken. I loved that the best. often you get a lot of grisly bits and dark meat with bone, but Saigon serves tons of white meat in theirs. I will be back!
(3)Scotty S.
My favorite place to get pho in all of Honolulu! This place is awesome. It's run by this super sweet Vietnamese family who are so considerate and friendly. Unlike most Vietnamese places, the environment is VERY clean and super welcoming. The service is fantastic and the food is just as good. I highly recommend this establishment whenever you're craving pho! The cold vermicelli noodles are also awesome, as is this summer roll.
(5)Cheryl H.
Came here for the pho because it was rated so highly on yelp. I was not disappointed!! The pho is great, and I'm pretty picky w my pho! :-) I had the combination pho. Broth was very tasty. They were generous too with amount of fixings on the basil plate and sprouts. Service was excellent...my water cup was never dry. The place looked recently renovated w nice tables and chairs and pictures on the walls, and very clean. Air conditioned establishment, which was nice in Hawaii weather. I was looking for a new pho place in the kaimuki area BC I was disappointed with Super Pho and thought Hale Vietnam was just okay. I will definitely be back.
(4)Wina G.
Clean, nice place- nice job on the renovation. The flavors were nice and light. We left full but not feeling greased out or bloated. I had the cold vermicelli noodles with spring rolls. It was served in a large bowl with bite sized spring rolls, cucumber, and other thinly sliced veggies. I shared it- there was no way I could've eaten it by myself. I think it was $8 something ( I didn't pay) Friendly service. Definitely a return visit soon!
(5)Leon H.
Just so happen to be in the area one day and found this spot. I usually go down to china town for my pho but this place was really good. The menu is nice, the atmosphere was really nice and clean. You wil enjoy this place if you are in this area. The price was more then china town but who cares. Go check it out.
(4)Austin T.
FIVE star family run Pho house. Tender tasty clean and fast service and newly remodeled
(5)Brett L.
Good pho. Grabbed takeout from here last night and the food was good. Always hard to rate pho from take out as this dish should normally be eaten fresh. Hard parking so call ahead.
(3)Duke H.
Love this place. Consistent, fresh, healthy Vietnamese food. The BBQ pork & vermicelli noodle combo and the spring rolls are my faves. Byob. Eat here!
(5)John R.
Popped in here this afternoon for some quick eats. I go to Coffee Talk quite a bit and have seen this place... Oh ya, Saigon's... Started off with the Pork spring rolls. NIce and fresh. Let'm cool though, cause they come out HOT! As I said in my "pic" make sure you roll'm up in the greenery that comes with them. THAT makes these rolls very good. Next up I had the chicken with Pho Noodles. Brothy goodness! Next time I'll add a bit more "spice" to it, but all and all pretty good stuff. My dining partner had the Spicy Lemon Grass Vermicelli + beef. I would consider this as the winner today. Lot's of fresh flavor goodness with this one. All and all a good place for quick good food.
(3)Doris D.
Good neighborhood pho place. The restaurant is very clean and remodeled for a modern look. The beef pho was good, the broth on the sweeter side than other places. The seafood glass noodles was good if you're looking for something different - clear broth, cuttlefish, shrimp, quail egg, ground beef, chives, etc. The prices, I found, were reasonable for the area. Service was also friendly.
(3)K-bis M.
Since the rebirth of this restaurant it feels so nice in there. They have always had great food, especially the sandwiches. The pho is delicious and the interior upgrade has helped a lot. its roomier and Clean! I live down the street and am always happy to visit them. Boom!
(4)Dori F.
My sister wanted to try Saigon's for a casual dinner after hearing good thing about it. Loved the spring rolls -- very crisp and light. We also shared the papaya salad and the lemon grass chicken egg plant over vermicelli, which were also delish. Portions are generous and prices reasonable. Brought home leftovers! The only thing that's a little inconvenient is the parking. Saigon's is located near toys n joys. We were lucky to find free street parking in front of the restaurant. I guess the next time we can always park in the municipal lot between koko head and 12th and take the short walk across Waialae. The service is gracious and friendly. The decor is really nice ... I understand the new owners recently renovated. Atmosphere is very relaxed; good for kids. Saigon's is a family-owned gem that fits in well in Kaimuki's "restaurant row." Will be back very soon.
(5)Angela B.
Coming from the SF Bay Area, I've been spoiled by the abundant, delicious, cheap Pho. Now that I'm in Honolulu, it's been disappointing with the quality & flavor of food here. I've made it a mission to try every pho place in Honolulu. This has been the best so far, but they are a little more expensive than what I'm used to paying. I've been here twice, my first was the Seafood Pho. They only give you shrimp & squid, but since I don't eat squid, it's basically shrimp pho :( My second was the Pho Tai, beef on the side. Nice cuts of beef and lots of it. Both had very flavorful broth and perfect noodles.
(4)Kitty K.
I was going to try out a Thai place down the street but since it's closed on Sundays, so I opted for some Pho with my sister-in-laws....love the spring rolls and ice coffee...the rare beef pho is not bad at all. Parking was available behind the building so it was lucky.
(3)Darick M.
this place is all around good. i always order the beef combination pho. the service is always friendly and there's lots of nearby parking. the interior is really nice too. only thing is that i'd wish they would give you more than one napkin or at least have napkins in a holder on the table i think this is the best place for pho in kaimuki.. much better than super pho or hale vietnam.
(5)Ivana T.
Delicious! I'm still fairly new to Vietnamese food but I got the spicy lemongrass chicken and spring roll plate! I believe it was $8.95 which is more than reasonable. It comes on a bed of white rice, with a small salad. I also ordered the fried rice to share and had more than enough food , but the fried rice was delicious as well! I enjoyed the lemongrass spicy chicken because it wasn't spicy at all so It allowed me to personalize my spice level! I will definitely be going back for more!
(4)Joshua P.
The food was amazing, the service was quick and the place was clean. I loved the pho!
(5)Mariko K.
Went here for the first time and had the lemon grass chicken bahn mi, omg it was the best I've every had! It had a nice mix of veggies and the sauce was bomb! The restaurant was clean, the service was good, and the prices were reasonable. I'll be back again for sure!
(5)Ashley M.
Saigon is one of the only Vietnamese restaurants I go to on almost a WEEKLY basis! I love this place, everything ive had from here has been amazingly yummy. My favorites are the chicken pho soup, tofu yellow curry, and the shrimp summer rolls. Really clean and fresh food, not super greasy, and LOTS of flavor! Also, the staff are really friendly and give good service. At least one person in my office orders from here daily-we are huge fans! LOVE this place, definitely give it a try!
(5)Darcie I.
I can't believe how many times I've walked past this place, and thought to myself, how do they stay in business? I never see more than 1 or 2 people in there. Yesterday for lunch we were in the mood for pho, and since I am boycotting Hale Vietnam, Saigon was the closest thing. YAY! I am so glad I went! Ordered the spring and summer rolls, my bf had the oxtail pho, I had the spring roll with vermicelli noodles, and my daughter had the bbq croissant sandwich. The appetizers took about 15 minutes to come out, which irritated me at first, until I took a bite out of the spring roll.FRESH, CRUNCHY AND PERFECT! Same thing with the summer rolls, the veggies tasted like they were just picked from the garden.pho was delish with 4 pieces of oxtail, and my daughters croissant was a toasty medley of sweet bbq chicken, with fresh carrots, radishes and lettuce. Yum. Glad I walked into this place.
(4)Mallory P.
My boyfriend wanted to eat here because he was absolutely famished, and was also craving pho. We found this place while we went to Toys and Joys, and my first reaction was; wow, this place looks so drab. Thank goodness the decor did not reflect the food. So the first thing my bf and I ordered were the spring rolls and egg rolls. Omg were the egg rolls delicious! There's something about the damn egg roll wrapper that makes you want more! The peanut sauce was really addicting too. The spring rolls were really good and refreshing, but the egg rolls...o man, it makes me salivate just thinking about it. So next comes our pho. First thing we noticed was how really huge the bowl was. For a regular size at 7 bucks and change, they really give you what you paid for. To think, if what they give you is a regular size, I don't even want to imagine what the hell a large is like. Anyway, my bf had a mixture of all the toppings, while I had the beef steak and meat balls. Everything was delicious, from the soup to the noodles to the toppings, EXCEPT, for the meat balls. I think it was just beef balls, which was kinda gross. My bf said it tasted like squid balls...but I don't know...it just wasn't my cup of tea. So asides for the beef balls everything was really yummy. In conclusion =) Food= 4 1/2 Price= 3 1/2 (I thought the egg rolls at 4.99 for 2 pieces was pricey) Decor= 1
(4)Marc K.
The "Spicy Lemon Grass Vermicelli with Eggrolls and Chicken", THAT was good! It wasn't crowded so it wasn't loud at all at that time of the day. Will definitely come back for the lemon Chicken with rice (what my friend had).
(4)Mike C.
Been coming here for years. The combination of the food and atmosphere really makes it my favorite pho' place. The broth is very flavorful - a nice balance. its very workable w/ Hoisin and Sriracha. The veggies they serve w/ it are VERY generous. Although I order pho' 95% of the time, the rice plates, bun (vermicelli) and sandwiches are very good. People are very friendly.
(5)Chrissy K.
I like the atmosphere of this place. Saigon's is pretty good. I(we) always get pretty standard fare when we hit up Vietnamese/pho places. A big bowl of Pho w/steak/rare beef, ice coffee with condensed milk + a vietnamese baguette (bbq pork). I love how the baguettes run so cheap...between 3-5$$ A bowl of pho is between 6-8, pretty cheap, the large was a HUGE bowl. We came right before the big dinner rush so we got served quickly...and it was pretty full once it hit 6 on a Saturday night. A nice buzz of happy people talking + eating yummy food. It's a mix of families/college age+older crowd and lot of high schoolers too...so it's nice, calm and fun. The bathroom is in the back (outside) you have to walk to it, it's pretty decent and (it's for both genders). The service is really friendly there, the owners(?) seem really nice, so I enjoy going here...it's homey, they don't bother you and it's not pretentious. A lot of metered parking in the lot behind coffee talk/bc burrito. I just really love the kaimuki area.
(5)Kelly G.
We were in Kaimuki for the 64th Annual Christmas Parade and decided to watch from in here while getting a bite to eat ..... ordered the seafood pho which includes shrimp & squid and 2 orders of tofu summer rolls - everything came out in lightning speed !! the pho was decent & served with a generous plate of veggies and the summer rolls were passable .. too thickly wrapped for my taste but the side peanut sauce was really good. Prices were very reasonable and the service AWESOME !! the family who run it were very sweet and accomodating ... quick to refill, grab a high chair, bring a straw, etc. I like that it is casual and kid friendly - they have a big tv showing ocean scenes overhead that my daughter enjoyed watching....... great place for a quick bite with friendly service !!
(3)Robyn T.
great prices and great food. the banh mi blows kahului bale's one out of the water--and for a cheaper price too. the bbq pork is also awesome--tender and delicious. summer rolls also=win.
(4)beth m.
I have always loved Saigon for their excellent curries, flan and succulent roast pork, but the winner hands down is their ox tail soup. FAR surpasses any other in town. Where many restaurants just plop a few chunks of ox tail into hot water before serving these guys cook theirs for hours, I mean like 10 hours, making for an exceptionally dense and flavorful broth and meat that just falls off the bone. All that good collagen glistening inside the bowl is THE answer to keeping sun damaged skin smooth and supple. I try to have a bowl at least once a week here. Way cheaper and more delicious than botox treatments and collagen injections. AND they just totally renovated the place. It looks fantastic now, with far more ambience. But it is the people here who make the difference. They are always so gracious and warm. I swear that aloha goes into every dish. Do not be put off by what seems a run of the mill exterior. Saigon is a diamond in the rough. GO. You will not be disappointed. And you'll look 10 years younger too.
(5)Greg B.
I live in the area and I have not gone to this establishment for quite a while. This was the first time that I have gone to this place. The settings in the establishment was very nice and clean. There was a giant television set on the wall and the menu looked quite new. I had the cold white noodle dish with chicken and eggrolls. It was a decent meal. The dish did need a lot of sauce to make it stand out and perhaps I need to expand my culinary exploration to other Vietnamese dishes. I had the Thai Iced Tea and maybe the other caffeine based drinks could be appealing. The prices are moderate and the owners do take credit card.
(4)David T.
One of the best pho places I have been to. I usually make the drive to chinatown for my bowl of pho, but today I strayed not so far from home. Great location in Kaimuki. With pricey Hale Vietnam literally across the street most people don't realize Saigons existence. But I today I made my decision to eat here, and it was a good decision. I had a regular size bowl of pho tai bo vien (my favorite) for $7.95. Great price and big portions. The pho had a home cook taste to it. Reminded me of my moms pho. A true vietnamese joint. And so close to home is a plus. Definitely recommend this place for all true pho lovers.
(4)Denise K.
Cheap vietnamese sandwiches. Quick fix. Never had the pho here...
(3)Kayla K.
EW EW EW worst pho ever. The noodles were thicker than normal and too soft. The soup was alright and I've had better meat before. The noodles were what upset me most about this meal. The spring rolls were alright but they were chewier more than they were crispy which is a total turn off. The summer rolls, I didn't get to try but from the looks of it, they were really skimpy and lacked a lot of substance. The only redeeming factor of this place that gives it two stars is their crawfish which they advertise on the glass window. They give you the option of it being prepared with a garlic butter sauce or cajun style. We got cajun and were very much pleased. If you get the cajun, keep in mind that it is rather spicy. I've never had crawfish before so I don't know if their crawfish is good compared to other places. I do however that I did enjoy it regardless. So bottom line is I definitely recommend coming for the crawfish but not for the pho or actually...anything else.
(2)Diana R.
Honestly, I love pho. Specifically, I love pho from this place. My cousin was the person who first brought me here and made me a pho-natic of this place. I know I sound crazy, but seriously, this place is amazing... and let's not forget super clean and friendly. I love it. The only reason I would give it a 1/2 a star down grade is because they are stingy with their seafood in the pho -_-, However, I will bring it back up to 5 stars because their chicken is organic and I know most people would enjoy that. Literally, though, I am now obsessed with finding a place that can replicate this flavor, and sometimes...I actually damn my cousin for bring me here. All other pho has been ruined for me.
(5)Chloe T.
Best Vietnamese in Honolulu! This place is CLEAN, which is not at all typical of Vietnamese joints. The ambiance/atmosphere is lovely, and the family who runs the place an absolute gem. I highly recommend the beef pho and lemongrass vermicelli.
(5)Jay G.
Stopped in to have dinner and had the BBQ pork banh mi on a croissant. The best banh mi (besides my Vietnamese mother in law's!). The Vietnamese coffee was perfectly sweetened and the green papaya salad was great. Definitely going to be one of our regular Vietnamese restaurants.
(5)Wendy N.
I love the new look of the restaurant, we go there for soup and sandwich, Vietnamese style. Saigon's is one of the few places that make the sandwiches. I love the chocolate coconut tapioca dessert! It tastes like a famous chocolate haupia pie that a lot of people love. I will have to try the ox tail soup on my next visit, since someone else raved about it.
(5)Daniel B.
Crawfish at a Vietnamese Restaurant? Hmmmmm.... Odd, yes.., but I wasn't there for the Crawfish... I'm there for my usual order at a Vietnamese Restaurant... Pho. I was kinda disappointed because I ordered the Pho with just Steak. Little did I know the Steak was already going to be in the soup upon delivery. I prefer mine to be on the side for me to dunk and swish around the soup to cook... The broth was OK and nothing too memorable, in fact, I think the Steak was put in there cold and it sat because my broth wasn't as hot as I usually expect my bowls of Pho to be. On a side note, there must've been MSG because it totally knocked me out after... I'm get really tired after eating a meal with a lot of MSG. So beware if you're super sensitive! Spot on with the two stars... I've definitely experienced better.
(2)Keo K.
saigon. is. awesome.
(5)David H.
Who would have thought Louisiana Crawfish at a Pho eatery. Looks yummy!!! Look pretty big to me. But we used to get ours in Piihonua Stream. Back then it was boil them in water with some salt. And we were lucky to get even a half dozen after several hours at the stream. Dried ebi, on a string with a rock to weigh it down and a guava branch for a pole. And we called the crayfish. The crayfish they serve at Saigon's looks the same and that's where the similarity ends. The choices are garlic butter or Cajun style (which is supposed to be pretty spicy). A pound is a shade under $10 and comes with half a potato, a slice of sausage and corn on the cob (about a two inch piece) all in a plastic sack, served hot. Eating it is pretty messy and of course it's done with the fingers. Since as I recall, crayfish like other fresh water stuff has no taste, all the flavor comes from what gets put in the sack, spices and such. Would I order it again? Probably. It's kind of fun to eat and tonight it brought back memories of my hana-bata days in Piihonua at Obachan's house.
(5)Brad N.
My fiancee loves this place, but I think it is only alright. Their pho is pretty good, but it's way too small and has too much MSG. They have plenty vegetarian options. My fiancee likes the lemongrass vermicelli noodle dishes.
(3)David D.
Delicious Vietnamese food. Everything tastes fresh, and the portions are pretty generous. Good service too. The summer rolls are especially tasty.
(4)k k.
We just went to Saigon's this past weekend while browsing around in Kaimuki. I saw a sign on the door that says "yelp loves us" so it was encouraging. We had the pho and the Lemongrass chicken with eggplant vermicelli. The pho was pretty good, but not the best. I prefer the pho from pho my lan (on Maunakea). The portions are smaller than normal pho bowls. The lemongrass chicken with eggplant was just okay. It didn't have a lot of flavor..again the one at My lan is much better. Has anyone tried their Louisiana crawfish? I had that when I was in San Jose and loved it..wonder if it's any good here.
(3)Miles E.
Pretty good.. but.... I love Pho, and though I'm a newb to this stuff (6 mos. or so) I've tried a whole bunch. Loved the broth, but something was missing with the spring rolls that came on the side ($9 really??!!) Wish the rare side beef was a little fresher. All in all, a good place to go, just not much to write home about.
(3)Adrian K.
it's always a great sign when you walk into a place at 7 on a friday night and it is empty. pho was deece. my ladyfriend got the chicken. and in the silene of the empty restaurant my ladyfriend proclaims: "this chicken SUCKS" so when i got to pay dinner at the counter, i say to the dude-server, "thanks, everything was great" dude-server responds: "even the chicken?" well.
(3)Fernando G.
loved loved the fried tofu salad. great place for low calorie meals. finally !!!
(5)Lara C.
Our family has enjoyed dining at this hole-in-the-wall restaurant for years: an old stand-by for consistently delicious pho: al dente noodles with a particularly flavorful broth, and a generous assortment of veggies (lemon, Thai basil, ngo gai, bean sprouts, green chili slices). Saigon's papaya salad is exceptionally good. We also recommend their spring rolls, summer rolls, curry, and variety of bun (cold noodle) offerings, as well as their iced Vietnamese coffee. Also notable is their house-made chili sauce, in addition to the standard Sriracha and hoisin sauces. In the last few months, ownership has transferred to the previous proprietor's relatives, who've renovated the restaurant. It's a much more polished place, with new furniture and tastefully-painted red walls with framed archival pictures of Saigon. True, the prices have gone up a few dollars, but the food is as wonderful as ever, and the service is prompt and personable.
(5)Cynthia A.
Good pho. They serve it with the "long coriander", beansprouts, and lots of basil. I really like their fresh lemonade. I tried the preserved lemonade, and it's OK, but not my thing. It was like putting lots of dried salty lemon peel into some sugar water. If you're craving salt go for it. They have pretty cheap sandwiches. Haven't tried them yet, but when I do I'm going to go for the lemon grass tofu sandwich. The owner is working at all hours trying eek out a living. He's a nice guy. My mom said her friend likes him because he remembers people's preferences. Seems like this is a regular spot for HS and college students, but not the obnoxious loud ones, so it's OK. I saw someone sharing a bottle of wine in here. Maybe it is BYOB, but there's no sign.
(4)Daniel K.
Came here once, and ordered the catfish. Good texture and not overcooked. It was really really salty, and it had me wondering if catfish were saltwater fish...? I don't think they are lol. Anyhow the service was on point... I guess I was the only customer there, along with a friend. I could see myself coming back here, the prices weren't too bad and it's pretty cozy.
(3)Oly C.
Reasonably priced and great food. Very cozy mom and pop shop with only one waitress. Made for small parties of no more then four people. Quiet music so you can converse easily. Thai medium spicy is pretty spicy so be warned
(4)Meep M.
I always go to this vietnamese restaurant. The service is excellent and their food is awesome!
(5)RF V.
I've been dying for some pho because back in Cali we have Westminster, Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, and on and on and the Vietnamese food and culture is ubiquitous there. Food: Because we have so much Vietnamese food back home I felt the pho was average. I got the combo #12 which came with rare steak, tripe, tendon, flank and meatballs. The broth was a bit light and the noodles were way too overcooked (sorry, I am really critical about noodle texture punctuality!). Usually the noodles are clumped at first and relatively hard because pho is usually made within 3 minutes. Usually you just pour in super hot broth to cook the noodles in the bowl with a blanket of rare steak to be cooked in the broth while its in front of you. The rare steak was pretty cooked when it arrived to our table and was average but the flank was really flavorful. The pho didn't really impress me too much but the spring rolls are what got me. Me and a friend also split 6 spring rolls that came with a large plate of lettuce for wrapping, bean sprouts, cucumbers, carrots, mint leaves, rice noodles and fish sauce to dip. The spring rolls were amazing and fresh. Also got a Vietnamese coffee (cafe sudat) which I usually like more condensed milk in it. Hospitality: We arrived at like 9pm on the dot, the time they usually close. The restaurant was empty besides one couple but the lady was super nice and let us in to dine, I was overwhelmed by her generosity because places in Cali will close 15 minutes early and if you are the last one to show up they will glare at you until you pay the bill. That's what I've learned about Hawaii is that the people are warm, respectful and connect with me on a very personal level. Service was great and you can tell when an owner or worker really cares for their store. Rating: 2 stars for hospitality, 1 star for bomb ass spring rolls. Would come back for the spring rolls, haha.
(3)Ganj P.
its 14:38 a lazy hot afternoon and i'm hungry for noodles so i decide to walk.up to kaimuki check out Saigon because its a/c and i want hot soup and im hungry after a hang and my sis told me 10 months ago she thought the pho & the wrap is decent (go figure on a fukin hot day but thats another story). Good, theres noone here..i orderd the seafood pho and a bunch of paper towels(free) because after the walk from hell i was sweating-out all the young white student-pussie memories of the nite b4 at kafecup across the street..but thats another story. okay, a medium bowl with lots of chives i mean mama must have thought "this guy need chive, he not green yet.." or they ran out of other vegetables. i can live with that... now. it came with beansprouts & lettuce and jalapenos and their little one from st.patricks is here on her ipad..so life must be good for them. its okay, if i was sober ',d look for another place. i didnt bother with the summer rolls.
(3)Kari C.
This restaurant is your average Vietnamese restaurant. Nothing really special about the food. Plus side: the service is fast.
(3)Mimo K.
When I crave pho (about once a week), this is where I go. Something in their broth is so addictive. Small family-owned business. Good value. Vegetarian curry and BBQ pork are also favorites. Open until 9:00 M-Sat, 3:00 Sun.
(5)Tony K.
I've been to many Vietnamese restaurants both here and in California. I must say that Saigon's is the cleanest of them all. You can tell the owners take pride in cleanliness which usually translates into a clean kitchen too. I know I'm supposed to be talking about the food but even the bathroom is very clean. Kudos to them for working hard to maintain the hygiene, some people like my wife really are impressed with that. Oh yeah, the food is very good too. I've had several different phos, I usually get the veggie with the veggie broth. You can get a veggie broth which is a very nice choice for you vegans out there. I'm a little sad that they use MSG but it's so rare to find a noodle place that does not use it. The banh mi sandwiches are good and the prices are decent. I'm still having to get used to the price of pho here versus california but I must say that even the small pho bowl has a decent amount of food. Of all the pho places we've been to, this is the one we like coming back to.
(5)Don N.
We were looking for a quick meal before our show at Diamond Head Theater...thanks to Yelp we found Saigon's restaurant. We've passed this stretch of road many times and even ate at the hot pot restaurant next door but for some reason we never noticed this establishment. Luckily the restaurant was half full when we arrived at 6:45 pm on a Saturday evening. By the time we left at 7;30 there was a line out the door! Parking tip - if you can't find street parking near by, there is a public lot right around the corner on Center Street. It's like $2 after a certain time and much better than circling the neighborhood looking for a spot if you're short on time. Food: Good, fresh, and fast. We tried several of their bun dishes as well as their beef salad. The beef salad was huge, enough to share with several people. The bun was prepared well, lots of fresh veggies and perfectly cooked noodles. I was a little worried about a few of the prior reviews stating that the food took awhile, definitely not what I saw this on this evening. The dishes were flying out of the kitchen and folks were being served very quickly. Service: We were seated at 6:45 pm..there were several parties that had arrived just before us which worried me as every minute counted. We needed to leave at 7:30 so I asked our waitress at 6:53 if it were possible to get our food fast. She was very accommodating, taking our order quickly, the food hitting the table within 10 minutes. Thanks to their quick service we had a great meal and on our way at 7:29! Atmosphere: Located on Waialae Avenue right off Koko Head Avenue. The restaurant itself feels very open, clean and airy. Value: Great value, we had ordered 3 bun bowls, the beef salad and a banh mi sandwich and out total bill was under $45. It's difficult these days to get a good sit down meal for 5 people for less than $50 so this was a nice surprise. It's also BYOB which also keeps the check down. Overall: Solid Vietnamese restaurant in an area with a lot of choices. Based on the line of people waiting for a seat at Saigon's Restaurant this place is not a secret.
(4)John N.
Just a little too salty for me. I ordered the Pho here. The broth was overly salty and bland.This place does not deliver a secret sauce that can distinguish this restaurant from others. The pho was not inexpensive either. I had so much better pho with less price. I will say that the restaurant was very very clean and staff was friendly.
(3)Holly B.
In the heart of Kaimuki Town, just Ewa mauka of the intersection of Koko Head Avenue and Waialae Avenue, this is a well-lit, clean restaurant with an extensive menu and BYOB! I tried the shrimp curry and it was delicious! Just drop whatever rice you order with your meal into the sauce and away you go! The shrimp was plump and not overcooked, with a coconut yellow curry sauce, black mushroom, onions and sweet potatoes and eggplant. Generous portions and a comfortable dining atmosphere!
(4)Kara B.
Very impressed with the food here. A hidden gem and the value is incredible. I will be back over and over again.
(5)Fran C.
I've been jonesing for some pho lately........but our favorite hole in da wall spot has been closed for over a month now, as the owners went to Vietnam for vacation. After driving by our favorite hole in the wall restaurant (Pho Nina) in Moiliili several times, we gave up on going there, as the owners haven't come back yet............ We still had to get our pho fix, so that's when we came up with the idea of going to Saigon's Restaurant in Kaimuki town. I've been here just one time...........a very long time ago, when they 1st opened up. Don't know why I never came back, because the pho is pretty darn good over here! My freind & I both ordered the Pho combination.......which basically has everything and the kitchen sink too (see pic)! The broth was all so flavorful, and not salty at all. They give a ton of vegetables (which I liked), and the service was fast & friendly. For some reason, I think they probably renovated this restaurant, as I totally don't remembered it looking like it did inside. It was very clean, and had nice tables with beautiful pictures on the wall. There is no parking for this restaurant, so you will have to park in the pay municipal parking lot, or roll the dice & find street parking. Check 'em out gang! :)
(5)Kanani C.
Delicious Thai food!! Maybe some of the best on the island I've heard from multiple people. Very homey, run by a family it seems, and always fresh! The sauces for spring rolls and the like taste freshly made, the curry is creamy and rich in flavor ... Overall yummy! Service is great! What more would you want?
(4)allyson o.
Reasonably priced, BYOB, friendly service, in a casual atmosphere. Ordered the vermicelli, with spring rolls. It was so much bigger than I was expecting, and very satisfying. My friend had the Pho, and really liked the broth. Thumbs up!
(5)Carol G.
Tried this spot for the first time based on raving reviews from a friend. We had pho, bun cha gio thit nuong & banh mi. Food was ok, great service and clean restaurant. Overall, Hale Vietnam across the street is the BEST! I've been going there for years and they never disappoint.
(3)Roger A.
Service was friendly and quick. Three of us ordered different versions of pho. All were tasty and piping hot. This will be our new go-to pho eatery. The menu is fairly extensive, so are lots of other dishes to try (next for me is the oxtail curry). We originally went to Hale Vietnam, but the wait was over an hour, so this worked out well.
(5)Lien V.
Saigon's is a great place to grab some quick lunch in the heart of Kaimuki. It has been quite awhile since I've eaten here but the food quality remained consistent. I like coming to this friendly eatery since their interior is so nice, modern and clean. Owners are very service-friendly, accomodating and totally down-to-earth so it makes the place more inviting. It feels like they give you good TLC. After being seated, the colorful menu showcased many wonderful-looking choices. I settled on an order of summer rolls and the Vietnamese steamed pork banh mi. The fried egg rolls came out extremely crunchy, just the way I like it. They were fried to such an awesome golden, crispy crunch that I kept wanting more. Absolutely loved how they thinly rolled them to maximize their crispiness. Nuoc mam sauce was tasty and the accompaning fresh lettuce wraps and mint really hit the spot on that hot day. Too bad an order only contained 2 egg rolls, just kinda wish it came with 3 since they were on the smaller side. Oh well... When they brought out the steamed pork banh mi, I was anticipating more crispy goodness from the baguette and it didn't disappoint. Baguette was not overly toasted so the inside softness still remained. Steamed pork slices tasted nicely with the combination of fresh cilantro and the Vietnamese pickled daikon + carrot strips brightened up the entire banh mi. However, there was a noticeable sweetness in these pickled veggies that was different than the norm. Not sure if I like that or not. And what is a banh mi without some droplets of Southeast Asian soy sauce sprinkled throughout the sandwich? It's a must to do so I helped myself to some from the condiment tray. There are other banh mi places served it already sprinkled though. I could only finished half of the banh mi sandwich so a doggie bag was in order. Overall, it was a good quick lunch escapade and would not hesitate to return in the near future when I want crispy summer rolls.
(4)Kristi S.
I love this place! It's always soooooo clean and the owners are always so kind! You know how most restaurants never clean the table top caddies? Well this one always cleans theirs.
(5)Jenn T.
Small little pho place located on waialae. They have a variety of items on the list, typical Vietnamese food. The spring rolls are very good, freshly made, with lots of toppings. I got the pho with beef and tripe, very yummy. The broth had good flavor as well. They didnt put too much tripe into the bowl, but a fair amount of beef. The service here was a little slow, but it was crowded and had only 1-2 people running the show. There can be a wait at times. Parking is on the street or in the paid lots nearby.
(4)Madge N.
I eat here at least once a week. I love the BBQ CHICKEN in the Cold Vermicelli with the Spring Rolls. So flavorful. Garlicky. Yum. The spring rolls crispy AND tasty. Some other places are either not as tasty OR soggy. The BBQ TOFU is also very tasty. Like well seasoned meat. The LiHingMui Lemonade is also addicting. I am so hungry now. I must add that I have come to like the owners vibe as well.
(5)Mary T.
One of my favorite pho places of all time! This place is located right next to the old Toys and Joys. I really enjoy going here because it's clean, the atmosphere is bright, and of course the food is great and affordable! If you're anywhere in the Kahala, Kaimuki, or Waialae area I definitely recommend this place. I'm actually a regular here and they always greet me with a smile and compliment me with their Jasmine tea every time I come to eat :) My usual pho I get is the #9 Meat Ball Pho (Pho Bo Vien) and the broth is so good with the hoisin and siracha sauce with a tad of lemon and bean sprouts! This is why I love this place because the broth smells and tastes so delicious compared to all the other places. The other meal I get is the Pork Fried Rice and it's also delicious! If I'm ever in the mood for fried rice this is the place to go! They add those vegetables I call orange/white "sour carrots" and lettuces with a bowl of sauce. I had a bit of the curry and bread, amazing. I prefer this place than Hale Vietnam and Super Pho to be honest. Parking is across the street with the lot next to Smiley Nails and Kumon. It could be crowded during the afternoon on a Sunday, but it's not that bad on certain days. After a meal here I always go to Via Gelato or Stir (Tutti Frutti) for dessert! It's nice having this pho place with plenty of desserts around :-) of course I'll be coming back!
(5)Patrick S.
In the mood for Vietnamese in Kaimuki without the long waits and higher prices of Hale Vietnam?!? Walk over to Saigon Restaurant!!! The wife and I were pleasantly surprised with their fast service, decent prices and the quality and presentation of their food. I got their cold noodles with spring rolls and BBQ tofu. That BBQ tofu is so addicting!!! They also serve it with pickled vegi's which was a nice addition and not something I get at other Vietnamese places. Definately our "go to"place whenever in Kaimuki!
(5)Liane C.
As my husband and I were waking around the Kaimuki area and we were getting hungry for lunch. We always pass this place but never once stopped in. What drew me was the oxtail pho. You know how you walk in to most pho places it's a little dirty. Well this place was clean and it had friendly service. There is lots to choose from the menu, pho to plate lunch to Banh Mi and etc. My heart was set on oxtail pho with all the vegetables. My husband couldn't decide between the Banh Mi or the crispy noodles. Well, he decided to get both. BBQ pork Banh Mi and chicken crispy noodles. The service was quick. Got my oxtail pho and crispy noodles, then came out the Banh Mi. The oxtail meat fell right off the bone and the soup brooth was tasty. The Banh Mi was divine. Crispy noodles was ok, should have gotten regular noodles. Lots of fresh vegetables. Overall everything was tasty but best part byob. I would have rated this place higher however at the end of the meal and when we left, we were very very thirsty. I understand why it taste soo good, I think they use a lot of msg. Next time we go back, maybe just the Banh Mi.
(3)Tina L.
Wow I think we went here on the wrong night because it took forever to get our food. It was clear the minute we walked in that the place was heavily understaffed. We got our seats quickly,but it took a while for the waiter to take our order and for the food to come out. My boyfriend ordered the crispy noodles and spring rolls and I ordered the tofu vegetable pho. The crispy noodles looked nothing like the picture and barely had any vegetables on top of it and the noodles were clearly soggy and not crispy at all. My pho was very good and the broth was very good but the bowl was full of noodles and had barely any vegetables in it! That is misadvertising and the negative review is mostly because of this reason. Not going back here
(2)Steve D.
My first adventure to Saigon after a night of a few too many beers. The interior is immaculate! I couldn't believe I was in a Pho restaurant... could easily be serving French or Italian here~. We sat down and immediately greeted with a menu and a large glass of ice water. Service was great~. I ordered the Pho with meatballs and slices of beef for $8.25. The four of us couldn't finish all the generous portions of bean sprouts and veggies for the Pho. Honestly I'm a ramen guy going on 14 years in Tokyo so my review of the Pho might not be dead on... overall it hit the spot, the portion of noodles was just right and won't get you stuffed thus you can drink every bit of the soup to fill the extra void. I'll definitely be back for the decor but might not go out of my way to hit up just the pho. Oh, its BYOB for those needing some hangover booze.
(4)Abby L.
Service was 10/10 Food was 10/10 Pho came out fast, the noodles were soft, and the broth was light and tasted great!
(5)Kelsey U.
Visited Saigon's about a week ago and enjoyed every aspect of my meal! Upon entering, it seems I was their first customer of the day as they were still setting up tables. I like the fact that they re-set everything daily - it tells me (as a customer) that table settings and sauces are replaced/stored away and not kept out overnight! I ordered the pho with sliced steak, a great decision on my part as a huge bowl arrived steaming hot and delicious! The "works" of sides accompanied it including basil, lemon, bean sprouts, fresh jalapeño, and a vegetable I don't commonly see with pho around the island - ngo gai (not sure of the English translation), which was really tasty! I also ordered a lemonade, which was made fresh and was perfectly sweetened!
(4)Kandace M.
Tried three pho places this month, this one is the best! Most meat for your money and more herbs and veggies to add and make your perfect broth. The room is clean and the furniture is new. BYOB. The staff is super friendly. Try the pork spring rolls!!
(5)Tito C.
Great food, prompt, friendly service. The best Ox Tail Soup I have had. All ingredients are super fresh. My favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Honolulu!
(5)Kellie K.
I heard a lot of good reviews but was ultimately disappointed. I left with a full stomache but I was not satisfied. The interior was nice and clean but the pho was not up to par. This place reminded me of super pho they both have lots of noodles but there was also a lot of nothing. I ordered a combination pho meat outside. I only saw one tripe in my whole bowl and didn't see any brisket. The only beef that was in my pho was the rare beef. The broth tasted like Packaged pho broth with a lot of msg. For pho that cost almost cost ten dollars I expected a lot more. I still prefer pho Tri. The pho @pho Tri is an epitome of how pho should taste like. . .
(2)Kanani C.
Delicious Thai food!! Maybe some of the best on the island I've heard from multiple people. Very homey, run by a family it seems, and always fresh! The sauces for spring rolls and the like taste freshly made, the curry is creamy and rich in flavor ... Overall yummy! Service is great! What more would you want?
(4)allyson o.
Reasonably priced, BYOB, friendly service, in a casual atmosphere. Ordered the vermicelli, with spring rolls. It was so much bigger than I was expecting, and very satisfying. My friend had the Pho, and really liked the broth. Thumbs up!
(5)Jenn T.
Small little pho place located on waialae. They have a variety of items on the list, typical Vietnamese food. The spring rolls are very good, freshly made, with lots of toppings. I got the pho with beef and tripe, very yummy. The broth had good flavor as well. They didnt put too much tripe into the bowl, but a fair amount of beef. The service here was a little slow, but it was crowded and had only 1-2 people running the show. There can be a wait at times. Parking is on the street or in the paid lots nearby.
(4)Tony K.
I've been to many Vietnamese restaurants both here and in California. I must say that Saigon's is the cleanest of them all. You can tell the owners take pride in cleanliness which usually translates into a clean kitchen too. I know I'm supposed to be talking about the food but even the bathroom is very clean. Kudos to them for working hard to maintain the hygiene, some people like my wife really are impressed with that. Oh yeah, the food is very good too. I've had several different phos, I usually get the veggie with the veggie broth. You can get a veggie broth which is a very nice choice for you vegans out there. I'm a little sad that they use MSG but it's so rare to find a noodle place that does not use it. The banh mi sandwiches are good and the prices are decent. I'm still having to get used to the price of pho here versus california but I must say that even the small pho bowl has a decent amount of food. Of all the pho places we've been to, this is the one we like coming back to.
(5)Madge N.
I eat here at least once a week. I love the BBQ CHICKEN in the Cold Vermicelli with the Spring Rolls. So flavorful. Garlicky. Yum. The spring rolls crispy AND tasty. Some other places are either not as tasty OR soggy. The BBQ TOFU is also very tasty. Like well seasoned meat. The LiHingMui Lemonade is also addicting. I am so hungry now. I must add that I have come to like the owners vibe as well.
(5)Don N.
We were looking for a quick meal before our show at Diamond Head Theater...thanks to Yelp we found Saigon's restaurant. We've passed this stretch of road many times and even ate at the hot pot restaurant next door but for some reason we never noticed this establishment. Luckily the restaurant was half full when we arrived at 6:45 pm on a Saturday evening. By the time we left at 7;30 there was a line out the door! Parking tip - if you can't find street parking near by, there is a public lot right around the corner on Center Street. It's like $2 after a certain time and much better than circling the neighborhood looking for a spot if you're short on time. Food: Good, fresh, and fast. We tried several of their bun dishes as well as their beef salad. The beef salad was huge, enough to share with several people. The bun was prepared well, lots of fresh veggies and perfectly cooked noodles. I was a little worried about a few of the prior reviews stating that the food took awhile, definitely not what I saw this on this evening. The dishes were flying out of the kitchen and folks were being served very quickly. Service: We were seated at 6:45 pm..there were several parties that had arrived just before us which worried me as every minute counted. We needed to leave at 7:30 so I asked our waitress at 6:53 if it were possible to get our food fast. She was very accommodating, taking our order quickly, the food hitting the table within 10 minutes. Thanks to their quick service we had a great meal and on our way at 7:29! Atmosphere: Located on Waialae Avenue right off Koko Head Avenue. The restaurant itself feels very open, clean and airy. Value: Great value, we had ordered 3 bun bowls, the beef salad and a banh mi sandwich and out total bill was under $45. It's difficult these days to get a good sit down meal for 5 people for less than $50 so this was a nice surprise. It's also BYOB which also keeps the check down. Overall: Solid Vietnamese restaurant in an area with a lot of choices. Based on the line of people waiting for a seat at Saigon's Restaurant this place is not a secret.
(4)John N.
Just a little too salty for me. I ordered the Pho here. The broth was overly salty and bland.This place does not deliver a secret sauce that can distinguish this restaurant from others. The pho was not inexpensive either. I had so much better pho with less price. I will say that the restaurant was very very clean and staff was friendly.
(3)Holly B.
In the heart of Kaimuki Town, just Ewa mauka of the intersection of Koko Head Avenue and Waialae Avenue, this is a well-lit, clean restaurant with an extensive menu and BYOB! I tried the shrimp curry and it was delicious! Just drop whatever rice you order with your meal into the sauce and away you go! The shrimp was plump and not overcooked, with a coconut yellow curry sauce, black mushroom, onions and sweet potatoes and eggplant. Generous portions and a comfortable dining atmosphere!
(4)Kara B.
Very impressed with the food here. A hidden gem and the value is incredible. I will be back over and over again.
(5)Fran C.
I've been jonesing for some pho lately........but our favorite hole in da wall spot has been closed for over a month now, as the owners went to Vietnam for vacation. After driving by our favorite hole in the wall restaurant (Pho Nina) in Moiliili several times, we gave up on going there, as the owners haven't come back yet............ We still had to get our pho fix, so that's when we came up with the idea of going to Saigon's Restaurant in Kaimuki town. I've been here just one time...........a very long time ago, when they 1st opened up. Don't know why I never came back, because the pho is pretty darn good over here! My freind & I both ordered the Pho combination.......which basically has everything and the kitchen sink too (see pic)! The broth was all so flavorful, and not salty at all. They give a ton of vegetables (which I liked), and the service was fast & friendly. For some reason, I think they probably renovated this restaurant, as I totally don't remembered it looking like it did inside. It was very clean, and had nice tables with beautiful pictures on the wall. There is no parking for this restaurant, so you will have to park in the pay municipal parking lot, or roll the dice & find street parking. Check 'em out gang! :)
(5)Lien V.
Saigon's is a great place to grab some quick lunch in the heart of Kaimuki. It has been quite awhile since I've eaten here but the food quality remained consistent. I like coming to this friendly eatery since their interior is so nice, modern and clean. Owners are very service-friendly, accomodating and totally down-to-earth so it makes the place more inviting. It feels like they give you good TLC. After being seated, the colorful menu showcased many wonderful-looking choices. I settled on an order of summer rolls and the Vietnamese steamed pork banh mi. The fried egg rolls came out extremely crunchy, just the way I like it. They were fried to such an awesome golden, crispy crunch that I kept wanting more. Absolutely loved how they thinly rolled them to maximize their crispiness. Nuoc mam sauce was tasty and the accompaning fresh lettuce wraps and mint really hit the spot on that hot day. Too bad an order only contained 2 egg rolls, just kinda wish it came with 3 since they were on the smaller side. Oh well... When they brought out the steamed pork banh mi, I was anticipating more crispy goodness from the baguette and it didn't disappoint. Baguette was not overly toasted so the inside softness still remained. Steamed pork slices tasted nicely with the combination of fresh cilantro and the Vietnamese pickled daikon + carrot strips brightened up the entire banh mi. However, there was a noticeable sweetness in these pickled veggies that was different than the norm. Not sure if I like that or not. And what is a banh mi without some droplets of Southeast Asian soy sauce sprinkled throughout the sandwich? It's a must to do so I helped myself to some from the condiment tray. There are other banh mi places served it already sprinkled though. I could only finished half of the banh mi sandwich so a doggie bag was in order. Overall, it was a good quick lunch escapade and would not hesitate to return in the near future when I want crispy summer rolls.
(4)Kristi S.
I love this place! It's always soooooo clean and the owners are always so kind! You know how most restaurants never clean the table top caddies? Well this one always cleans theirs.
(5)Mary T.
One of my favorite pho places of all time! This place is located right next to the old Toys and Joys. I really enjoy going here because it's clean, the atmosphere is bright, and of course the food is great and affordable! If you're anywhere in the Kahala, Kaimuki, or Waialae area I definitely recommend this place. I'm actually a regular here and they always greet me with a smile and compliment me with their Jasmine tea every time I come to eat :) My usual pho I get is the #9 Meat Ball Pho (Pho Bo Vien) and the broth is so good with the hoisin and siracha sauce with a tad of lemon and bean sprouts! This is why I love this place because the broth smells and tastes so delicious compared to all the other places. The other meal I get is the Pork Fried Rice and it's also delicious! If I'm ever in the mood for fried rice this is the place to go! They add those vegetables I call orange/white "sour carrots" and lettuces with a bowl of sauce. I had a bit of the curry and bread, amazing. I prefer this place than Hale Vietnam and Super Pho to be honest. Parking is across the street with the lot next to Smiley Nails and Kumon. It could be crowded during the afternoon on a Sunday, but it's not that bad on certain days. After a meal here I always go to Via Gelato or Stir (Tutti Frutti) for dessert! It's nice having this pho place with plenty of desserts around :-) of course I'll be coming back!
(5)Patrick S.
In the mood for Vietnamese in Kaimuki without the long waits and higher prices of Hale Vietnam?!? Walk over to Saigon Restaurant!!! The wife and I were pleasantly surprised with their fast service, decent prices and the quality and presentation of their food. I got their cold noodles with spring rolls and BBQ tofu. That BBQ tofu is so addicting!!! They also serve it with pickled vegi's which was a nice addition and not something I get at other Vietnamese places. Definately our "go to"place whenever in Kaimuki!
(5)Liane C.
As my husband and I were waking around the Kaimuki area and we were getting hungry for lunch. We always pass this place but never once stopped in. What drew me was the oxtail pho. You know how you walk in to most pho places it's a little dirty. Well this place was clean and it had friendly service. There is lots to choose from the menu, pho to plate lunch to Banh Mi and etc. My heart was set on oxtail pho with all the vegetables. My husband couldn't decide between the Banh Mi or the crispy noodles. Well, he decided to get both. BBQ pork Banh Mi and chicken crispy noodles. The service was quick. Got my oxtail pho and crispy noodles, then came out the Banh Mi. The oxtail meat fell right off the bone and the soup brooth was tasty. The Banh Mi was divine. Crispy noodles was ok, should have gotten regular noodles. Lots of fresh vegetables. Overall everything was tasty but best part byob. I would have rated this place higher however at the end of the meal and when we left, we were very very thirsty. I understand why it taste soo good, I think they use a lot of msg. Next time we go back, maybe just the Banh Mi.
(3)Tina L.
Wow I think we went here on the wrong night because it took forever to get our food. It was clear the minute we walked in that the place was heavily understaffed. We got our seats quickly,but it took a while for the waiter to take our order and for the food to come out. My boyfriend ordered the crispy noodles and spring rolls and I ordered the tofu vegetable pho. The crispy noodles looked nothing like the picture and barely had any vegetables on top of it and the noodles were clearly soggy and not crispy at all. My pho was very good and the broth was very good but the bowl was full of noodles and had barely any vegetables in it! That is misadvertising and the negative review is mostly because of this reason. Not going back here
(2)Steve D.
My first adventure to Saigon after a night of a few too many beers. The interior is immaculate! I couldn't believe I was in a Pho restaurant... could easily be serving French or Italian here~. We sat down and immediately greeted with a menu and a large glass of ice water. Service was great~. I ordered the Pho with meatballs and slices of beef for $8.25. The four of us couldn't finish all the generous portions of bean sprouts and veggies for the Pho. Honestly I'm a ramen guy going on 14 years in Tokyo so my review of the Pho might not be dead on... overall it hit the spot, the portion of noodles was just right and won't get you stuffed thus you can drink every bit of the soup to fill the extra void. I'll definitely be back for the decor but might not go out of my way to hit up just the pho. Oh, its BYOB for those needing some hangover booze.
(4)Abby L.
Service was 10/10 Food was 10/10 Pho came out fast, the noodles were soft, and the broth was light and tasted great!
(5)Kelsey U.
Visited Saigon's about a week ago and enjoyed every aspect of my meal! Upon entering, it seems I was their first customer of the day as they were still setting up tables. I like the fact that they re-set everything daily - it tells me (as a customer) that table settings and sauces are replaced/stored away and not kept out overnight! I ordered the pho with sliced steak, a great decision on my part as a huge bowl arrived steaming hot and delicious! The "works" of sides accompanied it including basil, lemon, bean sprouts, fresh jalapeño, and a vegetable I don't commonly see with pho around the island - ngo gai (not sure of the English translation), which was really tasty! I also ordered a lemonade, which was made fresh and was perfectly sweetened!
(4)Sandy S.
I love this restaurant! I go often and have the vegetarian spring rolls, vermicelli with grilled shrimp and a coconut tapioca for desert. Everything is fresh and very tasty. The restaurant is clean and the service good. One other reviewer said no parking but actually there is a free one hour parking lot on center street near the restaurant!
(5)B A.
This is our go to spot for pho and Vietnamese food - good food, close to home, but also always a good experience. Owners are always so nice, remember us, talk story, etc. I left my umbrella once and a few weeks later when we came back they gave it back to me - hadn't even realized I'd left it. That's good customer service! My boyfriend really likes the pho and oxtail soup and I think the BBQ tofu is great - good flavor. They are open when I ask to change little things too. They give lots of garnishes with spring rolls - lots of mint, rice noodles, cucumber slices, carrot and daikon shreds, lots of sauce. Too fat to eat sometimes when you roll them up! Went to Pho 777 today due to location and had small portions, hardly any garnish with spring rolls (little and not fresh lettuce and mint, rice noodles), and a piece of plastic wrap in the pho broth! We were sad we didn't just wait to go home and eat here instead. Waste of $$$ Service is usually really fast, but a little slow here and there. They are a mom and pop type place though so we will keep going. Worth the wait and not the disappointment elsewhere. Gave 4 stars because we usually get the same things on menu - not sure how the rest is - but nice people and we like what we get.
(4)Renee S.
Saigons is 5-star! From the Pho, spring rolls, plate lunches BBQ chicken, curries to their iced coffee. Food is fresh, tasty, and plentiful! You would never find any herbs that weren't fresh. Service is great, friendly :)). I always look at the cleanliness of the establishment, Saigon is always clean, I look at the condiment containers. . Ha ha.
(5)Jim M.
This is my favorite Vietnamese Place on this side of town. I was so glad they opened because I miss the Green Papaya restaurant that used to be across the street. Located at the top of the hill on Waialae Avenue, they are convenient and parking is usually decent at the municipal lots nearby. My favorite are the vermicelli dishes but the Pho is great and so are the lemon grass dishes. Try the spring rolls and summer rolls for starters. I love the summer rolls and the peanut sauce. The food and the food quality are much better here than at Hale Vietnam around the corner. The service is always good and the owners are friendly. After just two visits they remembered me and welcomed me back.
(4)Kandace M.
Tried three pho places this month, this one is the best! Most meat for your money and more herbs and veggies to add and make your perfect broth. The room is clean and the furniture is new. BYOB. The staff is super friendly. Try the pork spring rolls!!
(5)Tito C.
Great food, prompt, friendly service. The best Ox Tail Soup I have had. All ingredients are super fresh. My favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Honolulu!
(5)Kimberly L.
The first one isn't always the best...except when it is! Saigon's, you're the among the first Vietnamese I've tasted, and even after spending almost a month in Vietnam and tasting dozens of other American Vietnamese restaurants, you still win. Why have I stayed away for so long? I don't pine for you when we're apart, but when we're together, we are sooooo good together. You put the moves on me with your svelte masterpiece-theater style interior, then I find out that you're actually a pretty cheap date. I'm drunk on your buns (vermicelli noodles with salad and and bbq pork and spring rolls) for $9.25. The other Viet places on the block think they can compare, but your prices and proportions rock my world compared to them. You slice your carrots so delicately, and the promptness with which you serve your water and the neatness of your service elicits my secret smile. Those others give themselves fancy names like Super Pho like I'll know they're Clark Kent in disguise, or try to play up the local card like Hale Vietnam, or claim their skinny beauty with the likes of Pho Thinh... I may stray to them for months or years at a time, dining at other places, sullying their napkins with my lips, strewing food on their tables as I eat with gusto. I may have even ventured to your mother(land) to sample the same things you offered me first. . . . But doesn't it mean we're meant to be if I always love you when I come back to you? Every time I come back to you, I know you're the one!
(5)Sherylynn S.
Great service! Good and fresh food! The people who works there have a very strong accent. I am deaf so I can definitely tell. We also have some misunderstanding, but very interesting how we both can interact the words or come to any kind of sense so it was kinda fun :-P I have come here twice so first time was ordering my Pho to go, so it is nice to get it all ready to pick up and go. The second time, we came with friends so it was pretty quiet and good times.
(4)Shayna K.
Vietnamese restaurants are not famous for being the cleanest places on earth. Yet this one breaks the mold. Saigon's tables are not tacky, their menus are not made of sticky old plastic that you wish you had a pari of gloves to slip on before handling. The chili oil container does not make you feel afraid. I didn't even feel the urge to wipe down the highchair with an alcohol swab before putting my daughter in it. The place gets 5 stars for cleanliness. That in itself is a big win that will keep us coming back. The food also tastes clean. Not as oily as other Vietnamese places we've tried. The vegetables seem...well, washed. And spun dry--not sitting in a puddle of water. All these little things add up. They get one ding for their answer to my "is there MSG in the food?" question. Their answer was typical: "Only a little bit." But, we're still coming back. Because I'm convincing myself that the feeling of clean makes that tiny little bit of MSG well worth it.
(5)Kristan L.
My friend and I both ordered regular pho steak & meatballs and side two spring rolls. Quick serve. Yummy. Overall, very satisfied. Totaled around 23 & left tip. Everything seemed fresh and very tasteful. Nothing I can complain about. Nice environment and good customer service.
(5)Dan G.
This family run restaurant is one of my favorites in the area. The food is solid, consistent and carefully made. The veggies are fresh and the portion size is good without being overwhelming. The BBQ tofu is one of their best dishes with a robust flavor and only minor spiciness. Their pho is great with many options. Each comes with fresh basil, lime, and sprouts. The staff is very helpful and went above and beyond to help out our picky kids. The place is casual and friendly. Parking can be a pain, but can be found in a large nearby (pay) lot if you cannot find on street parking. The quality of the food for the price is great and their menu has very affordable options for all budgets. Enjoy!
(4)Nicky H.
If you know Pho then you know it's all about the Broth and thankfully Saigons broth is all beef and phoking delish! The resturant is clean and the owners are friendly. The prices are slightly low for the quality of vietnamese food your getting. So instead of taking a trip to chinatown for pho im so stoked that this place is only 10 mins away and parking across the street is easy. And they have salty lemonade!?! If you dont know what it is the next time you are sick/hungover go get some pho make it spicy and get a salty lemonade, you wont regret it, the nap you'll have afterwards will be amazing! And its BYOB, Cheeeehee!
(5)Joann Y.
Clean and nice place. Yummy food. Friendly staff. What more can you ask for? I came with my girlfriends, and we got the Oxtail Curry, Oxtail pho, Beef salad, and Nam vang soup. Everything was so delicious! The oxtail was cooked well in both dishes, which is a plus. I've tried oxtail at other places, and it wasn't as tender. The soup is delicious too. I especially liked the nam vang soup. The flavors were very subtle but you can still taste the shrimp and the pork, which is great!
(4)Kimo S.
I remember stopping in here almost 20 years ago when I worked at Toys N Joys to grab their Banh Mi sandwiches for a snack, while ownership has changed over the years this place is still an amazing spot decades later. Saigon's has great service, I've never experienced the guy that runs this show having a bad night. He always has a smile on his face and hustles the tables gracefully yet with purpose. BYOB. +1 star automatically. Food is excellent here. My favorite dish and one that keeps me up at night planning my next visit is the Spicy Lemongrass Vermicelli - chicken & spring roll is my combo. The spring rolls are equally fantastic, a great way to start your meal with all the yummy fresh veggies that come with this dish. You don't feel so guilty having a little fried roll when it's layered in delicious veggies, at least that's what I tell myself. This place does a great job at being a good restaurant and sometimes I appreciate that as much as I do an excellent (yet pricey) restaurant.
(5)Ivan S.
Slow service but very apologetic workers. Tasty viet food with tasteful presentation.
(3)Alexis K.
I crave for their summer rolls . Love eating here . It's clean , the food is good and the owners are always nice . Every time that I have been here our food came out fast . Until I get a bad experience , I'll keep coming back .
(5)Ed L.
Just got back from eating here (4/29) after they had remodeled their restaurant and it's under new management. Of course, seeing that 15% off banner in front of the restaurant for the month told me to enter just to see if it gotten better since the last time I was in here. I must say that the decor was way better than it was before. It is nice and refreshing to see it brighten up the room, instead of drab and boring. The most noticable item was the big screen tv that was at the counter. Then there was the art work that hung from the walls, which was a cool touch. Everything is much better here and it was just what they needed. There was a couple of tables open when I walked in. Then minutes later, a few others walked in too. So that's promising for this restaurant. This time around, I indulged and got the OXTAIL Pho. While it was pricey @ $11.75 a bowl, I was like try it once. I had it along with the summer rolls. The rolls I could tell were made to order. None of that refrigerator nonsense. A squeeze of hot sauce inside the peanut sauce and I was good to go. The bowl of Pho was large like an egg. It wasn't wide like other Pho bowls. Just a deep, tall bowl. It's quite fascinating how every restaurant has their bowls. From medium to large, and - for some restaurants - XL bowls. For me, the Oxtail Pho bowl just came in the large bowl. I ordered the Pho with extra noodles, but I don't think they gave me it. With just 5 pieces of oxtail, 2 large pieces, 1 not so large, and 2 small dinky ones, Its safe to say that this bowl of Pho did not live to expectations as far as value is concerned. I was disappointed at the amount of Oxtail they did give. The Pho broth was clear and tasty. It was average, but good. The service was good and decent. This was one of those restaurants where you needed to get up after eating and march yourself to the counter where the cash register is to pay your bill. Most other Pho houses give you your check at the table. This one doesn't. I probably waited like 10 minutes just to see if the servers would do that - but they were just talking story with each other while I used my iPhone. The prices are higher here, but the food was just ok. While they have made greater strides to improve the overall experience, they could do more to enhance the food aspect. I probably should have gotten the beef Pho and save the Oxtail Pho for the good Pho restaurants. B-
(3)Victoria S.
Their vegetarian pho is really good. It's one of the only places in the area that I know serves vegetarian pho (in vegetable broth!) their tofu summer rolls are also really really good with an awesome peanut sauce. Only down side is they are often out of cold bun noodles, so you cannot order many of the dishes on their menu. Still waiting to try those dishes!
(4)Taylor M.
This is my favorite place for pho! Love their broth! I always come here with my boyfriend and we usually order the #10 pho, one with egg noodle and one regular and we also order the sauteed beef, onion sandwich. The french bread sandwich is so yummy and perfect when you're eating it with the soup. There's meter parking across the street and right in front, but being that it's Kaimuki parking is a little hard sometimes. The service is good too! Once you've been here just one time, they will remember you.
(5)Yogini S.
I and my husband are love their vegetarian spring roll, lemongrass tofu and vegetarian pho. It's so delicious! Try it out!
(5)Carol G.
Tried this spot for the first time based on raving reviews from a friend. We had pho, bun cha gio thit nuong & banh mi. Food was ok, great service and clean restaurant. Overall, Hale Vietnam across the street is the BEST! I've been going there for years and they never disappoint.
(3)Roger A.
Service was friendly and quick. Three of us ordered different versions of pho. All were tasty and piping hot. This will be our new go-to pho eatery. The menu is fairly extensive, so are lots of other dishes to try (next for me is the oxtail curry). We originally went to Hale Vietnam, but the wait was over an hour, so this worked out well.
(5)Lauren C.
Yummy! I always come here for the Veggie spring rolls over a cold rice noodle salad bowl. It's consistently the same and always good. My roommates eat the pho from here too and rave about it. Always good, never disappoints!!
(5)Catherine H.
I am a FAN! I haven't been here in while(2-3years) but since then, they did a mini renovation! Looks way better and now I'm here on a bi-weekly basis. What I like: Clean, friendly family-like staff, always a table open for us, really strong Thai Coffee, Service is awesome, food is yumo! (most important, DUH), great place to lounge around and talk story (bcuz its pretty dead, usually when I go) The not-so bad, bad: Street parking OR municipal parking lot across the street, meaning I need to cross the street a couple of times :( So really, not much bad.I would highly recommend for a PHO restaurant! Spring rolls are one of my very favorites!!!
(4)Chelsea A.
Wait staff is very friendly, always easy to get a table and everything I've had here is delicious. Green papaya salad, spicy lemongrass eggplant/tofu, cold vermicelli noodles with tofu, etc. Always fresh, fast, ono. I wish I could remember if their pho only has beef broth or if I just always find something else I want to order instead. Next time!
(4)Diane L.
Fast service. Modern atmosphere. Food tastes yummy. Try your pho with different sauces!
(4)Brandon S.
Have you been here recently? It's a new owner (the original owner's nephew). The interior has been redesigned and spiffed up. Digging the new set up, big screen TV and overall new/cleanliness of the joint. The taste of the food hasn't lost a beat, still tastes good. However, I'm a little disappointed that the menu offerings are less, the portions are a little smaller and the prices got steeper. It's almost as if they took a page out of Hale Vietnam around the corner. So I guess if you're in the mood for Pho and in the Neighborhood, you've got two similar joints to go to.
(3)Karen S.
I can't remember what it's called but the wrap-your-own shrimp paste summer rolls are sooo good. pho is also pretty good, the lemongrass eggplant vermicelli (?? I think that's what it was called) was really good. plus nice service and plenty of parking around the corner!
(5)Adam W.
Excellent pho place been going here since I was a kid. Always hard working family with great authentic vietnamese food. Spring rolls combo pho is the way to go. Great currys and fried rice too. No time? Call for take out
(5)Ah Lan R.
I rarely give out 5 stars to any restaurant because I do not want to give other Yelpers an unrealistic expectation that they will love what I love. This was the first time I tried this place. Well this Vietnamese restaurant is awesome! Excellent service and excellent food. The interior is very clean which is one of the first things I notice. I love their interior decorating too. It was simple and beautiful. There is beauty in simplicity. The seats were comfortable and the lighting is excellent. My mom first ordered the spring rolls. Mmmm 'ono loa. Then my mom ordered a regular side seafood pho ($8.50) while I ordered a large beef pho ($9.25.) Yes it's on the high side but I am in real estate. Business owners have very little choice to combat quantitative easing but anyways. Check out the pictures that I uploaded. I love their broth! I will be back again. I highly suggest :)
(5)Kea H.
I have never been able to eat at an establishment so often without getting tired of the food. Everything is SO GOOD! My favorite is the Shrimp paste wrap on sugar cane, but their pho and ox tail soup are excellent as well! Oh, and their spicy lemongrass vermicelli soup... Yum! I have never had a bad meal, in the 15+ times I have been here over the past few months!!
(5)Christine L.
I am pretty stoked that I found Saigon. They are the only actually clean pho restaurant I have been in for awhile. While their broth isn't as flavorful as I am used to the product was very fresh. The pho ga is served with a ton of fresh thai basil, sprouts, and lemon grass. The bowls are huge, with tons of noddles and all white meat chicken. I loved that the best. often you get a lot of grisly bits and dark meat with bone, but Saigon serves tons of white meat in theirs. I will be back!
(3)Cheryl H.
Came here for the pho because it was rated so highly on yelp. I was not disappointed!! The pho is great, and I'm pretty picky w my pho! :-) I had the combination pho. Broth was very tasty. They were generous too with amount of fixings on the basil plate and sprouts. Service was excellent...my water cup was never dry. The place looked recently renovated w nice tables and chairs and pictures on the walls, and very clean. Air conditioned establishment, which was nice in Hawaii weather. I was looking for a new pho place in the kaimuki area BC I was disappointed with Super Pho and thought Hale Vietnam was just okay. I will definitely be back.
(4)Wina G.
Clean, nice place- nice job on the renovation. The flavors were nice and light. We left full but not feeling greased out or bloated. I had the cold vermicelli noodles with spring rolls. It was served in a large bowl with bite sized spring rolls, cucumber, and other thinly sliced veggies. I shared it- there was no way I could've eaten it by myself. I think it was $8 something ( I didn't pay) Friendly service. Definitely a return visit soon!
(5)Leon H.
Just so happen to be in the area one day and found this spot. I usually go down to china town for my pho but this place was really good. The menu is nice, the atmosphere was really nice and clean. You wil enjoy this place if you are in this area. The price was more then china town but who cares. Go check it out.
(4)Austin T.
FIVE star family run Pho house. Tender tasty clean and fast service and newly remodeled
(5)Brett L.
Good pho. Grabbed takeout from here last night and the food was good. Always hard to rate pho from take out as this dish should normally be eaten fresh. Hard parking so call ahead.
(3)Duke H.
Love this place. Consistent, fresh, healthy Vietnamese food. The BBQ pork & vermicelli noodle combo and the spring rolls are my faves. Byob. Eat here!
(5)John R.
Popped in here this afternoon for some quick eats. I go to Coffee Talk quite a bit and have seen this place... Oh ya, Saigon's... Started off with the Pork spring rolls. NIce and fresh. Let'm cool though, cause they come out HOT! As I said in my "pic" make sure you roll'm up in the greenery that comes with them. THAT makes these rolls very good. Next up I had the chicken with Pho Noodles. Brothy goodness! Next time I'll add a bit more "spice" to it, but all and all pretty good stuff. My dining partner had the Spicy Lemon Grass Vermicelli + beef. I would consider this as the winner today. Lot's of fresh flavor goodness with this one. All and all a good place for quick good food.
(3)Doris D.
Good neighborhood pho place. The restaurant is very clean and remodeled for a modern look. The beef pho was good, the broth on the sweeter side than other places. The seafood glass noodles was good if you're looking for something different - clear broth, cuttlefish, shrimp, quail egg, ground beef, chives, etc. The prices, I found, were reasonable for the area. Service was also friendly.
(3)K-bis M.
Since the rebirth of this restaurant it feels so nice in there. They have always had great food, especially the sandwiches. The pho is delicious and the interior upgrade has helped a lot. its roomier and Clean! I live down the street and am always happy to visit them. Boom!
(4)Dori F.
My sister wanted to try Saigon's for a casual dinner after hearing good thing about it. Loved the spring rolls -- very crisp and light. We also shared the papaya salad and the lemon grass chicken egg plant over vermicelli, which were also delish. Portions are generous and prices reasonable. Brought home leftovers! The only thing that's a little inconvenient is the parking. Saigon's is located near toys n joys. We were lucky to find free street parking in front of the restaurant. I guess the next time we can always park in the municipal lot between koko head and 12th and take the short walk across Waialae. The service is gracious and friendly. The decor is really nice ... I understand the new owners recently renovated. Atmosphere is very relaxed; good for kids. Saigon's is a family-owned gem that fits in well in Kaimuki's "restaurant row." Will be back very soon.
(5)Lindsay G.
I think I've found my new go to pho place! I've been dedicated to Pho Saigon for years as my go to pho restaurant. Since they are closed for renovations I've tried many different pho restaurants trying to help satisfy my pho craving. Finally I found it at Saigons! I had stopped eating pho for awhile looking for a new place to eat pho so of course I yelped it and Saigons came up and with a 4 star rating how could I not try, I was desperate. So I tol my husband this is where we are going tonight. It was a friday night around 8 when we got there, most of the tables were taken but it didnt have busy feel and was seated right away. I was surprised, from the outside it doesn't look like much but it nice, clean and spacious on the inside. The menu isnt as big as other vietnamese restaurants but they have the basics and everyone can order something they like. I orderd a regular pho with tripe, flank and steak with a side order of spring rolls, my husband had the steak pho and my father in law orderd the pork chops. Our order of spring rolls came out pretty quick with the usual fixings (lettuce, cucumber, vermicelli noodles) it also came with picked carrots. My husband loves spring rolls and considers himself a good judge of them and he really liked these.The spring rolls werent too skinny or big. I liked how we could have ordered 2, 5 or 6 spring rolls depending on how hungry we were. Our main dishes came out soon after. After fixing up my pho the way I like it I took the first taste... the broth was delicious, after the second bite with some meat and noodle I could feel my pho craving being satisifed, Immediatly I though I found my new pho place!!! The noodles were cooked just right and the broth was not too sweet or sour. They gave good sized portions of meat and tripe. My father in law enjoyed his pork chops, he said they marinated them well. I need to add, his plate came with jasmine rice, I swear they must use premium jasmine rice or had a very good rice cooker because their rice tasted like no other jasmine rice I have tasted, it was so good. I think I will be eating pho a lot more now that I have found this place!!! Just to let you know, the regular size pho was more than enough pho for me and i can eat a lot of pho.
(4)Alisha C.
When it rains, it triggers my urge to seek out some Pho. So while visiting Hawaii during a rainy week, girl needed some comfort to bring some positive thought during drab weather. Saigon's Restaurant delivered. The menu was extensive and had many options if you are not in the mood for pho. But I was in the mood, and ordered the beef and meatballs. Although not the best I've ever had but it was still pretty tastey. My girlfriends also enjoyed their soup as well. The place is clean and small. Service is super friendly, especially when I believe the owner's sweet 7 year old daughter comes around with a basket of assorted candies to conclude our meal. If you're in the mood for Vietnamese, check this place out.
(4)Scotty S.
My favorite place to get pho in all of Honolulu! This place is awesome. It's run by this super sweet Vietnamese family who are so considerate and friendly. Unlike most Vietnamese places, the environment is VERY clean and super welcoming. The service is fantastic and the food is just as good. I highly recommend this establishment whenever you're craving pho! The cold vermicelli noodles are also awesome, as is this summer roll.
(5)Denise K.
Cheap vietnamese sandwiches. Quick fix. Never had the pho here...
(3)Angela B.
Coming from the SF Bay Area, I've been spoiled by the abundant, delicious, cheap Pho. Now that I'm in Honolulu, it's been disappointing with the quality & flavor of food here. I've made it a mission to try every pho place in Honolulu. This has been the best so far, but they are a little more expensive than what I'm used to paying. I've been here twice, my first was the Seafood Pho. They only give you shrimp & squid, but since I don't eat squid, it's basically shrimp pho :( My second was the Pho Tai, beef on the side. Nice cuts of beef and lots of it. Both had very flavorful broth and perfect noodles.
(4)Kitty K.
I was going to try out a Thai place down the street but since it's closed on Sundays, so I opted for some Pho with my sister-in-laws....love the spring rolls and ice coffee...the rare beef pho is not bad at all. Parking was available behind the building so it was lucky.
(3)Darick M.
this place is all around good. i always order the beef combination pho. the service is always friendly and there's lots of nearby parking. the interior is really nice too. only thing is that i'd wish they would give you more than one napkin or at least have napkins in a holder on the table i think this is the best place for pho in kaimuki.. much better than super pho or hale vietnam.
(5)Ivana T.
Delicious! I'm still fairly new to Vietnamese food but I got the spicy lemongrass chicken and spring roll plate! I believe it was $8.95 which is more than reasonable. It comes on a bed of white rice, with a small salad. I also ordered the fried rice to share and had more than enough food , but the fried rice was delicious as well! I enjoyed the lemongrass spicy chicken because it wasn't spicy at all so It allowed me to personalize my spice level! I will definitely be going back for more!
(4)Joshua P.
The food was amazing, the service was quick and the place was clean. I loved the pho!
(5)Mariko K.
Went here for the first time and had the lemon grass chicken bahn mi, omg it was the best I've every had! It had a nice mix of veggies and the sauce was bomb! The restaurant was clean, the service was good, and the prices were reasonable. I'll be back again for sure!
(5)Ashley M.
Saigon is one of the only Vietnamese restaurants I go to on almost a WEEKLY basis! I love this place, everything ive had from here has been amazingly yummy. My favorites are the chicken pho soup, tofu yellow curry, and the shrimp summer rolls. Really clean and fresh food, not super greasy, and LOTS of flavor! Also, the staff are really friendly and give good service. At least one person in my office orders from here daily-we are huge fans! LOVE this place, definitely give it a try!
(5)Darcie I.
I can't believe how many times I've walked past this place, and thought to myself, how do they stay in business? I never see more than 1 or 2 people in there. Yesterday for lunch we were in the mood for pho, and since I am boycotting Hale Vietnam, Saigon was the closest thing. YAY! I am so glad I went! Ordered the spring and summer rolls, my bf had the oxtail pho, I had the spring roll with vermicelli noodles, and my daughter had the bbq croissant sandwich. The appetizers took about 15 minutes to come out, which irritated me at first, until I took a bite out of the spring roll.FRESH, CRUNCHY AND PERFECT! Same thing with the summer rolls, the veggies tasted like they were just picked from the garden.pho was delish with 4 pieces of oxtail, and my daughters croissant was a toasty medley of sweet bbq chicken, with fresh carrots, radishes and lettuce. Yum. Glad I walked into this place.
(4)Mallory P.
My boyfriend wanted to eat here because he was absolutely famished, and was also craving pho. We found this place while we went to Toys and Joys, and my first reaction was; wow, this place looks so drab. Thank goodness the decor did not reflect the food. So the first thing my bf and I ordered were the spring rolls and egg rolls. Omg were the egg rolls delicious! There's something about the damn egg roll wrapper that makes you want more! The peanut sauce was really addicting too. The spring rolls were really good and refreshing, but the egg rolls...o man, it makes me salivate just thinking about it. So next comes our pho. First thing we noticed was how really huge the bowl was. For a regular size at 7 bucks and change, they really give you what you paid for. To think, if what they give you is a regular size, I don't even want to imagine what the hell a large is like. Anyway, my bf had a mixture of all the toppings, while I had the beef steak and meat balls. Everything was delicious, from the soup to the noodles to the toppings, EXCEPT, for the meat balls. I think it was just beef balls, which was kinda gross. My bf said it tasted like squid balls...but I don't know...it just wasn't my cup of tea. So asides for the beef balls everything was really yummy. In conclusion =) Food= 4 1/2 Price= 3 1/2 (I thought the egg rolls at 4.99 for 2 pieces was pricey) Decor= 1
(4)Marc K.
The "Spicy Lemon Grass Vermicelli with Eggrolls and Chicken", THAT was good! It wasn't crowded so it wasn't loud at all at that time of the day. Will definitely come back for the lemon Chicken with rice (what my friend had).
(4)Mike C.
Been coming here for years. The combination of the food and atmosphere really makes it my favorite pho' place. The broth is very flavorful - a nice balance. its very workable w/ Hoisin and Sriracha. The veggies they serve w/ it are VERY generous. Although I order pho' 95% of the time, the rice plates, bun (vermicelli) and sandwiches are very good. People are very friendly.
(5)Chrissy K.
I like the atmosphere of this place. Saigon's is pretty good. I(we) always get pretty standard fare when we hit up Vietnamese/pho places. A big bowl of Pho w/steak/rare beef, ice coffee with condensed milk + a vietnamese baguette (bbq pork). I love how the baguettes run so cheap...between 3-5$$ A bowl of pho is between 6-8, pretty cheap, the large was a HUGE bowl. We came right before the big dinner rush so we got served quickly...and it was pretty full once it hit 6 on a Saturday night. A nice buzz of happy people talking + eating yummy food. It's a mix of families/college age+older crowd and lot of high schoolers too...so it's nice, calm and fun. The bathroom is in the back (outside) you have to walk to it, it's pretty decent and (it's for both genders). The service is really friendly there, the owners(?) seem really nice, so I enjoy going here...it's homey, they don't bother you and it's not pretentious. A lot of metered parking in the lot behind coffee talk/bc burrito. I just really love the kaimuki area.
(5)Kelly G.
We were in Kaimuki for the 64th Annual Christmas Parade and decided to watch from in here while getting a bite to eat ..... ordered the seafood pho which includes shrimp & squid and 2 orders of tofu summer rolls - everything came out in lightning speed !! the pho was decent & served with a generous plate of veggies and the summer rolls were passable .. too thickly wrapped for my taste but the side peanut sauce was really good. Prices were very reasonable and the service AWESOME !! the family who run it were very sweet and accomodating ... quick to refill, grab a high chair, bring a straw, etc. I like that it is casual and kid friendly - they have a big tv showing ocean scenes overhead that my daughter enjoyed watching....... great place for a quick bite with friendly service !!
(3)Robyn T.
great prices and great food. the banh mi blows kahului bale's one out of the water--and for a cheaper price too. the bbq pork is also awesome--tender and delicious. summer rolls also=win.
(4)beth m.
I have always loved Saigon for their excellent curries, flan and succulent roast pork, but the winner hands down is their ox tail soup. FAR surpasses any other in town. Where many restaurants just plop a few chunks of ox tail into hot water before serving these guys cook theirs for hours, I mean like 10 hours, making for an exceptionally dense and flavorful broth and meat that just falls off the bone. All that good collagen glistening inside the bowl is THE answer to keeping sun damaged skin smooth and supple. I try to have a bowl at least once a week here. Way cheaper and more delicious than botox treatments and collagen injections. AND they just totally renovated the place. It looks fantastic now, with far more ambience. But it is the people here who make the difference. They are always so gracious and warm. I swear that aloha goes into every dish. Do not be put off by what seems a run of the mill exterior. Saigon is a diamond in the rough. GO. You will not be disappointed. And you'll look 10 years younger too.
(5)Greg B.
I live in the area and I have not gone to this establishment for quite a while. This was the first time that I have gone to this place. The settings in the establishment was very nice and clean. There was a giant television set on the wall and the menu looked quite new. I had the cold white noodle dish with chicken and eggrolls. It was a decent meal. The dish did need a lot of sauce to make it stand out and perhaps I need to expand my culinary exploration to other Vietnamese dishes. I had the Thai Iced Tea and maybe the other caffeine based drinks could be appealing. The prices are moderate and the owners do take credit card.
(4)David T.
One of the best pho places I have been to. I usually make the drive to chinatown for my bowl of pho, but today I strayed not so far from home. Great location in Kaimuki. With pricey Hale Vietnam literally across the street most people don't realize Saigons existence. But I today I made my decision to eat here, and it was a good decision. I had a regular size bowl of pho tai bo vien (my favorite) for $7.95. Great price and big portions. The pho had a home cook taste to it. Reminded me of my moms pho. A true vietnamese joint. And so close to home is a plus. Definitely recommend this place for all true pho lovers.
(4)Kayla K.
EW EW EW worst pho ever. The noodles were thicker than normal and too soft. The soup was alright and I've had better meat before. The noodles were what upset me most about this meal. The spring rolls were alright but they were chewier more than they were crispy which is a total turn off. The summer rolls, I didn't get to try but from the looks of it, they were really skimpy and lacked a lot of substance. The only redeeming factor of this place that gives it two stars is their crawfish which they advertise on the glass window. They give you the option of it being prepared with a garlic butter sauce or cajun style. We got cajun and were very much pleased. If you get the cajun, keep in mind that it is rather spicy. I've never had crawfish before so I don't know if their crawfish is good compared to other places. I do however that I did enjoy it regardless. So bottom line is I definitely recommend coming for the crawfish but not for the pho or actually...anything else.
(2)Diana R.
Honestly, I love pho. Specifically, I love pho from this place. My cousin was the person who first brought me here and made me a pho-natic of this place. I know I sound crazy, but seriously, this place is amazing... and let's not forget super clean and friendly. I love it. The only reason I would give it a 1/2 a star down grade is because they are stingy with their seafood in the pho -_-, However, I will bring it back up to 5 stars because their chicken is organic and I know most people would enjoy that. Literally, though, I am now obsessed with finding a place that can replicate this flavor, and sometimes...I actually damn my cousin for bring me here. All other pho has been ruined for me.
(5)Chloe T.
Best Vietnamese in Honolulu! This place is CLEAN, which is not at all typical of Vietnamese joints. The ambiance/atmosphere is lovely, and the family who runs the place an absolute gem. I highly recommend the beef pho and lemongrass vermicelli.
(5)Jay G.
Stopped in to have dinner and had the BBQ pork banh mi on a croissant. The best banh mi (besides my Vietnamese mother in law's!). The Vietnamese coffee was perfectly sweetened and the green papaya salad was great. Definitely going to be one of our regular Vietnamese restaurants.
(5)Wendy N.
I love the new look of the restaurant, we go there for soup and sandwich, Vietnamese style. Saigon's is one of the few places that make the sandwiches. I love the chocolate coconut tapioca dessert! It tastes like a famous chocolate haupia pie that a lot of people love. I will have to try the ox tail soup on my next visit, since someone else raved about it.
(5)Miles E.
Pretty good.. but.... I love Pho, and though I'm a newb to this stuff (6 mos. or so) I've tried a whole bunch. Loved the broth, but something was missing with the spring rolls that came on the side ($9 really??!!) Wish the rare side beef was a little fresher. All in all, a good place to go, just not much to write home about.
(3)Daniel B.
Crawfish at a Vietnamese Restaurant? Hmmmmm.... Odd, yes.., but I wasn't there for the Crawfish... I'm there for my usual order at a Vietnamese Restaurant... Pho. I was kinda disappointed because I ordered the Pho with just Steak. Little did I know the Steak was already going to be in the soup upon delivery. I prefer mine to be on the side for me to dunk and swish around the soup to cook... The broth was OK and nothing too memorable, in fact, I think the Steak was put in there cold and it sat because my broth wasn't as hot as I usually expect my bowls of Pho to be. On a side note, there must've been MSG because it totally knocked me out after... I'm get really tired after eating a meal with a lot of MSG. So beware if you're super sensitive! Spot on with the two stars... I've definitely experienced better.
(2)Keo K.
saigon. is. awesome.
(5)David H.
Who would have thought Louisiana Crawfish at a Pho eatery. Looks yummy!!! Look pretty big to me. But we used to get ours in Piihonua Stream. Back then it was boil them in water with some salt. And we were lucky to get even a half dozen after several hours at the stream. Dried ebi, on a string with a rock to weigh it down and a guava branch for a pole. And we called the crayfish. The crayfish they serve at Saigon's looks the same and that's where the similarity ends. The choices are garlic butter or Cajun style (which is supposed to be pretty spicy). A pound is a shade under $10 and comes with half a potato, a slice of sausage and corn on the cob (about a two inch piece) all in a plastic sack, served hot. Eating it is pretty messy and of course it's done with the fingers. Since as I recall, crayfish like other fresh water stuff has no taste, all the flavor comes from what gets put in the sack, spices and such. Would I order it again? Probably. It's kind of fun to eat and tonight it brought back memories of my hana-bata days in Piihonua at Obachan's house.
(5)Brad N.
My fiancee loves this place, but I think it is only alright. Their pho is pretty good, but it's way too small and has too much MSG. They have plenty vegetarian options. My fiancee likes the lemongrass vermicelli noodle dishes.
(3)David D.
Delicious Vietnamese food. Everything tastes fresh, and the portions are pretty generous. Good service too. The summer rolls are especially tasty.
(4)k k.
We just went to Saigon's this past weekend while browsing around in Kaimuki. I saw a sign on the door that says "yelp loves us" so it was encouraging. We had the pho and the Lemongrass chicken with eggplant vermicelli. The pho was pretty good, but not the best. I prefer the pho from pho my lan (on Maunakea). The portions are smaller than normal pho bowls. The lemongrass chicken with eggplant was just okay. It didn't have a lot of flavor..again the one at My lan is much better. Has anyone tried their Louisiana crawfish? I had that when I was in San Jose and loved it..wonder if it's any good here.
(3)Adrian K.
it's always a great sign when you walk into a place at 7 on a friday night and it is empty. pho was deece. my ladyfriend got the chicken. and in the silene of the empty restaurant my ladyfriend proclaims: "this chicken SUCKS" so when i got to pay dinner at the counter, i say to the dude-server, "thanks, everything was great" dude-server responds: "even the chicken?" well.
(3)Fernando G.
loved loved the fried tofu salad. great place for low calorie meals. finally !!!
(5)Lara C.
Our family has enjoyed dining at this hole-in-the-wall restaurant for years: an old stand-by for consistently delicious pho: al dente noodles with a particularly flavorful broth, and a generous assortment of veggies (lemon, Thai basil, ngo gai, bean sprouts, green chili slices). Saigon's papaya salad is exceptionally good. We also recommend their spring rolls, summer rolls, curry, and variety of bun (cold noodle) offerings, as well as their iced Vietnamese coffee. Also notable is their house-made chili sauce, in addition to the standard Sriracha and hoisin sauces. In the last few months, ownership has transferred to the previous proprietor's relatives, who've renovated the restaurant. It's a much more polished place, with new furniture and tastefully-painted red walls with framed archival pictures of Saigon. True, the prices have gone up a few dollars, but the food is as wonderful as ever, and the service is prompt and personable.
(5)Cynthia A.
Good pho. They serve it with the "long coriander", beansprouts, and lots of basil. I really like their fresh lemonade. I tried the preserved lemonade, and it's OK, but not my thing. It was like putting lots of dried salty lemon peel into some sugar water. If you're craving salt go for it. They have pretty cheap sandwiches. Haven't tried them yet, but when I do I'm going to go for the lemon grass tofu sandwich. The owner is working at all hours trying eek out a living. He's a nice guy. My mom said her friend likes him because he remembers people's preferences. Seems like this is a regular spot for HS and college students, but not the obnoxious loud ones, so it's OK. I saw someone sharing a bottle of wine in here. Maybe it is BYOB, but there's no sign.
(4)Daniel K.
Came here once, and ordered the catfish. Good texture and not overcooked. It was really really salty, and it had me wondering if catfish were saltwater fish...? I don't think they are lol. Anyhow the service was on point... I guess I was the only customer there, along with a friend. I could see myself coming back here, the prices weren't too bad and it's pretty cozy.
(3)Oly C.
Reasonably priced and great food. Very cozy mom and pop shop with only one waitress. Made for small parties of no more then four people. Quiet music so you can converse easily. Thai medium spicy is pretty spicy so be warned
(4)Meep M.
I always go to this vietnamese restaurant. The service is excellent and their food is awesome!
(5)RF V.
I've been dying for some pho because back in Cali we have Westminster, Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, and on and on and the Vietnamese food and culture is ubiquitous there. Food: Because we have so much Vietnamese food back home I felt the pho was average. I got the combo #12 which came with rare steak, tripe, tendon, flank and meatballs. The broth was a bit light and the noodles were way too overcooked (sorry, I am really critical about noodle texture punctuality!). Usually the noodles are clumped at first and relatively hard because pho is usually made within 3 minutes. Usually you just pour in super hot broth to cook the noodles in the bowl with a blanket of rare steak to be cooked in the broth while its in front of you. The rare steak was pretty cooked when it arrived to our table and was average but the flank was really flavorful. The pho didn't really impress me too much but the spring rolls are what got me. Me and a friend also split 6 spring rolls that came with a large plate of lettuce for wrapping, bean sprouts, cucumbers, carrots, mint leaves, rice noodles and fish sauce to dip. The spring rolls were amazing and fresh. Also got a Vietnamese coffee (cafe sudat) which I usually like more condensed milk in it. Hospitality: We arrived at like 9pm on the dot, the time they usually close. The restaurant was empty besides one couple but the lady was super nice and let us in to dine, I was overwhelmed by her generosity because places in Cali will close 15 minutes early and if you are the last one to show up they will glare at you until you pay the bill. That's what I've learned about Hawaii is that the people are warm, respectful and connect with me on a very personal level. Service was great and you can tell when an owner or worker really cares for their store. Rating: 2 stars for hospitality, 1 star for bomb ass spring rolls. Would come back for the spring rolls, haha.
(3)Ganj P.
its 14:38 a lazy hot afternoon and i'm hungry for noodles so i decide to walk.up to kaimuki check out Saigon because its a/c and i want hot soup and im hungry after a hang and my sis told me 10 months ago she thought the pho & the wrap is decent (go figure on a fukin hot day but thats another story). Good, theres noone here..i orderd the seafood pho and a bunch of paper towels(free) because after the walk from hell i was sweating-out all the young white student-pussie memories of the nite b4 at kafecup across the street..but thats another story. okay, a medium bowl with lots of chives i mean mama must have thought "this guy need chive, he not green yet.." or they ran out of other vegetables. i can live with that... now. it came with beansprouts & lettuce and jalapenos and their little one from st.patricks is here on her ipad..so life must be good for them. its okay, if i was sober ',d look for another place. i didnt bother with the summer rolls.
(3)Kari C.
This restaurant is your average Vietnamese restaurant. Nothing really special about the food. Plus side: the service is fast.
(3)Mimo K.
When I crave pho (about once a week), this is where I go. Something in their broth is so addictive. Small family-owned business. Good value. Vegetarian curry and BBQ pork are also favorites. Open until 9:00 M-Sat, 3:00 Sun.
(5)