Humble Saigon’s yields rewarding experience

Diners are obsessed with “best of” lists, but how often can people follow those leads?

For most people, dining choices are more a matter of cost and convenience. We might seek out the best occasionally, but for the most part we’re fine with the tried and true, and sticking close to home.

My preference is to stay within a 6-mile radius of home. Any place that requires getting on the freeway is too far, including Kaimuki. So when friends in Hawaii Kai suggest I come out to where they are, they get irritated when I tell them to pick another spot because they live in the boonies.

But lately, having taken up dance, including K-pop in Manoa and ballet at The Movement Center, I’ve ended up in Kaimuki a lot, and that means exploring restaurants that would not be considered destination spots.

I had passed by Saigon’s Restaurant dozens of times over the years en route to other restaurants. I never stopped in because from the exterior it looked like a small and unremarkable takeout spot. But one day after a class, I was craving banh mi and finally pushed the door open to a space bigger and prettier than I’d imagined.

It so happened that on that day they had run out of bread and had no banh mi to offer. So I had a vermicelli bowl instead, and it was a thing of beauty.

Pretty soon I was bringing friends back for more. They had their doubts, peppering me with questions. On two occasions before trying the food, different foodies who tend toward snobbishness asked, “Why’d you pick the spot? It’s so random.” And, “What made you pick this place?”

Oh ye of little faith.

“Because it’s good,” I said.

Once the food arrived they changed their tune.

Having tried only one petite bowl before, I wasn’t prepared for the size of some of the dishes. Typically at a Vietnamese restaurant, two people can order spring rolls, a green papaya salad and two entrees and leave feeling comfortably full.

Here the appetizers don’t leave much room for entrees. They are huge.

For example, a six-piece order of spring rolls ($10.50) is not two spring rolls cut into six pieces as served at other restaurants. You get six whole spring rolls, the equivalent of 18 pieces. If you’re not that hungry, get the two-“piece” ($5.50) or four-roll ($8.75) option. With accompanying lettuce wraps, vegetables and cold vermicelli, this appetizer is enough for four to feel satiated.

If you order spring rolls every time, you might want to break out of your rut and try a house specialty of shrimp paste wrap on sugar cane ($13.75). This is shrimp paste steamed over a rod of sugar cane, then served with rice paper and all the greens that typically accompany an order of spring rolls. After softening the rice paper in a bowl of warm water, you can assemble your own soft summer roll, which is no easy feat. But even if your presentation isn’t perfect, it’s delicious and will give you a greater appreciation of those who do the work of creating beautifully wrapped summer rolls for you.

Add the green papaya salad ($9.25) or cold lemon beef salad ($9.25) with the roast beef sitting atop shredded cabbage and onions, and you’re essentially done.

You get a lot of fresh, unmarinated greens with those salads, which gives fussy diners or those who like to eat clean more control over how much of the lime and fish sauce dressing they want to add. I find a lot of the dishes, including the banh mi and pho, to be underseasoned, but it’s not a problem when condiments at the table include Sriracha and two other kinds of spicy chili sauces, soy sauce and vinegar. Most people start adding Sriracha to their pho without even tasting the broth, which is lighter on star anise notes than elsewhere.

That light touch also applies to spicy lemongrass vermicelli. For this you can take your pick of proteins and other ingredients ranging from grilled chicken ($8.75), tofu ($8.75) to spring roll plus a choice of chicken, beef, tofu or pork for $8.99.

My favorite dish is the plain cold vermicelli noodles with barbecued pork ($8.75). You can also get the noodles with such choices as pork or tofu spring rolls, barbecue chicken, barbecue tofu, fried tofu or shredded chicken.

Pork is done well here, and meat eaters are likely to appreciate a rice plate with two grilled pork chops for $9.25. It’s one for your “cheap eats” notebook. Other rice plate barbecue options include short ribs ($9.99), tofu ($8.99), garlic shrimp ($10.25) and garlic shrimp paired with pork, short ribs or chicken ($9.99 per plate).

Yellow curries and banh mi round out the menu, and for dessert you can take your pick of taro, banana or chocolate tapioca pudding ($2.75 each), flan or almond tofu. I like a glass of salty-sweet preserved lemon water ($3.75).

Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.