Saigon Restaurant- Fort Wayne, IN

Ever since we posted about Indianapolis' Saigon restaurant, we have been getting inquiries about the restaurant in Fort Wayne with the same name. We felt that it was our duty to go check it out this past weekend. It's hard to believe that people needed info on the place because it seemed like everyone was there on Sunday. The parking lot was packed and the place was bustling. We grabbed a recently vacated table and perused the extensive menu. They say that they have American, Chinese, and Vietnamese food here but, just in case you bring someone not into Chinese or Vietnamese food, the only American food that we saw on their menu was breakfast. While they have traditional egg rolls on the appetizer menu, we were grateful to see the healthier "Goi Cuon" or spring rolls of seasoned pork, shrimp and vegetables wrapped in rice paper (not deep fried). They were delicious and came with a nice peanut sauce. For our entrees, we chose the Pho do Bien (seafood pho) and the Bun Rau Xao (vegetable bun). Pho and Bun are 2 of the most distinctive Vietnamese dishes. Pho is a clear beef broth with noodles, and whatever meat variation you choose. You can click the picture of the menu for a larger image to see that Saigon offers everything from eye round steak to tripe.

The Bun dish is vermicelli noodles topped with your choice of meat and vegetables. We chose just the vegetable variation and were treated to a huge bowl of broccoli, cauliflower, water chestnuts, and lettuce with a very generous amount of noodles.

The Pho came in a huge bowl filled with rice noodles. The broth was fragrant with the herbs and seasonings. The seafood consisted of shrimp, crab meat and squid. The soup was delicious and filling.

Coffee fans, be sure to order a Vietnamese coffee (we prefer it with condensed milk but you can have it without). Super strong coffee with the sweetness of the milk is amazing hot or cold and, here, it is served with the traditional Vietnamese filter (pictured here).

We were amazed at the low prices. You will be completely satiated here for not a lot of money but be sure to bring cash. The sign at the register says "cash only". What a great spot in this older neighborhood on the near south side of Ft. Wayne. It felt like the Fort Wayne UN in there with multiple languages being spoken and everyone being brought together by good food.