Great vietnamese food, cash only
Vermicelli noodles are the best here, the steak is flavored well. Had the mi xao the last time I went and it was a huge portion and very good. The banh xeo is also good, light yet the right amount of crisp. I would stay away from the pho though.
Good affordable Vietnamese food
I went here after a recommendation from a Vietnamese friend from Chicago. In my opinion, Vietnamese places in Chicago are sub-par. This place is average but what I really like is how cheap everything is! I bought a bowl of Bun Rieu with a cup of Cafe Sua Da for a straight 8 bucks! Â My dinnermates also had cheap meals. Â
My Bun Rieu was pretty good. It had the right amount of egg, tomatoes, seafood, fish sauce, and crab paste seasoning. The vermicelli noodles were thinner than my liking, but it still tasty. My friends had Com Suon (Rice with Pork Chop) , Com Thit Nuong (Rice with Grilled Pork) , and Pho. They all liked it.
The owner is nice, personable, and provides great customer service. It's a quirky little place adorned with a plethora of plants and random paintings
New Saigon is Argyle's little gem that few people know about. The restaurant does not have a big budget for decoration, but it holds its own in comparison to other flashy restaurants. It has unique, somewhat exotic/oriental decorations mixed with posters delineating American pop culture. The restaurant looked unassuming to me at first, but I soon fell in love with its quirkiness. Such eclectic layout is perfect for weirdos like me!
I have been here five times. I have brought 3 family members and 7 friends here, and I will continue to do so in the future. All of us love the food and think this restaurant is excellent for budget meals. Have to agree with Matthew below about this place being the best value restaurant in all of Chicago! Because all the items on the menu are so cheap, it is also highly recommended for cash-scrapped students too! I love New Saigon's chicken noodle soup ($4.50 per bowl - comes with sprouts on a separate plate) and its yellow crispy noodle dish (giant plate for just $7.50). Some of my friends also ordered its shakes and egg rolls. Amazing food and clean facilities!
Service was also flawless. Tony was warm and welcoming. I think he even gave my parents discounts during my fifth trip there! I'm a fan! True fan!
Restaurant food: 4 stars (4 for portion size, 4 for quality)
Restaurant facilities: 5 stars
Restaurant service: 5 stars
This place was just horrid in general.
Pho broth was absolutely  bland and there was literally no meat, half of the rice noodles were revealed when they should have been covered by meat. Otherwise than that, the meat that was actually in the soup was good (#403). And then the rice noodles were clumped up together. This is the first time in my life were I have been forced to mix my pho with the hot sauce and brown sauce :/
The avocado shake was definitely delicious and the highlight of my meal. It's just bad when the drink is the highlight of your meal!
$4.50 for pho and $2.00 for avocado shake came out to $8.00. YEAH, he ripped me off and that's why I give this place a 1 star. He was friendly but this friendly act is probably used so you don't say anything about getting ripped off.
GO FOR THE AVOCADO SHAKE AND TAKE IT TO GO. AND THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SPACE FOR HIM TO RIP YOU OFF IF YOU JUST ORDER ONE THING.
I didn't try anything else and won't be because there's Le's Pho right across which is perfectly fine.
i LOVE this place. Â amazing food, casual environment and great ownership. Â I have tried more things than i can remember from the menu and it is my go-to place in the neighborhood. Â I have no problem going by myself to enjoy lunch or dinner - it's always a fun comfortable place to be. Â And, as i was told my first time going there, they have hands-down the best egg rolls in the WORLD. love. Â The bun dishes are all good (702 is the best), pho is delicious, the egg tomato soup is great on a cold day. Â My boyfriend loves the pork chop and eggs over rice and the beef watercress dish. Â Really anything you pick out will be good! Â oh, and BYOB!
Review Source:It would never occur to me to order something as mundane as chicken fried rice, but on a whim, my boyfriend brought some home, and it was delicious, and I couldn't stop eating it! Â I'm also a fan of their appetizers and dishes involving pork.
If you order take-out and find yourself waiting as the meal is being cooked, the owner is nice enough to offer you complimentary hot tea. Â
I don't recall ever having a bad experience here. Â The food is great and the owner, while very talkative, means no harm and is an honest, hard worker.
Wow. So when I first went here I thought this place was a gem. Then we calculated our bill, and found out that the owner "adds tax" and says they don't require a tip. What he doesn't tell you is that he adds 25% percent to everything and calls it "taxes."
The food was pretty good, but not as great as great as a value it first seems like.
The second time I went it was really awkward. I went by myself on my break from work and we struck up friendly conversation. Then he starts telling me how to live my life. He tells me I shouldn't settle down with my boyfriend and "keep my options open." I mean seriously, who says that?! I told him I was in a serious relationship, trying to back out of the conversation... then it got really awkward. He asked very personal and intimate questions that were COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE. He was basically telling me to live it up as a young person and keep my options open. I just stopped talking.
Funny thing is, my boyfriend was the one who paid the bill the first time. The owner told me that day I went a second time that I was the only customer that day so far (it was around 2:00pm). Â Well, did he honestly think I wasn't going to divulge that creepy information to my boyfriend? What an idiot. Guess who is never going back there again?! And leaving a 2 star review on yelp!!
I suggest you try somewhere else. The owner thinks that by talking nice to you, you won't notice that he is "taxing" you 25 percent.
Avoid this place at all costs. There are so many better (and less awkward) places in the area.
This restaurant has my nomination for best value in Chicago! Â (Yes, ALL of Chicago.) Â The food is unbelievably good, despite the restaurant's unassuming appearance: nondescript tables, plastic trees, random Michael Jackson albums hanging on the wall, etc. Â
It may not sound exotic enough, but the egg rolls are, hands down, the best I've ever had. Â I am not a fan of egg rolls in general, but they are done perfectly at New Saigon. Â They are light, yet crunchy, and they are served with a very flavorful sauce which amps the flavor up to the next level. Â (They're good even without the sauce, though!)
I also highly recommend the Bun Xao, any of the phos, and the Bo Lugloc. (I am quite sure that I misspelled that, but it is a beef dish served on watercress with gravy... mmm mmm good!) Â Wash it all down with a Vietnamese coffee (liquid dessert!), and you've got one heck of a dining experience. Â Even if you order all the dishes I just mentioned, I doubt that you'd spend over $20!
The owner is the only server and his wife cooks. Â The owner is *very* talkative which many people (my girlfriend and her mom, most of all) find annoying, but with that said, we always return for the outstanding food.
New Saigon is your best bet for Vietnamese food in Argyle-- if not all of Chicago. Â Definitely make it a point to drop by and grab a bite to eat!
One of the best gems in the area. Tony and his wife are comical, hard workers and will get you your food in a jiff. They hosted a party of 45 people and managed to do it quickly and with a smile on their face. We love going here for Pho and Tony's stories. extremely cheap and great selections. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE their rice wrap appetizers. DELISH!
Review Source:The food here is affordable and authentic. Â Catfish in clay pot, beef with mushrooms and lemongrass beef were all winners. Â Crispy egg noodles with mixed seafood was good - large portions and tasty shrimp balls were most notable. Â I thought the gravy could have been thicker and prefer the thinner style egg noodles over theirs. Â Spring rolls were just okay - could have used more herbs and basil. Everything is super affordable, and Tony is the best host. Â It's just him and his wife operating this joint so if you have a large party be prepared to wait a bit for all your food to come out.
Review Source:Don't usually go here in Viet-town, but it was the only place open past 10 on a Thursday so me friends and I stumbled in. Small place, but great Pho! We struck up a conversation with Anthony the owner because he and I were wearing the same fake Rolex watches. Awesome. He went on and on about Vietnam and how we could stay at one of his houses if we visit there. Talk about hospitality! He was super outgoing and friendly. We found our new spot in Viet-town for sure.
He said they close every six months for a couple weeks while he and his wife visit the homeland. Also, they had an amazing pineapple shake! GET ONE!
So you know sometimes you're in the mood for NOT socializing, and you just want to get a delicious Vietnamese lunch to converse with? Well if you're in that mood - consider another restaurant.
If not, stop by New Saigon. Don't be taken back by the decor - when was the last time you heard of a famous Vietnamese artist? My point exactly. We aren't famous for the fine art, but rather the art of cuisine.
The place is small and clustered, which makes it even smaller. The owner, aka waiter, was sitting down with a friend and a cup of Vietnamese "phin" coffee. But he was smiley and welcome when we walked it. Each of us ordered a dish and continued on with our conversation.
It didn't take long for us to get our meal - but we were the only one in the restaurant. The food is good! I had a pork chop with rice. I had no complains as I think it was just as good as any other Viet restaurant. and it's CHEAP. yes! if you think Tank, or Pho Viet or Ba Le is cheap, try New Saigon.
Now back to my initial point - the owner/server is very friendly, and funny. And once I started talking in Vietnamese, he kept the conversation going. My boyfriend, a midwest white boy, couldn't keep up (heck even I couldn't). I wouldn't mind it normally but we were trying to have a quick lunch and I WANTED TO EAT MY PORK CHOP!
Regardless, I'll be back here again, for sure.
Since when did John Waters start designing restaurants?
Everything about this place screamed, "CAMP!" but more on that later.
We were at a loss as to where to go. So he whipped out his smartphone and found decent Yelp reviews for this place close. Thanks Yelp, you put out fires and save lives one recap at a time.
The decor is like a garage sale and cafeteria mated. From the plastic plants, old posters, seventies tables and chairs, Christmas tree and lights, tacky overhead lights. The SEC should send an engraved invite to Martha Stewart; upon arrival she'd spontaneously combust from the low brow stimuli. The music was Vietnamese ballads. It was melodic but I only understand Vietnamese by reading lips so didn't comprehend the lyrics.
It's BYOB.
The server is the owner. He personifies enthusiasm. Â He was very chatty, showed us stuff on his iPhone, and had a hearty laugh.
We ordered spring roll type appetizer with shrimp, pork combo dinner, and frogs legs dinner.
At the order of the frog legs dinner the server laughed his hearty laugh and patted his stomach. It was delightful.
Appetizer was good. Pork dinner was pretty good. It had a pork chop, pork fried rice, and pork quiche type portion. The frogs legs were surprisingly large. They were like almost chicken wings. Didn't resemble Kermit the Frogs legs at all. Kermy needs to hit the elliptical. But I guess if he did he'd be next on New Saigon's special list (hearty laugh, patting stomach).
Excellent prices!
When we left felt it was an authentic experience and joked we wished there was a ricksaw outside. So I made him give me a piggy back ride. I was so stuffed he almost died (hearty laugh, patted my stomach).
I'd return. They could camp it up more with some troll doll salt and pepper shakers, dogs playing poker or velvet Elvis paintings or pink flamingos (hearty laugh, pats my stomach).
I REALLY, REALLY wanted to love this place! Â My husband and I were looking for awesome vietnamese food and saw all the great reviews online. Â We were prepared for the cheezy/strange decor which we found endearing and part of the unique experience and since Tank was closed for vacation, we thought we'd give New Saigon a go.
When we arrived, we were surprised to be one of three tables in the restaurant. Â No biggie, but thought it might be busier since there were such great reviews. Â The owner came out to greet us several times and and check-in on us to help us order. Â We asked a few question and he was very nice and welcoming. Â He came across as sincere. Â
He suggested we order a few items and we coupled that with what we read online and ended up order fresh shrimp spring rolls and the pancake for appetizers. Â For dinner we wanted to try a few different things so we got the bun tomoato soup with crab and shrimp and the beef lemon grass. Â The owner insisted that we must try the catfish dish as well. Â We were reluctant because to me catfish should cost more than $7, but he convinced us to try it anyways. Â
Most of the food was good, however, I did not feel like it was as fresh as I would have liked. Â The catfish ended up being my least favorite where I ate one bite and left the rest. Â It was too fishy smelling and seemed like they just drenched it fish sauce and seasoning to cover up that it wasn't fresh. Â It was annoying since I didn't really want to order it in the first place. Â My favorite was the bun soup--we added a little hot sauce and it was pretty yummy.
So, why only two stars? Â Well, I'm only giving two stars for ONE big reason. Â When the bill came, every single item was at a higher price than listed on the menu. Â Given the prices are really cheap anyways, this should be no big deal. Â However, it was the principal! Â I asked the owner why the prices are different and he said, "Oh, we add the tax to each item on the menu so we can round up and make it easy for you to pay" Â Um...what? Â That would normally be fine for me, but each item was at least 20% more in price, which is more than taxes. Â AND, this place only takes cash so i'm hesitant to believe that they pay taxes so diligently on each receipt. Â We didn't want to make a fuss and paid what they asked, but left with a bad taste.
So, the two stars is because I felt taken advantage of. Â No matter if your food is great (it was only OK), you can't expect repeat customers if you make people feel taken advantage of.
Don't judge this place with its outdated decor  (there are still posters from the early 90s hanging there)...the food is the highlight of the place. The place is run by this Vietnamese couple- wife is the cook and husband takes orders, cash only...so the dishes are really affordable.
My favorite is their lemon grass chicken...really good! The owner is very friendly and usually talks about his experiences back in Vietnam and how his wife & him make 2 trips to Vietnam every year...really funny and nice guy.
Highly recommend for food enthusiasts!
I've never had anything here I didn't like; it's not all wow, but it's reliable and probably what most would consider above average. Â But the real standout for me is their beef with lemongrass. Â If you go here, don't leave without ordering the beef w/ lemongrass...
The only complaint I could ever find about this place is the service. Â It's all done by one guy, the owner... And that's no complaint against him necessarily, he's awesome, but he does get quite overwhelmed at times. The service can be anywhere from slow to horrendous, depending probably on the time of night you're visiting and your overall patience. Â Don't go here if you're in any sort of hurry. Do go here if you're patient and just want a drawn out meal. The owners do everything, the wife cooks and he serves. Â I really like the guy, he's very personable and funny even. If he gets a few minutes spare time he is fun to talk to about just about anything.
On our last trip an appetizer came out after an entree, and the first entree came out about 10 minutes after the next two. Then at the end, we ordered 3 coffees and the first came after a good long 10 minutes, the second another 10 minutes, and the third just never came we told him we had to get our check and go. It was a slow drip in the Vietnamese coffee maker, he should just let you use those at the table as they do in Vietnam, then you can do it yourself. Â It's hard to not like the guy though, it's nice to finally find a server in the area who has a personality.
The metered street parking isn't horribly difficult, but in the back there is at least one spot in their private parking lot marked "New Saigon" that you can park in. Â A few have complained that they didn't find the bathroom clean--I used it and I found it to be above average and pretty clean, my only issue is I couldn't find the light switch. Â
BYOB. Cash only.
2 stars for effort because I really wanted to like this place, but there's really nothing to rave about.
To be fair, I AM putting this place up against all the Vietnamese restaurants in Westminster (CA), but my boyfriend and I were really disappointed with New Saigon.
I got the Hu Tieu, my bf got the Pho tai nam, and we shared an order of egg rolls as well.
Egg rolls were okay, but came out with no side of lettuce, noodles, basil, or mint leaves that usually accompany the appetizer. ...disappointing but understandable if that's just how it is here. But the rest of our meal was inexcusable. My hu tieu was the most bland, tasteless bowl of soup I've ever had. My bf's pho was even worse. He's really big on not "ruining" the broth with additional sauces & whatnot, but the pho here left him with no other choice. In went the fish sauce. Â
Overall, the only good things I can say about this place are the service & the price. It's cheap (as is most Vietnamese food), but you really get what you pay for here. We won't be returning. In fact, we noticed another place right across the street (Tank Noodle) that was packed & thought, we shouldve tried that place instead. :P
Upon entering New Saigon for the first time, I was a little put off by the jack o'lanterns (in June), Christmas trees made out of ornaments, random posters (even a Michael Jackson one), and dead plants. However, I was looking for good food and not a fancy dining experience. After trying the food and seeing the cheap prices, the decor seemed much more charming!
I had a great bowl of beef pho (pho tai) for only $4.50. The owner is very kind and accommodating, which contributes to a great experience. They will make anything you want, however you want. I will definitely be going back to try more items on the long, varied menu! This place is definitely the best value for good pho in Uptown.
I've already been here 3 times as of yesterday and it's my favorite go-to place when I want affordable Vietnamese eats. Â With noodle bowls under $5, you can go with a friend and have a tab of less than $10 before tax. Â Their rice dishes are decent too as well as fried noodles. Â Overall, I didn't find the foods to have too much oil or grease compared to some other restaurants. Â
The owner/waiter was very nice and courteous. Â He takes his time on getting your checks so just let them know when you are ready to go or you'll be wondering if they'll come to collect your money at all. Â Of all the times I've been there, my friends and I could sit there as long as we wanted and chat. Â So it's a nice & homey place to just sit and catch up. Â They aren't as likely to rush you out of the door like some other places. Â And lastly, bring cash because this place is CASH ONLY.
Low prices, high quality. Seems to be run by one guy and his wife. I have absolutely no clue how they afford the location on the prices they charge, but they do.
I don't know if the owner can actually read minds or not, but he certainly knows exactly when you're ready, and can prepare dishes not shown on the menu, according to only a vague description of something you've seen some other party get in a Vietnamese restaurant before, and it's guaranteed to be better than what you had at the other place you saw it first.
There's a pretty good variety of Vietnamese joints in the neighborhood. All are more expensive, none are half as good.
My standard for five stars is "close your eyes and point to the menu...what you get will be great". New Saigon meets that standard handily. If you're not quite that trusting, I'd reccomend the beef and abalone, the duck, or any of the bun dishes. Or the soup. Â Oh dear Lord, the soup...don't get me started on the soup, or I could talk all day.
No credit cards, though. Cash only. Won't cost you much cash, but if all you've got is plastic, you'll need to run up the street to an ATM. Also, the owner and his family close the restaurant a couple of times per year to go back and visit the homeland. If you see it closed, that's probably why.
Girls dinner club - check.
A bottle of wine a person - check.
Fantastic food, great service, spending like $15 a person and leaving stuffed and a little drunk - check, check, check!!
My girls dinner club struck again at this spot. It was a Saturday night and we were one of 2 tables in the place so the service was fantastic. (Although I think it's probably more that the owner serves you and he was so sweet & friendly that it made the service so wonderful.) Most of us hadn't really had vietnamese before so we asked lots of questions and for suggestions and we were not disappointed. Between the appetizers and all of our entrees, not one person wasn't satisfied with the quality and quantity of food.
Yes the decor is a little offputting. And Yes the bathroom is not as shiny & sparkly clean as yours at home, but don't let that deter you from coming here. Just keep your eyes on the prize (good, cheap eats, BYOB, lovely owner who totally takes care of you like you are in his home) and put down some toilet paper before you pee and you'll be fine.
How can you not love the plastic lychee trees and the faded Michael Jackson poster on the wall?
The owner is wonderful and yes he is telepathic. Example:
Me: Ummmm, I think I'll have a spring roll and the bun with the eggroll and beef.
Owner: Yes, I know I know. (nods head)
Me: o_O (thinking to self.. how did he know what I wanted...)
haha. but yes, he is a nice man, and it's a total mom and pop Vietnamese restaurant. This is the first place I've ever tried bun and they are like white noodles served with this great marinated beef and a eggroll (DELICIOUS) and sliced veggies with like a fish sauce. It was sooo good.
I also came back for the pho with medium well beef. The broth was great and came out on the side with the bean sprouts, basil, lime, and hot peppers. MMm with some sriacha and hoisin sauce it is amazing.
My favorite Vietnamese restaurant. Â I love the noodles, especially the bun (700's). Â The white and yellow noodles are also quite good. Â It is a great meal for the price - I don't know how they stay in business. Â Just a note, bring cash - no credit cards here. Â Also, no alcohol but you can BYOB.
As mentioned in other posts the owner is the friendliest guy around. I have even seem him while walking my dog in the neighborhood and he has stopped us to say "Hi!"
Great neighborhood place for tasty and well priced Vietnamese food. New Saigon has an extensive menu, offering traditional Pho, spring rolls, Â pork, beef and chicken dishes. I tried the rice noodles with beef which was excellent. Based on the other diners, this place has a great following and I look forward to trying other dishes on the menu. The decor is bad, but the place is clean and the service is excellent. Â I will be back.
Review Source:I like the strange atmosphere (I mean, really, why take down your Christmas decorations when you're just going to have to put them back up again 330 days from now?) and super friendly service. If I was rating based on my ideals, as a poser vegetarian, I would give it 3 stars. There is nothing vegetarian on the menu. Nothing. Can't they put Buddha's Delight on there at least? And how come no Vietnamese place makes veggie pho? What am I supposed to eat when I get sick?
However, if you are a meat eater, it will probably be good. My coworker was impressed with the chicken pho, the broth wasn't as greasy nasty as some, and all the fixins were fresh and texturally appropriate. I can only assume all the pork and beef stuff is equally well-prepared and served with care.
The Vietnamese spring rolls were winners, giving Hai Yen a run for their money. Tightly rolled. The proportions of vermicelli to greens to shrimp to wrap were not quite as Da Vinci would have depicted, but close. More importantly, the amount of sauce provided was proportionate with the amount of roll provided, which doesn't always happen.
The other thing that is so great about these rolls is that the shrimp are cut in half, in the lateral direction. Someone sat there and held the slippery shrimp and cut it straight down its little spine so it could be laid upon your perfect spring roll with such care and delicacy. That type of attention to detail is not typical in $3 spring rolls. The sauce is a little syrupy but obviously I like the place and I will go back. Maybe talk to them about the importance of vegetables.
Upon moving in to the city of Chicago, New Saigon was my first experience into the cuisine of Vietnam. Â I was amazed back then, but the funny thing is, I always continue to be pleasantly amazed and surprised with the food, even today! Â It's a special place that may not look like much, but is a true hidden treasure amongst the city.
Let's just get things out in the open: the decor is nuts. Â A faded Michael Jackson poster amidst a plethora of strange plant life, ancient Christmas decorations and place mats and tablecloths that may have you thinking the owner is an eccentric genius. Â Well...he is! Â A true husband and wife team, he'll talk you up and take your order, while his wife carefully and lovingly cooks every dish that is ordered. Â I love the conversations I have with the owner, ranging from conspiracies of the Vietnam war to the mysteries of love and life. Â He's probably one of the most amiable people i've ever met. Â As for the food, it speaks for itself...that is, if you speak Vietnamese. Â Luckily, the menu, as big as it is, has translations of all of the dishes. Â The ingredients are always super fresh and delicious. The prices are unbeatable. For a meal with appetizer and main dishes for two, it usually comes out to be about $20-$25. Â My favorite is the Bun Thit Nuong Cha Gio, which are rice noodles topped with cilantro, sprouts, beef, fried spring rolls and a special plum sauce. Â Also, the spring rolls always do me right. Â As well, a vegan friend of mine swore by this place for many years of living around the corner! Â Highly recommended and I believe they are BYOB!! Â A total gem.
CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS + MICHAEL JACKSON Â POSTER = ???
The brainchild of the interior decorator for New Saigon. Â
Decor aside (cause I really don't give a damn when I'm in the mood for Vietnamese food), this place was good, but not great. Â
The bun with grilled beef and egg rolls was reliably tasty, but didn't really stand out. Â I'd consider having this dish again, but one I won't be ordering anytime soon is the goi con (fresh spring rolls). Â I'm not sure what happened, but the wrappers were tough and chewy. Â Perhaps they didn't soak the wrappers long enough or maybe they were made in advance? Â Whatever the case, it was like chewing through shoe leather on an appetizer I adore. Â For this unforgivable sin, I sadly cannot return.
This food is amazing. It's so good. I've been to a few other Vietnamese places and nothing compares to New Saigon. The staff consists of the owner and his wife, and he's so welcoming and friendly! If you're not sure what you want, you can tell him what you're in the mood for and he'll make it up! It's so good, we've never been disappointed.
Four stars because the bathroom leaves a little something to be desired...to say the least. But! You're not going for the bathroom, you're going for the awesome food and it's totally what you'll get.
Like others have said, this isn't the "best" vietnamese in the neighborhood, but it's still my favorite. The owner is so helpful and friendly, he has taught me everything I know about how to eat Vietnamese cuisine properly.
The Pho is good, but not quite as good as elsewhere. (Le's Pho across the street in the parking lot area of shops is my current fave). But the non-Pho items are very, very good. The lemongrass Chicken is a repeat meal for me.
Anyone who complains about the decor shouldn't be eating Vietnamese food.
I looove coming here for bun...with the eggrolls! Â #702. Â It's broiled marinated steak with an eggrolls, steamed noodles, fish sauce, etc. Â And I like to add an extra eggroll. Â :) Â Seriously, my favorite place for this in Chicago so far. Â The owner is really nice...sometimes a little extra chatty, but it's okay because he's so nice and the bun is yummy. Â :)
Review Source:First of all this is restaurant is not the Ritz. Â Do not expect anything shee shee.
Now that I got that out of the way, lets talk about the food! Â The food is tasty, and there is alot of it. Â I prefer their ginger chicken over Tanks. Â And make sure you have it with the fresh vegetables, very deliscious!
I also like their Pho's, the portions are oversized and very well seasoned!
The one dish I was very suprised with and extremely impressed with is the Curry Chicken. Â It is better than most Thai places, especially Ben's Noodles on Bryn Mawr, although their food is good, it is nothing like New Saigon.
The owner Tony keeps the place very clean and is extremely friendly and helpful when you have a questions regarding the menu.
This place is not to be missed, I am thinking of going their tonight just by writing about it!
The owner/manager/waiter/greeter of this restaurant is certainly one of the nicest proprietors I've encountered at any Chicago restaurant. Â He is very helpful and friendly!
Sadly, though, the food is pretty middle of the road. Â Our pho was average, but I set the standards at Tank and 777, and it just didn't measure up. Â My friends who ordered the Bun (#702!) said it was awesome, though, so maybe I wasn't going for the core competency, which makes sense, as the stock required for Pho requires some serious kitchen chops.
Very cheap, friendly service... but dirty bathrooms and average food. Â There's always a trade off somewhere!
I joined yelp because I couldn't resist the urge to review this place. It's one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants in Chicago (and I have high standards of Vietnamese food, having grown up in Orange County and spent the last year in Vietnam!). I'm always afraid that one day I'll walk by and the place will be shut down because the prices are so cheap. I don't know how the owner makes any money!
The owner really treats you like family. In fact, he often tells customers to call him uncle. The ambiance of the restaurant is really homey. They don't spend their money on decor... but hey, you're paying $5 for dinner so can you really complain? I pick hole-in-the-wall's w/ good food over fancy restaurants with bad food any day.
There's lots of different things you can order here, depending on your mood but I like the catfish soup (#1108 Canh Chua Ca) and the Lemongrass chicken (#1403 Ga Xao Sa Ot) the most. They're set up to be shared family style.
Have you ever had viet fried bbq pork over rice w/egg? Â If you haven't, this is the one of the best places to get it. Â New Saigon is better known for their non-pho dishes (i've never had their pho) and more known for their rice or noodle dishes. Â
I always order the rice dish that has pork 3 ways: bbq pork chop, shredded with noodles, and a pork casserole. Â Pour the Viet fish sauce all over the dish and you'll taste what Viet home cooking tastes like.
Ick. Â Oh my god, ick. Â After reading some of the other reviews on Yelp, the DW and I decided we'd try this place. Â One point for the owner being really friendly.
First off, the joint looks like my great-aunt's living room. Â This was humorous for about 3 minutes, then it outgrew its shabby-retro-hip vibe and just turned shabby. Â There's fake plastic fruit everywhere, even a fake durian tree. Â The highlight of the decor is probably the very large and very faded poster of the cover of Michael Jackson's "Dangerous".
The menu doesn't look half bad, the usual set of "noodle X with meat Y". Â No banh mi, but I can get those at a lot of other places on Argyle.
We ask the owner for suggestions, he makes some; we think, great, hole in the wall, nice guy . Â Unfortunately, the food arrived and killed the mood. Â This was the most bland, mushy Vietnamese food I have ever eaten. Â There may have been some black pepper in there, but I didn't detect even a hint of other spice. Â Apparently sticking with the great-aunt motif, he decided to emulate midwestern housewife cookery by throwing a few limp vegetables onto some noodles. Â All I could do was douse it with Sriracha and Maggi and hope that it was just bland and nothing health-code violating.
Despite having high hopes, we couldn't get out of there fast enough. Â Also -- cash only.
Probably my favorite place on Argyle. Â I don't need to eat on Argyle as I have my ma cook me up so of my fav. Viet dishes any old time that I want. Â But when my personal chef is not available (hehe), I hit up New Saigon. Â Your standard Viet fare and it's way cheaper than Tank.
Enjoy. Â Get the buong with eggrolls. Â Yummy and only $4.50. Â That's what you call a cheap eat.
I had the flu. And I'd woken up at 4 a.m. that morning in Muskogee, Oklahoma to catch a flight back home to Chicago. I stumbled back to my apartment, took a shitload of medicine and fell asleep. I woke up an hour later and I was starving. Invigorated from my nap, I managed to gather enough strength to stumble back downstairs and a block and a half to New Saigon -- the closest eating establishment to my place.
I stumbled in and to a table. The owner handed me a menu. I ordered some chicken pho. It was perfect. The right amount of chicken, the broth was wonderful. It was hot and steamy and perfect. The owner asked me if I lived in the neighborhood, told me about his building which was right across the street from mine, asked me how my day was. I told him I'd just got off the plane. He told me about his recent trip to Vietnam. We made small talk while I ate.
I got out of there paying for my meal with the change from my cab ride home from the airport (I'm NOT a wuss usually, but I was SICK. Sick people who wake up at 4 a.m. to catch flights shouldn't have to take the blue line and then the lawrence bus. It's just not right.)
I kind of regret not visiting New Saigon again before I moved out of Uptown. But I can vouch for its efficacy in soothing your germy self next time you have the flu.
The sign says Cheap Eats. The sign does not lie. Most of the menu items are in the $5 - 6 dollar range, and portions are a good size.
This is a great little family run place. There are probably fewer than 10 tables, and it's a bit run down. The owner is also the waiter, and he's always very cheerful and happy to see you. If it's slow - and it's often slow -- chat him up about real estate.
The menu, which is also a little run down, offers a nice selection of traditional Vietnamese dishes. I like the bun, which is a cool rice noodle salad served with lettuce and bean sprouts and topped with beef or shrimp.
I fear that poor little New Saigon will be swept away by the other restaurants on the Argyle strip (Tank is right across the street). But as long as it's here, I'll keep coming back.
This is one "special" place for Vietnamese food. Â The owner is extremely friendly and makes you feel genuinely welcome when you come here, his happiness just exudes over him, it's refreshing, albeit it odd sometimes. Â The prices are dirt cheap and the portions are just shockingly huge, the food is very good as well. Â
Soooo, why am I not giving it 5 stars then? Â The bathroom is just disgusting and "old" and could be spruced up in so many inexpensive ways. Â My first visit here was in the Summer of 2000 and I was amazed to see how bad the bathroom was then and during my last trip there in fall of 2005, it looked even worse, if this place would remodel or even "spruce" up their bathroom, it would be a much better place. Â If you do go, try not to visit said bathroom, you may lose your appetite or worse, lose your lunch.....
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