Last summer, my Vietnamese friend Luong told me with great satisfaction that a new restaurant serving his native cuisine had opened in San Rafael. Later I learned that Saigon Village, which opened a little over a year ago, is run by the same family whose little caf at the back of the now defunct International Market on Irwin Street drew so many raves a few years back. General manager Adam Windham told me that the family closed the market in 2003 to find a better location; then, when they couldn't find one, decided to open a restaurant instead. Their dream was a family restaurant with good, reasonably priced food reflecting the slightly differing cuisines of South and North Vietnam. The d cor at Saigon Village is not fancy: glass and plastic over white tablecloths; utilitarian wooden chairs; slate blue carpet. The larger of two dining rooms faces B Street; it's painted a cool white, with a few Vietnamese artifacts, including large silk fans, adding some color. There's a smaller, darker room at the back, with a TV. Crystal and glass chandeliers, sparkly little holiday lights, gentle Vietnamese music and white lace curtains all add charm.
Each table has its own tray for bottles of Sriracha--the Vietnamese chili sauce--hoisin sauce, and an assortment of chili oils and pastes. Utensils are also provided in a rack holding chopsticks, cutlery, Asian soup spoons and little saucers for mixing the condiments to your personal satisfaction. A metal paper napkin dispenser is there, too, although at dinner, pretty white scallop-edged cloth napkins appear on the appetizer plates.
Vietnamese food, which is arguably the most delicate of Asian cookery, is a cuisine all its own, but it reflects both Chinese and French colonial influence, as well as bearing some resemblance to the flavors of neighboring Thailand and Cambodia--especially in the judicious use of pungent, salty fermented anchovy and shrimp preparations. In recent years, Western chefs have discovered that a touch of Vietnamese fish sauce provides the elusive flavor called umami, which adds depth and dimension to many of their own dishes.
"Ah, fish sauce!" exclaimed another Vietnamese friend whom I had asked about the ubiquitous condiment a few years ago. "Once you get used to it, you can't live without it!"
Accordingly, many dishes at Saigon Village are accompanied by a small dish of amber-colored fish sauce mixed with lime juice and sweetened with sugar. You can dunk bites into the sauce, or pour it over the whole. Another frequent accompaniment is a platter of lettuce leaves, which can be wrapped around bites or slices of various dishes to form a lettuce roll.
Famished when we arrived, we called for two appetizers, tau hu ky (shrimp cake, $6.95), and goi cuon (fresh spring rolls, $4.95). I had never seen the shrimp cake on a menu before, but when I asked Adam what it was, he replied, "It's the best in town!" A sheaf of rice paper wraps around a filling of shrimp, rice vermicelli and mint, which is then fried to a golden crisp and sliced. It looks a little like a bear claw Danish, but tastes much more intriguing and savory, especially when dipped in one of those individually mixed combos of chili, hoisin and fish sauce.
The familiar fresh spring rolls, made of softened rice paper wrapped around shrimp, sliced pork, rice vermicelli, shredded lettuce and mint, come with a dish of peanut sauce for dipping. These refreshing, chewy little morsels disappeared quickly.
Since we were grazing appetizers, Luong insisted that we try Saigon Village's version of cha gio (fried Vietnamese egg roll, $4.95). They did not disappoint, served piping hot and exceedingly crisp. These we wrapped in bits of lettuce and doused in more chili, and they were absolutely scrumptious.
We ordered a round of Saigon beer ($3). I found it a bit thin for my taste; next time I'll order Heineken. But beer is definitely the best beverage with this food. Other options for drinks are Vietnamese hot or iced coffees; Thai iced tea with tapioca pearls, juices and both American and Asian sodas. There's also a small selection of wines.
Banh xeo (Vietnamese crepe, $6.95) was another well-executed rendition of a well-known dish. The generous crepe, made from wheat flour and coconut milk, was soft inside, but crunchy on the exterior, and plumped with a filling of bean sprouts, onions, shrimp and big slices of pork. Each bite held a different combination of textures and flavors, which is one of the goals of the finest Asian preparations.
The largest sections of the menu at Saigon Village are devoted to the beloved noodle soups, stews and salads called pho, bo and bun (pronounced fuh, bo and boon. These are eaten at any time of day in Vietnam, from breakfast though lunch, dinner or late night snack. We shared a spectacular bowl of Luong's recommendation, hu tieu bo kho (beef stew with rice noodles, $5,95). Chunks of tenderly braised beef and beef tendon, which is said to be good for the joints, floated in a dark broth scented with star anise, scallion and basil over a bed of slender rice noodles. It was a very good thing that slurping is allowed when eating these noodle soups.
I love bun, so I asked if we could sample a combination of barbecued shrimp, pork and chicken; Adam obliged with another ample bowl full of warm vermicelli topped with slices of the marinated meat and crustaceans ($6.95) as well as a crunchy garnish of bean sprouts, cabbage, mint and shredded carrot. A small bowl of hot, subtly fragrant chicken broth to be drunk or spooned over the noodles, along with the ever present fish sauce, came on the side.
Adam urged us to try one of the specials, bo luc lac ($9.25), described simply as beef steak with steamed rice, which did not do justice to the stunning platter we received. Straw mushrooms, red peppers, green onions and chunks of perfectly caramelized steak sizzled in a deep, rich brown sauce. Excellent!
Our final dish was the only one I'd have tinkered with if I ruled the world. Lau canh chua ca bong lau (sweet and sour catfish in hot pot) came swimming in a lovely broth, but the catfish came as bone-in steaks with the skin on, which were difficult to navigate. They tasted fine, but I found the slippery skins off-putting. We left most of the fish in the bowl, which was a shame.
Desserts are limited to a variety of bubble shakes and drinks, perhaps more appealing in warm weather, but still tasty and fun to drink. I liked the honeydew version, sinh to dua mat ($3.15), pale green melon blended with ice, sugar and evaporated milk, then poured over big dark brown maple and caramel tapioca pearls. You get a fat straw to suck up the chewy tapioca surprises.
Many have been the days when a bowl of Vietnamese noodles were exactly what I craved. But I used to have to go to the city or East Bay to get them. The growing Asian community in Marin seems to have discovered Saigon Village. I do hope the rest of you will follow. The food is wonderful, the prices are fabulous and they're open all day. I wish them great success!
