COCONUTS CRITIC’S TABLE – Given the city’s proximity to Saigon, it’s amazing how Bangkok manages to serve up so much bad Vietnamese food. We’re talking lumpy peanut sauce, flavorless pho and fresh rolls with nothing “fresh” about them. I’ve started to shy away from Vietnamese food here in general, which is a shame since I love how healthy and light it is. Maybe it’s attributable to my bad luck, but it seems like in Bangkok, there’s not an overwhelming selection of delicious Vietnamese.
That’s what got my taste buds prickling at the mention of a new, home-style Vietnamese restaurant on Sukhumvit 49. Nestled into a contemporary shop-house complex across the lot from Grease Nightclub and across the road from Villa Market, it could be easy to judge Saigon Recipe as just another one of an overflow of new eateries on this soi. But in my opinion, it’s one of the best.
Opening the door to Saigon Recipe affords diners a wistful glimpse into 1960s Vietnam. Sunshine pours in through the front window, highlighting traditional décor, throwback communist propaganda and framed family photographs. Vietnamese tartan napkins and ceramic tableware round out the quaint, personal atmosphere.
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Saigon Recipe’s menu comes in small, leather-bound books and is packed with southern and central Vietnamese food like dumplings, stuffed rice flour balls and noodle soups. The drink menu boasts authentic sips from homemade soybean milk (THB70) to pandan leaf and sugar cane drink (THB50) and Vietnamese coffees (from THB50). I ordered the artichoke tea (THB50) and a freshly squeezed orange juice (THB70), which the waiter brought over in a home-style, wicker basket as opposed to a boring old serving plate. The artichoke tea tasted surprisingly peppy. The juice appeared in a little glass bottle plugged with a green leaf, another welcome touch.
A Vietnamese restaurant lives or dies by the quality of its fresh salad rolls (THB90) and Saigon Recipe’s are spot-on. They feature whole shrimps and lean pork on the inside, matched to a proper-tasting peanut sauce. Another must-order dish is the rice noodles with BBQ pork (THB180). This dish comes spruced with vegetables, fresh herbs and fried spring rolls, as well as a topcoat of crushed peanuts. A few chopstick tosses mix everything up nicely, but somehow all the peanuts manage to stick to the beef, lending every bite a savory crunch.
Some of Saigon Recipe’s lesser-known Vietnamese specialties include the lotus roots salad (THB220) and crispy rice pancake (THB 180), both of which came recommended by the server. The salad proved a rewarding choice. Whole shrimps, pieces of pork and fresh ingredients like lotus roots, carrots and cucumbers created a sharp, crunchy texture.
The pancake was a less healthy option, but equally tasty. It was bright yellow, folded over like a quesadilla and fried up with shrimp, minced pork and bean sprouts.
After lunch, I found myself hanging out and sipping on tea at Saigon Recipe long after the last plate had been cleared. All the little touches – the napkins, the collectibles, the wicker baskets – helped add to the restaurant’s relaxing atmosphere. But at the end of the day, it’s the food that’s going to secure Saigon Recipe its repeat customers, and surely, I’ll be among them.
FIND IT:
Saigon Recipe
Piman 49 Complex, Sukhumvit 49, Bangkok, Thailand
Tel. +662-662-6311
Open daily 10am to 10pm
Photos: Barbara Woolsey
