To most diners, an empty restaurant is not a good sign, and dining in one like Miss Saigon can be an unnerving experience. But don’t be scared away by the quiet here, since this Vietnamese lady delivers tasty fare, fast and fresh. Draped in white, the restaurant appeals to us with its minimalist modern decor and calm ambiance (except when the restaurant is closing up and the staff turn on upbeat mor lam songs). Most of the time, the staff outnumbers the customers so you can station yourself wherever you feel comfortable—be it the relaxing all-white dining area or the outside terrace overlooking the bustling Bangkok streets. The medium-size menu offers, while not authentic, creative and reasonably priced dishes. Many new items were added since our previous visit. Of course, there are tried and true Viet dishes like koong pun aoi (shrimp on sugarcane) and a selection of pho, but the highlight of Miss Saigon is her fusion fare. Served with mayonnaise, the deep-fried salmon spring roll is served as a crisp and mild starter, preparing your taste buds for more pungent dishes. At Miss Saigon, each dish is whipped up and seasoned to be eaten with rice, because, like Vietnamese coffee, it is packed with strong flavors. Vietnamese Hot Pot, for example, came with generous portions of fresh seafood, but the soup, though refreshingly hot, was a bit too spicy for those with sensitive palettes. Deep-fried soft shell crab with garlic, too, was salty but went very well with the complimentary veggie basket. A tip: balance the taste off with something mellower like the seafood fried rice in coconut shell. Inclusive of clear soup, the spicy Vietnamese sausage salad and rice sets are big enough to split, but good enough you’d tend not to. The highlight is a set of grilled chicken skewers accompanied by mixed fruit somtam and grilled sticky rice balls. Similar to its savory menu, a selection of Miss Saigon’s sweet treats is a mix of traditional and modern items with deep-fried green tea dumplings served with honey and banana fritters with green tea ice cream as the hot favorites. Don’t forget a cup of their sweet-smelling Vietnamese coffee. Or what’s better, order vanilla ice cream floated in espresso and you are welcomed to linger.
