Saigon

Exotic and inexpensive on Main Street

by Margaret LeRoux

Saigon Restaurant 976B Main Street Worcester 799-5250 Sun.-Thurs. 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Mastercard, Visa BYOB Handicap accessible

If your appetite for exotic food exceeds your budget, then you'll want to know about Saigon Restaurant. This modest little storefront on Main Street just past Clark University serves more than 100 delicious Vietnamese dishes at bargain prices. In fact, only one item on the menu -- seafood island -- tops $10.

Saigon's location draws an eclectic crowd. On one visit our fellow diners included a couple of Clark professors who discussed philosophy over plates of tofu with curry and chili sauce ($4.25) and two Asian women who chatted over huge bowls of pho -- noodle soup topped with bean sprouts and fresh vegetables. (Soups range from $3.95 for basic noodle soup to $4.95 for duck with egg noodles.)

Besides the appealing prices, Saigon's wait staff offers friendly and accommodating service. Our soft-spoken waitress patiently explained the difference between bun nem nuong ($3.95), described on the menu as Vietnamese grilled sausages with vermicelli, and banh hoi nem nuong ($6.25), Vietnamese grilled sausages on tiny vermicelli. The first version of sausages is served with a plate of lettuce, thinly sliced cucumbers, and mint leaves. Along with the vermicelli, they are to be rolled up in thin, steamed rice skin, dipped in a clear fish sauce, and quickly popped into your mouth before the whole combination collapses on your plate in a heap. The sausages themselves were not at all what I expected; instead of small links of ground pork, they were slices of grilled, smoked meat full of tangy spices and garlic. They were a delicious contrast to the cool, crunchy, lettuce and mint leaves; the tangy fish sauce brought them all together.

On my first visit to Saigon, a friend and I also shared an order of goi cuon ($4.25), described as steam pork and shrimp rolls. These are soft rolls; translucent thin rice pancakes are filled with ground pork, sliced fresh shrimp, finely sliced lettuce, and chopped mint. Served with a hoi sin based sauce and more of the tangy fish sauce for dipping, they are a fresh take on the more familiar egg rolls.

One of the seasonings unique to southeast Asian cuisine is lemon grass, which is tart, chive-like stalks used in combination with ginger, garlic, and chilies to heat up a variety of dishes.

We chose chicken with lemon grass and chili sauce ($5.50), a spicy combination of sliced chicken, green peppers, and onions. This is a dish that will warm you on a cold night; served with a bowl of white rice, it's downright hearty.

Saigon does not have a liquor license. But you are welcome to bring your own beer or wine. An assortment of soft drinks is available, or you can sample from a long list of beverages, ranging from a simple espresso ($1.50) to more exotic drinks like lychees with ice ($1.70), salty plum soda, coconut juice with ice, green bean or avocado shake (all priced at $2). A complimentary pot of hot tea is also served with meals.

On this visit we spent less than $20 and had enough leftovers to make another meal.

On a return visit with three fans of Vietnamese food, we sampled Saigon's soup and salad. Hot and sour chicken soup ($6.75 for two; $10.75 for four) was a tiny bit sweet in addition to being hot and sour. Generous pieces of chicken breast floated in a broth that also contained pineapple chunks, fresh, crunchy bean sprouts, pea pods, and sliced carrots. Bits of chili peppers tingled my taste buds.

The salad -- crunchy seafood ($5.95) -- is another Vietnamese dish I've come to appreciate. Seafood salad, which includes fresh shrimp and squid, is served atop a mound of vermicelli and finely grated lettuce and cabbage.

We shared an order of grilled beef with vermicelli ($3.95). Slices of meat are marinated in a hoi sin-based sauce resulting in slightly sweet undertones to the smoky grilled taste. Like the sausages, they are served with vermicelli, bean sprouts, cucumbers, lettuce, and mint.

Barbecued shrimp ($7.75) were served in the shell in a sauce red from chilies and tomatoes and flecked green with chives and cilantro -- the rich cilantro flavor really came through. If you try to extricate the shrimp from the shells, this is a messy dish; better to crunch your way through the thin shells to the chewy shrimp inside.

An order of chicken lo mein ($5.75), noodles with chunks of white meat, and stir fried vegetables provided a non-spicy backdrop for the rest of our meal.

The four of us spent just over $30, but again had enough leftovers to snack on the next day.