You might note I am very much attracted to foods outside my own culture. I happen to really like Vietnamese food. When GroupOn offered a deal at Pho Saigon, we jumped all over it.
Located at 1116 Rolling Road in Catonsville. The restaurant is kind of hidden in a strip mall. All the signs are the same blue color and size so it is easy to miss it driving by.
When we got there at 5:45 the place was empty except for one, two top table. The staff was very friendly and quick to welcome us in. The decor was bright, cheery, and incredibly clean.
It is not a fancy place but has the huge plasma playing some kind of imitation Cirque du Solie playing as do most Asian restaurants we tend to go to. As I said earlier, the staff was extremely friendly and helpful, even though we were never asked if we might like something besides water to drink. I kind of like the Vietnamese style coffee and would have ordered one if allowed to. No big deal, Baltimore has excellent water. The menu had many selections, but was not as extensive as other Vietnamese restaurants we have gone to. This is a good thing for me, not a bad thing. I never know what to order when there are too many choices.
We started things off with some summer rolls. They were the best summer rolls I have ever tasted. Honestly, they were very good. Halle had her usual Pho Ga(chicken soup). She ate half the bowl, so she must have liked it. Beth ordered her usual go to dish, Bun Bo Hue(spicy beef soup. This is actually Cambodian soup with weird cuts of meat and blood pudding in it). She ate a good amount too, claiming it better than the other two Vietnamese joints we gone to in the past. No chili paste was added, so it must have been fairly spicy. Ava had Bun Tom Nuong(vermicelli with grilled shrimp and tons of vegetables). It all gets topped with a sauce containing fish sauce. She emptied her bowl.
My dish was very similar to Ava's. I had the Bun Chao Tom Thit Bo Nuong( vermicelli with beef, shrimp, spring roll and tons of vegetables) It was incredibly good. The best part was how fresh everything tasted. I know that "fresh" is a rather odd description, but the flavor of every ingredient is just very fresh. My meal was better than the other two places we have gone before.
I have a strong suspicion we will be returning to Pho Saigon in the future. Overall rating... 9
