"Go there, it's one of the best Vietnamese restaurants you'll find. Driving down Pleasantburg Road in Greenville, SC, you can expect to see lots of dated, shabby looking strip shopping centers. One of which has a sign that says Saigon Fast Food. Should I go in you may say to yourself? I've heard good things about this place online but it looks like a dump from the outside. Yes, you can and should go in for this is a diamond in the rough.<br/ <br/ Saigon is tiny tiny as in seating for about 40 people tops. No fancy decor and there is a staff of two a very pleasant lady who serves as hostess and waitress and the gentleman in the kitchen who is the cook. The menu you'll be presented with is massive and you'll be given ample time to digest it. Nothing what you order though, at least from my experiences, will be a disappointment. I intend to go back again and again because everything I've had has been so incredibly good. This review is based on what I have been fortunate enough to experience so far.<br/ <br/ First of all, the crispy spring rolls. They're a standard at every Vietnamese restaurant but at Saigon, you get the feeling that they were just made and not out of the freezer. Served piping hot with a nice little side salad of lettuce, pickled cucumber, carrot slices and a spicy fish sauce, these little appetizers are a delightful way to get started.<br/ <br/ The bahn mi looks like a simple little sandwich but ingredients matter and again, the Saigon doesn't cut corners on quality. The bread tastes like it was made that day, the grilled pork is succulent and spicy enough. I don't know what's in their spread but it marries the meat, cilantro and pickled vegetables together in perfect harmony. <br/ <br/ So far, I've only had the grilled pork vermicelli bowl and it's a winner. The pork was all meat and no fat and was balanced well with the vegetables and noodles. There is something about the fish sauce here that's a cut above other places I've been. Don't know what it is but, its a helluva lot better. They also have a home made sauce on each table that's a delight. Not too sweet, not too sour, just right. Not that you'll need a lot because this dish is flavored perfectly. Did I mention the fresh mint and basil?<br/ <br/ I've had pho on two occasions and will be going back to sample others on the <br/ menu. The crispy duck pho and the beef pho are both very good and served piping hot. A good pho has a broth that someone prepared at least a day before and used all the right spices, cooking long enough for everything to marinate just right. Saigon Fast Food is a place that does just that because you can taste the ginger, anise and other spices. The beef, like the aforementioned pork, is free of fat. Duck is duck a somewhat greasy meat but if you like duck meat, you'll love the crispy duck pho at this place. All good pho soups (should) come with fresh Thai basil, lime, jalapeño and bean sprouts. That's the case here but Saigon goes the extra mile with some generous amounts of scallions, green onion and cilantro in the soup. Mix it all together and you're in heaven.<br/ <br/ I live in Asheville which, despite its reputation as a foodie down, is lacking when it comes to Vietnamese. Bobo Pho is horrendous and Pho R Us is inconsistent. Greenville is worth the hour drive south for the real deal. Saigon Fast Food rocks!"
Greenville
