"I ate here for the first time yesterday somewhat late into the evening (8:00 PM+ and had noticed the restaurant while walking to a club after parking in a new location for me (daily $10 open-lot parking right behind Berry Law downtown . I walked in, grabbed a menu, and seated myself. Initial thoughts were that the restaurant had a very upscale, but low-key, style that was welcoming. Nice ambiance at that time of night. I stopped in by myself, but it could easily become a nice-date go-to in the future. Quiet enough and, though not the largest seating plan, the design choice does afford you with the public seclusion to still maintain that needed one-on-one intimacy while out with a romantic interest, but the opportunity to people watch as well without coming across as weird. Anyway, back to the food. So, there was one server pretty much holding down the fort; and, from what he told me, had been doing so for the last six out of seven days. That's pretty hardcore. Therefore, seeing the restaurant was short-handed, but still able to reasonably cover tables and provide excellent service, I politely interjected myself into the conversation at the bar where a small group of friends had huddled up trying to figure out what they wanted to order; hoping to get my order in when the opportunity presented itself. They offered me their favorite food suggestions and allowed me to put my order in with the server before them. Nice group. I ended up ordering a Caramelized Curry Tilapia Clay Pot that consisted of coconut milk, green onion, potatoes, and roasted peanuts, as well as, at first, a Jack Coke, but, since Jack wasn't on hand, his friend Maker's Mark provided a more than adequate substitute. The food arrived about 15 minutes later. Wasn't too worried about waiting since I had my drink and, as mentioned before, the Saigon Surface had great ambiance. It was hot, appearance was spot on, and the portion size was appropriate to leave you comfortably full; To note: I say that as a gentleman of 245 lbs standing, roughly, at about 6'2 ... Though, I think I may be shrinking in stature the older I get. : While perfectly cooked in my opinion, the very Skilled Saigon Surface Staff (Try saying that five times super fast was also aware that not every palate is the same; thus they maintained a somewhat neutral canvas related to spice, heat, and salt, while holding fast to the core of the dish. So, while flavorful with definite depth, I personally chose to doctor the entree up with the available Hoisin and Sriracha sauces, as well as request salt and pepper because that was not already set out on any of the tables. Though... a bottle of hand sanitizer was. This, while of course practical for flu season and all, kind of threw off the dining vibe for me a bit. Not super appetizing thinking of your food right next to a bottle of used hand sanitizer. So, I just removed it for the meal and set it on the opposite seat out of site; returning it to it's initial table placement at the end of the meal. The final result, however, was an extremely tasty/hearty meal that totally hit all of the desired flavor profiles and umami (using that word right? that anyone would want to eat, while braving a cold Omaha night out on the town. Thanks so much!"
Bun Bo
