By Mavis Vas, MacInsiders
MacInsiders welcomes Little Saigon Vietnamese and Thai restaurant as one of our newest site sponsors. Their support helps to fund the website and events that MacInsiders runs as a non-profit student organization. We look forward to working with them. As part of our sponsor process we decided to give Little Saigon a visit and write a fair and unbiased review. Here's what we found.
Having never tried Vietnamese food before, I was excited to try out Little Saigon, a Vietnamese and Thai restaurant on the mountain, a few minutes’ walk away from Limeridge Mall. Upon getting there, Chad and I soon found out that Little Saigon is celebrating its 2nd Anniversary, and part of the celebration is the offer of 10% off of your bill. However, Mac students ALWAYS get 10% off their bill here, anniversary or not, which is a great deal as we found their food already very affordable for the portion size you get.
Looking at the menu was somewhat of a daunting task, as it is long and varied. It is highly unlikely that someone will not find something they like on this menu. From noodles and Pad Thai to My Tho style soup and durian milkshakes, it would take quite a few visits to experience all that Little Saigon has to offer.
Chad and I placed an order for what we hoped was a varied assortment of food. First to arrive was the Special Vietnamese appetizer platter (item 12) which, true to its name, came with an assortment of Spicy Mango Salad, Vietnamese sausage, a rice paper wrap, spring rolls, fried shrimp tofu and minced shrimp on sugarcane. The platter slightly heavy on the shrimp, as you can tell. However, it was definitely one of the high points of the meal. The salad, spring rolls and minced shrimp were unreal and very tasty. These are the items I will be craving a few weeks from now. The fried shrimp tofu grew on me and the rest of the items added a good variety to the platter. I also ordered the My Tho style soup (item 17). If you are into trying new things and experiencing diverse flavours, this soup would definitely fit the bill.
On to the meal. We decided to try the Pad Thai (item 77), which was an excellent choice, well made and very flavourful. Less appealing was the Pork Chop with Chicken and Rice (item 43). I found the lemongrass flavour a little overwhelming and the meat quite tough to chew. Our next dish, the ‘Love Spice Pineapple Package Chicken’ – I am not making this name up - (item 113) made up for it. Served in half a pineapple, the dish is packed with flavour and is one of Little Saigon's special dishes. However, you will find that you are paying more for the presentation of this dish, since you really need a side of rice with it to balance out the intensity of flavours. Nevertheless, a good find, especially if you like curry.
Overall, the meal was excellent. The staff were also very helpful and friendly. The food was very well priced for the portion sizes and just about everything that we ordered was delicious. I was excited with just how delicious Vietnamese and Thai food was. Just beware that peanuts are served on the side of most dishes, so if you have an allergy be sure to request that your meal be served without the peanuts. If not, definitely worth a look if you are in the area and want something to eat while shopping at Limeridge, it's only a few blocks to walk to. I will definitely be back to try some of the eclectic items on the menu!
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