Saigon Spring

1683 U.S. 9, Clifton Park, NY 12065

Around the area of Clifton Park, there is hardly anything adventurous to try when it comes to the unknown of various cuisines. The suburban area does extend decently far when it comes to exotic and new restaurants filled with contemporary menu items. The Vietnamese Cuisine of Saigon Spring is unlike anything in the area, offering a joyous taste at an otherwise concealed fare. In a casual, sit down dining room, the customer is entered in a new field of cooking.

An important thing to note about Saigon Spring is that the emphasis is less on the decorations and more on the food itself. The place is not very decorated, and could easily use a renovation or two in the ceiling and in the walls. The tableware on the other hand, is very fine. the dark wood contrasts well with the pink and gray walls. There is a separate section for guests to go to if the main area fills up, and that has the nicest artwork of the building. the painting above the bar is rather weird, because it has some beautiful depictions of roses, but overlapping a Vietnamese beach with a seagull/ It is hard to explain, but the photo below shows what I mean. Overall the setting is a simple, a little weird, but relaxing.

The service at the place is extraordinary. Everyone had nice smiles and were always happy to help out. I had a problem with my order, and my girlfriend wanted to switch her order, and it was taken care of very quickly and efficiently. The food was the main attraction. Vietnam is known for its famous dish called Pho, a soup with rice noodles and herbs in a hot broth. Since this would be one of my few chances to try the dish, I decided to give it a try. My order as the Pho Tai Oxtail, since Oxtail is a meat that I been dying to try for a long time.

First up was our appetizer: Fried Chicken Wings with a sriracha butter dipping sauce. Surprisingly, it was exceptionally delicious. I did not expect for fried chicken to be as tasty as it was in the sauce. The crispy skin melted after each crunch spreading the flavor all around the mouth. The Sriracha sauce was perfect, and we quickly ran out of the sauce. I highly recommend others to try this dish.

With the Pho, the presentation was perfection. The broth simmered through the meat and noodles, and I had to wait a while for it to finally cool down. The broth was very tasty: warm, soothing, and the faint taste of cilantro transformed the dish into a flavor very fantastic. The beef eye round was nice and soft, and with the texture of the noodles it blended well. I mean, this dish is a classic, and it has been loved for many generations. I do have a problem with the meal, and it revolves around the oxtail; the bone is left in the middle of the meat. It is not very suiting to do that in a soup, because i had to stab it with a fork and eat around it, which was very uncomfortable. At least trim the fat if you are going to make me eat it! I thought it was lazy and a bit rude to leave the bone in.

I realized after that meal, the purpose of Pho. Pho is a peasant dish, something that is very cheap and common amongst the citizens of Vietnam. To them, the dish is like our Chicken Noodle soup. There really is not much that is really special about it, except to us, Americans, since we do not prepare and eat rice noodle on a regular basis. To the audience of Clifton Park, Pho is brand new, and the new cuisine is what keeps the business running, because people enjoy to try new foods. In reality, Pho is a classic, simple, and rather basic dish enjoyed throughout Vietnam and in their restaurants in the United States.