Saigon Grill

8053 W. Emerald St. Boise, ID 83704

208-375-7655

Cheryl Rawden - Idahoeats contributing writer

If you enjoy Vietnamese food give Saigon Grill in Boise a try. They are located near the intersection of Milwaukee and Emerald. While the strip mall exterior does nothing to lure in patrons please know that the ambiance is much different once you step beyond the fabric paneled entranceway and inhale the aroma of ginger and curry drifting from the kitchen. Walls drenched in dark russet paint and burgundy stained wooden tables and chairs create a rather dark but inviting atmosphere.

The three page menu includes one page of appetizers such as Vietnamese pork egg rolls and soups; the other pages list various noodle and fried rice dishes. There are several vegetarian and tofu entrees as well as pork, chicken, shrimp, beef and even grilled salmon. We tried to get a sense of what was popular but the waitress was not overly helpful in her reply of “all the noodle dishes” as this didn’t narrow things down in any way.

It only took about ten minutes for our entrees to arrive. Our meals were served in exceptionally large white bowls. A dish of sauce accompanied the noodles. If spicy is more your style there is a bottle of chile sauce at the table which allows you to adjust sauce to your own liking. When adding chile sauce keep in mind a little goes a long way!

The chicken and spring rolls with noodles had nicely seasoned chicken that added a lot of flavor to an otherwise rather bland bowl of mostly noodles. The sliced spring roll served alongside the sliced chicken was crunchy and delicious. The pork dish with noodles had large slices of tender pork across a bed of noodles and a bit of lettuce. Both meals were lacking in color but they did prove to be hearty and satisfying on a cool, rainy day. Halfway through our meal the waitress placed our check on the table leaving the impression of dessert being out of the question so the menu item “dessert of the day” continues to remain a mystery!

Saigon Grill serves sake, wine, and both domestic and imported beer including Tsing Tao and Hue beer. No web site or menu could be found online at this time.