Saigon,
12100 W Center Rd Omaha, NE 68144
(402) 697-7000
Vietnamese
Jordan: Let's light this candle… The candle is en fuego.
Homer: This week, we decided to go someplace on the opposite end of the food spectrum
Jordan: And we found a really short dude and a pot of gold....
Homer: What a tasty pot of gold!!! Sometimes I see food in Omaha as on a five point star...kind of like a pentagram. Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Pizza and Sandwiches.
Jordan: I feel ya on that one. So where on the star would we place our most recent adventure?
Homer: I guess you could add Chain American as well... If it had to be on the star I suppose it would fall somewhere between Chinese and.... um....sandwiches...
Jordan: I have never experienced such deep philosophy. You should make a diorama.
Homer: I have a lot of free time....and I eat alot... OK. The place we went this week was called Saigon
Jordan: Alright Saigon, 12100 W Center Rd Omaha, NE 68144
(402) 697-7000.
Homer: Yes that is the one. Saigon, A Vietnamese circus in your mouth.
Jordan: We made an improvement in our tasting technique, if you will. this time we ordered different items.
Homer: Well, we ordered differently before, but it just wasn't different enough.
Jordan: I liked the food quite a bit. We started with spring rolls right?
Homer: Vietnamese spring rolls. Spring rolls never do it for me. At least not by themselves. It is always the sauce that makes them good. These had shrimp and vegetables and rice vermicelli. Kind of like every other spring roll I have ever had.
Jordan: I thought the spring rolls were pretty tasty. For me the distinguishing factor is the freshness explosion in my mouth. I'd give these rolls a "kapow" on the freshness explosion scale. Definitely can't deny the awesomeness of cilantro topped off with that peanut sauce.
The sauce gets a "boom shaka laka".
Homer: I am not denying the...explosion...I just think that the spring rolls did not distinguish themselves. I mean if I wanted a freshness explosion, I would have eaten a salad and lit a firecracker in my ass... Ok, they were ok spring rolls; I just don't think they stood out. There was nothing particularly "Saigon" or "Vietnamese about them.
Jordan: So before ordering entrees, we made sure to ask the server about the most authentic selections on the menu.
Homer: After which he proceeded to read us the menu...
Jordan: … and point at pictures. So I ordered the BBQ Pork and Egg Roll Vermicelli bowl. Doesn't "vermicelli" mean rice noodle??
Homer: Vermicelli doesn't seem very Vietnamese. I am not an expert or anything, but I don't think Vermicelli is a Vietnamese word...
Jordan: Hey Wikipedia, what say you? "Rice vermicelli are thin noodles made from rice, sometimes also known as rice noodles or rice sticks. They should not be confused with Cellophane noodles, which is another type of vermicelli."
Homer: Egg roll noodle bowls seem to be a standard fare at Vietnamese restaurants.
Jordan: Yes, and it was quite tasty. I have a feeling egg roll noodle bowls are standard fare for Vietnamese lunching. It seems to me the best foods are the ones not necessarily featured in restaurant menus, but the ones the native people eat consistently. Usually quite affordable too.
Homer: I ordered the Spicy Beef Noodle Soup. The waiter must not have liked me. I think he noticed that I did not appreciate the "explosion" that came with the appetizers. He straightened himself up, gave me the stink eye, and said, “It’s Spicy... are you sure? I laughed with him, but on the inside, I was emasculated. It was then I knew I had to prove myself.
Jordan: Do you think you were able to prove yourself enough hombre?
Homer: Well, the broth was substantial, and the beef was tasty, and the waiter gave me another "explosion of freshness" to throw in the soup when I was ready. At first, it was fine. It was hot, but nothing I couldn't handle. But as I kept eating, it felt like it was sticking to my lips and tongue. Like napalm in the jungles of… anyway...Jordan finished first and I was using my fork to eat some noodles, and the waiter came and took my spoon away. I really could have finished, but alas, I had no spoon…
really…
…I could have
Jordan: The food gets a thumbs up, or in Homer's case, a firecracker up his ass. THUNDER DOWN UNDER!!!!!!
Homer: I will agree with the food. But I don't feel like this experience was an all a round thumbs up.
Jordan: Exactly, the experience was pretty sterile. It reminded me of my many forgettable experiences in typical Chinese or Asian restaurants.
Homer: Here is the deal with my opinion. There are so many restaurants that I have been to that all blur together in my mind. That is not to say the food wasn't good or the place wasn't even unique...restaurants tend to do that. It takes something special to make a place stand out for me. I think the food HAS to be good, but then there has to be something more.. something special.
Jordan: Sometimes the place needs a little kitsch, peculiar quality, odd smell... This place didn't even have crappy Asian covers of Top 40 hits. William Hung, where you at?
Homer: Fake plants, cheesy art...and the service was a little off...we ended up being one of two tables, and I had to go ask for the bill. What do you think Jordan, Gobackability?
Jordan: The food was great, the setting proved nothing special. I feel more inclined to get some food to go.
Homer: That is a good idea. I would be ok with that. Browness?
Jordan: I'm gonna go with preppy light khaki.
Homer: I concur.
That's all for this week. Check back once a week or so for a new review. E-mail your questions, comments and pictures of hot girls to brownonthetowne@gmail.com. And if you want to come to lunch with us, drop us a line and maybe we will make you our special guest of the week!!
Jordan: Later Gators.
No comments:
Post a Comment