There was a big hoo-ha at the dining table when I mentioned that it was my first time having the famous Vietnamese Pho. My one and only experience with Vietnamese food was during last Christmas Eve; where I had an impromptu party with dweam and monoxious at NUOC Vietnamese Restaurant Orchard Central.

When they asked me which Liang Seah Street Restaurant to go for dinner, I suggested Madam Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant as I wanted to try the Pho.

A platter of Spring rolls ($17.90), which is a popular Vietnamese dish, appeared on the table. Luckily, they didn’t disappoint: the semi translucent raw spring rolls went well with the sauce; as for the deep fried ones, we agreed that deep-fried food always taste good.

The Vietnamese Fried Calamari ($9.50) was very different from the ones that I had before. For one, it wasn’t round and they were broke down into strips, bearing a close resemblance to fries. It was a very addictive snack/appetizer, and we enjoyed it with the light dipping sauce.

Coming back to the Vietnamese Pho ($8.90), I thought that Madam Saigon’s rendition was not too bad. But Arissa who tasted Pho in Melbourne thought otherwise. Valerie definitely didn’t think much of it too, for she had savored the best Vietnamese Pho while she was in Vietnam before; cannot get any more authentic. It was hard to pin-point what was missing, but it was just different from the one they had before. Perhaps, it’s a case of the grass being greener on the other side. But since there aren’t that many Vietnamese restaurants in Singapore, we just have to make do with what we have. If not, get a ticket and fly to Vietnam this weekend for a delicious bowl of Pho.

We tossed lots of raw beansprouts, mint and squeezed wedges of lime into the Pho. There was silence for a a few jiffies, and this life-changing moment of my first banter with Vietnamese Pho has set its page on my history.

* * *

Instead of having Western or Japanese food all the time, why don’t you try Vietnamese food at Madam Saigon Restaurant Liang Seah Street for dinner?

Restaurant Review
Madam Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant
30 Liang Seah Street Singapore
Tel: +65 6333 9798