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oin’
bonkers is the word I would use when someone is able to eat the same dish every
day for a long period of time. Not in the case for Allan, the owner of Saigon
Fusion though! He could not get enough of Pho when he spent his time at
University in Cambodia, having a bowl of it almost every day through his time
there. He loved it so much so, that when he learned that the Pho he was eating
came native to Vietnam, he travelled there to learn how to make it, and learn
how to make it he did.
Many
years later after he discovered the need for foreign comfort food in his favourite
street, Saigon Fusion was born. With the help of his wife, they make the lovely
power couple responsible for one of the few Vietnamese restaurants available in
Kuching.
As
for its name, unfortunately this trip I didn’t get a chance to have the Fusion
section of Saigon Fusion, but I did promise Allan that I would come back for
their Fusion dinner menu. What I did come here for is authentic Vietnamese
flavours and dishes, so shall we get pho-kin’ get started?
To
prepare my palate for some Vietnamese food, I ordered a cup of the Vietnamese
Premium Coffee. It is a drink that is a blend of Vietnamese butter roasted
beans and the all elusive Civet coffee bean poop, Kopi Luwak and lots and lots
of condensed milk.
The
drink itself is pretty interesting, as the roasted butter is quite prominent as
it adds a good buttery salty aroma while the taste of Luwak feels absent as the
distinct nutty and earthy flavour of it is lost amidst the strong butter
roasted coffee. The preparation for one’s taste buds for sweetness has to be
mentioned as the condensed milk per coffee ratio is almost 1:3, so the apparent
Vietnamese key here is to either ask for less milk or to slowly spoon the
unwanted milk out.
If
coffee is not your thing and you want something refreshing, the water infused
with pandan and fresh herbs comes free. It is mildly sweet but wholly thirst
quenching and worth thickening the skin on your face for many refills. Another
tip is you being able to ask for a jug of it, if you know that you can drink
that much water or to share among friends.
The
mark of every Vietnamese restaurant has to be the quality of its pho. I have
not had much Vietnamese pho-d in my lifetime, but it is common knowledge that
what Vietnamese broths are known for is balance. In the case of pho, it would
be the balance of rich beef stock with a deep, concentrated savoury sweetness;
the freshness of herbs; and the acidity of lime and fish sauce to cut through
it.
In
the case of the broth in Saigon Fusion; the richness of beef is not as present as
I’d like it to be, while sweetness is something rather prominent but not
sickening as it is from the natural flavour of onions that are visually
present.
According
to Allan, the region from where he learned the trade enjoyed flavours that lean
more on the sweeter end and that the flavour of his stock evolves depending on
the time of day that you’re eating it – which means that it gets beefier the
longer it sits in the pot. Note to self, come back again at night.
The
tender, chewy and wobbly beef tendon is also slightly sweet while the rice noodles
are just slightly overcooked as they lacked that springy texture that one longs
for. If you have a small appetite, this is a comfortable portion for two.
If
you are looking for something less noodle based, Broken Rice is what you will
be looking for. Broken Rice is a staple in Vietnam, excluding Pho and it is to
them what Chap Fan or Chicken Rice is to us but mind you, much better. A Broken
Rice dish usually comes with an egg, marinated meat (usually beef or pork)
and pickled salad and a drizzle of sweet or fish sauce. In the case here, we’re
having Sugarcane Shrimp as the marinated meat.
Broken
Rice is popular in Vietnam due to how cheap it is as it consists of rice that
is damaged from the mill. It is also cheaper than full grain, as the latter has a longer shelf life, which is
important as Vietnam is a large exporter of rice. What started as eating
leftovers became a much loved staple. Here in Saigon Fusion, Broken Rice is a
lot nicer on the eyes as opposed to the messy but more authentic version of this
Vietnamese street dish.
Let’s
fix that, shall we?
Much
better. As you can see, the egg is light and thin while cooked nicely as the
yolk flows and coats the rice nicely when broken. The pickled salad is fresh
while slightly sweet and sour, but the Sugarcane Shrimp is where the dish
shines. The mince is juicy and fatty, while managing to be both crumbly and
juicy. Eating it from the sugarcane emits the natural sweetness from the
sugarcane as well. I would gladly have this as a patty to go in between buns as a burger as
well.
Finally,
we’ll have the Summer Spring Rolls or Vietnamese Spring Rolls to finish this
meal off. Unfortunately, the Spring Rolls are bland while most flavour comes
from the Sweet and Sour Sauce and the Peanut Sauce (delightfully, creamy and
nutty).
The
elements seen through the clear rice skin unfortunately are not seasoned well.
The prawns and pork strips were rubbery, slightly overcooked and bland. The
fresh greens did not do much either other than provide a slight crunch, while
the rice skin was sticky and very chewy. For RM18, you will be the judge of
whether or not this is worth what you are paying for.
Saigon Fusion is a restaurant with much to offer and is definitely worth a few more trips to try as many things on their menu, especially for Dinner. Their operating Hours are from 11am - 2pm (Lunch) and 6pm to 10pm (Dinner), but do drop a call to Allan at 0198891139 to either book a table, or to check if they are open.
Also check out their Facebook page for further information and updates by clicking HERE.
Also check out their Facebook page for further information and updates by clicking HERE.
