Little Saigon brings Vietnamese taste to town
Dewi Santoso, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
"Gooood morninngg, Vietnaamm.." was Robin William's famous opening line in the hit movie of the same title about the Vietnam war. The film may sum-up what many people think of Vietnam, a war-torn country still haunted by the sounds of gunfire and missiles.
Vietnam however, has long been known as a country of exquisite cuisine, with varied dishes with contrasting flavors, rich textures, and exotic ingredients. But Indonesia has been a little slow-of-the-mark in discovering the fine qualities of Vietnamese food.
In the past, Vietnamese restaurants were rarely seen in Jakarta although many cuisines such as American, Chinese and Japanese were prominent on the city's food-guide list.
Ocky B. Karjono and his two friends grabbed the opportunity and decided to open a Vietnamese Restaurant called "Little Saigon", which has a capacity of 21 tables.
"Back when I was still in college in the United States, I discovered that the taste of Vietnamese food was compatible with Indonesians' taste buds. After I graduated, I thought of opening a Vietnamese restaurant.
"But it wasn't until 2002 that I finally knew someone in Vietnam and flew there to find the best chef that I could. And when I did, I flew back to open Little Saigon," said Ocky.
Snuggled on the busy Jl. Melawai Raya in South Jakarta, Little Saigon offers a great variety of Vietnamese food from Pho (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) and Bun (vermicelli) to Com Dia (traditional rice dishes) and Com Dac Biet (special rice plate).
As a light starter, the house recommends its Goi Cuon (shrimp, chicken and vegetable spring rolls served with the house's signature peanut sauce).
For the main meal, diners can opt for either noodles or rice. Noodle-crazy diners may want to try the house's Dac Biet (house special combination with four cuts of beef, chuck-eye roll, short plate, tripe, and tenderloin served with Vietnamese white noodles in a big bowl of beef broth).
For those who prefer rice, then Com Ga Nuong (barbecued chicken served with rice, a slice of cucumber and tomato, and fresh salad) may just be the answer.
For beverages, the house recommends its Tra Da Chanh (iced lemon tea) and Cafe Da (Vietnamese iced coffee). Then, if there is still room for dessert, Cha Gio Ngot (Sweet Spring rolls served with the house's mixed mayonnaise sauce) or Che Cocktail (Vietnamese fruit cocktail) may be worth considering.
But served in a portion of two, the spring rolls are not as succulent as the ones offered in a Vietnamese restaurant in Central Jakarta. Even with bigger slices of chicken and shrimp, the spring rolls taste too dry. The peanut sauce, however, is surprisingly delicate with its thick and yet, smooth texture.
Although the noodle soup is quite unlike the usual Pho served in most Vietnamese restaurants in the city, it is still healthy, simple and delicious. The noodles are soft enough, the soup is certainly warming, and the thickness of the beef is just right -- fully cooked and yet, still tender.
However, Pho lovers may miss the abundant bean sprouts and the usual Vietnamese thick brown sweet sauce, as the house does not provide the sauce and serves more bean sprouts only if diners request extra.
Unlike chicken served in Vietnam, the barbecued chicken is served boneless with the skin facing downward. Yet, with tangy barbecue sauce, the chicken is evidently baked to perfection, it is moist and sumptuous and tops the list of the must-have dishes.
For the drinks, however, neither of the options is satisfactory. The iced lemon tea tastes more like a syrup than a lemon tea and the coffee, well, let's not bemoan the absence of the unique presentation of the usual Vietnamese iced coffee. Let's just go straight to the taste. Simply put, the diners' instant coffee at home may taste nicer and stronger than the one offered by the house.
Therefore, coffee and tea lovers are strongly advised to make a risk-free order and quench their thirst with a soft drink. At least soft drinks are guaranteed to taste exactly the same way as those sold anywhere else.
One thing that certainly makes up for the coffee is the polite attitude of the waitresses. They gives diners the feeling that their patronage is appreciated.
Thus, considering the restaurant has not been open long and as Ocky said, "we are still looking for the right taste for the coffee," it is worth a try. Diners who are looking for a new taste at an affordable price, (around Rp 50,000 (US$5.95) per person), may enjoy Little Saigon. But bring cash as the restaurant does not yet accept credit card payment.
Little Saigon Jl. Melawai Raya No 110B Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan 12160 Telephone: (021) 720-7644 Facsimile: (021) 720-7652