Saigon Rose Vietnamese Restaurant

I passed Saigon Rose this afternoon, and came home with a hankering for Vietnamese. With really good reviews on Unilocal!,we decided to dine out and put the Lite & Easy off for tomorrow. :D The joint was virtually empty at 6p. We told the hostess/​waitress we were two for dinner. She stated that we had to be done by 7:30p, as the place was (apparently) booked solid that evening. No worries; we breathe our food…
Started with a Boag Draught ($ 7) — my partner-​in-​crime had a double-​shot of Glenfiddich ($ 16) (which, in truth, would’ve been a single back in the States) — and the Mixed Entrée for two ($ 18) (four items: pork & prawn rice paper rolls; crispy duck skin with pounded prawn; prawn rolled in ham with avocado and carrots; salmon & asparagus spring rolls; each with its own dipping sauce) as a starter. It was a beautifully plated entrée that tasted scrumptious. Each bite-​sized item was distinct, yet melded well with the other. For me, my favorite wss the crispy duck skin with pounded prawn, which (for me) was amazingly flavorful! Everything on the plate was delicious. Even the thinly sliced iceberg lettuce that was used as a bed was fresh and crunchy — not that bagged crap that many restaurants use as a garnish/​bed in their dishes.
Also, as an entrée, we ordered the unusual-​sounding chicken breast and banana ($ 7.20), which was a deep-​fried, thin-​sliced piece of chicken breast that blanketed a spread of mashed banana, spread atop a piece of super-​thin bread. We both really enjoyed it. The flavor of the banana was extremely subtle (virtually nil), and I could see how a fellow Unilocaler! described it as a grilled cheese/​chicken breast sandwich, without the cheese, because that is definitely the consistency and texture of the dish. Really very good, but more a novelty rather than a dish I’d order regularly.
We decided to order two main dishes to share. One was the popular Saigon Rose Salted Squid ($ 18) (tender pieces of squid, lightly battered, tossed with a special house blend of herbs and spices, a touch of chili, spring onions and fresh garlic). The second was the Sizzling Garlic Squid ($ 18) (squid sizzling on a plate of fresh garlic and vegetables). The Salted Squid was super! Great flavor; very light and flavorful. Again, the bed of shredded iceberg, and fine-​chopped spring onions and herbs were fresh and meshed perfectly with the salted squid. The Sizzling Squid had a wonderful garlicky scent, with a subtle flavor. The vegetables (broccoli crowns, chopped celery, baby bok choy, sliced carrots, snow peas, white onion, and baby corn) were a bit overcooked, esp. the broccoli, which was mushy. The star of both dishes (the squid) was cooked perfectly in each main, and were a substantial portion.
We were both very full at the end of the meal. Sadly, there was no room for desserts. (Maybe next time.) Personally, I enjoyed the entire meal slightly more than my partner. The wait staff was friendly and attentive. We got out of there by 6:40p, well-​before the 7:30p cut-​off. (The place was filling up.) We didn’t, at all, feel rushed. (I tried to be a bit more civilized and stretch the meal out; alas, I pretty much wolfed it down…) I can’t wait to come back and do more exploration of Saigon Rose’s menu!!! :D

Saigon Rose is an unassuming Vietnamese restaurant down the Prahran end of Chapel Street.
It was a last minute decision and we were lucky to get a table for 6, the place was packed! Nonetheless we were first met with much crying and tearing of the hair upon discovering that the Phở was not available for dinner!
We quickly settled on the mains to share, lemon chicken (theirs comes out as delicious sliced chicken breast, not little balls of mystery meat), salt and pepper fried tofu (not the best I’ve had but ok), beef with chilli and lemon grass, a vegetable dish, and rice. The entrees we had were the rare beef salad (excellent!) and… and this is the kicker… banana chicken.
Initially we ordered this because we were curious. Banana chicken you say? What on earth is that? None of us had seen it on a menu before. The description was strange, banana and chicken on toast with plum sauce. It sounded quaint. We ordered for the hell of it.
MIND. BLOWN.
This stuff is amazing. It’s crispy, its soft, its salty, its sweet, the deep fried crumb on the outside is crunchy, the plum sauce is tangy. It’s like the unholy love child (I say that a lot, don’t I?) of a banana fritter and a chicken schnitzel wrapped up in a grilled cheese sandwich. Except there isn’t any cheese. It’s difficult to describe and sounds strange but it works.
Go here. Order Banana Chicken. You’re welcome.

Always a good meal here. Was perfect tonight, for something quick and tasty. We had the chicken soup with chicken and veggies which contrary to previous reviews was yum and relatively healthy. Great local restaurant

The food here is consistently good. My all time favourite dish is the boneless duck with prawn. This dish is best eaten in rather than take way. Though it still tastes fantastic you miss out on all the flare when you get served. It comes out sizzling hot on a hotplate. The waiter places it down then pours the sauce all over the top which causes it to sizzle even more wildly, and the steam rises high up from your table, as a chorus of ohs and ahs fills the restaurant. What you get is a large duck breast with minced prawns spread across the top to mimic the duck fat, and a crust of roasted sesame seeds to look like the glazed duck skin. It’s a thing of beauty and creatively. Which satisfies both the eyes and mouth.

Saigon Rose is one of my all time favourites for authentic Vietnamese cuisine in Prahran. It’s a great option for very generous servings of more than affordable meals in a casual, relaxed and laid back atmosphere. It does however tend to get very busy on the later nights as well as weekends, so call ahead to secure a table.
There are lots of great things on the menu, any of the fried starters like Crispy Spring Rolls, Fried Calamari or Stuffed Chicken Wings are perfect to nibble on while you wait for mains. Main courses I’ve loved have been Rice Vermicelli with Grilled Pork or the Chicken, Chilli and Lemongrass Stir Fry, Yum! Another great draw card to Saigon Rose is the fact that it is BYO, corkage is about $ 8 and with all the main meals costing well under $ 20 it is easy to walk away from Saigon Rose with a full belly and plenty of change still in your pocket.