Nho Saigon

WALK AWAY — DO NOT ENTER. If I can give this place a negative rating I would. I’m not sure if the owners of this place have ever eaten Vietnamese food because what I got was certainly not it. I am Vietnamese and have grown up eating authentic Vietnamese food cooked by one of the best Vietnamese chefs (yes — my mom)! I ordered as take-​out the «Ga Nuong Sa» and in Vietnamese «Nuong» means grilled and «Sa» means lemon grass. What I got instead was shredded chicken breast marinated in some weird seasoning and it definitely wasn’t lemongrass nor was it grilled. Also, the carrots were not pickled and for those who eat Vietnamese food you know the carrots are usually pickled!!! Do not mess with tradition!!! If I wasn’t hungry and pregnant I would have driven back to the restaurant and asked for my money back. Thank goodness I had some of my mom’s home made fish sauce or else it would have been a greater disaster with the vinegar sauce they try to imitate as fish sauce.
I also ordered the shrimp salad roll and the peanut sauce was. .. you got it, NOT peanut sauce. I don’t even know what it was. After two bites I had to throw the rest away.
I had my reservations about ordering from Nho Saigon as I had a bad experience 7 years ago, but I thought I would give it a second chance. Did I mention that I was hungry and am pregnant? This place is HORRIBLE and I can’t believe it even made it on Avenue Magazine. If you like good Vietnamese food don’t go here because it is a waste of money and calories. If you want filler food then sure, why not. This is my first review on Unilocal because I signed up just so I can let my fellow Marda Loop foodies just how bad this place is.

What the restaurant name was NO (versus Nho), don’t come here. The server forgot her smile at home, was rude and didn’t give good service at all. The food was okay, nothing special.

Wonderful staff and service. I wish I could say the quality and taste of the food equated to the service. The food was inedible. I tried four dishes. The worst part of it was that we had plastic in our milkshake. They tried really hard by bringing out another milkshake but the second one had larger chunks of plastic in it. They did try and replace what they considered to be better versions of the order we had, but unfortunately it was not good. Normally I would not pay for a meal like this. I was charged for everything but the dumplings and a milkshake at my request. I paid for their efforts.

Best food in this genre to be had in Marda Loop. Wish there were more tables, I’ll take it home and eat as it is worth the trip.

The service is always fast and friendly, the portions are generous and the food is good quality. It’s our favorite spot for a healthy and quick bite!
The shrimp salad rolls are excellent and I always feel full and satiated with any of the soups :)

I love this place!!! They are so nice here and your food is ready so fast. Even if you are just waiting for takeout they still bring you water. Also, every time I go there they make sure to offer me candies at the till. :). The food is great and so tasty!

My dining partner asserted that this was the best chicken peanut satay soup he has ever had. Rich and flavourful, not just empty spice. I found the pork dumplings to be good, but the star of my experience was the coconut bubble tea. The pearls were still slightly warm, soft exterior, and just the very centre slightly firm. Quite nice. The liquid clearly had more than a passing association with actual coconut, I could easily sate the richness of a good amount of actual coconut milk. Very nice!

Great local phở place in marda loop. Great beef sate and the spring rolls are great too.

Rich flavorful sate soup with a broth that is clearly made from scratch not like some of the watered down generic phở broths I have tasted. This place is always busy and has great service!

Fantastic and inexpensive Vietnamese food. It’s a small space, family run, and basic but serves up a fast and delicious set of dishes sure to please.

They don’t put enough noodles in the soup. So we’ve started going to other places instead. Too bad because it’s so close. Why skimp on noodles of all things? they cost nothing.

I am not sure what is with this place but, I didn’t get what I ordered and wanted my money back. The refused to. I will never be back. If you get my order wrong and argue with me about what I wanted and refuse to settle it peacefully, then you don’t deserve my future visits or a positive review.

I really like this place. It’s no frills Vietnamese with good service. I usually get the #15 beef in peanut sate rice noodle soup & I add extra veggies for $ 1.50 more. It packs more heat then most peanut sate but I dig it. Check it out if you’re feeling like some Phở. You won’t be disappointed.

My friend and I had decided to give Nho Saigon a shot after reading the rave in avenue magazine.
I ordered the sate chicken phở as the magazine had suggested and was quite disappointed. There was a disconnect between how creamy the soup looked and how diluted it actually was, which threw me off slightly. The rave also promised a peanut base soup but there was way too much ground peanut in the soup that it left a bitter after taste after every bite. I didn’t actually finish my order, which never usually happens!
However the price points and serving portion were good. Our server was also very attentive and friendly. Maybe the other dishes are better?

I was here for the first time with a friend yesterday. It has become a new favorite for her and I can see why. It’s cozy with limited seating, therefore it will never be a loud and busy gong show like one Vietnamese place I used to frequent.
I only ordered starter dishes, being spring rolls and prawns, both deep fried. Apparently I was in the mood for some grease. The spring rolls were just average but the shrimp was incredible. They were large and thick with minimal coating. I brought some shrimp home to my spouse and he was really impressed as well. I’d be more than willing to return to try a noodle bowl. Glenn M. is right in that your water glass is never empty.
I appreciate that the strip mall in which this is located has free parking, as I was concerned I’d have to pay for Marda Loop street parking.

Very good quality Vietnamese food and super quick! The service is very good and it’s almost laughable that they won’t let your glass of water reach the bottom. I’ve tried a few different things from the menu like the noodles and the curry. Both are super tasty as are pretty much all of the starters. The spring rolls are amaing!
Above all, this is quality food and for a low price! I’ve been here probably 20 – 30 times and just keep going back.

Phở soup had a weird sweet aftertaste.
The peanut sate phở had good heat and flavor, a bit on the oily side.
Service was quick and fairly standard for a Vietnamese noodle shop. The meat and noodles used were ok, nothing unique or special.
Price was on par (~$ 10 per person).
¹⁵⁄₃₀

Coming from SF Bay Area, I am scouting out great vietnamese food at a reasonable price! BINGO… This place delivers! A lot of food for a great price. I order the Bun dish with chicken or beef and shrimp with spring rolls and ice coffee… A great start to an afternoon… Only been here a week and have been here twice! Always fast and friendly.

A solid choice for Vietnamese in Marda Loop. If, the only one.
Nho Saigon has the usual full menu of bun, phở, salad rolls and sandwiches.
Of course there’s also Vietnamese coffee and shakes as well.
This is a small restaurant and fills up fast at peak hours so be prepared to wait, however outside of that, you can be seated almost anywhere.
My personal favourite is the sate phở, as they are not shy about using spices here! The salad rolls are also crisp and fresh, with plump shrimp in them. There’s also some vegetarian selections as well.
If there’s one fault with Nho Saigon, it’s cleanliness. This isn’t to say the place is a health hazard but on my last visit the synthetic flowers on the tables were stained with previous diner’s meals.
That small issue aside, if you’re in the area and crave some fresh Vietnamese, hit up Nho Saigon. Just put your flower on another table.