Le Garçon Saigon

I really quite like the food in there. It’s very fresh and the wagyu skewers and chicken wing entrée and coconut sago dessert was to die for.
I know the crispy pancake with chorizo was supposed to be very popular but we didn’t actually rate it.
The gripe we had about this place is that my friend was told w gets two hours of unlimited beers, he arrived at approx 5:45pm and was told he need to stop ordering beers at 7:15pm.
Also we were told the table was for us till 8pm however at 7:49pm we were given the bill and was told the next sitting was waiting.

Tried this place as it was right outside Pacific Place and we were in the area. Apparently quite popular with the French bankers working nearby. Lovely Parisian café décor and setting — but the food was quite a let down especially for the price tag. There is only so much glamour one can add to street food from Vietnam so serving them with key ingredients in tiny portions and lots of green leaves does not make a true dish no matter how much wrapping the waiter tries to get diners to do. Been to many many Vietnamese restaurants, mid-​high tier and have to say this is one of the more disappointing ones.
If there are reviewers who rave about this place, I would be to ask if the ambiance had more influence than the food itself.
Try a few more places serving similar food, then come back again for a more accurate comparison.
This is merely my view and I respect the views of others too if you disagree.

So I’m standing at the table near the door with some clients who (being fellas in HK) like beer.
The little bottles were finished within 15 mins and no attention from the staff. Two staff nearby discussing their clipboard and I pad, but not appearing to do much else. I moved over and gently told them I had clients with me and needed their drinks to be frequently replenished as their bottles had been empty for at least 5 mins. Instead of coming to assist, they beckoned another college to come over, however maybe she wasn’t given the correct instructions, so she simply took the empties away and that was it! So, needless to say I approached the two ladies and reminded them that now we have a clear table but still no beer. Instead of coming over to take the order, they quickly found the other lady and again sent her over looking somewhat bemused!
To be fair, it was unlikely to be her fault. Clients surprised, me surprised but hey ho.
I’ll give it another go simply because the food reviews are good. Fingers crossed the waitresses don’t forget to serve the food…

Rarely does a restaurant’s self depiction reflect reality. On menus and websites alike, I’ve read lofty vision statements, bold missions and evocative guiding principles. Restaurants that seem bent on solving world hunger rather than serving a proper meal. But on Le Garçon Saigon’s website, their philosophy of serving ‘vibrant and fresh flavors of Saigonese cuisine in a bright and welcoming space’ is on point. In fact, I could heartily endorse that statement and cut this short, perhaps adding that Le Garçon is a really fun place to eat.
But that isn’t why we’re here, is it? Instead, here is a frisbee sized banh xeo ($ 118 — xeo is an onomatopoeia that describes the sizzling rice crêpe batter when it meets the hot pan) that arrives shatteringly crisp and lovingly anointed with plenty of fresh herbs. Pocketed inside is a jumble of shrimp, sausages, bean sprouts, peppers, and other lovely bits. You’re meant to tear off bits off that lovely rice batter, ply it with the innards, and wrap it around the herbs. A bite. Fresh. Vibrant. Clean. Perfect. It’s the best damn version of banh xeo I’ve tasted since spending a week in Ho Chi Minh City a year ago.
Here is a plate of excellently curated charcuterie ($ 168) — perhaps the best (or only good) thing that came from French Imperialism is excellent food — a flavor bomb of chicken pâté, opulent head cheese, pickles of many shapes and sizes, and a terrine of something delicious (I lost count at this point but trust me, it was tasty) accompanied by excellently crusty banh mi (French demi-​baguette).
And here are skewers of pork meatballs ($ 128) meant to be tucked into rice paper and dressed with an abundance of fresh herbs, rice vermicelli and hoisin. The meatballs are tightly packed and hum with porky flavor and are brushed with sugarcane liquid to create the welcome Maillard reaction (read: crispy, brown, delicious). It’s a simple affair, but the attention to detail at Le Garçon Saigon is what sets them apart.
Eating here is fun. Eating with your hands. Assembling a bespoke bite of food. Hearing the audible crunch of the banh xeo and the following giggle of delight from your dining companions. Drinking a bit too much while soaking in the sights and smells of the semi-​outdoor patio area.
If one were to poke holes in the experience, the dining room was a mite on the loud side, and the wait staff were quick to upsell on us deserts, drinks, etc. But I can overlook those details — after all, everyone else is entitled to have their fun as well.