jenny t.
Yelp
Mediocre Food, Disappointing Service -- Not Worth the Hype
We visited Anh Hong Saigon for a special occasion -- my mother's birthday -- and unfortunately, it was a very underwhelming experience for our family. We don't dine out often, so we were hoping for something memorable and enjoyable. Instead, we left disappointed and frustrated.
We arrived around 7 PM on a Sunday and were told the Bò 7 Món (seven-course beef) was their most popular item. However, we were informed that it's required to order a minimum of two servings at $39.99 each. So essentially, it's $80 for a meal which could've been advertised as so. The TWO servings also supposedly only fed 2-3 people. The "courses" were small portions of different meats meant to be wrapped in rice paper with assorted herbs. While some of the meats were Vietnamese staples, none of them stood out. Two of the items resembled sausage in shape and hamburger patties in taste.
We also ordered the shrimp bánh hỏi, which came with three bite-sized pieces wrapped around sugarcane and four tiny discs of bánh hỏi -- for $31. The price-to-portion and quality ratio was hard to justify.
But what really ruined the evening was the service.
When we asked the server a few questions about the menu, she seemed annoyed and gave short, impatient answers. It made us feel unwelcome. At one point, my mom even said, "It feels like they're treating us like people coming from the countryside, who don't belong here." (in reference to Vietnam)
Despite their attempt at a fancy, upscale ambiance (black tie uniforms, classical music), the service lacked grace. Two servers repeatedly interrupted our meal to clear plates, reaching over us at a large round table. This happened so frequently it became intrusive. At one point, they even asked us to hurry and take the last piece of meat from the pot so they could remove it.
They began cleaning around us and clearing sauces while we were still eating. My mom kindly asked for more pickled vegetables and was met with an annoyed grunt from the male server -- loud enough for our whole table to hear.
The worst moment was when we put down our card to pay. As my mom was still finishing up her plate, two servers began aggressively bussing the table, even tossing a dirty plate from another table onto ours to stack, while ignoring our credit card/ check. There was no rush -- the restaurant was not busy and plenty of tables were open. It felt like we were being shooed out and it honestly could've waited 10 or so more minutes, AFTER we've left.
This was supposed to be a joyful birthday dinner, but the uncomfortable service and mediocre food made it anything but. Sadly, I can't recommend Anh Hong Saigon, especially for a special occasion.