Orionis M.
Google
During my undergrad, their was a small Vietnamese spot near campus that I would go to every so often to get their banh mi sandwiches. It was my introduction into Vietnamese cuisine and really enjoyed that taste of a toasted baguette, cilantro, sauce, pork belly and more that made it a staple of lunch during that time. Since then the place no longer exists but have continued to try other banh mi sandwiches such as Saigon Shack in the West 4th street area. However, when I heard a Vegan Vietnamese spot existed I had to check this place out just out of curiosity on what that can taste like.
Right away, even though the spot is small as its best for 2 people to come, sit and eat but most likely it'll be a grab and go spot, I really liked the inviting decor with fishes on the ceilings and walls, relaxing colors and very kind staff. Deciding to order was tough but my order was Bánh mì chả ốc / Vegan Ham Banh Mi ($13.95) with their house Thai Tea ($4.50) and Flan ($4.95) for dessert. Yesterday they also happened to have a special on banh mi sandwiches so I got a Bánh mì heo quay / Vegan Pork Belly Banh Mi (normally $14.95) and will update this with her thoughts.
The lightly sweetened Thai tea with oat milk alone was nice and refreshing but when paired with the banh mi it felt like it unlocked another more earth-y flavor that made for a good pairing. The Vegan Ham Banh Mi was exactly as I expected it to taste - a nicely toasted baguette, cilantro, banh mi sauce, pickles, and coriander for that banh mi taste but their house made vegan ham and nut pate really made this light and earth-y which is what I was hoping for in a light lunch. Its a familiar taste but with a different twist that I appreciated and that is what Sen Saigon is pretty much going for. On the spice level, I went with mild and as someone that isn't much of a spice guy I barely felt it so definitely if you have a higher spice tolerance definitely kick it up a couple of notches but if you aren't you will be fine here as well.
But that flan. As a Dominican, we can be picky about how our flans taste and I haven't had a vegan flan before but this was solid. Light, great taste and none of the after taste that can sometimes linger longer than it should with some regular flans. I had a couple of coworkers try it out back at the office and they too really enjoyed it including one that had to have more than one bite. Definitely a keeper!
For my first visit, Sen Saigon impressed and I will definitely be back to try out more of the menu. If you are vegan, this is a highly recommended spot, but also if you are looking for something different but also familiar you should give this place a shot.
UPDATE - I did ask my coworker what she thought of the Vegan Pork Belly Banh Mi and she loved it noting - "I have never tried vegan pork belly but was surprised at how meat-like the texture was and how well it meshed with the other veggies and sauce on the sandwich." Definitely another keeper and updating my overall rating as a result.