Straight Outta Saigon

Wow… Is this restaurant good! Came here randomly when walking past. They were pretty fully booked and still happily found a table for myself and my partner. The service from the get go was 10/10. When the beer I wanted was sold out the man serving straight away gave another great recommendation. The $59pp deal is an absolute steal. The salmon was extremely fresh with the slight spicy sauce on it. The crispy pork boa buns were also extremely fresh and just as tasty. The two mains we got was pork belly and green apple slaw and the caramelised fish. We flew down from Brisbane for the week and the caramelised fish and coconut rice was easily the best thing I ate in Melbourne that week. Words cannot explain how amazing it was! A total 10/10 dish. I will recommend and continue to tell my friends and family to come here if they are ever in Melbourne. The price and quality of the food is second to none!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5) Came here tonight to celebrate my birthday (even though it was on the 4th, we made the booking for tonight!) and I have to say, Straight Outta Saigon absolutely blew us away! From start to finish, it was one of the best dining experiences we've had. We kicked things off with the spicy salmon sashimi, which was an incredible start to the meal. The salmon was so fresh, and the combination of spice and the smooth texture was just perfect—really set the tone for the rest of the evening. Next, we tried the fried chicken baos, and wow. These were some of the juiciest, most flavorful baos I’ve ever had. The crispy exterior paired with the tender chicken inside was a knockout. Definitely one of the best dishes of the night. Then, we had their mini signature bánh mì—the prawn version, in particular, was amazing. Big chunks of marinated prawn with kewpie mayo and a great mix of other flavors. That bánh mì was definitely the star of the evening, though the soft shell crab version was decent but didn’t stand out quite as much. For mains, we had the crispy prawn fried rice, which was hands down the best prawn fried rice I've ever had. Coming from a Thai background, that’s saying a lot! The wok flavor, the umami, and the perfectly cooked prawns made it a dish I’ll definitely come back for. The Saigon shaking beef was the second best of the night—tender, juicy beef with amazing flavor, served with jasmine rice. Another winner for sure. We also ordered the Hanoi Highball cocktail, which was delicious—strong, fruity, and refreshing. One was plenty for us, but it was the perfect way to toast to the evening. If I had one criticism, it would be that the whole place inside felt way too congested. You can’t really move around at all, and it seemed like all the tables were practically bumping into each other. It made the space feel a bit cramped, which did take away from the atmosphere for us. The loudness was bearable, but the tight layout made things a little less comfortable. Still, overall, we left extremely pleased, full, happy, and satisfied. Straight Outta Saigon has fantastic food, great vibes, and a lively energy. Despite the crowded space, it was a memorable birthday dinner, and we’d happily come back again. Highly recommend giving it a try if you’re in Melbourne CBD!

Such a charming, cool, vibey atmosphere! Not only do you feel like your stepping into a trendy dimly lit cosy restaurant- but you also greeted by the most friendly staff. Our waiter was so amazing. He really displayed what true hospitality looks like. Not only was he super helpful at making recommendations to suit all our dietary needs - but he also gave us pre warnings of things that might be spicy (without us even asking- hallelujah!!!! Can all places please do that!!). I went against his recommendation and got the chicken vermicelli noodle salad- and it was very simple (but nice!). My friend got the XAO chicken noodles which he recommended and they were soooo tasty! Almost like a pad see ew. He absolutely loved the spicy salmon sashimi too, There are loads of vegetarian and GF options here. Would highly recommend.

Such a vibe here - made me miss Vietnam so much more!! Staff were super friendly, venue extremely clean & food was absolutely delicious!! I will most definitely be back!!

i had a friend who is allergic to fish sauce (i know, why did we bring him here right), but our server was amazing and they helped mark what we couldn’t get. the southside wings were AMAZING. so juicy and well marinated, i truly loved it. we also got the sichuan style lamb skewers and the saigon baos. the skewers were very well seasoned and the baos were really good too (i love a good and fresh bao bun). for mains we got the vietnamese salad, pork belly with apple slaw and bo kho. we also got the veggie spring rolls as a side. the salad was very refreshing and they were very generous with the portion! the pork belly was melt in our mouth tender and the bo kho was very well cooked too, i loved the sauce. the spring rolls were delish as well. i know straight outta saigon is pretty hyped but i enjoyed my time here and would not mind coming back! also the cocktails are great. we got the espresso martini and yakuzu and they were both delish!

Absolutely fantastic service and food. The $49 pp menu option is fantastic value for money. The staff were very personable and polite; they made the experience very easy and we were never left wanting for service. The food arrived at a good pace and there was plenty of it as well. The cocktails are reasonably priced for inner city Melbourne and very well made. I particularly enjoyed the Land of the Rising Sun. If you steer clear of the drinks menu, this is an extremely cheap, inner-city, dine-in restaurant.

First time visitors! The service was great from the start - servers were friendly, offering suggestions and explanations of the menu. We had their ‘Feed Me’ option. The two starters were the lamb skewers and chicken baos - both very good! We also had their shredded beef and Vietnamese curry - the curry was very good, and while the shredded beef was good, the beef was extremely chewy in parts, could have been the cut of meat, and not enough vegetables in the dish - the flavour got old quite quickly. The atmosphere was great and the tunes they were playing were awesome. Would recommend if you are in the area and up for an Asian fusion feast.

Food? Phenomenal. Service? Couldn’t commend it more. Price? Their lunch special was an absolute steal. If you’re looking for a lunch spot, this is the place to be. Highly recommend their Vietnamese salad and chicken wings!

The restaurant looks cute so we were eager to try it out, but it turned out to be not great at all. The restaurant was not full, and yet it took a few minutes to seat us. Then when I asked to sit in a specific spot (my back was injured and I needed something to lean on instead of a backless seat) - the waitress looked really put off. It was super hot that day, so I was willing to let that slide. However when I got the food it was really bland and I couldn't even finish it because it wasn't worth the effort. My friend thought her food was okay but admitted that it wasn't great. I always talk about how good the food is in Australia, and this sadly had the honor of being the worst meal I had this last trip. The experience didn't live up to the cute decor.