Venue Image

Parking

Free lot
Garage
Meters
Street parking

Pricing

High ($$$)

City's Best

Saigon On Fifth   

3900 5th Ave # 120
San Diego, CA 92103
619-220-8828
www.saigononfifth.com

Rating: 5 out of 5  (3 Ratings)   Read Reviews (3)    Rate and Write a Review

Visitors to Saigon on Fifth immediately revel in the unexpected, as this beautifully crafted shrine to the "Paris of Asia" melds rich, cherry woods with bold, lush red fabrics, crisp white linen and woven-textured walls, showcasing a refined yet understated elegance. The Saigon on Fifth experience is a true romance of ambiance and culinary creativity, fusing traditional Vietnamese culture with contemporary American elements. The restaurant, tucked behind an unassuming street-front facade on University Avenue (at the corner of Fifth), is an enticing adventure in fine Vietnamese cuisine, featuring owner Patrick Hong Luu's signature take on the region's most recognized dishes. Perfectly portioned classic lunch entrees -- with your choice of meat, poultry, seafood, pork or vegan -- come in a variety of different styles and sauces, most notably the red curry with coconut milk, bamboo shoots, red bell pepper and lemon grass, and the sweet and sour, honey and fruit juice sauteed with cucumber, pineapple, carrots and onions. Carnivores needn't worry, as the dinner menu shines with its house specialty, 360 Degree Beef: cubed filet mignon skillfully sauteed to perfection, so succulent it disintegrates on contact. Noodle, rice and pho dishes pair nicely with a selection of exquisite appetizers, including the lightly crisp Imperial Roll, rice paper filled with fresh crab, shrimp, chicken and shredded vegetables.

User Ratings and Reviews Rate and Write a Review

3 Ratings and Reviews

Order by: Oldest | Newest
user image
Review rating 5 out of 5
favorite place for asian food!
By VPM3897 on 05/13/2009
We have gone to this resturant frequently since they opened. Staff & food are excellent! Consistantly the best of asian food we have found in the Hillcrest and San Diego area. Try the vietnamese crepe for a very special treat to the taste buds! Love every dish and every meal we have had here. Only thing I can say negative about this resturant is the price for the quantity of food you recieve, but even on a budget, we over look this issue regularly just becasue it is so good! PS they are open till 3am now and do have garage parking available!
elvizzle44
Review rating 5 out of 5
A Charming New Restaurant
By elvizzle44 on 10/21/2006
I chose to spend my birthday dinner at Saigon on Fifth, even though I had never been to this fairly new night spot. I was very familiar with Pat, the owner, who has always been a mainstay, a grand personality and ultra professional in all of his restaurant endeavors, so I knew it was not going to be a dissappointment. We had a table of 12 and were seated on the patio, just outside the main dining area, where the underlit marble countered bar majestically glows and were delighted by the atmosphere, fine service and upscale Vietnamese fare. All of the appetizers are worth sharing, as each has a different approach to tantalizing one's palate but my favorites were the sugar cane shrimp and the imperial rolls. The wine list is surprisingly reasonable and includes an awesome Monterey County Claret, several meritage varietals while a full bar is also available. Our tables entrees included the vinegar fondue, where plates of assorted raw meats & seafood were brought tableside and cooked by dipping each selection into a bubbling, sweetly smooth and savory broth. The crab fried rice was also a superb selection that delicately lingers in your psyche, well after the meal has ended. We also chose a beef dish, that we grilled ourselves, then wrapping fresh vegetables and the beef into soft rice paper rolls. Nothing short of amazing is Saigon on Fifth! The menu is extensive and reasonably priced, even when filet mignon is used for many of the beef dishes, so it's a treat not to be missed by fans of fresh, delicious and authentic Pacific Rim gourmet inspired cuisine. We will be back, of that I am sure!
kjnawrocki
Review rating 5 out of 5
Best in San Diego
By kjnawrocki on 05/28/2006
Absolutely a gem. Amazing quality seafood. The spicy crab fried rice actually had succulent full meat claws in it. Chilean Seabass is not my favorite but is great with Asian Tamarind. Everything flavorful from garlic to sweet and sour. Am a huge ethnic food fan, be it fusions like Indigo Grill or Bombay Exotic Indian & this is the new place I dream about at night.