Saigon Vietnamese & Chinese Cuisine - Belleville (IL)

3 /5 Jesus A: Like many places today, they’ve become part of the shrinkflation trend. I used to always order the chicken pho with extra chicken, and my partner would get the beef pho. After trying the pho this time, we noticed the portions were smaller and much lighter with less noodles and noticeably less meat. Even with the extra chicken I ordered, it still felt like less than before. We also ordered the Vietnamese Shrimp Eggrolls and the regular eggrolls. These used to come with four pieces each, but we only received two per order. The prices have gone up, yet the portions have clearly gone down. For context, the last time I visited was back on Mother’s Day, and the portions were perfectly fine. A few months later, the serving sizes have shrunk while the cost has increased. The waiter is friendly, but it’s always the same person working alone. Because of that, the service is slow. Expect to spend about 1.5 to 2 hours here depending on how busy the restaurant is.

5 /5 Matthew Mayou: The service here is always super friendly, and their prices are comparable to other Asian restaurants. Even though its a Vietnamese place, they make some Chinese dishes that are better than any other place Ive been. I didnt even know that General Tsos chicken was supposed to be crispy! One thing I get every time is their Vietnamese egg rolls. They are delicious and small so you dont fill yourself up before your dinner is served.

5 /5 1976MonaLisa: The food is incredible! They are currently very understaffed, which is unfortunate, but the delicious food is worth the wait. Do not go if you are in a rush. If you can sit and enjoy your meal and your companions, it is wonderful. The minimal staff they do have are so sweet and helpful! I have tried and loved the pho, the crab rangoons, biscuits, cashew chicken, and fried rice. Scrumptious!

5 /5 A D: This wonderful restaurant has been around for a long time, but off my beaten path, so I forget about it, but its not to be missed anymore, as its become a fave! Its located in a small plaza where few businesses remain, but they have plenty of customers and an attached gaming parlor with gambling machines in a separate room - its nice that they separate it from the family seating (youve got to be 21 to enter). The food is amazing. We have some favorite Chinese places, so we went straight for the Vietnamese foods and they didnt disappoint! For appetizers, we order #101, Vietnamese egg rolls - simple and delicious with some amazing sauce that marries the flavors together and #103 Vietnamese spring rolls, which we do vegetarian, so veggies wrapped in rice paper, served cold with great peanut flavored sauce. For entrees, we love #140 Vegetarian pan-seared RICE noodles - they are thick and dense noodles with the crispiness of the pan sear, topped with vegetables, tofu and a brown sauce weve recently been asking them to make it spicy and it hits the spot every time - perfect heat for the dish, not overwhelming and no lingering burn. We also ordered #117 Special Vermicelli that came with shrimp, pork, chicken, and veggies over super thin noodles, which my adult son described as "quite tasty" and hed "definitely order it again." We placed orders by phone and we are promptly greeted upon arrival and checked out in no time - staff is very friendly and takes time to answer questions, explain dishes and make future recommendations. I believe it was the owner that came out and interacted today, which emphasizes why these small restaurants thrive - they get to know the community they serve and make you feel welcome, sharing their cuisines and growing our palettes. Give them a shot, you wont be disappointed!

5 /5 Twyla Lee: They have the best viet menu around and we are always craving to go back. The banh xeo, and bun dish #117 are our favorites and authentic, I was impressed. Bhat always greets us with a friendly smile. If you call the first time for pick up and the line is busy, try again later. That probably just means they’re taking another order, they can get busy at times, I think they may have limited staff. but the wait is worth it!