Saigon Light, Glen Waverley

Saigon Light ranks pretty highly in our regular rotation.  Being Asian, noodle soup is very much a comfort food to me, and since I work nearby, any source of comfort is extremely welcome.

It’s not my favourite noodle soup place in Glen Waverley.  But it’s close.

They changed the doors around! Confusing at first, but actually really pleasant on a warm evening.

It might just be due to the warm evenings, but they’ve recently opened up more of the glass sliding doors.  It changed the look of the restaurant so much, we almost walked straight past it!  The chairs and tables also feel updated and re-arranged.  It’s a very positive change, and feels more open and welcoming.

Rare beef phở $9.80

Phở accompaniments – love that Thai basil

Eyes on the prize, their phở is light and very savoury.  It does have a satisfying amount of fat, but it’s not overwhelmingly “spicy” (meaning they don’t overdo the herbs in the soup).  I usually order the beef combination (with beef balls and tripe) since I like the variety of “stuff” you get in it.  The noodles themselves are nothing too special, but the accompanying basil, bean sprouts, chilli and lime are always generous and fresh.

Saigon Light Special $13, tomato rice, fried pork chop, salt and pepper prawns, salad

On the specials board is the Saigon Light Special, rice, pork chop, salt and pepper prawns and salad.  I don’t think they’ve ever actually changed the specials board in at least a year, but I do like this dish when I don’t feel like having soup.  The prawns are the high point of the dish, very juicy and slightly sweet as well as salty.  I think they even had sesame seeds under the batter this time.

Stir fried seafood with crispy noodles $11.60

Stir fried chicken with crispy noodles $11.60

Our dining party ordered two very similar dishes this time around – stir fried seafood and chicken with crispy noodles.  You can order them with soft rice noodles, but the Doctor prefers these. I forget the Vietnamese name for them, but the flavouring is very similar to hor fun, just a touch salty and quite light.  The crispy noodles are also very reminiscent of Mamee snacks in that crunchy, moreish sort of way.

Food
Comforting, familiar and tasty.  A “no-brainer” in that you get exactly what you expect from a cheap Asian neighbourhood  restaurant.
Ambience
Never had a problem getting in, either for dinner or lunch.  It usually fills up eventually, but I’ve never seen anyone wait for a table.  This type of place is a dime-a-dozen in the area, though.  You wouldn’t dream of booking.
Location
Down the car park end of Kingsway, pleasant for when I don’t feel like walking farther than I need to.  Maybe I’d feel different if I was catching the train or bus.
Service
Waiters tend to be a little vague (they have to look up their own dishes on the menu), but the food comes out very quickly, and usually all together at the same time.  The owner is friendly enough, but the tip jar is a bit odd.