DiDi Saigon Review

DiDi Saigon is a newly opened Vietnamese restaurant in Villiers-sur-Marne. As Asians residing in Seine-et-Marne, we felt compelled to visit and determine if it was worth the trip.

This restaurant appears to cater more to Europeans than Asians, but we will still assess if it is a good option for Asians as well.

The location

The restaurant DiDi Saigon is situated in Villiers-sur-Marne, just a few meters from IKEA. Interestingly, it is adjacent to a Pizza Del Arte, and the parking, which belongs to Bricorama, has an entrance in the opposite direction.

Interestingly, “DiDi Saigon” translates to “let’s go to Saigon” in Vietnamese, which I find to be a clever name.

The restaurant offers Vietnamese Modern Cuisine and boasts a luxurious design featuring plenty of black, crème and gold accents.

The restaurant has an appealing look, featuring a low-light, nightclub lounge ambiance for some reason. The numerous lights, designed in a Hoi An style, emit a warm glow reminiscent of tungsten bulbs.

The restaurant is quite spacious, featuring a single large room with an open counter and a semi-open kitchen. Despite the predominantly black or dark walls, the numerous windows allow a generous amount of light to fill the space.

Overall, the restaurant looks very nice, with a slightly upscale vibe. Typically, this kind of setup is found in restaurants that offer evening entertainment or buffets.

The menu

The menu mirrors the luxurious decor, featuring a gold and black theme throughout. Interestingly, the logo incorporates a boat design reminiscent of Vietnam, particularly evoking the imagery of Ha Long Bay.

They offer a menu specifically for beverages and soft drinks. It includes the classic options typically found in other Asian restaurants in France, with nothing particularly unusual, though there are perhaps a few more choices in cocktails. This reinforces the impression that the restaurant caters primarily to evening diners.

I think it’s fair to say that when Champagne is present in the card, the place is supposed to host parties. When it comes to the food thy have a larger menu with formulas for lunch, kids and regular options.

When it comes to price, they are honestly quite reasonable for the place and the current inflation. For example a Beef Lok Lak from Le Royal Torcy is 13,50 euros which is supposed to be a regular price.

Additionally, you can select specific items from the menu, including starters and main courses. The selection is quite traditional, with nothing out of the ordinary, although the Tartare à la Saigonese might stand out as a dish not commonly found elsewhere.

They provide a variety of meat and fish options, featuring specialties like Bun Cha Hanoi and Cha Ca La Vong, both renowned dishes from Vietnam’s capital.

Additionally, they serve side dishes such as rice, noodles, and vegetables, which complement meat-focused dishes well.

Desserts take inspiration from Vietnamese cuisine, featuring choices such as Che, Mango Rice, assorted fresh fruits, and fresh milkshakes. Additionally, they offer French desserts like Colonel ice cream and molten chocolate cake.

Overall, I find the menu clear and well-aligned with the restaurant’s concept. However, sometimes these types of restaurants can tend to try to offer too extensive a selection, which is not the case in this instance.

Our experience

Let’s begin with the drink, which was a carafe of iced lemon tea. The carafe was somewhat small, filled with lots of ice and a very potent syrupy iced tea. I generally enjoy strong iced tea like this, but honestly, this one needed to be diluted to avoid tasting too overpowering.

We ordered Banh Cuon or Spring Rolls from the menu, expecting three pieces, but we received only two. Despite their generous size, we chose not to raise the issue, although others might find it noteworthy.

On a positive note, the rolls were delicious, fresh, and served with a flavorful sauce. While some may prefer nuoc mam to the thick soy sauce, personally, I prefer the latter.

It’s worth noting that the silverware and doilies also adhere to the color scheme, which is a nice touch and complements the black chopsticks and dark tables perfectly.

My dad’s Pad Thai looked good, but the portion was a bit on the smaller side. Interestingly, in this restaurant, condiments such as Sriracha, nuoc mam, and even salt and pepper aren’t available on the tables. Perhaps because this restaurant caters to European clientele, dishes are intended to be enjoyed as they are served.

My wife ordered the Bun Nem Cha, which seemed tailored to European tastes with its deeply savory and salty seasoning of the meat. The Nuoc Mam and Nem were delicious, but overall, my wife found the dish a bit oily.

Finally, I received my Pho, which was surprisingly delicious. Typically, restaurants with an upscale ambiance aren’t known for serving excellent Pho, so I was pleasantly surprised. It reminded me of the flavors from both Le Mekong and Pelforth restaurant in Lognes.

They also provide a soy-based sauce accompanied by soy sprouts and fresh leaves. However, the portion of lemon and pepper provided is quite limited. These small details are where, in my opinion, a restaurant can demonstrate generosity.

Verdict

7.9 out of 10.

DiDi Saigon is not by any means a restaurant with terrible food, I would actually say that for the type of establishment the food is pretty solid.

I would also say that the restaurant is aiming towards European taste rather than Asian which is not inherently a bad thing. Somehow they have to adapt to the local customer to generate revenue.

Would we come back to this restaurant, sure, to try something like the Tartare or Cha Ca La Vong. I think that this restaurant isn’t necessarily the one I would go everyday but once in a while it’s a nice option.

It also has quite reasonable price when you think about it. For whatever reasons this restaurant reminds me a lot of Le Tuk Tuk de Saigon.