Vietnam is known for it’s simple, yet delicious cuisine with fresh ingredients. It’s meant to be shared, similarly to Thai food, as diners gather around several dishes in a family-style environment.
With its fresh and airy décor, evoking the essence of colonial Vietnam, comfortable seating inside – or out on the boardwalk overlooking the fabulous yachts – not to mention a cuisine that had yet to make an impact on Phuket, Madame Saigon is a refreshing change from the Phuket dining-out malaise, ‘same-same-no-difference’.
Accepting menus from one of the ever-smiling waitresses, we stared glassy-eyed and uncomprehending before calling our host, Cathy Masson, over for guidance and a little background on what we were about to experience.
Explaining that Vietnamese food – low on oil and high on fresh herbs and vegetables – is considered one of the healthiest in the world, she guided us through a selection representative of the cuisine. We sampled Chao Tom (minced prawn and pork on lemongrass skewers), Nem Mua Ha (classic ‘summer rolls’ – crispy raw vegetables, aromatic herbs and cool noodles, all wrapped in a translucent soft rice wrapper), some Nem Rau (crispy spring rolls) to ward off my companion’s pending deep-fried withdrawal symptoms, Ga Chi Sa (stir-fried lemongrass chicken), Bo Luc Lac (stir-fried ‘shaking’ beef seasoned with black pepper) and Pho (delicious rice noodle soup made with either beef or seafood).
Madame Saigon is a perfect fit to the Phuket restaurant scene.
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