Essence of Saigon - Northland | Bistro - Vietnamese Pho Restaurant

Unethical business practices in my opinion. I normally just let it go when I have negative experiences, but I just want to warn others to be careful when you order. I wanted number 21 and asked if it came with one or two rolls. From what I understood, she told me that the dish would come with two rolls for the price of $15.49. However, the lady taking my order misunderstood(?) me and did not tell me that it was 21A I was paying for with 2 rolls for $17.99 which is much pricier for what it came with. Aside from the misunderstanding, the beef was very heavily salted and the dish itself just was not worth it for $17.99.

Additionally, my friend wanted the shrimp vermicelli bowl with veggie spring rolls and they charged us extra to SUBSTITUTE the pork spring rolls for veggie and didn’t even tell me that there was a surcharge.

These two instances together left a very bad taste in my mouth and I would warn others to be careful when ordering because I was not made aware of many of the extra charges. Also, there are many better Vietnamese places in the city for more reasonable prices.

Vegetarian options: Will charge you to sub regular rolls for veggie rolls

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 1

Absolutely delicious and lovely pho!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Pho Special, Noodle Soup

My family and I recently dined at Essence of Saigon and was thoroughly impressed by the experience. The authentic Vietnamese cuisine transported my taste buds straight to Hanoi.

We ordered the Phở Tái, Phở Đặc Biệt, and Sate Tái, and each dish was exceptional. The Phở Tái featured a rich, flavorful broth with tender slices of rare beef, while the Phở Đặc Biệt offered a delightful combination of meats and noodles. The Sate Tái had the perfect balance of spice and savory flavors, showcasing the chef’s expertise.

The ambiance was warm and inviting. The staff were attentive and knowledgeable, providing excellent service throughout the meal.

I highly recommend Essence of Saigon to anyone seeking an authentic Vietnamese dining experience. I look forward to returning and exploring more of their diverse menu.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Pho Special, Noodle Soup, Satay Beef

Their rare beef noodle is so good! Amazing comfort food

Food: 5

Recommended dishes: Noodle Soup

I had wor won ton. There was more broth then anything 1 shrimp and 2 peices of chicken. I felt like it could've been more .
Especially for the price.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 4

The noodles for the pho taste terrible

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Excellent spot for all the usual suspects from spring rolls to saté and steaming bowls of phò and vermicelli. Friendly staff, nice decor, great gluten free options. We'll be back.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Noodle Soup

Everytime I eat or order food from here I am so happy. So yummy and I would definitely recommend to everyone.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Excellent food, friendly atmosphere

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Very good food and friendly and inviting staff

I have been going to this restaurant for the last 10 years. It has always been great and service used to be the friendliest. They did change servers a few years ago. Today I went on my lunch break and as I entered I made eye contact to the servers that were behind the counter and I said hi. I sat down and waited for the server to bring me the menu and take my beverage order. The restaurant only had one table and they had already finished their meal. Ten minutes went by and as much as I tried to made eye contact, I was completely ignored. Since I only had 30 min to eat I ended up getting up, I walked towards the counter and asked both of them if they could take my order. One of the servers the youngest with very short hair rolled her eyes at me and without even apologizing or trying to be polite, she just blurted out “ok what do you want” I should have left right away, but since I know the owner I asked for him. She then smiled and said that he wasn’t there, and she promptly smiled and said “ don’t worry I will take care of you”.
I got my food fast as the kitchen is very efficient in this place. As I was eating two different men came into the restaurant, they were received with a smile and the servers brought their menus right away. Complete different treatment than what I got. Watching all of this made me realize that apparently single men get treated very differently here.
I hope the owner hires different servers, many people in this city are looking for jobs and hiring the right people is very important. Servers are the face of the restaurant business.
I am not sure if myself and my family will go back to what used to be our favourite Vietnamese place.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 5

Service: 1

Delicious food, excellent service. Highly recommend

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Pho Special, Dumplings, Satay Beef

This place never disappoints! Vegetarian and gluten free options are a delight.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Food is not great, seasoning on meats are to sweet and fish sauce that came with vermicelli was basically sugar water, the beef pho had an odd smell. The service was fast and the place looks and smells nice.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 4

Good Vietnamese food; not outstanding but not bad. Ordered Saigon Special Pho and Grilled Pork Chops on Rice.

Interior is nice and modern.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 3