First Look: Miss Saigon on South Beach

Lee Klein

Hali Nguyen holds bowl of beef pho

​As we reported last week, Miss Saigon is now open for business on South Beach. Locals are familiar with the Vietnamese restaurant from its Coral Gables and Pinecrest locations. The menu is similar here, although the emphasis is weighted more toward take-out; there are just six seats in the petite space.

On Saturday, I visited and sampled a few dishes. The Nguyen family owns this and the other Miss Saigon locations; Hali Nguyen oversees the new South Beach branch. She credits her mother for her inspiration, not just culinarily (although she does use her mom's recipes) but as the source of strength for the Nguyen family. The story of their escape from Vietnam is pretty fascinating, but for now, let's just take a look at some of the food the cook up.

Also, Miss Saigon has a "Beach Bag" offer: Call and they will deliver lunch, along with a cold beer or soda, to Ocean Drive at the closest street to your location on the sand.

Lee Klein

Closeup of lemongrass chicken bánh mì sandwich.

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Lee Klein

Rainbow drink: coconut milk, mung beans, gelatin, etc. Delicious.

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The next photo is of bánh ích, a dumpling filled with either coconut/peanuts or mung bean and steamed in banana leaf. They're fantastic, but not on the menu; you'll have to request them.

Lee Klein

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