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reviewed on: December 18, 2009
When people talk to me about Vietnamese food, one of the things they mention most often is how “fresh” everything tastes. I suspect it’s not the freshness per se that they’re referring to, but rather the fact that, unlike other Asian cuisines, the Vietnamese serve a lot of their vegetables uncooked. Lettuce leaves are used to turn what would normally not be thought of as finger food into just that. Bean sprouts, shredded carrots, mint leaves, basil, cucumbers—all come in the form that nature intended, crisp and flavorful. Whatever the reason, most people become instant fans of Vietnamese food with their first bite.
If you’ve dined on Vietnamese fare much, you know that the majority of Vietnamese restaurants in Denver are clustered along Federal Boulevard between Alameda and Federal, which is convenient if you live on the west side of town, and inconvenient if you don’t. So we were excited to discover a new Vietnamese restaurant in the southeast part of the city. We were even more excited when we discovered that the new Saigon Landing on Arapahoe Road was being run by the same people who’ve had the Saigon Landing in Evergreen for the last four years.
Saigon Landing is in the building vacated about two years ago by Sushi Moon, and, before that, home to at least five other restaurants going back to Pizzeria Uno. It’s a large space, decorated in the sparse style of most Asian restaurants. Despite its simplicity, there’s an air of elegance created by the clothless cherry-wood tables with their satin sheen, the artisan drop lamps, and the halo-shaped ceiling lights. Large west-facing windows admit sweeping views of the Rockies during daylight hours.
The menu is primarily Vietnamese, with a smattering of Thai and Chinese dishes, and you’ll find many of your favorites here, from traditional rice and noodle bowls to Stuffed Chicken Wings, Lemon Beef Salad, Lemongrass Shrimp and, one of my favorites, the Papaya Salad—crisp and tangy. Being fans of calamari, we started dinner with the Squid Tempura, strips of squid fried in a pleasantly crunchy batter, and served with traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce as well as a sweet peanut sauce.
In addition to seafood, pork and chicken, Vietnamese offerings include things you don’t find too much at other Asian restaurants, like lamb, frog legs, and lobster. At Saigon Landing, they offer five different lamb dishes, but what really caught our attention was the Grilled Lamb Chops which had been marinated in a five-spice mixture then grilled and served with a somewhat sweet Vietnamese coleslaw. Our second choice was the Ginger Duck, bite-sized pieces of duck with mushrooms and bok choy in a rich brown sauce of garlic and ginger. Of course, that meant we had to save the Frog Leg Tempura, the Lobster in Garlic Butter Sauce, and about a hundred other items, many vegetarian, for another time.
Finally, full as we were, we wrapped things up with an excellent rendition of Vietnamese Fried Bananas served with ice cream drizzled with chocolate sauce.
If you’ve been to one of the previous restaurants that have occupied this space, you know exactly where it is, on Arapahoe Road, two stoplights west of I-25, behind the Macaroni Grill and just west of CB&Potts. If it’s your first time, you’re probably better off asking for directions when you call to make reservations.
Saigon Landing
6585 Greenwood Plaza Blvd.
303-779-0028
http://www.saigonlanding.com/
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