A Little Bit of Saigon

First time eating here or Vietnamese food. Was not impressed. Beef ribs were very fatty with very little meat on bones. Sauces very salty. Bathrooms dirty. Service was polite and attentive but only 4 tables occupied. Food presented nicely. Will not return.

Love this restaurant. I’ve tried several dishes and everything has been fresh and delicious. The owner has a great sense of humor too.

Small but beautifully decorated space. We were the only people there at supper which always causes me to be concerned. Do people know something I don’t? Anyway we looked at the menu, (which is very small and offers few selections in my opinion), and after some discussion made our selections. When I ordered I was told that they didn’t have my selection today. Okkkkkk. We are the only people here and we’ve taken our time deciding exactly what we wanted and you couldn’t say «Oh btw we don’t have *blank* today?» So, I quickly ordered something else (pork) in a vermicelli bowl. Husband ordered ribs on rice. His meal had more bones than meat. It was difficult for him to eat. Both meals were good enough but sure nothing special. Sorry, I just cant agree with the masses.

Being Vietnamese I know authentic Vietnamese food, especially the ones that set themselves apart. Good Vietnamese food is hard to find in a city going through its infantile stage in terms of ethnic food forays. Many of the dishes have a lot of great flavors and are thoughtfully made. There are items on the menu reminiscent of my parents cooking that you can’t get in other Vietnamese or so called Vietnamese restaurants in Jacksonville. Not all Vietnamese restaurants are created equal and this place stands out if you are looking for inspired authentic Vietnamese food.

This is a great place! Delicious and interesting food, real meals, for the price of a burger! I had spicy phở, my wife had the Cornish hen, and we shared a crème brûlée. All were awesome.

Wonderfully prepared authentic Vietnamese cuisine… Family owned an operated… Son, Alex, professionally trained at CIA in Hyde Park… Mom and dad in the kitchen. You know you have struck gold when you are the only non-​Vietnamese people in a fairly packed restaurant!

We were in the mood for Vietnamese food, so I searched Unilocal for some options. There were 3 places that were somewhat closed to me, however I selected this place because it’s the only one that had crème brûlée on the menu. (crème brûlée is my krytonite).
The restaurant was fairly small and not very busy. The simple menu matched the deco. I knew the options wb limited before hand, but didn’t care bc of the crème brûlée.
We ordered egg rolls, phở and cornish hen rice plate. The egg rolls were ok. Thought they’re a lit pricey compared to Q Cup Boba, and I prefer the ones at Q more. The cornish hen was good and very moist, however the flavors didn’t blow me away since I’ve had amazing corning hen dish up north. The hubby and girls had the phở and they enjoyed it.
For a few moments prior to the egg rolls coming out, there was a very strong pungent smell. So strong that my daughter said it stink. Since I’m familiar with pickled daikon being used in Vietnamese cuisine, I told her what it was and the funky smell luckily dissipated shortly after.
Now the crème brûlée, when we were done with our meal, I tried to order it. The waiter, perhaps owner, told me that it’s not done yet and wb done in 1 ½ hr. Said that the place he normally gets the vanilla beans from were out of stock, so he had to pick up some elsewhere. Said if I’m in the area and to stop back later, it wb on the house. I did not go back for it, needless to say I was a bit disappointed. Perhaps I’ll have better luck next time.

So people that know me understand that Phở is not just a meal for me, it’s an obsession. Some even say I only married my Vietnamese wife because of her Grandma’s cooking (which was fortunately passed down to my lovely wife). I’m always looking for the next great bowl of noodle soup goodness, and have traveled all across the USA looking for that perfect bowl. Who knew my search would end at a small non descript restaurant about 5 minutes from my house.
So what makes this Phở so much better than everyone else’s? Simple, it’s the broth. Alex, the classically trained chef and owner of the restaurant, doesn’t take short cuts with the broth. There are depths of flavor in this broth that you just won’t get from any other restaurant in the country. You can tell Alex uses his knowledge and culinary training to elevate the broth to a level I didn’t even know existed. All I can say is check this place out and see for yourself.
Oh, and his other dishes are good too… but the Phở!

Very seldom will you ever see me hang 5 stars on any place, being a lifetime foodie and an experienced chef and restauranteur if a group of things don’t fall together it simply won’t happen, that being said Alex, owner and brain child behind Saigon is a master of his craft. Saigon simply oozes authenticity in all facets. His love and passion of this cuisine shines. The broths are complex and delicious, rice noodles cooked perfectly, accoutrements fresh, just a wonderful experience all the way around, I come here almost weekly. If you are looking for authentic phở masterfully prepared I can’t recommend Saigon more.

Delicious, Vietnamese home cooking! The only place in town that makes Banh Xeo (the Vietnamese crêpe). I was told that their crème brûlée is ridiculously good, but we were so full from everything else we ordered that we didn’t have room for desert last time. If you like Vietnamese food, definitely give this place a try.

Well, it’s official. A Little Bit of Saigon is not only the best Vietnamese food in the state of Florida, but it’s become my #1 restaurant as well. The owner, Alex, is a very knowledgeable owner who doesn’t cut corners and it shines through in the food. I have now eaten the entire menu, and there are absolute 0 misses. None. Not only are there no misses, but everything is the best version of that dish that I have ever tasted. That’s why it gets such high marks from me.
STARTERS
The starters are all delicious– their fried spring rolls are delicately spiced, crispy, meaty, served with a perfectly balanced dipping sauce.
The gallette rolls are fantastic– steamed rice paper, stuffed with wonderfully seasoned meat and mushrooms, topped with crispy shallots and terrine. Fantastic.
The crêpe is bomb. Bernie Sanders had one and called it ‘yuuuge’. And it is. Perfectly crispy, turmeric, shrimp, pork, mysterious. It’s a great dish to share.
MAINS
Anything. you. want. The star is probably the house phở, the broth is simply the best. Not too much anything, nothing masking the flavor– just straight up savory perfection. It just tastes like quality. Great assortment of meats, and the meatballs are so good I recommend doubling the order.
The short ribs are powerfully seasoned, in a good way. Coriander, char grilled, served with runny eggs and perfect white rice. Get your spoon and fork and dig in homie.
Half cornish game hen– bomb.
Noodle bowls? Bomb.
It’s all good here folks. And the hyperbole comes naturally.

Dessert
DON’T BE A HOOLIGAN! Order the crème bulee. it’s the best crème brûlée you will have ever tasted. He makes it from scractch, and it’s boss.
I love you ‘A little bit of Saigon’

I was very surprised with the phở broth! Owner, young gentleman, was super nice and held good conversation with us. The phở was delicious and we’d definitely come back.

Mine and my wife’s go to spot for Viet in Jax, FL! Quality and prompt service to supplement the great food!

The service was very good and the food was tasty!

There’s a reason you won’t find any negative reviews of this place. It really is that good. From the fresh rolls appetizer to the phở bo, it was a truly memorable meal. The broth was light and sweet, the meat slices were tender and all the veggies were fresh. I would’ve licked the bowl clean if I hadn’t been in public. The house made ginger ale (with real ginger) was also delicious. I ordered Banh xeo to take home so I could continue my love fest with this food tomorrow. I did eat half of it when we got home.
I’m not surprised that there seemed to be a lot of regulars here. The ambiance is relaxing with eclectic instrumental music playing at a comfortable volume. Service was fast and friendly. It’s the best phở we’ve had in years. If you’re anywhere in the area, give this place a try. I’m definitely coming back.

Best PHÓ in Jacksonville hands down! Alex is super personable and already makes us feel like we are home. Thanks so much for awesome food and amazing customer service.

My favorite Vietnamese joint in town. I always hated the taste of Phở well the places I’ve tried it at least, but a little bit of Saigon changed my opinion completely about it. The food is always great and the customer service is awesome! Banh Xeo is one of my favorites

I first tried this place a few days ago, and the phở was so good that I had to have it again yesterday. Last time I said that this place has the best phở in Jax, and my opinion has not changed after this visit. I ordered the Saigon bowl again, and everything was perfect: perfect meat/​meatballs/​tripes, perfect broth, and perfect noodles. My wife just came here from Vietnam several years ago, and she said the phở here reminded her of the phở she had when she was back in Saigon. It is the best phở she has had since coming to ‘Murica. Yes, the phở is that good here.
My wife ordered the Vermicelli noodles with BBQ chop pork served with homemade fish sauce, and that was also very tasty. However, she said the vermicelli noodles at PK Noodles is better. For vermicelli noodles, we think that PK Noodles is the best, then A Little Bit of Saigon, and the worst is at Bowl of Phở.
In conclusion, this is the only place I’ll go to for some good phở from now on.

A gem of a restaurant snuck into a small corner of a shopping plaza, this Vietnamese is legit! The proprietor Alex and his parents are in the back whipping up unctuous phở with all the meats. Even their flavor forward garlicky meatballs are homemade. You can’t really go wrong with the small curated menu, but I also recommend the seafood crêpe, galette rolls and the beef short ribs. Eat here and bring the streets of Saigon to you!

Sometimes a girl just wants some phở. Unfortunately this girl always has to cross the bridge to find the good stuff. Hopped over to Little Bit of Saigon and filled my soul with a big bowl of Vietnamese goodness.
I’ve actually been to this location before as I believe it was a sushi restaurant in a previous life. The menu is small, but they still have everything I wanted. A big bowl of phở with rare beef & all the fixings. This time I opted for the beef balls — which I don’t usually do, and probably won’t do again. I like just a simple bowl with lots of rare beef.
Service was quick and my lunch was just at $ 10 including tip! I went home a happy girl with a tummy full of warmth.