On Tuesday, June 21, Cleveland’s Asiatown neighborhood welcomed it newest eatery. Saigon Grille (3142 Superior Ave., 216-589-9300), a 60-seat Vietnamese restaurant, opened in a freshly renovated storefront about 200 feet east of #1 Pho.
Henry Leui, owner of the property, says that the district’s increased popularity and safety motivated him to open the restaurant. When he moved to Asiatown seven years ago, he explains, the neighborhood was very different.
“A lot of the buildings were boarded up, there were homeless people on the streets, and nobody came out on the weekends. Even I felt scared,” he says. “Now, lots of people come here to eat and shop, it’s much safer, and the buildings are restored.”
The menu features many of the Vietnamese dishes we have come to know and love, including banh mi, pho, vermicelli noodle dishes, and broken rice dishes. Starters include fresh rice paper rolls, crepes, chicken and cabbage salad, and salt-fried shrimp. Prices are largely between $4 and $9.
Leui’s brother-in-law, who recently owned a restaurant in Atlanta, is the chef.
This article appears in Jun 22-28, 2011.
