Com Saigon - Firenze

Really enjoyed our meal here lots of vegan options, delicious flavours and the food is quite authentic (and cooked by one of the owners who is Vietnamese).

I tried the lemongrass tofu that I really liked and totally recommend. I also tried some noodles that were good as well. There were quite a lot of vegan options and the waiter was helpful with choosing. The only thing I didn't like here was the vietnamese coffee.

The ‘soul of Saigon’ cocktail was strong in flavour and alcohol content and was pleasing. Service was friendly and accommodating we asked for chilli, extra rice paper sheets and were accommodated. 1. Unfortunately flavours were not entirely authentic; the correct herbs were provided in the dishes but not in the volume expected from a Vietnamese person and chilli had to be requested. The banh cuon was already doused in dipping sauce that was far too salty. Pho tai the beef was overcooked (it should have been raw as per its name ‘tai’ and did not taste nice, there was not much of it either. The broth lacked flavour and was sprinkled with pepper; I have never seen this before. Hoisin and chilli (siracha sauce were not provided with the pho dishes. The noddles were not fresh. We did not finish the broth. The com tam had very dry and over salted meat. 2. Portions for all 9 dishes ordered were very small despite their prices. We left hungry and stumbled into a pizza place afterward. The pho cuon consisted of 2 prawns sliced into thin pieces, 2 small strips of beef the length of an index finger, herbs, lettuce and 2 thin slices of pineapple to wrap up in 2 rice paper sheets. The three mien cuon comprised of 6 small pieces of 3 different rice paper rolls, which equated to 1.5 full rice paper rolls for 10 Euros, which is absurd. The banh xeo and banh cuon were a fraction of the size they should be.

A nice surprise in Firenze and very close to the major attractions. The menu selections are not as organized as, say, Vietnamese restaurants in France or the U.S. but we picked out several orders each of goi cuon (dumplings) and a standard-issue bun (vermicelli salad) with roast pork and all four at our table enjoyed. Cold Saigon beer was,also very welcome. The waiter (probably the man referred to in other reviews) acted the character but was funny and the food came out fast. We also met the Vietnamese lady in charge (from Ho Chi Minh City) and had fun speaking with her, too. Take a break from Italian food and give this place a try.

After a week of having too much of pasta, pizza, cold cut, we are so blessed to find a good Vietnamese restaurant for some hot soups in Florence. Highly recommended!