Thomas W .'s 5 Star Review of CoffeeFirst Saigon Grill
1/7/2009
There are many, many Pho joints out there in the urban wilds of PDX and the surrounding environs, each serving that oh-so-amazing Vietnamese  soup that run the gambit from weak and watery to rich and hearty, depending on where you go.  If you live in PDX, chances are you have eaten at least one bowl of Pho, if not more, so you know what I am talking about.

Well, all of those places?  Guess what?  They need to take an 200-story elevator to get to the level of quality, service and atmosphere that CoffeeFirst Saigon Grill provides on a daily basis.  Then, after they get off fo the elevator, they STILL need to take a Leer jet to an undiscolsed location just to get a glimpse at CoffeeFirst Saigon Grill's amazing standards...that is if they can even FIND the elevator in the first place, which chances are, they cannot.

Oh, I hear you doubting me - how could it possibly be that far above other Pho joints in the greater metro area?  One word: detail.

Everything you have ever had at any other Vietnamese restaurant is on the menu here; same ingredients, same quantity...but the little touches add up to such a degree that you marvel how you could have ever gone anywhere else.  Obviously, the Pho is always cooked with the same savory goodness you have come to expect from the soup, with all of the accompanying fixings to alter or subtly tweak the taste to your preference, but the consistency of its quality (no matter what time of the day you arrive) is worthy of note.  Nothing there has changed, aside from a more robust flavor than other places.  It's what you order WITH your soup that fills in the blanks !

Example: Spring rolls can be a stressful order; will they come loosely wrapped, with wilting sprouts and some day-old beef and shrimp, or will it be tightly-wrapped with fresh ingredients?  Well, at CoffeeFirst Saigon Grill, it is ALWAYS the latter, but they don't stop there.  The beef is always well-seasoned and lightly cooked to a surprising and pleasant texture, making it a very tasty compliment to the shrimp.  Next Page