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| - Billed as an "Urban Vietnamese Eatery", Saigon Hustle was opened by the owner of neighbouring Fresh Off The Boat and his mother, the former owner of Bun Saigon in Chinatown. They appear to currently be in soft opening, and have vermicelli and rice platters available, with sandwiches coming soon. They also serve shakes and coffee. The interior was painted in bold red and black, and the atmosphere evokes a bit of Banh Mi Boys, with hip-hop blasting the small space.
I had the Saigon Hustle rice platter ($13.50), which came with beef, prawn (singular), and a small salad with pickled radish. The serving sizes were hefty, although this was mostly rice. The beef itself was dry and tough, although the seasoning was good. My friend had the grilled pork vermicelli, and while the pork was better, the slices were inconsistent in texture as well.
While they claim to be "urban", there did not appear to be any difference in the food compared to other more traditional Vietnamese establishments. My concern is that those restaurants can rely on high turnover to keep food coming out fast and fresh, and that Saigon Hustle will need to reach a critical mass before they can achieve a similar quality. As they've just opened, I'm hopeful these kinks can be worked out in the near future.
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