THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED LOCATIONS Taste of Saigon

THIS RESTAURANT HAS CHANGED LOCATIONS Taste of Saigon Restaurant Review:

One of the first Vietnamese restaurants in Maryland, this old-timer still draws big crowds, though purists would do better to head to Eden Center in Virginia where hard-core Vietnamese food is served. We stopped by several times recently, and were enticed by the waiter to try out the black pepper chicken, which reputedly is the bestseller here. It turned out to be more sweet than hot, but agreeably so. Not so agreeable was the appetizer of beef in grape leaves (tough), the curry chicken (no flavor), and the caramel fish (too soupy). We ended up praising the so-called imperial rolls---the soft summer or garden rolls---and the Vietnamese ravioli, however. The owners recommend several dishes that are house specials---French-cut pork chop, braised lamb shank, and salmon filet---that sound more Western than Vietnamese, but that is obviously where the French influence intrudes. Desserts include flan, ginger ice cream and a chocolate-Grand Marnier cake.