Restaurant

Saigon Boy

Name: Saigon Boy
Address: 648 Somerset St W, Ottawa, ON, K1R 5K4, CA
Telephone: (613) 230-8080
Price range: value

Vietnamese•Chinatown•value

Saigon Boy is one of the best vietnamese restaurants in Ottawa for group dinner, especially if you want a strong option in Chinatown.

Editorial review updated•Jul 28, 2026

Saigon Boy operates out of Ottawa's Chinatown strip on a premise that doesn't get complicated: bowl large, broth properly made, price low enough that the question of whether you can afford lunch today never enters the equation. That clarity of purpose is rarer than it sounds, and it's what the spot's reputation is built on. The room itself is reportedly no-ceremony — counter service, turnover-friendly layout, the kind of space that communicates through its design that the point is the food in front of you, not the décor around it. The menu centers on Vietnamese pho, and by all consistent accounts, the kitchen approaches it with the seriousness the format demands. Diners across the Chinatown corridor describe bowls that are genuinely large and a broth that reads as properly made rather than expedient — the distinction that separates a lunch counter worth returning to from one that coasts on a convenient location. Portions are reported to lean generous to the point of excess, which is exactly the correct instinct for a bowl-format restaurant where the implicit contract with the customer is that they will not leave hungry. The Chinatown strip has enough Vietnamese competition that a mediocre bowl doesn't sustain a reputation for long — the fact that Saigon Boy's consistency is the thing locals keep citing is itself meaningful evidence. Pricing reportedly stays well under $15 a bowl, which at that quality threshold makes it the kind of weekday lunch that carries people through the afternoon without asking anything of them beyond showing up. Counter service moves at a pace that respects the lunch hour. Go on a weekday, expect a line that moves, and bring cash as a precaution.

Priya Sharma, Dining Editor

Methodology•Ottawa guides•Editorial team•Report outdated information

Cheap EatsChinatown comfort lunch group dinnerbusycasual

Reserve a Table View Menu Get Directions

Taste ID

Rate this restaurant

Start with one score. Add details or a review when you want to help other diners.

Taste Score 8.4/10

Rating (Google) 9.2

868 reviews

Ottawa

At a glance

The fastest read on whether this place fits tonight.

8.4/10

Taste Score

Google 9.2 from 868 reviews

Best for

group dinner and casual

Price and pace

Good value

Neighborhood

Chinatown | 648 Somerset St W, Ottawa, ON K1R 5K4, Canada

Price

Good value

Taste Score

8.4/10

Phone

(613) 230-8080

Inside the restaurant

Photos of Saigon Boy

4 photos

Why go

What makes Saigon Boy worth the move

Saigon Boy works for date night in Chinatown because the room and the food both help the evening land. Cha Gio Tom Thailand and Chao Tom also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.2 rating across 868 Google reviews.

What to know fast

Public rating

9.2 from 868 Google reviews

Best for

group dinner and casual

Style

Vietnamese in Chinatown

Spend

Good value

Best for

Cheap Eats Chinatown comfort lunch group dinner busy casual

Know before you go

Google rating: 9.2 from 868 reviews

Price point: value

Popular dishes: Cha Gio Tom Thailand, Chao Tom, Ga Nuong Cuon

Website linked on this page

TastyPals Reviews

What diners are saying

0 diner reviews · reviewed by Priya Sharma for Saigon Boy

Google snapshot

9.2 from 868 reviews

TastyPals notes

Editorial review by Priya Sharma

Vanier doesn't need Starbite Resto to be precious about anything, and from what research consistently turns up, it isn't.

Vanier local spotslunchtakeout

308 reviews

Read restaurant page

Website Menu Rate

More TastyPals-reviewed restaurants in Ottawa

Continue exploring restaurants that passed the same editorial quality gate.

Plan the visit

Quick details

Reserve a Table Menu Directions

Address: 648 Somerset St W, Ottawa, ON K1R 5K4, Canada
Phone: (613) 230-8080
Price: value
TastyPals score: 8.4/10
Google rating: 9.2 (868 reviews)
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Neighborhood: Chinatown

Restaurants in Chinatown

Frequently asked questions

What cuisine does Saigon Boy serve?

Saigon Boy is a Vietnamese restaurant located in Chinatown, Ottawa. Saigon Boy operates out of Ottawa's Chinatown strip on a premise that doesn't get complicated: bowl large, broth properly made, price low enough that the question of whether you can afford lunch today never enters the equation.

What is Saigon Boy best for?

Saigon Boy is best for cheap eats, chinatown comfort, lunch, group dinner, busy, casual. Saigon Boy works for date night in Chinatown because the room and the food both help the evening land. Cha Gio Tom Thailand and Chao Tom also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.2 rating across 868 Google reviews.

How much does it cost to eat at Saigon Boy?

Saigon Boy is in the Good value price range (value). Google rating: 9.2 from 868 reviews

Is Saigon Boy worth visiting?

Saigon Boy holds a 9.2 Google rating from 868 reviews. Saigon Boy works for date night in Chinatown because the room and the food both help the evening land. Cha Gio Tom Thailand and Chao Tom also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.2 rating across 868 Google reviews.