Quince Saigon is the Vietnamese outpost of a Quince Eatery in Bangkok, managed by Farandole group. It has been a very hyped restaurant and you can find tons of positive reviews online. Certainly a sign of Saigon’s evolving food scene.
I tried Quince for the first time in summer 2018 and I thought that it would not have been fair to write a review on the basis of just a single visit. So I came back again in my summer 2019 trip to get a better idea.
The visit(s)
Located in the outskirts of district 1 in a rapidly developing area famous for its hardware stores and a military surplus market, the interior of the restaurant exudes modernity and class. As a solo diner, I find the long counter a very nice feature (and I sat there on both of my visits). Let’s start with my 2019 visit.
I started with an octopus casserole. The octopus was tender and all the condiments right. Really enjoyed the dish.
Then I was craving for chicken (this was the beginning of my summer 2019 chicken quest that culminated in Chiang Mai…) and I was attracted by a roast French cockerel (coquelet) on the menu. It was ok, but there was really little meat (which is normal for this kind of chicken, in fact I was expecting a whole one, the menu did not help).
The chicken came with some potatoes and greens.
I had also ordered a dish of greens with an homemade anchovy sauce that was brilliant (the flavor reminded me of Japanese sauces) but I was a bit upset because nobody told me that the chicken was already coming with some greens. It was not clear at all from the menu that, using a modern style, only indicated the main ingredients of the dish without more details. If I knew about it, I would have ordered something else.
While I was eating the salad I was abruptly interrupted by the waitress that wanted to clean the table from the chicken plate. She literally interrupted me while I was chewing. This kind of things make me upset not with the service staff, but with the management that should have trained them in a better way.
No dessert, but the check was accompanied by some jellies.
And now a look at my 2018 visit.
My first dish was an interesting beef tartare. It was not your usual tartare. It was copiously sprinkled with dried egg yolk and rich of ingredients (I appreciated the capers). Overall a very good creative dish.
My main was a veal cheek with mash and cherry tomatoes. There was a good balancing of flavors among the three main ingredients of the dish. However the veal was quite dry contrary to my expectations.
The cauliflower with cream that I ordered as a side was full of flavor and simply great.
I also enjoyed a Vietnamese red tea.
Finally I had some room for a dessert: a scoop of Ralf’s chocolate gelato. Good of them that found the best in town.
The final complimentary jellies were already there.
The check(s)
The 2019 visit cost me 1,218,525 VND (52 USD), including a super expensive bottle of water!
The previous visit cost me basically the same (the tea was much less expensive than the water).
By international standards, it was quite reasonable. Being in Saigon, the cost opportunity is not negligible.
After these visits and after speaking with F&B professionals in Saigon I realized one thing: Quince has been and is great for the development of Saigon’s restaurant community. The head chef, Julien Perraudin, has an amazing curriculum and is a true creative force. The creativity is reflected in his dishes and the menu changes frequently depending on the quality ingredients available. Do not expect to find the dishes I described. All of this creative power is trickling down to the wider community and is helping in modernizing Saigon’s food scene. Great.
What left me with mixed feelings, especially after the second visit, was the lack of clarity on the menu. I hope I could have had a more in-depth conversation about the food to order with the chef (but he was, rightfully so, busy) or some knowledgeable staff. This would have made the experience more streamlined. I would gladly go back if chef Perraudin was to offer a tasting menu or to try some specific dishes.
Where in Ho Chi Minh City:
37bis Ký Con Street, District 1
Follow their Facebook page.