Little Saigon's a big success.

Byline: GORDON BARR 

Little Saigon

6 Big Market, Newcastle.

Tel: [phone]

OVER the years these premises have been Simply Greek, given us some Miami Blues and are now offering us a taste of Little Saigon.

The Bigg Market's newest restaurant is certainly a welcome change to all those Italian/Indian eateries.

It had been recommended to me by one of my colleagues, who is now a regular there (she actually arrived for a bite to eat while we were dining, as it happens) and had raved about the lunchtime specials.

So off us terrible trio of eating out reviewers traipsed yesterday lunchtime to give it a shot. We came back very happy chappies indeed.

The restaurant has been very tastily decked out, not just bits of bamboo and straw but beautiful hand-painted murals and duo-stained wood fittings, making for cosy but vibrant surroundings.

We ordered a bottle of Chilean merlot (pounds 10.95) and Doug and I chose from the main menu. He tried the monkfish sour soup (pounds 4). "I've never had sour celery combined with sweet pineapple, chilli and monkfish and it worked superbly," he commented.

For his main course he tested the caramel pork (pounds 5.95), which he declared very nice and full of flavour with a beautiful sauce that the egg fried rice (pounds 2) soaked up beautifully.

I couldn't resist a taste of both these dishes and I have to say the caramel sauce was a treat and the soup had a devilish little kick to it.

I still preferred my choices, though. My asparagus and crabmeat soup (pounds 3) was wonderfully thick and extremely refreshing, leaving the palate feeling remarkably cleansed.

Even it, though, paled in comparison with what came next.

The Saigon chicken claypot rice (pounds 5.95) arrived first and could have been a meal in itself, but was quickly followed by the Saigon bamboo steam chicken (pounds 6.50).

These two dishes complemented each other no end and were packed with rich flavours and hot spices.

Quite simply, this was one of the finest Far Eastern concoctions I have ever tasted.

Gary's lunchtime special - stir-fried beef with lemongrass, chilli sauce, boiled vermicelli and Vietnamese rolls, was a well worth it pounds 7. Tender slivers of beef and lots of it, the mild chilli sauce added a nice kick to the zestful lemon grass, and the boiled vermicelli and mixed salad helped fill out the meal, while the rolls were tightly packed.

Little Saigon could soon be big news in the Bigg Market

CAPTION(S):

FAR EASTERN PROMISE - Little Saigon pleased all three of our diners no end