Traveling through Houston’s Midtown, you’ll notice there’s a mom-and-pop Vietnamese cafe (or three) on practically every corner. Signage touts boba tea, pho and banh mi – lunchtime staples to anyone who works in the area – and regulars swear up and down that a particular pocket restaurant is their favorite because it serves the ideal French roll or the freshest house-made pate or the most authentic pho on the block.

Enthusiasts delight in bantering about who does Vietnamese food best. But what about Houstonians who don’t know their bun from their banh? There are still many people who are unsure about trying new things.

If you’re ready to take baby steps, may I recommend Saigon House – a safe zone for non-foodies who want to try some unfamiliar foods?

The Saigon House location was briefly “Cafe Helene.” But the (also Vietnamese) concept quickly closed, and Saigon House owners Duc Dinh and chef Vu Tuan Anh took hold of the space, did a revamp of the menu and interior, and opened a few weeks ago under the new name. The two partners have an Asian-fusion concept in Pearland – Wrap & Roll – and are now trying their hand at the heavily diluted Midtown Vietnamese restaurant market.

If you’re looking for Saigon House, you may easily miss it. It’s located just northeast of the corner of Elgin and Main near Rosalie Street. There isn’t a sign that we could see on the front of the building, but there’s a sign on the side that faces Elgin. You’ll find a little gated parking lot just off Rosalie Street.

Our first visit to Saigon House was just as it was opening a few weeks ago, and I brought a dear friend, who claimed she was up to eating anything but knew nothing of Vietnamese food. She was the perfect guinea pig for a first impression, as her standards were not high and she wasn’t comparing this new kid on the block to the neighboring establishments frequented by regulars.

The Spreggrolls

We started simple, with spreggrolls (photo above) – traditional fried eggrolls wrapped inside of spring rolls, which we were told “white people are loving.” I can’t deny that we didn’t find them to be a fine representation of the two classic rolls. The fried interior was crunchy and not oily, the fresh outer layer was crisp and perky, no wilt or woeful fillings found here. We also ordered the shaken filet, which was marinaded with the expected sweet flavors and garlic. It was just fine, if a safe bet.

Fried rice with shrimp was under-seasoned and needed a pinch of salt, a lot of heat and maybe even some fresh garlic and chives to make a name for itself.  The current menu describes the fried rice as a “pineapple fried rice with shrimp and a passion fruit sauce,” which is quite a bit more alluring than the bland and forgettable large plate of fried rice with meager shrimp that we received on that first visit.

Mixed fruit tea

The highlight of my friend’s initiation into Vietnamese food? The teas. She wasn’t so sure at first, as she comes from a long line of Texans who drink iced tea with lemon wedges and ice cubes – not tapioca balls, chunks of lychee or anything foreign. Nevertheless she ended up liking the bright orange tangy “mixed fruit” tea (photo above).

On the second visit, I was joined by someone who knows what she likes in a banh mi. At Saigon House, they let you orchestrate your own sandwich so you can see what you’re getting and eliminate ingredients you don’t care for. After directing the construction of a barbecue pork banh mi (photo below) with cucumbers, carrots, cilantro and mayonnaise, she commented, “They definitely don’t skimp on the meat.” After eating the entire thing and complimenting the generous swipe of mayo on the bun, she concluded, “I’d definitely come back and eat this banh mi again, but it wasn’t the best I’ve had.”

Barbecue pork bahn mi

Speaking of sweet meat, I ordered the grilled chicken vermicelli bowl (photo at top) for lunch. Again, a generous portion of brown, glazed, not-dried-out-but-not-too-interesting chicken sat on a bed of perfectly nice vermicelli noodles. There’s a scant sprinkling of crushed peanuts, a few leaves of mixed greens and small side bowl half-full of nuoc mam sauce, but the flavor just wasn’t there. I would have asked for another bowl of nuoc mam sauce to add some personality to my polite but boring entree if I hadn’t filled up on the spreggrolls.

Saigon House, 3101 Main, 713-529-1100 saigonhousehouston.com Currently open for lunch only, 11 AM daily