Without exaggeration, I’ve patiently waited five years for Saigon Oi Café, owned by San Pedro residents Bernard and Phuong Hoang, to open.
My fondness for this business is tied to when I started Eat In San Pedro on social media in April 2020. From the beginning, Phuong joined and actively shared food pictures of the businesses she and her family visited in San Pedro in my Facebook group.
Not too long after, the Hoangs began offering twice-weekly pho drops from their restaurant, Pho Saigon Pearl Los Angeles, in the Mid-City area. The pho arrived expertly packaged, with heating and assembly instructions. It filled a void, since we didn’t have pho in town at the time, and it is one of the tastiest I have had. Its standout flavor is the result of Bernard’s lifelong passion for cooking—which began as a child helping his mother in the kitchen—and the quest to create a broth that develops its deep flavor from an almost 24-hour slow simmer.
Once dining rooms reopened, I stopped by Pho Saigon Pearl Los Angeles. During this visit, I was introduced to their nuoc mam wings, which are among the best I have had. I was elated when the LA Times’ food section featured their pho and wings. Lucky for us, we can now enjoy their food in Downtown San Pedro.
It took years of visiting potential locations in San Pedro for the Hoangs to find the right place. It also took time to make their restaurant look presentable to their liking and to create the welcoming space it is today.
Walking into Saigon Oi Café (407 W. 6th St.) reflects who the Hoangs are: proud children of Vietnamese immigrants, firmly rooted in their culture. Being second-generation Vietnamese Americans has given them the opportunity to proudly lean into their parents’ native culinary traditions while modernizing them to reflect their Southern California upbringing.
Pho is the most recognized Vietnamese dish. It should be noted that it requires expertise to make. It is built in layers by carefully roasting vegetables and bone-in meat, adding the right amount of spices and seasoning, and then simmering for a prolonged period to create a broth that, once strained, is impeccably clear yet deeply flavorful.
Bernard shared with me that traditional low-cost Vietnamese restaurants, out of necessity to keep prices low, skimped on quality and used MSG to maximize flavor. While he uses traditional cooking techniques, his modern take is the result of his curiosity: “What were they using before MSG was created?”
His conclusion was to develop more flavor from fresh, natural ingredients by “using more bones and cooking them for a longer period of time [plus] adding oxtail which is full of bone marrow.” Phuong emphasizes, “Oxtail pho is what we specialize in. You don’t see it on all menus.” Those ordering the oxtail option will experience an elevated richness because the meat and bones continue to release their flavor.
The Hoangs take pride in serving food made fresh to order with high-quality ingredients. The menu is intentionally small to ensure that all items are well executed. For example, their bánh mì, a traditional Vietnamese sandwich made with a French baguette filled with your protein of choice, crunchy pickled vegetables, slices of jalapeño, and fresh cilantro, includes an umami-rich mayonnaise and chicken pâté, both made in-house from scratch. The must-try phin coffee, a very strong, slow-drip Vietnamese-style coffee, takes two hours to make.
Since opening, they have been busy and have gained many regular customers. This is not surprising. Upon walking in, you are greeted by Phuong, a super friendly front-of-house expert, as well as the helpful staff who will serve you delicious Vietnamese food. spt
Sanam Lamborn created the Eat in San Pedro Facebook group and Instagram account in April 2020 to entice people to patronize San Pedro’s eateries.
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