Vietnamese-fusion at Saba Cafe

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Redwood City.

It was about a two-hour scenic drive from my family's house. The fiery colours of the trees along the way made for a sharp contrast to the overcast skies but did nothing to warm me up on this cold and rainy day. After the long drive, and a few minutes searching on the internet, Biboy found the perfect spot for our family's lunch: Saba Cafe (http://www.sabacaferwc.com).

According to reviews, Saba Cafe is classified as "Vietnamese-fusion". I have no idea what "fusion cuisine" actually means but I have tried Northern Vietnamese cuisine in Hanoi last year and loved the pho ga. Perhaps, by "fusion", Saba Cafe mixed elements of American cooking into Vietnamese food. Since I am no culinary expert, I decided to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the food regardless of the regional influence.

That turned out to be a great idea because I was STARVING.

Everyone enjoyed our starter: the kaffir lime chicken salad. The kaffir lime in the dressing contributed a distinct Southeast Asian flavour and a lightness to the crunchiness of the mixed greens and the almonds. The chicken was heavenly! It was a refreshing dish, certainly mouthwatering, and was the perfect beginning to our lunch on this cold Friday afternoon.

Kaffir lime chicken salad

As usual, I checked out the pho list. There were several variants in the Saba Cafe menu, including filet mignon and rare beef steak versions... food that I see more often in Western cuisine than in Asian ones. Then there's the seafood variant as well. Sticking with what's familiar (and avoiding rare meat), I got the pho ga, the chicken noodle soup.

Chicken breast noodle soup

The Saba Cafe pho ga was certainly different from what I've tried in Hanoi and in Manila. The broth was sweeter and there's a lot more bean sprouts and basil leaves on the side. Definitely as yummy as the previous interpretations that I've tasted. And the serving was HUGE: one serving here is good for two people back home!

Great food. If I ever visit Redwood City again, I'll make sure that I drop by Saba Cafe.

Saba Cafe is at 823 Hamilton Street. It's right around the corner from the Fox Theater.

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