By Adriana Rosales
Head Photographer
If you walk down Madison Avenue, you are sure to find a few restaurants and bars. Past The Cellar and Madison’s Pizza, you’ll discover the only Vietnamese restaurant in the Pine Hills area.
At 791 Madison Ave. located on the same block as Duke’s, Sammy Styles, and Bread and Honey, you will discover Saigon Pearl. Previously known as Kim’s Restaurant, Saigon Pearl opened under new management on August 29, 2014.
Trying to keep things modern and fresh, the decoration of the establishment is meant to look like California or Texas according to owner and manager, John Nguyen. The most noted piece of decoration is the water centerpiece that can be seen from outdoors. “We can change the color,” said Nguyen, “during the cold we can put it to look like fire, and when there was an event in Washington Park for Breast Cancer Awareness we changed it to match.”
The water piece is meant to establish a Feng Shui feel. When the customer walks in “the energy flows inside through the door, the restaurant, and leaves out the back,” said Nguyen.
When one thinks of a restaurant, one thinks of it as loud and not so calming, but with Saigon Pearl you get the complete opposite. “The playlist that he has is very relaxing…and very calming,” said waitress Therese Palmere. Palmere, who is a student at SUNY Albany, has been working for Nguyen since December. Prior to becoming an employee, Palmere was a regular customer. “John,” Palmere said, “already knew my order.”
On the Saigon Pearl menu, you can find Pho, Rice Vermicelli, and Com Tam (broken rice dish). The prices of dishes range between $8 and $15. “Although in a student area, [the atmosphere] is far above a student hangout but with student prices” said customer Pam Slotsky. Slotsky is from Delmar and loves the Vermicelli with grilled beef. “If I lived in the Pine Hills area, I’d be at Saigon Pearl more often,” said Slotsky.
Aside from the already low prices, there are also discounts for students as well as Police and anyone in the Navy or Marines. Saigon Pearl is opened during the week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays it’s opened from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and is closed on Wednesdays. For the most part, Nguyen does not advertise the restaurant aside from Yelp and the online menu.
Despite the restaurant being opened for 6 months and has received a modern face-lift, Nguyen is still looking to add more to the establishment. Like most other businesses they have a budget, but once there’s enough money “a projector” said Nguyen, will be put “on the wall to display pictures from our travels.”
Nguyen, with his wife and daughter, travel a lot to Ho-Chi Minh City, in southern Vietnam to visit family. The amount of care for his family is also brought to the restaurant whether he is on a delivery, waiting tables, or managing his employees. “He treats me like his daughter,” said Palmere, “he’s very caring.”
