Saigon Restaurant
Photos by: JOHN BURNS & RACHEL LOCK
When Saigon fell to the communist regime during the Vietnam War in 1975, the parents of Than “Tommy” Vu sent him and his siblings to other countries through a refugee program to ensure their survival while they remained behind. Vu was taken in by a Hays, Kansas, foster family who helped him assimilate into American life and later locate his far-flung family members.
Following his high school graduation in 1988, Vu moved to Topeka and met his wife, Mary Jane, who had immigrated to Kansas from the Philippines. Welcomed by a large immigrant population in Highland Park, Vu often cooked for the couple’s new Vietnamese and Filipino friends, forging supportive relationships and eventually finding work as a Chinese-cuisine chef. He cooked in local restaurants for two decades, including a lengthy stint overseeing the Dillons’ Chinese Kitchen. Using many of his own recipes, he cultivated a loyal clientele.
In 2007, the couple opened Saigon Restaurant at 3200 Southwest 29th St. with a varied menu featuring familiar Chinese favorites and Vietnamese specialties honoring Vu’s heritage. April Martin, Vu’s niece and a Topeka West High School graduate living in Virginia, oversees Saigon Restaurant’s social media efforts. She said business at the restaurant was brisk for the first year but then tapered off.
“My aunt and uncle were discouraged because they weren’t sure if Topeka was ready for a different palate,” she said. “But slowly and surely regular customers started coming in, and the restaurant has been thriving ever since.”
To help overcome customer hesitancy, Vu initially provided lengthy menu descriptions to explain the ingredients used to prepare entrees, an accommodation that Martin said is no longer necessary as people have become accustomed to the myriad options available.
At Saigon Restaurant, spring rolls, crab Rangoon puffs, and fried wontons are among the popular appetizers ordered by the community. In addition to their Chinese staples, the restaurant offers lighter Vietnamese meals paired with lemon grass and a house-blend of spices. Their Bún (pronounced boon, the Vietnamese word for noodles) dishes include meat, rice vermicelli and a fresh assortment of vegetables. Martin said many families don’t have fully equipped kitchens in many parts of Vietnam and rely on fresh preparations for rice and vegetable-based meals.
Many of Vu’s Chinese recipes are adapted from Hong Kong-style cuisine with subtle tweaks that make the dishes more appealing to American appetites and reflective of locally available ingredients.
Saigon Restaurant’s menu options also include specialty beverages like a best-selling Vietnamese French-pressed coffee, Cà Phê Sữa Da, sweetened with condensed milk. The restaurant attracts customers of all ages, including younger ones drawn by word of mouth, Instagram posts, and other social media channels.
Patrons can purchase orders as carryout or through a convenient drive-through.
“Tommy and Mary Jane are very sociable people and love hearing about how their food makes their customers happy,” Martin said. “For most people who grew up in Asia, food is love. It’s the heart and soul regular customers started coming in, and the restaurant has been thriving ever since.”
To help overcome customer hesitancy, Vu initially provided lengthy menu descriptions to explain the ingredients used to prepare entrees, an accommodation that Martin said is no longer necessary as people have become accustomed to the myriad options available.
At Saigon Restaurant, spring rolls, crab Rangoon puffs, and fried wontons are among the popular appetizers ordered by the community. In addition to their Chinese staples, the restaurant offers lighter Vietnamese meals paired with lemon grass and a house-blend of spices. Their Bún (pronounced boon, the Vietnamese word for noodles) dishes include meat, rice vermicelli and a fresh assortment of vegetables.
Martin said many families don’t have fully equipped kitchens in many parts of Vietnam and rely on fresh preparations for rice and vegetable-of everything that’s put into each meal, and it’s very fulfilling for them to cook and serve others.
”Always looking for inspiration, Vu scopes out Vietnamese restaurants’ offerings, often ordering dishes that weren’t prevalent in the region where he grew up.“ He’ll ask to speak to a manager or owner to find out where a restaurant sources certain herbs and other ingredients that he can incorporate into his cooking,” said Martin. “He’s very good at networking.”
As immigrants, the Vus have been grateful for the community’s acceptance and are convinced that sharing their cultures through food opens minds and brings people together, regardless of their backgrounds.
“We just really appreciate all of our regular customers who’ve been with us since we opened,” said Vu. “The community has really supported our restaurant.”
