Tucked among the upscale dining options on Yonge and Eglinton, there’s a fresh addition — a family-operated eatery offering budget-friendly Asian cuisine, perfectly timed for soup season.

Though it’s named after a river and city in the southern region, Madame Saigon serves up authentic Vietnamese cuisine
from across the country, with a contemporary twist. The restaurant was introduced to infuse the neighbourhood with a fresh culinary experience.

“At Yonge and Eglinton, there were no Vietnamese restaurants,” says Tom Ha, the owner of Madame Saigon. “Nothing that stood out as authentic, delicious and reasonably priced.”

Affordability is the key here, with most menu items priced$17 or below — inexpensive compared to Toronto’s ever-risng dining costs. But it’s not just the lower prices that make Madame Saigon accessible to a wide demographic; the array of options, spanning from soup and pho to noodles and fried rice, offers a variety of choices for diners.

One might be surprised to learn that it’s the famous Cambodian noodle soup that stands as one of Madame Saigon’s most
popular dishes. Made with pork, this soup blends diverse Asian flavours, reflecting the heritage of the chef who hails from Cambodia with roots in Vietnam.

This Madame Saigon location comes following the success of the Scarborough branch which opened shortly before the pandemic. Though much of the menu remains consistent across both locations, there are plans to unveil distinct specials that cater to the unique demands of each neighbourhood.

Though it has only just opened, Madame Saigon is already very busy, and Ha says he never anticipated the “incredibly warm reception” from the com- munity. With fall on the horizon, he only anticipates it getting busier.

“It’s starting to cool down a bit,” he says. “And there’s nothing better than a piping hot bowl of pho on the patio.”

Madame Saigon is located at 2038 Yonge St.