The call
This page is kept as part of the dated record. The order notes below describe the place as Roger recommended it, not as it operates today.
What to order
Best for
- A cautionary tale
Vietnamese
Saigon on Fifth
A longtime late-night default that lost Roger after new management: a bland $13 noodle soup and frozen fish sold as sea bass.
Closed
Saigon on Fifth is listed as closed. Roger’s one-star review is kept as part of the dated record.
Yelp — Saigon on Fifth listed as closed (checked 2026-09-16) (2026-09-16) ↗From Roger’s camera roll
More photos from Saigon on Fifth
Posted 2012-05-26 
Posted 2014-08-06 
Posted 2015-08-04
From Roger’s Foursquare
On Roger’s lists: Must-visit Vietnamese Restaurants in San Diego.
Source-backed notes
Visit history
Checked in 27 times on Yelp and Swarm, most recently May 12, 2018. See the check-in log
2018year precision · inferred
“New management = drop in quality of food + price increase + unpalatable dishes = unhappy belly.”
One star. The "Mi" soup came with carrots, broccoli and mushrooms in a bland chicken broth, the "Fish of Hue" looked and tasted like frozen whitefish rather than sea bass, and the unpalatable dish stayed on the check.
Stay in the neighborhood
More in Hillcrest.
RecommendedPrice varies
Hillcrest
Cigar Cave
Drinks
Roger's Hillcrest cigar-bar pick, run by an owner (Raul) he calls the friendliest in town, open later than most local lounges with a strong Belgian beer selection on tap and bottle.
- From the order notes
- A cigar paired by Raul · Belgian beer on tap or bottle
- Go for
- Late-night cigar hours · Belgian beer drinkers
Latest recorded visit2025-01-15
Not recommendedPrice varies
Hillcrest
Hong Kong Restaurant
Chinese
A Hillcrest Chinese restaurant Roger says declined after the pandemic, dropping from a two-star review to one star, after an earlier visit he'd already called just okay and Americanized.
- From the order notes
- Go for
- A cautionary tale on a post-pandemic decline
Latest recorded visit2022
Worth trying$$
Hillcrest
Nishiki Ramen - Hillcrest
JapaneseRamen
A Hillcrest location of the Nishiki Ramen chain -- a separate address from the site's existing Kearny Mesa entry -- rated a middling three stars by Roger.
- From the order notes
- Go for
- Ramen in Hillcrest
Latest recorded visit2019-02-02
Keep exploring
More like this.
Browse the Vietnamese page, or continue to another place with a matching cuisine.
Roger’s pickPrice varies
Kearny Mesa
Mien Trung Restaurant
Vietnamese
One of Roger’s favorite spots for bún bò Huế and bún riêu, with seafood dishes he says you rarely see at typical pho houses. Cash only.
- From the order notes
- Bún bò Huế with everything · Bún riêu · The clam dish with shrimp crisps
- Go for
- Getting past the default pho order · A hot, spicy bowl
Latest recorded visit2019-08-25
RecommendedPrice varies
Kearny Mesa
PT Eatery
Vietnamese
A Kearny Mesa Vietnamese spot Roger praised for freshly made, generous portions — nothing mass-ordered frozen — plus made-to-order coffee and wings he ranks among the only two worth ordering at an Asian restaurant in town.
- From the order notes
- Cơm tấm · Bún thịt nướng · Wings · Fresh-brewed coffee
- Go for
- A group order to share · Vietnamese comfort classics
Latest recorded visit2026-02-06