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Family-run venue dishing up traditional Vietnamese staples in a down-to-earth setup.
Hours
| Sunday | 11:30 AM–9:30 PM |
| Monday | 11:30 AM–9:30 PM |
| Tuesday | 11:30 AM–9:30 PM |
| Wednesday | 11:30 AM–9:30 PM |
| Thursday | 11:30 AM–9:30 PM |
| Friday | 11:30 AM–9:30 PM |
| Saturday | 11:30 AM–9:30 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 203 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003
Phone: (212) 358-8880
Website: http://saomainyc.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Order: Order online
Photo Gallery
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Sao Mai – Review – East Village – New York – The Infatuation
The beef is our go-to of these dishes, and you better be putting a ton of chili sauce in it. That’s key. Pho. The soup at Sao Mai is the crown jewel of the menu …
Reviews
Matthew Ho
Sao mai is probably my favourite Vietnamese restaurant in NYC. The place is very cosy and no-frills, the food is always so inviting and delicious, and price point is so good (especially in the city nowadays haha).
My favourite dish here is the bun bo hue. The broth is sooo fragrant — just the perfect mix of spicy and sour (the lemongrass and shrimp paste flavours both taste so vivid without being too dominant). The noodles are cooked to a nice texture (and come in a large portion size), and the beef slices are so tender and flavourful. So delicious … I’m getting hungry just writing this haha.
I also really like the bun thit nuong for one of the non-soup noodle dishes. The mix of lettuce and carrots is always so crispy and fresh, and the veggies complement the perfectly-grilled pork strips so well. Adding a bit of fish sauces adds a nice depth of flavour when mixed into the dry rice noodles, and every bite, combining a bit of meat, carbs, and veggies, is wonderfully balanced.
The pho dishes are also fantastic. Pho tai is a particular favourite (the beef slices are so juicy and tender), and the broth is just so aromatic without being too salty or oily.
The price point overall is so good — it’s hard to find such a good value in the city nowadays. The appetisers can be a bit pricey, relatively speaking (I like their summer rolls, but it feels like I should just get another entree at that point haha), but each bowl of noodles is usually in the mid $10-20. So worth.
I can’t wait to come back again 🙂
… moreMy favourite dish here is the bun bo hue. The broth is sooo fragrant — just the perfect mix of spicy and sour (the lemongrass and shrimp paste flavours both taste so vivid without being too dominant). The noodles are cooked to a nice texture (and come in a large portion size), and the beef slices are so tender and flavourful. So delicious … I’m getting hungry just writing this haha.
I also really like the bun thit nuong for one of the non-soup noodle dishes. The mix of lettuce and carrots is always so crispy and fresh, and the veggies complement the perfectly-grilled pork strips so well. Adding a bit of fish sauces adds a nice depth of flavour when mixed into the dry rice noodles, and every bite, combining a bit of meat, carbs, and veggies, is wonderfully balanced.
The pho dishes are also fantastic. Pho tai is a particular favourite (the beef slices are so juicy and tender), and the broth is just so aromatic without being too salty or oily.
The price point overall is so good — it’s hard to find such a good value in the city nowadays. The appetisers can be a bit pricey, relatively speaking (I like their summer rolls, but it feels like I should just get another entree at that point haha), but each bowl of noodles is usually in the mid $10-20. So worth.
I can’t wait to come back again 🙂
Brittney Bishop
The Com Chien Sao Mai dish, which consisted of House Special fried rice with Ginger fried rice, shrimp, chicken, and spam accompanied by a pork chop, was exceptional. I intend to reorder this dish frequently due to its perfection. The culinary expertise displayed was evident, and the meal was prepared with evident care. I highly recommend this establishment, rating it a 10/10.
… moreJessica Mui
i will mourn if this place ever closes. this is my favorite place to get bun bo hue in the city – it’s only mildly spicy, but spicier than other vietnamese spots. saying i love the bun bo hue here would be a serious understatement. i’ve come back three times in the span of a month. please try their bun bo hue! i’ve tried most of their drink selection as well, and i really like their milk tea! it reminds me of hong kong style milk tea.
… moreCecilia Lee
Food 2.75/5
Service 4.5/5
Ambiance 3/5
I had high expectations for the pho here since many people rave about the bun bo hue, but it wasn’t quite for me. I’m usually someone who finishes all the broth, but this one had a distinct, slightly gamey aroma that didn’t match my personal taste. The meat in the BBH was a bit overcooked for my preference, though I can see how others might enjoy it.
… moreService 4.5/5
Ambiance 3/5
I had high expectations for the pho here since many people rave about the bun bo hue, but it wasn’t quite for me. I’m usually someone who finishes all the broth, but this one had a distinct, slightly gamey aroma that didn’t match my personal taste. The meat in the BBH was a bit overcooked for my preference, though I can see how others might enjoy it.
Jennel Jackson
This was my first time trying pho, and I instantly fell in love! The broth was incredible, the meat perfectly cooked, and the noodles were outstanding. Despite the restaurant being packed, we only waited about 15 minutes for a seat. Everything about the experience was amazing—I still think about it to this day!
… moreHelen G
The pho is excellent, borderline healing. I felt instantly better after I ate it. I got the classic beef pho and it was a huge portion. The service was good too — it’s nothing fancy but it really hits the spot. You can tell the recipes are authentic and the food is flavorful — solid Vietnamese food.
… moreIsabella Rodriguez
The food on white plate is from Pho Grand – 277C Grand St, Ny, NY, 10002 because if you really want amazing rolls, you should go there. Even the peanut
Sauce feels homemade.
Rolls from togo plastic container is from Sao Mai amd isa 7/10. The ingredients are fresh but smaller. Peanut sauce dont look and dont taste aunthentic. Maybe it has water on it. It does taste like peanut but it seems like store brought sauce.
I paid $17 for 2 orders of these shrimp rolls. It was good but It could had been better
… moreSauce feels homemade.
Rolls from togo plastic container is from Sao Mai amd isa 7/10. The ingredients are fresh but smaller. Peanut sauce dont look and dont taste aunthentic. Maybe it has water on it. It does taste like peanut but it seems like store brought sauce.
I paid $17 for 2 orders of these shrimp rolls. It was good but It could had been better
Amy McCloskey
I’ve had Pho all over Vietnam. Even in the airport just before flying out. It never let me down. The broth was always deeply flavorful and restorative, like it had been cooking for days from a recipe passed down for centuries. And the herbs and vegetables tasted like they’d come out of the garden that morning. There may be other places in this city that can recreate that experience, but my place is Sao Mai. When they put the bowl in front of you everything else recedes and your senses focus on the broth, the perfectly cooked noodles, and the fresh Thai basil, bean sprouts, and lime they offer to add in. (There’s also jalapeños, sriracha, and hoisin, but I like what I like.)
It’s not an exact recreation of the Vietnam experience. You’d get an entire bouquet of herbs to add in there. But it’s still deeply satisfying for both taste buds and body.
If we eat in we also get their coffee with sweetened condensed milk, which is totally worth the wait.
They have many other tasty things on the menu that are authentic and worth trying, but when I want pho, I end up here.
The atmosphere is East Village real, the staff is cheerful and capable, the prices are absolutely great for the amount of food you get (especially these days!).
… moreIt’s not an exact recreation of the Vietnam experience. You’d get an entire bouquet of herbs to add in there. But it’s still deeply satisfying for both taste buds and body.
If we eat in we also get their coffee with sweetened condensed milk, which is totally worth the wait.
They have many other tasty things on the menu that are authentic and worth trying, but when I want pho, I end up here.
The atmosphere is East Village real, the staff is cheerful and capable, the prices are absolutely great for the amount of food you get (especially these days!).
Jennie M
The pork bahn mi and the bun bo hue broth were good, with nice flavor overall. But the noodles in the bun bo hue were a bit undercooked. It was busy when we visited on a Saturday for lunch, felt rushed to finish our meal.
… moreJenny Leon
Delicious pho- flavorful broth and decadent beef. It’s reasonably priced at $15. Great service and lovely ambience. Would recommend
… more