![At the bottom of the third inning, the Lions are still scoreless. Rowe stands at home plate, preparing to bat, while Vandenbrink stands off to the side as the next batter up. Despite having the bases loaded, the team was unable to score any runs. “It’s just the beginning of the season. We’re just going to be playing out best by June, [and] that’s where champions are,” Rowe said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_3077-1200x900.jpg)
![All smiles. The group poses for a photo with last year’s book, “This is Our House,” along with their award for third Best in Show. Meikle, who was an Editor-in-Chief for the yearbook last year as well, holds both and stands at the center of the group. “That was an amazing feeling, going and grabbing the third place award,” Meikle said. “All of it paid off. I cried so much over that book, being able to receive [the award] was one of the highlights of my high school career, it was like the coolest thing ever.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/8bookpose_philly-1200x800.jpg)
The sample was what drew me under the eve of this authentic Vietnamese food cart in downtown Portland. With a smile the owner handed me a toothpick on which was speared the signature culinary art of Saigon Food-to-Go: a chunk of tender, delicious chicken smothered in a flavorful sauce reminiscent of teriyaki.
The large, easily-readable and conveniently-placed menu displayed many dishes and many combinations. Since chicken is a staple of Vietnamese diet, there weren’t many vegetarian options.
There were a few other customers hanging about, waiting in line or for their food, and as the owner, a Vietnamese woman, both prepared food and took orders, she also chatted with me and others standing outside, obviously recognizing most of them. I ordered a “#11”, which included the teriyaki chicken I had sampled, rice, veggies and noodles. The wait for my food was only three or four minutes, and before handing it to me the owner asked me if I wanted any “spicy,” which is a mixture of hot sauce and kind of pepper.
Upon eagerly opening the box, a wave of many different pleasant smells assailed my nose, mostly spices I had never before encountered. The food tasted even better than it smelled: savory, sweet and the “spicy” was indeed so; the food was presented in an honest but appealing way.
Located on Southwest 5th Street and Stark, Saigon Food-to-Go is open Monday through Friday from 10:30 AM until 5 PM. Yelp rates the price range as “Cheap,” with which I have to agree.
I had never tried Vietnamese food before, so it’s difficult to compare Saigon Food-To-Go to a restaurant, but there is, without a doubt, no quicker way in Portland to score a more authentic and delicious taste of another culture.
I give Saigon Food-to-Go four stars out of five due to outstanding service and delicious, authentic Vietnamese food.
