welcoming & homey. some of crofton's best restaurants are sitting in drive-up shopping centers that are ubiquitous throughout the town. saigon noodle house sits between a hardware store and a thrift shop. you won't be impressed by the exterior, but open the doors and the interior will impress-if only for the dining room's welcoming, homey mood. the wait staff was all smiles and provided friendly service.
the menu is a laminated booklet with vietnamese and thai food choices. my girlfriend and i ordered the fried squid and vegetarian spring rolls for our appetizers (see photos). the fried squid was a satisfying surprise with its light, crispy coating, like air-popped corn, surrounding the meaty nuggets of squid. the spring rolls were stuffed with short rice noodles, crispy carrots, and tofu.
we both ordered the clay pot shrimp for our entrees (see photo). instead of arriving in clay pots, the entrees showed up in aluminum or (i hope) stainless steel pots that had come straight from the oven to our table. the shrimp was tender and tasty, but the overall dish, which included broccoli, zig-zag-carrots, and snow peas, was not much different than a shrimp stir-fry from a typical chinese restaurant. all around us, customers were being served steaming bowls of pho, and i regretted not ordering one for myself. oh well, next time-and there will be a next time.