Miss Saigon brings Vietnamese dining and a nightlife scene to Center City

Center City Philadelphia is not known for splashy Vietnamese restaurants, much less Vietnamese restaurants with shimmering lounges and three bars.

Now comes Miss Saigon, in soft-opening mode at 1316 Walnut St. from entrepreneurs Kenny Poon and Dave Taing, with a cast of partners, including chef Tommy Tran, general manager Chuong Nguyen, and designer Kevin Kaing. They have turned the former Toasted Walnut into a bold and bright scene on two levels beneath hanging-basket lights, pop-art murals by Frewil Design (Wilfredo Morales), and a green wall up front.

The menu is Saigon-style street food — a combination of traditional favorites and some more contemporary dishes such as mỡ hành razor clams.

By Miss Saigon’s front door is the main bar, with a removable stage that will be used for drag shows. The epoxy main bar lights up within, giving a happy feeling but throwing off your phone camera’s light balance.

On the street level, down a ramp, is the dining room with its own bar. Upstairs are a full lounge, DJ booth, and a private karaoke room.

Tran, a Saigon-born food-truck operator in Maryland, saw an opportunity when they heard of Poon and Taing’s plans. Tran relocated here with his wife, Erin, a healthcare consultant and Saigon native. (As the kitchen ramps up, Erin Tran has been pitching in by expediting.)

Dishes are easy to build a meal around: the “skinni mini banh mi” on special rolls from South Philadelphia’s Ba Le Bakery ($12), banh khot ($20), beautifully presented grilled river prawns in an herby sauce ($38), shaking beef (that’s 8 ounces of filet mignon, $35), summer rolls ($8), and “torpedo” shrimp and pork egg rolls ($7) with whole shrimp whose tails extend out from the roll wrapper. The three-beef pho will be served regular size at lunch but only in a small bowl at dinner, as Poon does not want customers to make a dinner of “just soup. There are so many other things to try,” he said.

Some cocktails are themed to the colors of the Philly pride flag ($16), such as the yellow Never Ninh Binh with silver tequila, passion fruit-mango puree, lime, and spiced salt. There’s also a list of Vietnamese-inspired drinks ($17), such as Express to Hue, an espresso martini made with Vietnamese coffee. The bar prep work involves the kitchen, as drinks use fresh fruits and syrups.

The restaurant’s name is unrelated to the Broadway show. The wordplay was inspired by Miss Korea, a Korean barbecue restaurant in New York that Poon and Taing visited.

“To us, the name Miss Saigon represents all Vietnamese women,” said Taing, 43, whose Chinese family emigrated from Cambodia. “We wanted to empower Vietnamese cuisine and the women behind it. In this case, it’s Tommy’s mom, who taught him everything while growing up, his wife, Erin, and my wife Hang.”

The Fujian-born, Hong Kong-raised Poon, 44, founded the Tea Do bubble tea chain and owns Chinatown Square with Taing. Poon and Taing also are local Bonchon chicken franchisees.

Besides the IHOP, this block also includes two yearlings with liquor licenses: Grandma’s Philly, a Thai destination, and Jomon, which serves Japanese tabletop barbecue.

Miss Saigon, 1316 Walnut St. Current hours, through Dec. 2, are 4 to 10 p.m. for dinner, with happy hour from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. and lounge/DJ from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Check Instagram for future hours and the lunch debut. It’s ADA-accessible.