Creative off-Strip weekend brunch options are thriving like never before, and the newest don’t-miss event is happening Downtown. Saigon Sundays bring a party atmosphere to Le Pho on the first Sunday of every month, and owner Khai Vu says that’s the objective. “We want to showcase our food and the Vietnamese culture,” he says. “And in Saigon, Sunday is family and friends day. We get together for lunch and party.”
Big-screen televisions have found their ideal usage now that football season has started. A DJ spins everything from early Prince cuts to modern beats. Mingling is a must. Sharing food with your neighbors is encouraged. And this is food you’ll want to enjoy with others.
“The menu is based on food that I grew up eating at the farmers market,”.says Vu, who also owns the popular District One Kitchen & Bar in Chinatown. “My grandma used to take all the grandkids to the market and just let us eat up whatever we wanted from local vendors on the weekend.”
Vu has used this memory to create items like Saigon steak and eggs, an upscale treatment of the truck-stop classic featuring filet mignon and vegetables in black pepper sauce with two sunny-side eggs and a baguette. There’s also a banh mi cheesesteak, which proves that yes, you can elevate both sandwiches as one. And the chicken congee (rice porridge) is so tasty and perfect for hangovers, you’ll want to get drunk the night before just to eat it on Sunday morning.
Le Pho 353 E. Bonneville Ave. #115, 702-382-0209. Saigon Sundays brunch, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
