Saigon Market and Restaurant does a bustling business in a pocket of global cuisine on Lafayette Road where falafel is as available as tamales and pho as fowl. The market may come first in the name, but the restaurant does not get short shrift.

In a completely separate space from the packed shelves, Saigon offers a lovely environment, fresh food and some screaming deals. (A $4.95 weekday lunch special includes entree, soup and spring roll? Believe it.)

The Food

From a menu hundreds of items long and featuring "Vietnamese cuisine and Oriental favorites," choosing is almost a chore. Ample noodle dishes (about a dozen types of pho alone), stir fries, grilled entrees, hot pots, curried dishes and even sandwiches mean that if you can't find something intriguing, you're just not trying.

We started with sweet lemongrass beef rolls ($4.95). The meat was tender and pungent, wrapped around onion and incongruous white, creamy cheese. The papaya salad ($7.95) was lovely, mounded high with shredded papaya, shrimp, thin-sliced pork, cilantro and mint with a light, sweet-chili dressing.

Rather than wrestle the menu, I opted for our waiter's recommendation, a rice vermicelli dish with flavorful marinated pork and sliced spring roll ($6.50). My guest wasn't as excited about her ginger shrimp ($7.95), a rice dish with straw mushrooms and fresh peppers and onions. A little sriracha hot pepper sauce, which sits on each table, perked it up considerably and made the ginger flavor pop.

Although each dish was fresh and colorful, the seasonings seemed to have been rationed by a too-restrained hand, and we found ourselves reaching for the tabletop condiments again and again.

The Service

We were served well by an elegant waiter who was quick with a refill and forthcoming with recommendations.

The Atmosphere

The restaurant is snug and inviting, with a low-lit atmosphere heavy on the mauve and several small paintings that allude to the sultry home of the cuisine. Two rows of booths and a few larger tables in the middle of the long and narrow dining room don't stay empty for long. Even during typically slow hours, steaming bowls of soup and noodles emerge regularly from the kitchen for the ever-present diners.

The Price

At $37 for two, including tax and tip, it's an inexpensive dinner. Portions and quality were generous, compared with the prices.

Next Time

We learned too late in this venture that most dishes start mild, but that diners are welcome to ask for extra heat. I'm all over that like white on rice.

-- By Traci Cumbay / Star Correspondent, 1/12/2007