Saigon Kitchen is a restaurant located at 321 S Blount St, Raleigh. As of late November 2025, the restaurant has been offering a cultural experience to downtown Raleigh through its authentic Vietnamese cuisine.

The eatery offers a large selection of Vietnamese food, most popularly, their House Special Pho. You can explore traditional Vietnamese desserts and drinks with their new items coming soon, such as caramelized banana sticky rice and coconut sticky rice. Main courses generally range from $20 to $30.

Owned and operated by the Tran family, the business is a collaboration between Lisa Tran and her daughter, Jesse Tran, a student at Leesville Road High School. The family intends for the restaurant to serve as a gateway to Vietnamese heritage. “It brings the history of Vietnamese food and Vietnamese cuisine to downtown Raleigh for Americans to try,” said Jesse Tran, a sophomore. 

The project took approximately 18 months to develop. Jesse’s family hoped to create the best environment possible for those looking to give it a try. “My parents first had the idea when they first quit their old restaurant for Express,” Tran shared, “…it took about a year and a half to make everything come true.” Noting that the family’s primary goal was to create an inviting environment for newcomers to Vietnamese cuisine.

One of the restaurant’s main goals was to ensure a homelike environment for incoming customers. “What makes our restaurant different is that people say it’s more lively and has more of a homey atmosphere,” Tran said. 

The restaurant is two stories and offers a variety of seating options, including but not limited to booths and table arrangements. “I hope customers feel welcomed when they leave. Well, I hope they feel welcomed when they enter, but also leave with a full stomach and leave entertained,” said Tran.

According to the Saigon Kitchen website, every recipe has a story, which creates a home-style atmosphere. You can discover more of their menu and story at https://saigonkitchenraleigh.com/. The restaurant offers both online take-out and sit-down options for customers’ convenience. 

For the Tran family, this is not just a restaurant — it’s a culture they plan to share with the Leesville community.