Being of mixed Japanese heritage, I have to have some “real” authentic Japanese food weekly. I started visiting Japanese Restaurant Masuo about a month ago. It is located near Pham Ngu Lao at 106 Le Lai street in Saigon’s District 1 (It is not far from Nguyen Thi Nghia street).
The first thing to notice about Masuo is the large number of Japanese patrons in the restaurant. Masuo is very popular with Japanese expats in Saigon.
Masuo is run by an older Japanese couple with their son. They also have about 2-3 Vietnamese waitresses to help out
There is a large selection of items to choose from in the menu. Sushi lovers will have a good selection. Noodle lovers as well.
Since I tend to eat fried salmon (sakae furai) at Japanese restaurants, I looked for this item in the menu. It was not on the menu but the owner still made it for me (twice now). I got my fried salmon as a set with miso soup, a small salad, and rice.
My verdict?
For me, this is the current best sakae furai I have had in Saigon. What I liked about Masuo’s sakae furai was the portion size. This was by far the largest portion any Japanese restaurant I have tried so far in Saigon. Both Sushi Bar and Hokkaido now give smaller portions for this dish. I normally have to order some side dishes to get filled up. Not at Masuo.
Conclusion
I think it is worth it. The prices may be a bit lower than Sushi Bar but comparable to Hokkaido. Give it a try if you are interested in authentic Japanese food.
Masuo Japanese Restaurant – 106 Le Lai, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, HCMC, Vietnam.
Telephone: 0907758340 / 0903587142