Welcome Saigon Spring Rolls at 409 St Paul St, a new cafe that’s offering a signature and modern take on classic Asian dishes. The co-founder Patrick Le brings a piece of Vietnam to the Downtown core with this venture.
Patrick is an international student from Vietnam who graduated from the Culinary Management program at Niagara College. During his 5 years in Canada, he has worked for a big winery (Megalomaniac) and as a manager for another Vietnamese restaurant. Savio and Elias are the other founders behind Saigon Spring Rolls. Savio has been in the I.T. (Information Technology) field for over 20 years and is the CEO of a major bank security firm in Vietnam. He noticed that most of the Vietnamese restaurants in Canada focused solely on Pho and wanted to show another side of the cuisine. The other co-founder Elias has a mixology background and has been in the industry for over 7 years. He is the mastermind behind Saigon’s delectable beverages. Realizing that there was an opening in the market for a fresh, culinary spin on their culture, Patrick, Savio and Elias combined their strengths to create this eatery.
Before there was a storefront, Saigon Spring Rolls used to attend food festivals. At the Taste of Asia festival in Markham, they had a huge demand and a line for hours. Many customers raved and asked them if there was a constant location. Seeing the demand, Patrick knew they needed a store immediately to keep this buzz. He mentions that he wanted Downtown St. Catharines because of its proximity to Brock University and Niagara College. He also shares that he was encouraged by how many small, local businesses were in the core as well. Saigon Spring Rolls celebrated their grand opening late September with the Mayor.
Saigon Spring Rolls boasts, “elite Vietnamese cuisine”. This can be seen through their innovative menu. They offer banh mi (traditional Vietnamese sandwich), spring rolls (fresh and fried), sticky rice, iced coffee, bubble tea, an array of desserts, as well as a lot of vegetarian options. Patrick reveals that Saigon’s banh mis have a special touch. Typically, a pork pate is used but here they use chicken to stand out and offer a different approach. The bestseller is the lemongrass beef sandwich that is especially a fan favourite from their American customers. The drink menu is bursting with flavour. Patrick shares that they have a special juicer to ensure top quality beverages as well. From their energizing coffee to their refreshing bubble teas, you won’t be able to find more unique drinks. This restaurant prides themselves on using fresh ingredients to showcase their high quality and elite flavours. Saigon’s mission is to bring a remarkable touch to traditional meals and while the meals are modern, they’re all cooked the old school way. Meals are available for take out, dine in and on online food delivery services. Patrick wants customers to think of here as a modern Vietnamese cafe, where they can come from a sandwich and a coffee.
The future for Saigon Spring Rolls is bright. Patrick divulges that there are plans to attend more food festivals to raise brand awareness. He also reveals that they will partake in a seasonal menu and is excited to invent new dishes. The dream is to open another location that will be larger and closer to Brock in 5 years.
We are so excited to see them embark on this new business venture and encourage you to visit for lunch or dinner!
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