Zen Saigon

Very nice little sit down restaurant. The menu is limited (what you see online is really all that they offer), but we think that’s fine — especially for the off-​season. We started with the shrimp and pork rolls that could have used a bit more shrimp and pork. We loved the peanut sauce and the rolls were nice and tight — so they didn’t fall apart after the first bite.
The special beef noodle soup was a hit — good sized portion and tasty. The house special fried rice was tasty also, but not what we expected — you have to «mix» everything yourself. Regardless, the rice was tasty.
Service was very quick and friendly. The owner came out to meet us and was very humble and funny. We will be back again!

I’m a big fan of Vietnamese and there’s plenty of outstanding options in NoVA so I was skeptical.
Called ahead for two orders of pork egg rolls, the house special rice plate, and pork bún (vermicelli) to go. Friendly service on the phone, got the order right on the first shot. Arrived to a very attentive waitress who packaged up the order and kindly offered me a beverage while I waited for the kitchen to finish up.
Got back to the house and started to munch 25 minutes later. Food was packaged properly and kept very well. Quality was excellent… each dish was perfectly executed and the perfect blend of freshness, fattiness, and crisp that makes Vietnamese so good. No question… we’ll be back.

seriously awesome vietnamese food! phở is amazing and all of the dumplings are awesome! egg rolls are out of this world and the bahn mi is great too! cool beer selection too! all of the employees are super nice and the food is pretty inexpensive, perfect for these colder fall days!

Excellent Vietnamese food by any standard. We’re vegetarians from Philly, where there are many great restaurants, so usually have to moderate our expectations when we come to Bethany/​Rehoboth. We had fried taro, fried vegetable dumplings, vegetarian vermicelli, and the vegetable Bahn Mi. The taro were thin and perfectly fried, with a spicy mayo dip. The dumplings were light and crispy from deep frying, definitely better than pan fried. The vermicelli was well cooked and spiced, the carrots and other vegetables very fresh, and the included egg roll one of the best I ever had. The Bahn Mi roll had a flaky crust and light interior which was perfect. The sandwich could have used more substantial filling, but the spicy mayo was just right. We got takeout, so we can’t comment on the service. While the menu only has enough vegetarian options for us to visit occasionally, I think we’ll eat there every time we come down.

Have had three good meals there… Phở is very good and the staff is friendly and attentive. If you’re new to the cuisine just ask questions /​they’re happy to make suggestions — everything is fresh and really good. The chef came out with the food and made suggestions as far as the sauces and the fresh lemon and basil that he recommended as well.

The food at this place is LEGIT. Real, delicious, incredibly fresh Vietnamese cuisine.
I was on vacation in Bethany and stopped in with my uncle. We grabbed a Kirin beer at the bar and ordered loads of food to go.
All of the spring rolls are delectable and pretty light. The wings are outrageously good and I would HIGHLY suggest them. The fried rice is bangin’ and the service was pretty slammin’ too. Really nice people. Met the chef who I’m pretty sure is an owner. Cool guy.
Really hope this place is here for a while so I can come every summer.

Definitely will be back!
I’ve tried their banh mi, phở, egg rolls, fresh spring rolls, and shrimp dumplings during my two visits. All were delicious and authentic but my least favorite was phở. Phở noodle portion is small for the price (as with all dishes) and broth seemed a little watered down. This will not stop me from coming back and trying it again as everything else was all I hoped it to be and more.
Service needs no improvement and was superb both occasions.
Drink menu’s broad with amazing selections. House drink specialties are a must.
There’s so much more this place offers that I want try and have no doubt will not be let down.

So I am Vietnamese, but I don’t claim to be an expert. I mean, I have just been eating Vietnamese food my whole life! This gem of a restaurant opened up recently. We were at our beach condo in Bethany one weekend and driving to the beach when I spotted a sign that said «Zen…» and couldn’t make out the rest. Wait, Asian restaurant? So I Unilocaled it and Lo and behold we got Vietnamese in the area?! Barely holding my excitement, I knew we had to try. I mean, Phở at the beach? Come on baby! Bo Luc Lac (aka shaken/​shaky beef)! Grilled pork chop with fried egg on top and Nuoc Mam (aka viet fish sauce)! I can drink the Nuoc Mam!
So one late night, we lugged our 3 year old and 4 month old here for dinner. Walked in and saw all American workers (trying to be PC and saying non-​viet), except for a few at the bar which I gotta believe is the owner and relatives. You know how us Asians roll, keep bidness in the family. Besides its smart to hire servers that are similar to the majority of clientele in Bethany. No hatin here! Our server was a delight as she was super friendly and making good small talk with us. She provided good recs, although I was already well versed in Viet food, it was appreciated. Need to come next time for other dishes like Phở and beef stew. The downside is the higher than normal prices and portions but that doesn’t bother me too much. There is no really good Asian (Including Chinese restaurant around that I know of) in the beach area so I’ll pay up for a good place!
Oh forgot about the food, we had fried egg over pork chop and rice with Vietnamese sausage. Really good dish, egg cooked perfectly and goes well with pork chop and rice. Of course Vietnamese fish sauce on top completes it. Their spring rolls are super good, like how mom makes it at home! Taro fries are good but a bit strange to me, not used to it. My wife had the vermicelli noodles bowl that she thought was ok.
The Good:
— the food! Spring rolls are a must and their rice dish with egg and pork chop is delicious
— service is excellent! Server was young blonde lady who was attentive and friendly.
— décor is nice for a Vietnamese restaurant if you know what I mean
The Bad:
— location is easy to miss but not their fault
— prices are expensive for Vietnamese food! Understand its at the beach but phở isn’t meant to cost that much!

Another new spot in Bethany with tasty food and good service. This was the first and last place we ate on our vacay. The menu is small, but the food and cocktails are great. Everything tasted very fresh and wasn’t at all greasy. Thanks for the great service, Luke!

The menu selection is small and the prices are big. Being Vietnamese, we can tell that the food dishes was not even close to being an authentic Vietnamese restaurant. One of our phở noodles wasn’t even fully cooked. The staff was really nice and the décor is nice with a chandelier in the middle. It appears to be a good place to eat that’s near Ocean City for our vacation based on Unilocal reviews but the food dishes was a disappointment.

Good Vietnamese food. No sign of management but service was steady. Food was lukewarm but otherwise good. Nice cocktail menu but extraordinarily expensive. Food costs were most reasonable. As a Bethany frequent diner I don’t know how this place will survive. Add some sushi and some upscale Asian and they will have a home run.

Never ever come here again!!! Really bad service foods not good even drink take to long

This is definitely a new & hot place on Bethany Beach that is a must try! I’d have to say that my expectations for phở are pretty high since I’ve tried many other ones and Zen Saigon is definitely doing the job! I’m a super picky eater but Phoung accommodated to my needs and brought out a «personalized» bowl of phở :) Also, Kenny recommended a nice, new drink called «Fresh Ginger Martini» (dont quote me on the actual name) and it was amazing! Also, I have to mention that their Taro Fries were so good and it is something different compared to other Vietnamese menus I’ve encountered.
Many reviews had comments like limited choices on the menu but I actually see that as a pro because all the «top choices» are pretty much on there. In fact, when a Vietnamese restaurant has too many choices, it can make me indecisive.
Nonetheless, definitely give Zen Saigon a shot and you will not be disappointed :) great food & customer service !

OK… so the wife and I are ex-​pat New Yawkers, and we spend a good portion of our retirement days wistfully remembering the Thai and Vietnamese restaurants that were minutes from out apartment in the city… We have found two Thai places a short drive away but the absolute absence of a nearby Viet place is depressing to say the least. That was why, after coming back from a day trip to Ocean City, my wife did a Google on a place called «Ec…Thai» that we passed on the way back up to Lewes. When she did, Zen Saigon was revealed! OMG!!! HONEY!!! LOOK AT THIS!!! etc… You get the picture.
OK…so two days later and here we are. From the minute you walk through the door the impression is a good one. Very classy and somewhat intimate feel. Beautiful rustic wood tables and some very nice jazz/​fusion playing on the sound system (you would never guess from the exterior strip mall it rests in, but don’t ever judge a book…). The menu is limited but the offerings are pretty much the most popular dishes on a typical vietnamese card. It wasn’t hard to choose. We started with the Cha gio (Vietnamese Egg Rolls: Pork) and the Banh quai vac (Fried Dumplings: Pork again). First impressions: The Egg Rolls were wonderfully flaky and nicely browned. Nice size but I’m used to portions of 4 or 8 and here you get 2, both cut in half, about the size of 4 in a typical V.R. Having said that, I will tell you that both appetizers were absolutely delicious, fresh and obviously cooked to order. Full disclosure: my wife felt that there was just something missing spice-​wise in the Egg Rolls. She also missed the usual mountain of lettuce used to to wrap them up and dip them. We had but two, decent sized lettuce leaves on our plate. NOT a real problem: 7.5 out of 10 from her. 8 from me. The dipping sauce was excellent.
After openers we chose the Bo Lu Lac (Shaken Beef) and the Bun thjt nuong cha gio (Lemongrass Pork Vermicelli). The Shaken Beef was sauteed in a smooth, subtle sauce, excellent, but the beef was just a bit too tough. There was also only a small daub of rice in a corner of the plate, barely enough for one, let alone two people eating «family style.» 7 from the wife 7.5 from me. We both felt that the seasoning could have been just a little more «mouth popping,» and because of the prices, we expected just a little bit more on the plate. The Lemongrass Pork Vermicelli is known by other names depending upon the establishment, but it’s a basic and very, very popular dish with Americans (I’ve eaten in some authentic, local family places in brooklyn and the vietnamese families never seemed to touch the stuff). It’s most often called «Grilled Pork with Rice Vermicelli. I think what I missed was the «grilled» flavor of the pork, which my wife and I toss and toss into the noodles to flavor them before mixing in the pickled daikon, carrots, cucumbers and… oh, yeah, mint leaves: there was just one little sprig which my wife found with her last serving. The portion here was what we are used to. Again: and please don’t misunderstand, I’m being harder than usual because Vietnamese is my favorite «craving» food, and we’d both been craving pretty bad for quite a while! The food was delicious, but just a hair from that «mouth-​popping» thing we have come to expect. Wife: 7, Me 7.5 again.
OK, to sum up: This place is wonderful. We took our time, enjoyed the atmosphere, laughed at how excited we were to be eating Vietnamese again, and just had a nice, 90 minute early dinner (we discovered them Sunday, they’re closed monday, and we couldn’t wait much longer on Tuesday so we were eating by 1 P. M). The service was quick (without a rush) and professional and exceedingly friendly. Chef K is obviously talented and just as obviously takes great care in his work and preparation. Like I said, every single dish was fresh and clearly made to order. We will DEFINITELY be back, and soon. I’m not sure if Chef K or his staff read these reviews, but if they do I have a request: Please put Hot and Sour shrimp soup on the menu! Also, we’ve eaten feasts in V. R’s in NY and the bill came to $ 25 – 30. The prices here are a bit more, and the portions should reflect that. Final word from us: 4 out of 5, and a «Must Go» for anyone at the shore, living or visiting. Enjoy!

Its true that you could get similar phở in any metropolitan area, and its a bit overpriced comparatively ($ 11). But its also true this is the first and only Vietnamese place in Bethany in at least 20 years (as far as Ive known)!!!
The lemongrass vermicelli was delicious and the beef phở’s broth was delicious, with a richness and umami you can only get from properly simmering the beef marrow and meat for many hours. Owners and servers were very polite and enthusiastic. I truly hope this place thrives because it adds sorely needed variety to the food scene at BB! Maybe their costs will come down as they recoup startup costs in the coming months.

Finally! A Vietnamese restaurant at the First Shore! I’ll be honest while I was excited to try it, I was afraid of it being less than expected. I was wrong.
This resraurant is tucked away in a strip mall off of rt 26 on the edge of Bethany Beach and Ocean View. We missed it the first time and had to turn around and come back to find it. Only a minor inconvenience.
The décor and atmosphere are nice. The menu has everything you would expect from a Vietnamese restaurant… Phở, Banh Mi, Spring Rolls, etc. If you’ve read my other reviews, you’d know I’m a Phở addict so this is what I went with.
I started with the shrimp and pork summer rolls. They were excellent… Good portion size, excellent texture, and the peanut sauce was excellent. I am happy the chef chose to go with mint insdie his summer rolls rather than thai basil… this made for an extra ‘kick’ that was very clean and pleasant.
For my main course, I got my usual Phở Dac Biet (noodle soup with «everything»). The broth is excellent and flavorful, generous portions of meat and noodles, and onions 2-​ways was a nice touch… usually you have to order these seperate for a small charge everywhere else.
The ONLY thing I can gripe about is the amount of fresh veggies they give you for the soup. Every other phở place I’ve gone to gives you a heaping pile of bean sprouts, thai basil, lime wedges, cilantro, and jalapenos… here? I was discouraged to see they gave barely a handful of sprouts, 1 basil leaf, 1 dry lime wedge, and 2 jalapeño rings. This was a disappointment enough to drop their rating from 5 to 4 stars.
That being said it is a relief to find a phở place nearby, albeit a good one!
Their bar seems well stocked… and was happy to see a decent selection of Asian beer (other than the cliché Sapporo and Kirin… which are actually made here). They have Vietnamese and Laos beer.

Vietnamese food is a welcome change in Bethany. The food is fresh and the service is good. The menu is a bit limited and the prices are a bit high based on the portion size. The Lemon Grass Vermicelli is an excellent dish however only a few strips of pork as the only protein. Hope they expand the menu and either increase the portion size.

Tucked into a local strip mall on Rt 26 here in Bethany, this nice Thai-​Vietnamese combo restaurant is starting to get traction with locals and tourists alike. The menu offerings are good for both carnivores and vegetarians, and the chef will tone down the spice or vegan-​ize dishes when asked.
Tonight we had several dishes including a vegetarian vermicelli with julienne Thai veggies and lemon soy sauce, veggie spring rolls, dumplings, papaya salad, taro fries and cucumber salad which were all nicely done. I didn’t care for the taro fries, but my wife enjoyed them.
Ryan was our very friendly and knowledgeable waiter, and hope to get him again the next time we visit.
All in all, a very nice place. No desserts available tonight, so that’s something we hope management will sort out. Nothing like putting out the fire from Thai and Vietnamese cooking with something sweet! Mango sticky rice maybe?
I’m sure the Phở is probably very good, but they didn’t offer a vegetarian version for us unfortunately.
The drinks menu looked appealing, but we indulged only in ice teas tonight.
Enjoy!

Definitely not the best Vietnamese I’ve ever had. Contrary to my usual Vietnamese experience, portions were tiny, and expensive. The restaurant was about half full but the service was slow, Staff appeared inexperienced and uninterested. Unfortunate. There’s a lot of potential in this area. I give them six months.

The food itself is good however the restaurant was understaffed and it took close to an hour between ordering and eating. There was only one waitress for the entire place. If it was properly staffed I would consider going back.