Saigon Noodle is now Water Mill, located across from Eastgate. Click to enlarge.
photo by Janet Wilson
A local favorite has moved to a new, larger location. The Saigon Noodle, formerly located at 6312 Bonny Oaks Drive, has moved to the former Gulas/Coney’s building across from Eastgate, at 5665 Brainerd Road. And – not only have they moved, they have changed their name to Water Mill.
In addition to serving Vietnamese Cuisine, they are also including Korean Cuisine. We found their menu a little easier to decipher in comparison to a recent visit at another Korean restaurant. The owner was very pleasant, friendly and smiling, while our server seemed unhappy, offering no smile or friendliness. She also seemed rather “harried” and “confused” – as if she didn’t know which way to go next.
The service was a tad slower than we like – it was nine minutes before anyone came to take our order – and then they didn’t have Wayne’s Diet Coke, so he opted for water. The appetizer arrived at twenty-two minutes – which really wasn’t bad considering they are freshly made and we understand it takes time, but I do worry about the length of time it might take if the restaurant were full of customers. This time there was only about five tables occupied and a couple of those were already eating when we arrived.
We decided to order the Appetizer Sampler ($7.95) to share. This consisted of Egg Rolls, Spring Rolls and Korean Seafood Pizza – it is served with a different sauce for each. I have to say that Egg Rolls are usually “blah” in my opinion – they just don’t “grab me”. However, these Egg Rolls were delicious. For one thing, they were obviously very fresh; you could just taste the difference. The outside of the roll was more of a smooth pastry that the ones we are usually served – they were crisp instead of the rubbery “chewy” style. Even Wayne – who does not like Egg Rolls at all – thought they were good, although his favorite was the Spring Rolls.
We both enjoyed the Korean Seafood Pizza, even though it was a little difficult to hold since the crust seemed extra moist and soft, rather than having enough “body” to hold its shape. I found it easier to use a fork. The pizza toppings consisted of green onions, carrots, onions, shrimp, squid, mussels and hot peppers – a little different – but definitely worth a taste.
To tell you the truth, I enjoyed the Egg Rolls more than anything else. I was a little disappointed in my entrée. I ordered the Shrimp Vermicelli (Bun Tom Nuong) for $7.50. Ingredients included charbroiled shrimp, lettuce, mint, bean sprouts, cucumber, and rice vermicelli. The disappointment was due to the fact that I thought it was going to be hot (not spicy, just heated), but it was more like a salad. On the bottom was a bed of lettuce, bean sprouts and cucumbers, was topped with the rice vermicelli (cold), and then the remaining toppings. The shrimp was delicious and I think I probably would have found it more to my liking had the vermicelli just been heated.
Wayne on the other hand, did get a hot meal. He ordered the House special combination fried rice (Com Chien Xiu Xiu) for $6.95). This is a mixture of shrimp, roasted pork and chicken combined with rice – by all appearances it is a large platter of rice because everything else is chopped up and mixed right in. They did give him a generous serving as he had quite a bit left to take home – although not as much as I did.
Water Mill has a list of nine appetizers priced from $1.95 to $19.95. The $19.95 appetizer is a Special Spring Roll – you try to wrap your own. That should be interesting!
Other menu categories include Rice Dishes, Fried Seafood, Beef Rice Noodle Soup, Chicken or Seafood Rice Noodle Soup, Vegetarian Dishes, Stir Fry Rice Noodle, Vermicelli, Hot Pot and Chef’s Specialties. Entrée prices range from $5.95 to $16.95. There are a few higher menu prices, but they are meals for two. One dessert is offered – Crystal Banana – fried banana with a scoop of ice cream finished with Chocolate Syrup and a Cherry - $3.50.
There is a list of fourteen drinks, quite a few of which are out of the ordinary, such as Chanh Muoi (Salted Lime); Nuoc Dua (Young Coconut Juice) and Xi Mioi (Salted Plum). You will also find the popular Thai Tea, along with French Filtered coffee.
I was a little disappointed in the restroom - it's still the same depressing look as it has been under each of the previous establishments.
Hours for Water Mill are Monday through Saturday 11:00 AM until 11:00 PM; Sunday 1:00 until 9:00 PM.
ChattanoogaDineOut.com has submitted this article to www.Chattanoogan.com for publication. It may not be reproduced, all or in part, without the expressed written consent of Chattanooga Dine Out.
(Chattanooga Dine Out, is devoted solely to reviewing restaurants in Chattanooga and the surrounding area. For a complete directory of all area restaurants, visit our website at
CHATTANOOGA DINE OUT )