Review: Sóno Grill & Bar - the sweet sound of success?

Sono Grill & Bar, another recent addition to Saigon’s increasingly crowded District 2 restaurant scene, self-identifies as a lifestyle concept where “flavour meets sound.”

While I’m still not entirely sure exactly what that means, I can promise you that your dining experience will be accompanied by an eclectic playlist of songs - some classic and some more contemporary - that you would not hear at your average Vietnamese eatery. The songs move around genres and moods but somehow manage to stay consistently cohesive while you enjoy your meal.

Sleek and dimly-lit interiors

Cosy exteriors

Sleek and dimly lit, Sono’s appearance matches the vibe of the playlist. Think Bohemian Chic, but in a good way. Most of the seating is indoors but there are some cozy tables out back as well, divided out by floor-to-ceiling windows. The open kitchen and open bar concepts are at either ends of the restaurant so it’s really your choice who you would prefer to keep an eye on - the chefs or the bartenders. You can’t go wrong either way. The service stood out, for me, as the staff had a casual and friendly approach that is really difficult to get right - this approach if handled poorly can come across as too familiar or even lazy - the opposite of what was happening at Sono. Instead, I felt like a welcomed guest at a cosy dinner party.

Open kitchen

Sono describes its cuisine as a modern charcoal grill, celebrating local Vietnamese ingredients. The menu is impressive in its variety and attention to detail without being overly fancy or pretentious. The focus here is definitely using high-quality cuts of meat and fish and letting the proteins do most of the work, while also ensuring that the sides and garnishes carry their weight and support the stars of the show.

We tried a few of their signature cocktails and the standouts were the Sonata, a gin-based raspberry number with sparkling wine added for maximum effervescence as well as the Moonlight Starlight, which was essentially an up-jumped Malibu Rum cocktail, featuring both mango and starfruit. 

The Grilled Bone Marrow With Truffle

Moving on to the food. The two starters came together and they were both presented beautifully. The Grilled Bone Marrow With Truffle (VND 289,000) also boasted pickled mustard seeds, caramelized onions, and sourdoughs. Easily one of the best-looking Bone Marrow dishes we’ve had in Vietnam and also one of the tastiest. The fattiness of the bone marrow was the obvious highlight and the other elements of the dish added a nice texture to make every bite explode.

Fish of the Day Ceviche

Our other starter was the Fish of the Day Ceviche (VND 289,000) (Red Snapper, on the night of our visit) with Peruvian Leche de Tigre, dill oil, and Tra Que herbs. The dish was a little heavy on the dill for me but my dining partner thought it was just right. So let’s say one vote for each for the starters and move on to the main event. 

We split two mains and two sides and they arrived all together for us. Mains were Cape Grim Tenderloin Steak & Betel Frites, with betel leaf tempura, Ly Son black garlic puree, and port jus as well as the 21-Day Dry-Aged Spanish Chestnut-Fed Pork Chops, with parsnip puree, pickled cucumber, sage chimichurri, and coffee jus. Sides were Charred Baby Carrots and Charred Broccoli & Homemade Ricotta Cheese w/ Balsamic Reduction. Both the beef and the pork were perfectly cooked to medium rare and both presented beautifully on the plate.

Cape Grim Tenderloin Steak & Betel Frites

The Cape Grim Tenderloin Steak & Betel Frites (VND 959,000) was just that - tender through the middle and nicely grilled on the outside. The puree made from the very famous Ly Son black garlic was wonderfully flavourful, as was the port jus. The only thing that sat oddly to me about this dish was the betel leaf tempura, which simply did not add anything to the dish though I appreciate the inspiration behind it.

21-Day Dry-Aged Spanish Chestnut-Fed Pork Chops

The 21-Day Dry-Aged Spanish Chestnut-Fed Pork Chop (VND 459,000) did not hit a wrong note. Just beautifully grilled and all of the puree, pickles, chimichurri, and jus added extra flavours and complexity to this dish, which was ultimately the standout in a dinner that was nothing but awesome dish after awesome dish. The quality of the carrots and broccoli as side dishes were absolutely commensurate with the rest of the meal. As I said off the top - not complicated or fussy, just great ingredients presented wonderfully to elevate each part of the meal. 

Marou Chocolate Lava Cake

To end, my dining parter and I opted for the Marou Chocolate Lava Cake (VND 149,000) with hazelnut praline and vanilla ice cream. The lava cake itself was lightly dusted with white powdered sugar, the ice cream sat atop the hazelnut praline and not advertised on the menu but a delightful addition nonetheless. There was a small mound of chopped mangoes and grapes that added some well appreciated freshness and lightness to the otherwise decadent dessert. No doubt, this lava cake lived up to its promise and we probably could have had a couple more each if we were less conservative with our ordering. 

Another welcomed addition to the Thao Dien (and Saigon, and Vietnam) culinary scene. The menu also boasts a Striploin Wagyu and two different Dry-Aged Duck dishes, both a breast and a leg, that will definitely need another visit to explore. Till then, I await my return.

• Address: 215b37 Nguyen Van Huong, Thảo Điền, Quận 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sono.saigon

• Opening hours: 5 pm to 11:00 pm (7 days a week) and 10:30 am to 2 pm on Wednesdays & Saturdays 

1. Price per head (excl. drinks): approx. 1 - 1.2 million VND sans alcohol

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