A Taste of ‘Saigon’ on the Diva Menu

One thing you can say about “Miss Saigon” at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa: It’s definitely a sensual experience.

The ears get a fill (it is a bigger-is-better Broadway-style musical, after all) and so do the eyes. The sets have a lot to see, from tacky girlie bars to fenced-off Army compounds. There’s even that famous helicopter that comes whirring down from the ceiling shadows during the chaotic Vietnam evacuation scene.

Now, if only there was something for the taste buds.

Diva, the restaurant on nearby Anton, has the answer to that one. Executive chef John Sharpe has concocted a new menu offering Vietnamese dishes in response to “Miss Saigon,” which runs through Sept. 25. A few of the musical’s performers--including Michelle Nigalan and Mika Nishida, who alternate in the role of Kim--have stopped by to help with the meals.

For appetizers, Sharpe offers traditional shrimp pho soup and untraditional fresh lettuce leaf tacos using Asian herbs. The entrees are French Vietnamese crepes and lemongrass speared swordfish. For dessert, there are chocolate-covered Asian pears or glazed rice pudding with mango slices.

Not bad, according to Eva Harbold, who went to Diva recently with a few girlfriends for lunch. Harbold, an office manager for a small Santa Ana business, said she was surprised by the new menu, available through the show’s run.

“I didn’t know what I was going to have, and then I saw all those goodies,” she said. “The crepes [made with crab, tofu, Asian vegetables and peanut sauce] were wonderful. I like spicy food anyway, so this was a treat. It’s a cute theme.”

But did that mean she’d go out and buy tickets to the musical?

Probably not.

“I don’t go to the theater very much,” Harbold said, sighing. “You know, it just costs so much [from $16 to $66 for “Miss Saigon”] for me to go. I’m really more of a movie fan.”