Saigon Sisters

We <3 MCA Farmer’s Market
Every Tuesday until Oct 25, 2012, 10 am – 2 pm

We are excited to be back this year serving our Classic Banh mi, Vegetarian Banh mi and Spring rolls. You can enjoy them on a picnic,
at home, or on the steps of the MCA every Tuesdays starting June 25th.
While you are there, check out wonderful fresh produce, flowers, and cheese from the local farmers and stay for the MCA “Tuesdays on the Terrace” live Jazz concert from 5pm to 7pm. Check their website for more information www.mcachicago.org/

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Phở For Four $80
We are bringing our trademark Vietnamese street foods of Banh mi, Pho, and Spring Rolls to your home. The “Pho for 4” party started out for only special clients, but then we realized why not share it with all
of our customers and friends.

The party package contains fresh ingredients and easy instructions for you to assemble at home.

Pho To Go Party package includes the following:
4 Pho (Choice of Beef, Chicken, or Vegetarian)
4 Spring Rolls (Choice of shrimp or tofu) with peanut sauce
4 Banh Mi (any choice from our regular lunch menu)

Please Note: Pho and Banh Mi were refrigerated so they will need to
be assembled and reheated at your destination. Spring rolls will be premade so no assembly is required, just eat on the day of delivery. Rice paper can get hard on second day.
*Pho Soup broth are packed in separate containers from the noodles, meats/tofu, bean sprout packets, hoisin, and hot sauces
**Sauce for Spring Rolls can be substituted with either Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese fish sauce dressing) or Sweet and Sour Sauce
***Banh Mi Sandwiches will come with instructions on how to put them together and reheated at your home or party.

Customer’s review:
We enjoyed a wonderful dinner last night, thanks to you. I knew when
I picked up the food that I had too much for just 4 of us, but the good news is that we get to enjoy some today as well. The spring rolls were a perfect starter. The pho turned out beautifully with the instructions. The boiling broth quickly cooked the beef, and the added sprouts and herbs really enhanced the dish. Our friends are looking to try this again soon at the market or restaurant. The Banh Mi capped off a great meal. I followed the recipe on the containers, and they were delicious.

Thank you so much. We may try this again for others. It’s a pretty easy way to have a unique and easy-to-prepare meal. –Brian from Chicago

pick-up or delivery (delivery charge of $10 within 2 miles of  radius of restaurant)
must order at least one day in advance
Call 773-383-8828 or email orders@saigonsisters.com

View all available Catering Options

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Introducing Wild Ophelia Gourmet Chocolate from Vosges
Available at both the restaurant and French market location.

BACONFEST CHICAGO 2012 (Saturday, April 14 2012)

It’s that time of year again…Saigon Sisters is proud to be a part of this year’s Bacon Fest! A day-long celebration of the decadent meat that’s not just for breakfast anymore. Chef Matt Riordan has assembled a delicious snack for the festival that shows off a bacon twist to our Vietnamese cooking: The Nueske’s Bacon Pho. A bowl of specially-made black garlic and tamarind noodles is complemented by pickled eggs, microgreens, and hearty Nueske’s bacon.

After trying our special pho, there’s plenty of other treats to try. In addition to a host of butchers and smokehouses, there will be sweets from Vosges, House of Caramel, Rich Chocolates, and Jo Snow syrups. And sponsors Greenbush Brewing, Templeton Rye, and Goose Island will make sure there’s plenty to wet your whistle. For more information, visit http://baconfestchicago.com

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The second annual Pastoral Artisan Producer Festival will be held on Saturday, April 28th, 2012 in the French Market. Over seventy cheesemongers, distilleries, breweries, vineyards, confectioners, bakers and other fine food producers will be showing off their goods to Chicago, including Saigon Sisters. For this event, we will be partnering with our good friends at the Phoenix Bean Tofu Company, who provide the sprouts and tofu used in many of our dishes. We will also sell the new hot off the press  “Asian Tofu” book by Andrea Nguyen so you can take home and try in your own kitchen. Our regular menu will be available for purchase and we also do the Banh bao only on Saturday at the market.

The French Market is located at 131 N. Clinton St. The fun lasts from 11:00am to 3:00pm, and those driving to the event can find parking for $6. For more information, visit: http://pastoralartisan.com/events-page/2nd-annual-pastoral-artisan-producer-festival

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Spring is officially here, we are excited for our new Spring Menu to turn bountiful produce like ramps, peas, watercress, asparagus into delicious one of a kind dishes. A Vietnamese Bouillabaisse is in the works, as is a Lobster Pho. You will also love our take on Chawanmushi with uni (sea urchin) along with salt and pepper prawns with smoked papaya and jackfruit salad.  Keep an eye out for updates on our facebook and twitter about the new dishes - we’ll let you know when it’s ready, and you can be one of the first to try our delicious new menu.

Wild ramps foraged by our Chefs in Silver Spring

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CHICAGO CULINARY CROSSROADS
We will take part of the Chicago Culinary Crossroads sponsored by The Illinois Restaurant Association with a special menu to be released soon via Facebook and Twitter. This citywide dine-around program will run Tuesday, May 1 through Friday, May 25 to celebrate the G8 NATO summits and place a spotlight on our diverse, world-class restaurant industry. The dine-around will encourage both residents and visitors to patronize our city’s great dining establishments and experience the warm, welcoming hospitality that can only be found in Chicago.

It’s been nonstop days of cold & wind, hearty soups, & carbs. I’m really craving for a dish that evokes the warm shores ahead (like a beach in Phu Quoc or ANY warm sandy beach right now is good too). I saw what looks like a grapefruit on steroids at an Asian grocery & knew exactly what to do. This grand daddy of citrus fruit can grow up to the size of a basketball from what I’ve heard. It’s less acidic than most citrus fruit & sweeter than a grapefruit but not as sweet as an orange. Get it?  

Pomelo originated in South East Asia. You’ll see bounties of pomelos all over Vietnam & a popular dish called goi buoi (pomelo salad) can be seen at most restaurants & household. Everyone have their own way of making it & often with shrimp added to it. There’s no right way in making pomelo salad. Let your imagination go wild. You can opt out of a salad & eat it like we did growing up by just dipping the pomelo chunks in salt & black pepper mix & nosh on it as a snack. They’re just as good on their own.

I’m going to enjoy my personal expression of it with napa cabbage, carrots, red onions, herbs, and peanut sprinkles to give a textural contrast to the delicate juicy pomelo. Dressing it in soy vinaigrette takes the salad to a bold direction. Eating this bold & zesty pomelo salad will transport me to the warm sun & sandy beach or at least get my body in shape for it. It’s really delicious & refreshing to eat! 

INGREDIENTS

Every Friday this Month, we will be cooking up a special Banh Mi for our Lent Special. Our Lobster Banh Mi will make your mouth water.  Mmm hmm it will be a good Friday indeed.  *only available at the restaurant location

Announcing our new Tea Service.

ARTISANAL TEAS
From Rare Tea Cellars
(price per serving)

FLORAL  $9
    Litchi Noir (black)  Earthy, silky
    Emperor’s Chamomile (D)  Pineapple, stonefruit
TOASTY  $12
    Emperor’s Genmaicha  Green, puffed rice kernels
    Gingerbread Dream Rooibos (D)  Aromatic, holiday spice
DECADENT  $15
    Moonlight Jasmine Blossom  Green, soft, delicate
    First Flush Darjeeling  Complex, balanced, tannic

Saigon Sisters presents a special menu for Valentine’s Day where duck is the starring role in the dishes. Special Duckavore Menu is available on Sat. 2/11, Mon 2/13, Tues 2/14. Please specify request for Duckavore menu when making reservation.

Whole Roasted Duck are prepared in 3 out of 4 courses for $49 per person, excluding tax and gratuity.  Optional wine pairings for $40 per person.

First Course
Smoked duck papaya salad with crispy duck tongue, Thai basil, peanuts, ginger nuoc cham dressing
Jean-Yves Peron 2009 Cotillon des Dames Savoie, France

Second Course
Duck and foie gras dumpling soup drizzled with duck fat chili oil
Barmes-Buecher 2009 Pinot Blanc Alsace, France

Third Course
Lucky Fried Rice tossed with duck eggs, hearts, and gizzards
accompanied with 5 spice roast duck and Chinese broccoli
Domaine Chaume-Arnaud 2009 Cotes-du-Rhone Rhone Valley, France

Fourth course
Yuzu Shu Sorbets
Organic Pear Cider (Poire authentique)
Normandy, France

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Chicago Restaurant week and Bites Bash Kick off event

Chicago Restaurant Week. Those glorious ten days in February when restaurants you’ve been dying to try offer delicious deals. This year’s 5th annual event will take place from February 17-26. We will offer 3 course pre fix menu for $33 without tax and gratuity.

And if this event couldn’t get sweeter, United Airlines and Stephanie Izard (Top Chef winner and chef/co-owner of Girl & the Goat) will host the Official Kick-Off Event - First Bites Bash- on Thursday, February 2, 2012 6-9PM  inside the Great Hall of Chicago Union Station. Over 50 of Chicago’s best chefs and restaurants will offer savory and sweet tastings. And you can pair your tasting with Moet Hennessy wines, Belvedere cocktails and Blue Moon craft beers. We will be one of the vendors serving pho braised short ribs with cauliflower and coconut puree.

Come join the tastemakers and artisans for some food, fashion and art at  Dose market on Feb. 12. We will be one of the food vendors serving up Mama Suu’s special spring rolls and cute little Banh Mi Classic and Vegetarian sandwiches.

FOR THE COZY & LIVELY ATMOSPHERE
AND AWARD WINNING CUISINE

Saigon Sisters is available for private parties: 35 seated, 60 standing

FOR SPECIAL EVENTS AND CATERING:
call 773 383 8828, … more info

Brace yourself, winter is here and we are prepared to warm your belly and nourish your soul with comfort foods the Saigon Sisters way.  Pho is one of most popular dishes and we made a special oxtail broth with Bison carpaccio and house made sambal only for dinner.
An homage to our grandma’s hometown Hoi An and a specialty dish there, our Cao Lau is made with fresh egg noodles, braised pork cheeks, kamaboko, Chinese broccoli, crispy togarashi pork rinds and fish cakes.  If that doesn’t bring you out of hibernation, then maybe our Pho braised short ribs will..with pickled purple cauliflower, coconut cauliflower puree, and Vietnamese herb salad.

We recently offered a special dining experience called “Everything But the Squeal” on Blackboard Eats. Diners could purchase a 4-course secret menu created by our Executive Chef Matt Riordan with excellent beverage pairings selected by our Mixologist Rashid Islam.

If you purchased the deal, here are some notes on what you can expect. (If you missed it on www.blackboardeats.com, please subscribe to our email newsletter and we’ll make sure you catch the next one!)

1st Course:
Head Cheese and Pork Liver Terrine Banh Mi with pickled daikon, jalapeno jelly and fresh herbs paired with Yuzu Infused Sake.

Palette analysis:
The sake provides acidity to the creamy texture and picks up the sweetness on the pickles and jalapeno jelly.  The finish dances along the clean aromas of citrus peel and provides a starchy depth in the iron rich pate. The jelly pectin is tamed and the herbs explode with their zest. Refreshing long finish ends in more savory bites.

2nd Course:
Tempura Battered Pork Cheeks with parsnip puree, vanilla pickled pears, pork glaze paired with Vouvray Petillant Domaine Champalou, Loire

Palette analysis:
The richness of the protein and glaze are balanced by the vibrancy of the petulance of the Chenin Blanc. The pear sugars play along the dry honeyed poly saccarides, thus giving a balance to the pH. This dish highlights the crunchy and branchy receptors of the palette.

3rd Course:
Chao (congee) of Dried Scallop with brown rice braised pork belly, sake fish sauce cane sugar glaze, shoestring sweet potatoes, herbs paired with Joguet “Plante Martin” Touraine

Palette analysis:
The creamy richness of the rice starch and the nuttiness of the soy-mirin-hoisin and brown rice get accentuated with the toasty almond of the Chenin Blanc, while providing enough acidity against the pork belly.  The deep golden weight of the wine dances along while providing a backbone. The warmth of this peasant dish resonates with every slurb and swirl.

Dessert:
Chocolate Ganache, five-spiced pork skin crispies with bacon ice cream paired with Graham Beck Brut Rose, S.A.

Palette analysis:
The red fruit notes of the sparkling provides malic and citric acidity. The tartaric acid balances the creamy lactose and the butterfat of the ganache. The crunch of the pork skins picks up caramel notes from the bacon. The palette experiences a myriad of texture, temperature and tang along with the cream and sugar.

Oxtail Pho with oxtail meats and bison carpaccio with house made sambal.

Cao Lau with fresh egg noodles, braised pork cheeks, fish cakes, maitake mushrooms, charred romaine, togarashi pork rinds, house made sambal

Pho braised short ribs, pickled purple cauliflowers, coconut and cauliflower purees

Banh Mi Dac Biet with house made head cheese, pork liver terrine, pickled slice daikon, five spice aioli, jalapenos jelly, cilantro, over toasted baguette.

brown rice braised pork belly, broken rice congee, sweet potato sticks, pickled shallots, cilantro, sake and fish sauce

Chocolate Ganache, five-spiced pork skin crispies with bacon ice cream paired with Graham Beck Brut Rose

FOR THE COZY & LIVELY ATMOSPHERE
AND AWARD WINNING CUISINE

You Want: A casual elegant private party for 35 people or cocktail party for 60 people with passed hors d’oeuvres.
We Give: Listed as one of the Best New Restaurants and Best New Dessert of 2011 by Chicago Magazine, Saigon Sisters Restaurant has captured the attention of both the Chicago food media and dining public with its uniquely innovative approach to traditional Vietnamese cuisine. For lunch, Saigon Sisters is a quick and easy casual stop for traditional and updated Vietnamese street food including: popular pho, banh mi, banh bao and spring rolls. For dinner, Saigon Sisters offers full-service dining experience with modern culinary flair to the classic Vietnamese street food recipes of owner Mary Nguyen Aregoni. With “downtown” hip, minimalist interior and walls exhibiting original works by local contemporary artists, the unique Asian dining spot goes one step further by offering an impressive beverage selection including wines, artisanal beers, sake and specialty signature cocktails.

FOR SPECIAL EVENTS AND CATERING:
773 383 8828, Click here for more info