Saigon Sisters

Bold & Zesty

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

For the salad:

1 medium-large size pomelo

1 1/4 cup napa cabbage, finely shredded

1/2 cup carrots, shredded

1/8 cup cilantro, leaves only

1 tbs mint (leaves only), chiffonade

1 tbs Thai basil (leaves only), chiffonade

1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 a red jalapenos, thinly sliced

For the garnish:

2 tbs lightly toasted chopped peanuts

1 tbs crushed peanuts

1 tsp lightly toasted sesame seeds (optional)

For the vinaigrette:

3 tbs lime juice

3 tbs vegetarian fish sauce

1 tsp tamari

1 tsp sugar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 Thai chili, chopped (optional)

METHOD

For the vinaigrette:

In a small mixing bowl, combine the lime juice, sugar, & vegetarian fish sauce. Stir well dissolving the sugar. Add in tamari, minced garlic, & Thai chili. Stir & mix well. Set aside.

For the garnish:

In a skillet over medium high heat, lightly toast the peanut till it’s fragrant & turn slightly brown. Transfer to a bowl & set aside. In the same skillet, lightly toast the sesame the same way & transfer to a bowl & set aside. Crushed a tbs of roasted peanuts & set aside.

For the pomelo salad:

Soak the thinly sliced red onion in 1 tbs rice vinegar for 15 minutes. Remove & set aside. Peel the outer rind & pith of the pomelo. Remove the pulp from the opaque skin of each pomelo wedge. Break pulp into chunks. In a large bowl, add in the napa cabbage, carrots, pomelo chunks, herbs, jalapenos, & red onions. Pour in 2 tbs of soy vinaigrette & tossed gently making sure salad is fully coated with the vinagrette. Taste & add more as needed to your liking. Add in the toasted chopped peanuts & toasted sesame seeds. Toss well & set aside.

ASSEMBLE & SERVE:

Mound the pomelo salad on each individual plate. Sprinkle the crushed peanuts on top & serve.

vegan

Lobster Fridays For Lent!

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

Restaurant Week Pick: Saigon Sisters →

Warm up your palate with a spicy, sweet and salty Vietnamese prix fixe.

February 27, 2012

Grilled Confit Octopus
This menu will be extended until march 10.

Quickly rising from a French Market curiosity to a stand-alone lunchtime spot, Saigon Sisters has become Chicago’s paragon of Vietnamese cuisine. The West Loop eatery’s prix fixe dinner ($33) includes three courses of authentic Vietnamese fare. Dishes range from grilled confit octopus to oxtail pho with tender strips of bison carpaccio and spicy house sambal. For dessert, the sinfully rich chocolate ganache cake beckons. 567 W. Lake St., 312-496-0090

Click here to see original post on Michigan Avenue Magazine

Sandwich of the Week - The Ducky

ARTISANAL TEAS

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

Happy Valentine’s Day, Restaurant Week!

restaurant picture

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

Year of the Dragon 2012

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.

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

cau lao
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.

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

chocolate ganache cake
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

We couldn’t be more proud! Michelin Guide Recommended 2012!

2012 Michelin Guide Recomended

Sizzling Crepes

Many people think the sizzling crepe called banh xeo is a gift from France, but I think it’s from India. Influences from China, India, Thai, & France are prominent in Vietnamese food. The use of rice flour, turmeric, coconut milk, & mung beans are common in Indian cuisine & not so much in the French pantry. This is enough to justify my belief for it’s influence being more from India. Besides, India have a pancake or crepe version called dosas which utilizes pretty much the same ingredients as banh xeo. No matter, you’ll sure love to devour this delicious savory crepe.

The traditional crepe fillings are slices of meat, shrimp, bean sprouts, mung beans, & onions. We will skip the meat & seafood for meaty mushrooms & creamy mung beans. Don’t skimp out on the mung beans because it gives full-flavored to the crepe & also jazzes up the texture.

Dipping sauce known as nuoc cham is a staple condiment in practically every Vietnamese meal and this dish needs it. Nuoc cham requires fish sauce. How the heck am I going to get around this? Then my aunt bought me a vegetarian fish sauce which saves my day! You need to add ginger, garlic, lime, & a bit extra chilies to give it a punch. It tasted good & sprightly.

We normally eat the crepe as a shared appetizer or first course & then follow by pho (duh of course) or other main dish. Often a vendor will have five crepe pans going all at once & filling it with all types of goodness. Only seconds off the pan we demolished it in seconds enjoying the hot crunchy texture of the crepe. We won’t be cooking 5 crepes all at once but to begin, make sure your pan is super hot & have enough oil so that the batter doesn’t stick & it’ll be easy to fold the crepe over. Don’t fret if you messed up couple times. I sure did. It’s a trial & error but with several tries you’ll get the hang of it. Give it a try & enjoy it with a small army of guests.

INGREDIENTS

For the crepe batter:

1 3/4 cups rice flour

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 1/2 cups water

For the fillings:

1 cup yellow mung beans, soaked in water overnight then steamed till tender

1 large yellow onions or white onions, sliced

2-3 medium to large portabello mushrooms or 1 pckg crimini mushrooms, sliced

4 scallions, finely chopped

2 cups bean sprouts

1/2 tsp chopped garlic, for sauteing the mushrooms

salt to taste

vegetable oil

For the garnish:

6 or more leaves of lettuce

1/2 bunch mint

1/2 bunch cilantro

1/2 bunch of perilla

For the dipping sauce:

1/2 cup of vegetarian fish sauce nuoc cham

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 tsp chopped ginger

1/2 tsp thai red chili, thinly sliced or 1/2 tsp sambal chili sauce

METHOD

For the dipping sauce:

Pour 1/2 cup of the vegetarian nuoc cham fish sauce into a bowl. Add the garlic & ginger & stir well. Squeeze in the juice of 1 1/2 limes & mix well. Add in the Thai chilies & stir. Adjust the amount of chilies & lime to your liking. Set aside.

For the crepe:

Combine the rice flour, turmeric, & salt in a mixing bowl. Pour in the coconut milk & whisk, then pour in the water & whisk thoroughly. Add in the sliced scallions & mix well. Set aside.

For the fillings:

Strain the mung beans that’s been soaked overnight. Put it steamer & steam till mung beans are done. Remove the mung beans onto a bowl & let cool. Once it’s cooled, put it in a pestle & mortar or food processor & grind it to a smooth grainy consistency. Place it in a bowl & set aside. Put a tsp of vegetable oil onto a pan on medium heat. Toss in the sliced onions & saute till the onions are translucent. Remove the onions onto a small bowl & set aside. On the same pan, put a tbsp of vegetable oil into the pan set on medium heat. Add in the garlic & stir for 30 seconds or so, then add in the sliced mushrooms & add salt to taste. Once it’s done, remove it from the pan & place into a small bowl & set aside. Wash the bean sprouts & place it in a bowl. Pour hot water onto the bowl of bean sprouts for 30 seconds & drain. Place the bean sprouts into a bowl & set aside.

Place all the bowls with the fillings for the crepe near the stove in an organized way so you can have easy access to it when cooking the crepe.

Cooking the crepe:

Place a pan (size of the crepe varies & really whatever size pan you have on hand is ok) on the stove & set it on medium high heat. Since I have an 8” pan, I’ll put in 1 tbsp oil into the pan & twirl the oil till fully coat the pan. Whisk the crepe batter so it’s mixed well before ladle it on the pan. Once you see the pan gets hot, ladle the batter into the hot pan & swirl it around so the batter will also fill the rim & that the whole pan is fully coated with the batter. The crepe is almost done if you see the batter gets crispy edges & the middle part is drying up & the other side is brown. Once it’s almost done, sprinkle in 2-3 tbsp mung beans all over the crepe, then spread the mushrooms to half side of the crepe, then add in the bean sprouts on half side of the crepe on top of the mushrooms. Cover for 1-2minutes to wilt the bean sprouts. Uncover & add some oil around the edge of the crepe to add crispness to the crepe. Wait for 1 minute, then fold over the crepe (like an omlet) so it looks like 1/2 a crepe. Transfer to a plate & serve immediately. This is best eaten as soon it comes off the pan so to enjoy the crunchy crispness of the crepe. Repeat the same way for each crepe.

For the Garnish:

Arrange nicely on a large plate, several leaves of lettuce, mint, perilla, & cilantro. Set aside.

ASSEMBLE & SERVE

Place the garnished plate of vegetables in the middle of the table so people can help themselves. Pour the dipping sauce into individual dipping bowl for each person. Place the finished crepe in the middle of the table to share or serve each crepe per person. Tear part of the crepe & fold it into a leaf lettuce with pieces of mint, perilla, & cilantro. Dip it into the dipping sauce & enjoy!

vegan

Happy Holidays!

night market

Come celebrate 2nd year Anniversary and the HOLIDAY SEASON at French market as it transforms into the first ever Night Market on Thursday, Dec. 8th from 4 to 9pm. We will be serving small bites such as duck spring rolls, banh mi slider, belly bao paired with Champagne, Cocktails and Wine for $15. Shop unique gifts curated by Saigon Sisters such as Vietnamese Coffee Kit for 2 and other great gift ideas from other vendors.

giftbag
You can purchase these items at the French market or contact us at info@saigonsisters.com.

We will be demonstrating how to make Vietnamese coffee and spring rolls using our kits at the Chicago Downtown Farmstand on Dec. 6 from 4 to 6pm

_______________________________________________________________

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.

773 383 8828, Click here for more info



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