Saigon Sisters

ARTISANAL TEAS

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:54:00 -0500

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!

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:56:00 -0500

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

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:31:06 -0500

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

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

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:18:00 -0500

Sizzling Crepes

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:30:00 -0500

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!

Happy Holidays!

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:26:00 -0500

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.

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

773 383 8828, Click here for more info

Light Show

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:18:11 -0500

Pickling

Money money money

Enter

The Season of Autumn

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:53:00 -0400

October Updates:

October was a busy month for us! We made our first appearance at Dose Market on the 16th and our deluxe spring rolls were a hit! And we will be back in February 2012.

Chef Matt Riordan was the featured Chef for the French Market’s monthly Dine Around the Market event. He prepared lemongrass prawns with a tangy Vietnamese slaw and his signature fried rice with winter melon. The crowd formed early and the entire market smelled delicious!

On the 24th, we participated in Fooditude, which aims to educate young people on nutrition and cooking. We presented a re-imagined spaghetti squash and turkey meatballs that the kids, and their parents really enjoyed. Our chef-helper for the event was 9-year-old Ryan who loves cooking salmon (at 9 years old!) and who went on to win the Fooditude competition as the next Fooditour cast member. Congratulations Ryan!

We were delighted to be a part of the 34th Annual Restaurateurs Ball on the 28th to support student chefs. Our pho-braised short rib with cauliflower coconut puree and pickled veggies were a hit!

To help raise awareness and money for great causes, part of our October sales will go towards the www.lynnsagefoundation.org for breast cancer research and we helped raise money for Aids research at the annual DIFFA Dining By Design by serving succulent Duck Rillettes paired with a wonderful Le Pigeoulet wine donated by Vintage Wines.

Now on to the Holiday season…

We are excited to be working on our WINTER MENU, including a NEW BANH MI which we will announce on Facebook and Twitter soon.

We also cater! Saigon Sisters offers the freshest, most delicious menu with competitive packages for every budget. We offer lunch and dinner menus and we hold the desirable liquor catering license to provide you with convenient, one-stop, event catering.

Interested in hosting your event at our restaurant? We can accommodate 35 for a sit-down meal or 60 with passed hors d’oeuvres. Call Mary at (773) 383-8828 to customize your catering request. Ask about 100+ special events at French Market!

Holiday hours:

Thanksgiving – closed 11/24-11/27, reopening on 11/28
Christmas – closed 12/24-12/26, reopening on 12/27
New Years – closed 12/31/11-1/1/12, reopening on 1/2/2012

You can now buy our Gift Cards online!
click on the link to purchase and you can redeem this at any of our locations

Restaurant location (567 W. Lake St.)
French Market location (131 N. Clinton)

Please be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter so that we can keep you up to date on upcoming events and promotions!

Would you consider posting a review? Reviews not only help consumers decide where to spend their hard-earned dollars, but also help us to know what we’re doing right and how we can improve.

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Phở-no-me-nal

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:34:00 -0400

Most countries have an iconic dish that represents their culinary culture. In the United States it’s the hamburger, in Italy it’s pasta, Mexico it’s tacos, & in Vietnam it’s pho. You’ll see people eating pho everywhere in Vietnam at any hour of the day from either one of the hawker’s stall or in their own home. Growing up, pho was a breakfast staple for us. Now we love eating it for brunch, lunch, or dinner.

Pho was originated in Hanoi & then spread south to Saigon now known as Ho Chi Minh City. As it reaches HCMC, the flavor becomes more complex and vibrant with more spices & garnish added to the dish. My mom’s version & my aunt’s version is slightly different. My mom’s pho is savory & comforting while my aunt’s pho is spicy & aromatic. Everyone have their own unique twist to it. That’s the fun part of it! But in the end you know you’re eating a delicious bowl of pho.

The two most common types of pho are pho bo (beef pho) & pho ga (chicken pho) with pho bo being the most traditional. The latest addition is pho chai (vegetarian pho) which is increasingly becoming popular. It’s simple & doesn’t take that much time to make. The key thing when making it is to add the spice & the charred onion & ginger. Please don’t omit this step! This will add flavor & full body to your soup.

The recipe is simple to make & you can use short cuts. You can buy your favorite vegetable stock from the market & add seasoning according to your taste (but don’t skip the spice packet & charred onion & ginger). For the tofu, you can buy prefried tofu & just marinade it. Pho is truly a one dish meal that gives comfort & sustenance for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Comfort yourself with a luxurious slurp of pho chai!

INGREDIENTS

The broth:

1 lb celery

1 1/2 lb yellow onion

1 lb carrots

3/4 lb daikon

3 garlic clove, peeled

4” piece of ginger (charred)

1 medium onion (charred)

salt to taste

soy sauce to taste

vegetable oil

Spice mix: 5 star anis, 6 whole cloves, 3 cinnamon stick, 1 tsp black peppercorn, 3 cardamon (optional)

The tofu:

1 block extra firm tofu

1 cup teriyaki sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

4 tbsp vegetable oil

The garnish mix:

1-2 bunch thai basil

1-2 bunch culantro (optional)

1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped 1/2 & leave other half whole

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

2 cups bean sprouts

2-3 jalapenos, thinly sliced

2 limes, cut in wedges

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 1/2 tbsp distilled white vinegar

METHOD

For the charred onion & ginger

Turn the stove on high heat. Place the whole onion & ginger on top of the stove top to char. As one side is charred turn it to char on the other side. All sides of the onion & ginger doesn’t have to be charred completely. Once it’s cooked & smelled fragrant remove & set aside.

For the spice mix:

Put the cinnamon, star anis, clove, peppercorn, & cardamom in the pan on medium heat. Heat the spice mix until it’s fragrant (about several minutes) flipping the pan every now & then. Set aside.

For the broth:

Roughly chopped the celery, carrots, yellow onions, & daikon to 1” chunks. Put 2 tbsp vegetable oil into a soup pot on high heat. Add in the chopped vegetables along with 3 clove garlic. Cook on high heat for 5-10 minutes stirring often. Add 8 cups water into the soup pot along with the spice mix, charred onion & ginger, & 2 tbsp sea salt. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes with pot uncover. Strain & discard the vegetables & spice mix. Taste the broth & add soy sauce & salt to taste.

For the tofu:

Remove tofu from its package & place the tofu on a dish. Add weight on top of the tofu with a heavy dish to strain excess water from the tofu for 20 minutes. Drain the water from the tofu every now & then. After most of the water is strained from the tofu, cut it in half crosswise. Put 1/2 cup oil in pan on high heat. Place the tofu in pan & brown on all sides till slightly crispy. Take the tofu out & place on paper towel to drain excess oil. As tofu is cool to handle, cut the tofu in strip to 3/8” thickness. In a mixing bowl, pour in 1/2 cup of teriyaki sauce & 1/8 cup of soy sauce & mix well. Place the tofu into the mix & toss so that the tofu is fully covered with the marinade. Put 1 tbsp into pan on high heat. Pour the marinated tofu & excess marinade into the heated pan & cook for 5 minutes stirring the tofu every now & then. Set aside.

For the noodles:

Follow the instruction on the noodle package.

For the garnish:

Thinly slice the yellow onion & place it in a small bowl. Pour in a tbsp of white vinegar. Set it aside. Thinly slice the scallions & roughly chop 1/2 the cilantro & place all of it in a mixing bowl. Mix it evenly & place it in a small bowl. Set it aside. Arrange nicely on a large plate a pile of thai basil, cilantro, jalapenos, lime wedges, & bean sprouts. Set it aside.

ASSEMBLE & SERVE

Set the garnish out on a table. Place a handful of noodles onto a bowl, arrange pieces of tofu on top. Ladle the broth into the bowl. Pile on top of the pho soup the vinegared onion, scallion/cilantro mix, thai basil, jalapenos, bean sprouts, & squeeze a wedge of lime on top. Amount of garnishes used is up to your preference. Enjoy!