i ordered the chicken curry with rice and asked for curry on the side, the gal who took my order was quite amused. It was like Rotisserie chicken with brown rice and a dip(probably the curry) which tasted like mayo and mustard combo. Overall disappointed, i had better experience at their lake street restaurant. i would like to try the veggie pho but the reviews aren't too good. read more

Facts: 1. Vietnamese sandwiches are $3.50-$4.00. It costs exactly twice as much at Saigon Sisters. Yes, it's in the Loop, but do you pay $13 for a Chipotle burrito in the Loop? 2. Saigon Sisters' version is barely passable. Their heavily-sauced versions are okay, but the classics reveal how they fall below par 3. They are the only option in/near the Loop. It's a monopoly When you smother a sandwich in sweet-tangy sauce and dress it with vinegary condiment (call it 'daikon' or 'coleslaw'), it is pretty difficult to mess it up -- the goodness of the sandwiches you get is inherent to the nature of banh mi sandwiches, and not by any additional Saigon Sister magic. Here, it's just a standard assemble-by-numbers deal with zero art/care in construction, and as far as fillings go, it's as skimpy as you can get away with on a banh mi. The surly crew at the order counter does nothing but reinforce this perception -- the whole 4-5 minutes I stood by the register to order and wait for my sandwich today, I haven't seen a single interaction with the customer that showed any emotion or humanity. No smiles, no eye contact, no (audible) thank you... just punch in the orders, take in the money and hand you food. I cannot recall a single McDonald's or Burger King where I received worse hospitality than Saigon Sisters. Given the myriad other interesting options in the market, just for pure goodness-for-price on your sandwiches, you can do better just a few stalls away at Pastoral or Fumare Meets. I'll bet the service is a ton better, too. read more

I love banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches). While their regular ones fall slightly below the mark, I really love the Suntanned Cow (beef soaked in coconut milk and kefir leaf on a warm and crispy loaf of french bread). Prices are HIGH. I would say too high, but occasionally worth it if you find yourself in the West Loop every day and quickly run out of any palatable food options. Plus it's in the French Market, which is a great little spot to walk around, look at pretty foods, and clear your head. Saigon Sisters + French Market stroll = ideal lunch break. read more

I realized today that I hadn't left a review for SS yet! How the heck did I overlook that? They deserve serious cudos. We hit SS once a week for lunch at the office. That's a hint that it's very good, because my foodie buddy at the office and I tend to gravitate to higher-quality food with great flavors. I've tried everything on the lunch menu except the vegetarian banh mi and the quality of everything is top notch and the serving sizes are good to excellent (aka, a bit too much - rice bowls). My favorites are the Classic banh mi, the Beef pho, the shrimp rolls, chicken rice bowl and pork belly rice bowl. The vegetarian pho was a little bit bland and the tofu rolls were good, but I prefer the shrimp. Well, and the sardine banh mi - not quite for me, but, hey, I tried it! My foodie buddy at work had dinner at the restaurant a while back and said it was excellent. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend SS to anyone, and I'm very glad they've become successful. read more

I've tried all of their vegetarian options and the vegetarian Banh Mi is slightly better than the other options. Bahn Mi - Just ok. Vegetarian Pho (tofu and veggies) - very bland, no flavor whatsoever. Just had a few pieces of tofu and almost non-existent veggies. Teriyaki Tofu - Again, very bland. Even copious amount of Sriracha didn't make much difference. Their restaurant on Lake St is so much better. read more

This place is absolutely excellent. Beef Pho is wonderful; especially for a hangover. The proportion is perfect. My only complaint: It's $8 or so for not-a-big size. But you know what? If you're craving Pho and if you're in the West Loop area, then this dish is totally worth it; that's if you don't want to travel to Chinatown or Argyle for it. read more

i was recommended this spot by some workmates and, seeing as i love Vietnamese style sandwiches, i was excited to try this place out. well, the first thing that shoulda turned me away was the price. Nhu Lan, a far superior Vietnamese bakery and sandwich joint, sells a large variety of sandwiches for under $4. the cheapest sandwich of the limited varieties at Saigon Sisters was $7. that said, Nhu Lan isnt anywhere near the West Loop and i wasnt gonna find another spot like it except for Saigon Sisters. so, i went for The Frenchman, probably the most complex of the offered sandwiches.. well, it tasted great. that was around 3pm. getting home from work around 9pm, i started to feel a bit of stomach pain. an hour later, i was alternating between being on my knees in front of and sitting on top of the toilet till about 7am. yes, you guessed it, the sandwich at Saigon Sisters gave me FOOD POISONING. it's been 2 days and im still feeling ill. will NOT be going back :/ read more

My first reaction to the menu was.. OMG, $7 for banh mi?! This sounds like one of those "when I was a kid stories" but awhile back in Little Saigon (CA) I would get banh mi sandwiches for $1.50 each, plus if you bought two you would get one free.. yeah, they were $1 each. It's not the case anymore now (more like $2 each) but I suppose it's useless to hope for that kind of pricing in IL. Anyway, I digress. Knowing that we were paying a premium for banh mi, my friend and I decided that we would get the fancier ones. So, we ordered the Porky and the Frenchman. They were very good, and worth the price in terms of creativity. And it was just enough food for each of us, so I give it 4 stars. For creativity. For authentic (and more affordable) banh mi, I'd imagine Argyle would be better. Haven't tried yet though (guilty facial expression).. it's on the list, I swear! read more

I was really craving banh mi during work one day so i decided to go to Saigon Sisters and get the classic banh mi for lunch. I had been wanting to try the sandwiches since my first visit to the French Market; however, I was left disappointed. First off, when I ordered my sandwich, they handed me a pre-made one right off the counter. I'm not sure if that is their standard protocol to make sandwiches ahead of time, but even though it was around noon and the rest of the market was bustling with people, there was absolutely no line whatsoever at Saigon Sisters, so I did not understand their need to keep pre-made sandwiches near the cashier for a quick check out. That being said, I gave them the benefit of the doubt and still could not wait to try the sandwich out. The french roll was not good at all. It was definitely bordering on stale. The flavors of the meat were just ok, and the pickled vegetables were anything but pickled. The thing I tasted most on the sandwich was the mayo, which was oozing out of the side of the sandwich. With the abundance of other choices at the French Market (and cheaper, more tasty banh mi up north), I doubt that I will be visiting Saigon Sisters again anytime soon... read more

OK, I used to eat here a lot, and they have lost their magic. We ordered two of my favorite sandwiches that used to be the most amazing thing, and we got died out tasteless nothing. they even forgot to add sauce. We went back and told the young woman working at the counter and she just looked bored and just shrugged her shoulders. Too bad, this place used to be great, we are across the street and used to eat there once a week, but it now nothing special. sigh. --- ok just to update: I have since had several good sandwiches here and I recommend. read more

FABULOUS. I had the Henhouse sandwich. I'm munching along, it's quite a nice chicken sandwich (don't ask me what else is in it - I'm not familiar with all of the ingredients), and then WHAM. You know how in cartoons, a character's eyes will bug out as flames shoot out of their ears? That's what this sandwich was like - fiery, but very good. I'm working my way through the various counters, and this one will be worth a repeat visit. Terrific gal at the counter, terrific sandwich, you can't beat the combination. read more

I am not an expert on Bahn Mi sandwiches. All I know is that, to me, these are the best sandwiches in the loop. The flavors are delicious. I have had the Porky, the Hen House and the Classic. All great, but I have to give an edge to the Classic. I was told they make their own pate with vietnamese pork! I will be back many times. read more

I heard great things about Saigon Sisters banh mi (vietnamese sandwich on a baguette). I love banh mi and would eat it several times a week if it were convenient enough, so clearly I was quite excited to try a new place. I got the meatball banh mi... first of all it was 7 dollars. Are you serious?! I am used to 1-3 dollars for a banh mi. 3 dollars at MOST for the fancypants ones. And you're charing me 7 dollars for one I'd get for 1.25 elsewhere? Dear me. Well, ok, you are pseudo-forgiven because Saigon Sisters is located in the french market at a train station where prices can be expected to be hiked up. Fine. But this better be good!!! First bite... Hmmm....ok.... yeah. It's just ok. The meat had TOO much flavor, i.e. I could hardly taste the meat ball, just garlic and whatever else they put in. Every other part of the sandwich was ok, it just didn't wow me. Did I say I love banh mi normally? I do. I recommend going to Argyle to get some Ba Le, or most other places in Argyle. You will pay 1-3 bucks and be much happier. However, compared to Joy Yee's new banh mi craze, these are way better. read more

After Saigon Sisters was nominated as one of the top new restaurants in Chicago, I figured their small shop in the French Market expansion would be a good place to give it a whirl. Ordered up a Porky (pork belly) banh mi, and had a bite of a co-workers meatball banh mi. Pork belly - Strong jalapenos, mildly flavored daikon, pork belly was braised nicely and was tender with good flavor. Meatball - Sriracha and jalapenos made for a very strong kick (my lip is still feeling like I kissed a hot frying pan.. it feels good). Meatballs were fried on the outside for a tougher exterior giving way to a soft interior. The bread on both sandwiches are par for french bread. The pricing: all sandwiches are $7 to $8.... which is a high price for banh mi... perhaps it's the wagyu beef offering, or perhaps it's the location... but if you have a car and can make it to viet town, the banh mi are equivalent or better quality at $3-$5 a pop. I get the feeling that it's the French Market's way of keeping pricing about equivalent across all their vendors (every meal is pretty much $6-$10). Verdict: A good choice for those who aren't familiar with banh mi yet, especially in this area of the city. But if you want a good deal and great flavors, hitch a ride to Viet town. read more

I saw their delicious banh mi on 'Sandwich King' and knew I had to eat here. I didn't realize they had more than one banh mi so I went with the classic figuring that was the right one. The woman behind the counter was so nice and the sandwich was ready in no time. When I unrolled it, it wasn't what I expected. His had caramelized chicken and this was more of a cold cuts sandwich. Turns out the Hen House is what he ordered on the show and what I thought I had. Oh well, nothing lost it was still great and now I know what to get next time. I'm also looking forward to trying their pho and spring rolls read more

Saigon Sisters - Classic Banh Mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I loved my pho - it was among the best I've had! The broth was very flavorful, the noodles were prepared just right, and the meat was very tender. I shared a pork belly sandwich with my friend, and it was also very good. I'm looking forward to trying out more stuff on their menu. read more

Saigon Sisters - Roasted beef pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Saigon Sisters is pretty good for what and where it is. It's the most expensive banh mi I've ever eaten, but it's also the only banh mi I've ever eaten in the brand new froo froo marketplace in the Loop. It's not like the price should be shocking or surprising. The sandwiches are good. The fake meat was good on the Veggie, but it also came with roasted red peppers? The Meatball was great except I had garlic mouth for DAYS (which is actually extra points in my book) and the Classic was pretty decent too. The service is friendly and the line moves pretty fast. Very satisfactory except for the fact that I HAVE had better and for much better prices. read more

There's been a lot of buzz about banh mi sandwiches lately so I finally buckled down and headed over to Saigon Sisters after work one day for a sandwich. I am addicted! I got the frenchman which is duck confit, kumquats and a bunch of pickled veggies like bean sprouts and carrots. My friend had the veggie banh mi and said it was very good also. I thought the sandwich was very satisfying and the flavors were really well balanced. I'be been back since and have had the pork belly banh mi and the original. They also sell large bowls of Pho and ready made spring rolls in plastic containers ready to go for an easy lunch pick-up. Although at 6-7 bucks a sandwich, it's not exactly the best value, it's definitely a treat worth having. read more

I want my money back. Even though I don't eat a lot of Vietnamese sandwiches, it was easy enough for me to tell, after 25% of my "classic" sandwich was consumed, that I made a mistake spending $8 on a sandwiches that had absolutely no flavor. The bread was dry but OK, they used way too much ham and very little veggies, making the sandwich eating experience almost painful. At the end you end up with a huge slice of salty ham that you don't know what to do with. I've been to one other Vietnamese place in Chicago downtown (forgot the name), and they are $2.5 less expensive for the same sandwich, and at least they don't pre-make everything. Here, you receive your food 3 or 5 seconds after you pay, which is not bad considering that they want the line to move fast, but unfortunately the food is just less than impressive. There are plenty of food shops in the French Market. Not sure why I chose that place but please don't make the same mistake. read more

Love this little place (they have a few locations, but this is the one in the French Market). I've had several of their sandwiches, and they're all great. The bread is always fresh and crispy, its fast, its not really expensive, and its yummy. My go-to is the porky. read more

I really want to like this place. I really do. However, I can't. Well, based on the food at least. I live in the area and was very excited to see that there's a Vietnamese vendor at the French Market. I tried banh mi which was ok. It was my first time trying banh mi so I can't really judge on that. It was, however, expensive, IMHO. Now, on to the pho. I waited for them to start serving pho on their menu. After waiting for a couple months, finally they introduced pho on their menu. I'm a huge fan of pho and have eaten way too much pho to know what is good pho. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. First of all, the broth wasn't hot. It wasn't even close to warm. Ok, it was slightly warmer than room temperature but seriously? Noodle soup is supposed to be served with hot steamy broth. The noodles itself were a little harder than I like. Don't get me wrong. I like my noodles al dente but it was a little more than al dente. Well, at least they gave a side of bean sprouts with the pho. In the words of my fiance, "If the pho was $4.99 and was sub-par, I'd still be ok with it. But this was $8 and it was sub-par." If you crave for pho, this is probably the only place that has pho in downtown, so at least this is an option. But if your cravings can wait and you don't mind traveling out of downtown, head to Argyle or the Vietnamese restaurants in Chinatown. read more

When I heard that the French Market was opening down the street, I was super excited. I was even more ecstatic that there was going to be a Vietnamese sandwich stand (this means that I don't have to drive 20+ mins to satisfy my craving anymore)! So, I decided to go there for lunch one day and gave it a shot. The place was packed with people everywhere! There were many choices from pastries, Indian food, deli, and of course why I made the trip, Saigon Sisters. I asked for suggestions and the girl at the counter described her favorite - the "porky." I thought it sounded delicious; I mean how can you really go wrong with pork belly, right? So, $7+ dollars later I left with my order and looked forward to my first bite. The bread was crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. Exactly the way a french roll should be. The sandwich had your typical radish and carrot slaw which I didn't think was crunchy enough. The "porky" part of it was also a bit too fatty for me. I wish there was a bit more lean meat mixed in between. The inside was just too mushy for my taste. I give this place 3 stars because I felt like something was missing from their sandwich. It didn't blow you mind. Which for $7+ per banh mi, I expected a bit more from it. I may go back to try a different sandwich. Perhaps the duck, but there are so many other choices at the French Market that I think I rather try first. read more

Saigon Sisters is a great addition to the Chicago French Market. Vietnamese cuisine, represent! I tried the beef pho and the classic banh mi. Ok fine, i split the 2 items with a friend. A Vietnamese cuisine virgin friend, if you will. The banh mi was delicious. Definitely met my expectations. The pho was very disappointing. First of all, they serve it to you in these awkward containers in the shape of a whole pineapple. Also, the spoons given to you are NOT Asian soup spoons. You can barely pick up any broth with it. I'm so disappointed that I popped my friend's Pho cherry this way. It just wasn't right. I think I'll take up her to Pho Xe Tang on Argyle next time she's in town and show her how it's done right. I'd highly recommend Saigon Sisters for their other menu items. The banh mi and goi cuon are great. Sure, you are paying a lot more than you would in Little Vietnam, but it's all about the convenience factor, right? Right. read more

To start, let's say I've eaten a lot of pho. I absolutely love it, and have it at least once a week. I've had pho in Boston and New York, the Midwest, Paris, Munich, Beijing..pretty much all around the world. I've just got to Chicago, and thought I'd satisfy my pho craving with Saigon Sisters. I got the beef pho w meatballs to go, for $14. This was one of the most disappointing pho's I've ever had. To start, the broth is just kinda bland. It doesn't taste like the rich beef broths I've had. I actually had to add black pepper to it, something I have never had to do. Next, the bean sprouts. They were dark and black on the tips- they had gone bad. Mung bean sprouts are supposed to be yellow (sometimes green if they aren't fully matured). Black is bad, wilting, and about to mold. The beef, oh gosh I couldn't even eat it. It was mostly fat, with little streaks of beef that you could barely chew. The meatballs were low quality, lots of tendon bits in there. The rice noodles were fine. Another thing I noticed is that, for my to go, they handed the soup and meat all cooked. This is rather unusual for take out pho; usually, places give you a cold broth version (unless you want it hot) you can reheat at home, so hot broth is not sitting in plastic. Also, there was just this one type of this fatty meat option; no rare steak like most pho places have, that you put in at the last minute and that cooks just right in the heat of the broth. Lastly, I want to mention that this pho is $14.50. It's not super expensive, but not on the cheap end either. For this price point, I expected at least edible meat. Will not come again, and would not recommend. read more

I have had the porky and the (forgot the name) beef braised in coconut milk. They are $7 so its a pricey banh mi, but both are really good and you are where you are if you are there so keep it in perspective :) Several reviewers hate on this place cause its "not as good/cheap as Argyle" but if you are at Ogylvie, you probably work nearby or are transiting, so comparing it to restaurants 50 blocks away is really a pointless comparison to make. There is a dearth of good food in this area so just take it for what it is and its pretty good. I saw them taking the pork out of the oven and it was good to see they braise it all there in that tiny space with a bunch of good lookin stuff in the broth. This time I tried the beef which is actually better than the porky in my opinion. Its damn good. I think their meats are their strengths and my sister sort of confirmed that by saying the veggie is not great. read more

3 stars for their vegetarian banh mi. Possibly 4 stars though for their loop vicinity. I love being able to walk once a week to the French Market for a special lunch treat. These days I am mixing up my vendor selection, but for 4 solid weeks Saigon Sisters was my stand of choice. A tasty little sandwich and fabulously marinated tofu. Good--but not great. Not enough cilantro. The baguette could be lighter and more crispy. Something is missing. But tasty nonetheless. There salad rolls are also tasty. But not amazing. read more

I ate "The Porky" after much consideration between that and "The Hen" or "The VBQ" and it was amazing. I have never had Pork Belly Before, but after watching numerous episodes of Top Chef, I decided to give in to my "Chicago Foodie" Side. $8 Sandwich. Fresh Crunch, Sweet, Spicy, and Salty Vegetables. The young woman and man were both pleasant and helpful. The sandwich did not leak (I don't recall tasting any condiments). I look forward to going back and trying another sandwich. :-) read more

I've tried the Banh Mi sandwiches at Saigon Sisters, at overall they were good. I've tried the Banh Mi Classic, Meatball, and Pork Belly sandwiches...which my favorite was the Meatball. All sandwiches came with the the usual sauce, on french bread, with the pickles veggies, cilantro and jalapeno. They weren't the best Vietnamese sandwiches I've tried, but to get a quick fix or to have for lunch when in downtown, it's great to have close by. Overall, good food, good service, okay prices. read more

Wow. I don't even know where to begin. I was super excited about this place, as I am a HUGE fan of Banh Mi sandwiches and Pho (signature dishes for Viet cuisine). I live in the south loop, so was already surprised to find that there was not a place that sold Banh Mi sandwiches. REALLY? So when I discovered Saigon Sisters, I was ecstatic! Ordered the Classic and the Frenchman (the duck confit was in the ingredients, so I knew I couldn't pass that up!) I also decided to give the pho a try since I had to purchase over $20 to validate for the free 1 hour parking. I am not even exagerrating when I say this, but these banh mi sandwiches were by far THE WORST I HAVE EVER HAD. I mean, when I say worst, I probably would not just limit that to Banh Mi Sandwiches, but even all Sandwiches in general. I mean, that is how bad these things were. Please do not get fooled by the bread at this place and rate this a "good" sandwich. If you are willing to travel a bit for an out of this world banh mi sandwich experience, go to BaLe in Argyle or Nhu Lan on Lawrence near California. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the price of these POS sandwiches. $8???? That's almost a 100% markup from the average price that banh Mi sandwiches are sold in Chicago! So yeah, I won't be back. read more

We ate our way through the French Market last week when we were in town. Saigon Sisters was our first stop. I had seem them on Jeff Mauro's Food Network show and the sandwiches looked amazing. I'm here to tell you they also taste amazing! We shared the traditional bahn mi. WOW fantastic. Super flavorful...the bread OMG so good. Would definitely hit this place up again next time we're in town. read more

Saigon Sisters - traditional bahn mi - Vietnamese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Mouth-watering goodness. I don't think it's possible to go wrong with anything on their menu. Do yourself a favor. So. Good. read more

Saigon Sisters is a great little place to grab a sandwich when you just miss your train and its dinner time. The vegetarian (vegan!) bahn mi is great, although a little overpriced when you know you could get a very similar sandwich for 3 or 4 dollars cheaper elsewhere is the city. Price aside, its convenient, tasty, and I've never been let down by the fast and friendly service. I tried the veggie pho, and that was a mistake. It's the same lemongrass tofu from the sandwiches, just floating around in a boring broth. If you take the Metra skip potbellies, and try Saigon Sisters! read more

I had my first Banh Mi in a French Market in a train station. Yeah, it was a little weird, but the sandwich was good. Alright, so there was a little bit too much bread and it was a little bit too crumbly. I left quite a mess at my seat when I was done crunching my way through this large Banh Mi. I didn't go traditional I had The Hen House which is made with chicken, lemongrass, mint, ginger, and for some reason mayo. I thought the mayo was unnecessary but the tastes came together pretty well. Even if I couldn't pick out an individual ingredient. I also hate to pick on the location, but seats can be hard to come by and while no fault of Saigon Sisters it was a 15 minute or so walk from my office. The sandwich was good, but it didn't blow me away. I don't see myself making the journey back here for another one. But if you find yourself in the French Market it might be worth checking out if you're in the mood for this type of fare. read more

This is the first place I've had a Banh Mi, I've had several since, but might be a bit biased. I've generally stuck with the traditional Banh Mi, the balance just seems right and it is a good, solid sandwich. I think it is also the cheapest sandwich at $7 and it makes me perfectly happy, so why spend the extra $1. If I do feel like spending that extra dollar it is generally on the pork belly. Sometimes they can take awhile to get you a sandwich, and others the bread seems a bit more stale than crusty which are what keep it from getting the five stars. it is still a solid sandwich and will always be one of my go-to spots in the French Market. read more

Seeing as today was fairly chilly, I decided that I was going to get some soup. Unfortunately, I didn't find the soup place I was looking for. Fortunately, I found the Saigon Sisters. I haven't tried any Vietnamese places in Chicago yet so I decided to try this one. Keep in mind that this was in the French Market so the size or plating may not be up to par. However, I expect the taste to be the same since their main restaurant is less than a block away. Why I didn't go to that one instead is beyond me. I ordered the Roast Beef Pho, which has sliced beef and meatballs, for $8.75. The man, who I believed to be the owner or chef, pulls out a black plastic bowl from the fridge and hands it to the guy in the back to be filled up with the broth. Apparently the noodles are already proportioned in the bowl beforehand. Which, honestly, isn't exactly terrible. I just expected fresh noodles since I'm paying so much for so little pho. The bowl was capped and given to me with a little baggie of garnishes. When I say little, I mean LITTLE. There were a handful of cut up bean sprouts, 1 or 2 leaves of Thai basil, few slices of jalapeno, and a wedge of lime that produces only 3 drops of juice. Tip: Ask for extra garnishes. The sauces are to the right of the stand. They provide little cups to put your sauces in so I recommend taking more than one. If you don't know what sauces to use, I like to add quite a bit of hoisin and a bit of Siracha, but like everything food related, add to your own taste. I'm also not liking the plastic bowl since the heat from the soup is making the bowl itself warp and I'm a bit wary about chemicals coming from the heated plastic, but I do understand why its used. (Disposable) The flavor of the broth felt like it was missing something. I couldn't put my finger on it, but it didn't taste like the pho that I have back home in California. Don't get me wrong, it still tasted great. The noodles were nice and chewy. You wouldn't even know that it wasn't fresh! However, the meat and meatballs were a bit lacking. There were about 2 slices of beef and 4 or 6 quartered meatballs. What else is there to say about this place? Its flavor is good, just feels a bit cheap with the plastic everywhere. Since the actual restaurant is just a block away, I'd prefer to head on there for my next bowl of pho or banh mi. 3 and a half stars. For more review, come check out www.eatpeterepeat.com read more

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I was excited to see this option as I walked the French Market. As I stood there, trying to decide what to get, an adorble older lady came out and suggested that I try the Hen House bahn mi. She said that it's 'popular with the ladies' while the men tend to go for the pork options. I really wanted to try the pork belly, but I went with her recommendation. It was really good! I've never had a bahn mi so I can't speak to authenticiity but the combo of chicken, herbs, jalapenos and whatever cruncy veggies they piled on were so, so, so good. The bread was fresh and just right; crunchy outside, soft inside. As I sat at my table eating, the same lady came to see me again and showed me that the sandwich had made Chicago Magazine's list of 50 best sandwiches. She left me with the magazine to read and asked if I liked my sandwich. Couldn't have been more delightful! read more

Best pork buns close to my west loop neighborhood! Love both the chicken and hoisin glazed pork belly buns. My husband goes crazy for the hen house sandwich (Caramelized chicken, lemongrass, ginger, mint, lime, crushed peanuts - oh my!) and the chicken salad. Love the tofu rolls too. Everything tastes fresh and flavorful every time. Price can't be beat, all options less than $8. Closed on Sunday and closes by 7pm on weeknights, only wish it were open more to satisfy my pork bun cravings! read more

Ordered the caramelized chicken with noodles. The taste was good, but nothing great. The chicken was a little dried out. But what caught me off guard was the portion size. Omg it was small. I understand hi rent and low margins, but wow. At $10:59 with tax this is pretty sad. They need to reconsider portion size....or charge more. But I would not try this again read more

I had never been along the stretch of Lake Street past Clinton before, so I ventured with my boyfriend one day last week. This place caught our eye - it's located in the first floor gallery of the CTA headquarters building near DesPlaines and Lake. The decor is modern and appealing, and the atmosphere (at lunch time) is quiet and cozy - good for conversation. This place does an amazing Bahn Mi. I'm no expert - it's actually only the second time I've had a Bahn Mi (the first being in San Francisco about 5 years ago). However, I like to consider myself an experienced diner when it comes to Asian and fusion restaurants, and in that respect, this place satisfies me to the fullest. The lunch menu is slightly less expensive than the majority of restaurants in the Loop/West Loop area. Your average lunch is gonna run you under $10. The dinner menu looked really interesting - I'm undoubtedly going to return some evening to check it out. I got the Sun Tanned Cow Bahn Mi, and my boyfriend got the Classic one. I can't decide which was better. The pork on the Classic was ridiculously tender, and the pate was delicious as well. My Bahn Mi was exactly what I was looking for - the slight coconut and lime leaf flavors complemented the beef perfectly. In both cases, the bread was fresh and well portioned in relation to the amount of ingredients inside. We also ordered one Bahn Bao just to try it. We got the glazed pork belly one. Very cute and tasty. Loved the small novelty size and the ingredients were great, as well. For only $2.50, it made a great mini-appetizer for our lunch. The total was under $20 for both of us, and the server was bubbly and helpful, so we did not have a problem tipping her generously. I'll definitely have to try the dinner soon. This place rocks. read more

Had the Pho Bahn Mi sandwich. Was expensive, small and tasted bad. The meat is supposed to be 'wagyu' but I found it to be very fatty to the point of being rubbery. More than 1/3 of the meat in the sandwich was fat. I am a huge fan of Vietnamese food. This was a huge disappointment. read more