I had the vegetarian pho for lunch. It was a bowl of tofu. Who can eat this much tofu in one sitting? There was a little bit of chopped up carrots and scallions and that was it. Some mushrooms or something would have been nice. It didn't have much flavor either. I think some lemon grass could have made a big improvement. My co-workers rave about this place, so maybe I just ordered the wrong thing.
Review Source:This is an especially good sandwich considering you are in a train station! So, skip past the fast food court at Ogilvie and head on in to the market.
I had the Hen House and enjoyed everything but the mayo. That was the only time I've had mayo on a bahn mi, and next time I will tell them not to put any on there.
Definitely will return when I'm in the area.
Saigon Sisters may be the best thing about Chicago French Market, especially if you are a fan of the Banh Mi sandwich. Not only does Saigon Sisters make a great traditional Banh Mi with pâté schmeared on great crusty French bread piled high with ham and studded with traditional veg, cilantro and chilies, they offer several twists on the same. The ordering counter is tiny but you can swing around and watch them make every sandwich fresh. Not-so-typical drinks and chips are there for the patron to choose
Review Source: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.
Banh-mis were fresh and tasty and offered more variety than other places. Even my bf's very traditional American dad liked it. Wish their spring rolls were made to order though. Also tried the pork belly rice box. Pork belly was flavorful accompanied by brown rice (which I've never had with Asian places) but it was good and perfectly cooked. However, the place is quite pricey. Paid nearly double for what I would normally pay for Viet food. But the food itself is quite yummy.
Review Source: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!) Â 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!
Why do I like this place?  First off - fresh jalapeños in the sandwiches.  Second, they don't look at me like I'm crazy for requesting no onions, they look at me crazy for thinking they'd even PUT them into these delicious sandwiches in the first place!
This little stop inside the French Market is most definitely worth it. Â Fast friendly service even in that hectic environment - well worth it!
I walk here from the office at least once a week, and I've never been let down - highly recommend.
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!
Ahhh, big sigh of happiness....
I won't say I'm an expert on Vietnamese food but this little stall in the Chicago French Market is serving up some good food. Â The first time I went I took my parents and we all had something different. Â My mom had the bao combo (only served on Saturdays) which gave you a choice of three different meats in soft buns with pickled veggies and the usual Vietnamese fixings. Â She tried the chicken, pork belly and BBQ and they were all amazing. Â My personal favorite from what I tried was the pork belly, but I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff. Â
My dad had the classic banh mi which was also delicious but maybe not something I would just go to Saigon Sisters for... maybe I just need to try a different banh mi on the menu! Â I had the beef pho, this was okay. Â I think it's kind of hard to mess up pho. Â It was tasty and had the usual suspects, thinly sliced beef, beef balls, basil, cilantro, peppers, sprouts. Â The broth was also tasty but I will say a lack of variety in the types of pho served is a little disappointing, but really, what can you expect from a small shop set up in a market inside of a metra station?! Â
The second time I went to Saigon Sisters, I went with the pork belly rice bowl (I've posted a picture of it here)... oh my goodness, how amazing is that dish, you say? Â It's BEYOND AMAZING... so tender and seasoned to perfection and again dressed with pickled veggies and peppers on brown rice. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. The portions are a little on the small side... I left wanting more but after a few minutes of not eating I felt very satisfied.
Overall, this place is great and I will be back for my fill of some pork belly over rice!
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.
So sad. I was in the mood for banh mi and was hoping that the slightly Westernized banh mi sandwiches would fill the craving but talk about white washed.
Far too much bread and very little stuffing. I got the 'classic' but was disappointed with the amount of meat and very little picked carrots which really make the sandwich something unique.
At $8, it's way overpriced for what it is. I expect to pay a premium for convenience but at least give me something comparable to what I can get for $3.50 in Argyle or Chinatown.
Sad face
This was the WORST Vietnamese food I've ever had in my life. Â Scratch that, make that the WORST FOOD I've had ever. Â I guess they're still around due to location and the general lack of knowledge of the ppl in the area, but goodness, it was just a train wreck. Â They had a duck noodle special, which looked delicious on the menu, but tasted like crap. Â The noodles were mushy, like they'd been boiled in water that hasn't been changed and it was overly salty. Â It was almost inedible. Â I stopped after 3 bites - and that's 3 bites of a $15 entree. Â I went with 2 other ppl who both disliked their choices as well. Â Save your money and don't come here, you'll have a better meal with Chinatown, Argyle or cup o' noodles.
Review Source:Pretty overpriced for some mediocre sandwiches. Granted some of them do use some more "upscale" ingredients but it's still double the price of a normal banh mi store. I got the traditional banh mi which essentially has 3 types of meat and some pate. Terrible! I could barely taste any pate and I feel like they just went and bought some deli meat from Dominicks... definitely not how it's supposed to be made.
Review Source:Shame on me! Shame on me! I cannot believe I've lived steps from the French Market for this long and have never been! Seriously?!
Anyway, now that I've come out of hibernation as the weather heats up, I've been taking my daughter out to explore the neighborhood, and am so embarrassed to say I didn't know the french market was there! Some local I claim to be.
So, ever since I watched the food truck contest show on Foodtv, I've been craving a good banh mi (vietnamese style sub with pickled veggies and various mouth watering proteins). I saw the stall at the market and thought, oh, saigon sisters, that sounds authentic. I'm not sure if there are actually sisters, but I'm sure they can make a killer banh mi.
I can't attest to the greatness of anything except the VBQ (super tender bbq beef) with extra pickled daikon and extra jalapenos. It is out of this world. Definitely up there with some of the most flavorful subs I've had.
The price is a little steep, agreed. But it's not like we have an abundance of options for a decent banh mi in the loop, so I'll take what I can get. Supply and demand baby. The american way.
Eat it!
Lunch at the French Market.
Met up with a buddy for lunch and after kicking around the idea of where we'd go, we settled on Saigon Sisters. Â They've got a few different options from soups to rice bowls. Â We were all about the banh mi. Â Porky, the pork belly one, for me and the VBQ-Vietnamese BBQ, for him. Â Hold the mayo. Â Seems like most of them come with mayo on them. Â So, if that's not your thing let them know. Â
Fresh and chewy french rolls and a tasty sandwich. Â The jalapenos added a nice kick, though it was only on the last few bites that it dawned on me how much a nice dousing of Siracha would have added. Â I don't remember seeing any kind of fixing station, so that oversight is on me. Â I'm sure they've got a bottle sitting around somewhere. Â Next time hook me up with the spicy. Â
Pretty good sandwich, but a tad steep at about $8.
A friend recommended that I get the meatball banh mi. I normally am not a fan of them, but this one was very good. I'll even go so far as to say I loved the meatballs in it. They were saucy, a bit spicy, and had more of a shredded pork texture to them than the usual, boring, homogenized tenderness. The tangy, sweet flavor was a nice compliment to the sharp tones delivered by the vegetables. The bread was good, and, overall, the sandwich was filling and satisfying.
It was a tasty, hearty banh mi. It's probably the best meatball banh mi anywhere in or around Chicago. They have a great location right near the back of the French Market. I just can't legitimize getting another one because of the cost. If I absolutely must have one and have no way to get north to Viet-town, sure, I'll buy another, but I'll really, really have to be desperate for a banh mi (which I occasionally am).
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.
Saigon Sisters is a great little place to grab a sandwich when you just miss your train and its dinner time. Â 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. Â It's the same lemongrass tofu from the sandwiches, just floating around in a boring broth. Â
If you take the Metra skip potbellies, and try Saigon Sisters!
On the French Market sign by Oblivie Station, I recognized banh mi sandwiches which immediately grabbed my attention. Who would have ever thought that they sold these delicious Vietnamese creations right by my work? I had to try one for myself and decided to grab one for the ride home at Saigon Sisters.
At first, the price startled me a bit since it was twice as much as I'm normally used to. Around Argyle in Viet town and other Vietnamese restaurants, there are usually around $3. For me, I don't mind paying more for something that I'm craving. At this point, I was paying for the convenience of eating a banh mi sandwich without having to travel all the way to Uptown for one.
Saigon Sisters do a great job of offering something different to an area that may not be familiar to Vietnamese food. This is the place if you are sick of the normal burger, sub, Panini, or fast food.
If you never had a banh mi sandwich, it's a French baguette with meat, pate, mayonnaise, jalapenos, cilantro, and pickled radish and carrots. The pickled radish and carrots seem odd but they serve the same purpose as pickles in a burger or sandwich. It's the perfect fusion of flavors taken from traditional Vietnamese cuisine and French techniques.
The Porky is braised pork belly with a hoisin glaze - it's just plain good porky goodness. The Meatball has really good flavor. It's a good balance of savory and saltiness in meatball form. It's definitely a must try if you are a meatball sandwich fan. One thing that I wish would be that they added more pate.
Although they are more expensive than what you normally pay for a banh mi sandwich, to me it's worth it because of their location. Here are the extra dollars, Saigon Sisters - I don't mind paying more.
Wow. Â I don't even know where to begin. Â
I was super excited about this place, as I am a HUGE fan of Banh Mi sandwiches and Pho (signature dishes for Viet cuisine). Â I live in the south loop, so was already surprised to find that there was not a place that sold Banh Mi sandwiches. Â REALLY? Â So when I discovered Saigon Sisters, I was ecstatic! Â
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. Â
I am not even exagerrating when I say this, but these banh mi sandwiches were by far THE WORST I HAVE EVER HAD. Â I mean, when I say worst, I probably would not just limit that to Banh Mi Sandwiches, but even all Sandwiches in general. Â I mean, that is how bad these things were. Â Please do not get fooled by the bread at this place and rate this a "good" sandwich. Â 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. Â $8???? Â 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.
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). Â 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: Â A good choice for those who aren't familiar with banh mi yet, especially in this area of the city. Â But if you want a good deal and great flavors, hitch a ride to Viet town.
I've tried the Banh Mi sandwiches at Saigon Sisters, at overall they were good. Â I've tried the Banh Mi Classic, Meatball, and Pork Belly sandwiches...which my favorite was the Meatball. Â All sandwiches came with the the usual sauce, on french bread, with the pickles veggies, cilantro and jalapeno. Â 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.
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 :/
1 star = "Eek! Methinks not." ... pure poetry.
On a Saturday morning, post drinking Friday night, especially when it's cloudy and raining outside, one tends to gravitate towards the epitome of Vietnamese cuisine... a piping hot, soothing, tasty bowl of PHO.
Sorry folks, me don't love you long time. Â Don't go here. Â You'll be happier with top ramen a sliced hot dog and sriracha. Â With the name "Saigon Sisters", you imagine two wise, middle aged, war-surviving imports, instead you get an overwhelmed waiter and a non-asian chef who has officially made a mockery of Pho.
All the sriracha and hoisen sauce in the world can not save this Pho. Â Please do your patrons a favor, take it off the menu, find an older Vietnamese grandma and have her teach you the ways, young grasshopper.
I didn't try the banh mi, maybe its legit, but I will never Pho here again.
Henhouse is off the chain, yo. No, for real though, this place was great. The bahn mi was much bigger than I expected and the bread was extremely fresh. The chicken was tender, great sauce, ample amount of jalapenos.
They take credit cards and were really quick with service. I'm sure SS will become my Go-to at the French Market this summer.
$7.77 for most bahn mis, some are $8.
Went for lunch with a beautiful lady this week (no, Yelp friends, not a date). Â I was a bit reticent at first, but, since my excellent tasting adventure at the mother ship restaurant on Lake (I will write about that next), I quickly agreed to meet at Saigon Sisters in the French Market.
Let's get something very crystal clear -- I love banh mi sandwiches. Â I don't think you understand -- I LOVE BANH MI SANDWICHES. Â "If you love them so much, why don't you marry one?" Â I did, then I ate her.
So, given my 1st disappointing experience, this time, I decided to go with a filling of one of my favorite meats - P O R K Â B E L L Y Y Y Y Y Y Y!!! Â Wut? Â The pork belly banh mi did it for me -- plenty of pork belly. Â I mean plenty of thick cut, marinated (what is the marinade, sistas?), braised, unctuous (when does ANYONE get to use the word "unctuous" anymore?") pork belly. Â Pickle-y pickled veggies falling out. Â And, the baguette was not stale this time. Â This is a very, very good sandwich that I will have again. Â Soon. Â
My lunch date had the chicken salad. Â I could've made that salad into a banh mi (see what I'm talking about here?). Â Really enjoyed that nuoc cham dressing -- i could've doused my banh mi in it. Â
Okay, I'm the the first to admit when I'm wrong. Â I think I too hastily reviewed SS with my 1st banh mi. Â And, this time, these sistas completely and absolutely restored their reputation with me (at least...but, who am I?). Â And, I highly recommend SS in the French Market for lunch for all. Â It is a bit pricey, but, you will not be able to get a better banh mi this close to the Loop.
Go.
Go now. Â
Go get banh mi.
Go.
Why are you still reading this?
The Pho is terrible (It's literally fast food Pho).
While the sandwiches are decent the price is absolutely outrageous. Including a box of Shrimp Rolls, which tastes like it's been left out for quite some time.
While one has to get out of their way to reach Argyle for some authentic Vietnamese, one shouldn't have to pay an arm and a leg for an 8 dollar sandwich that should cost 1.50.
This place sells terrible Pho. Â Our broth was lukewarm and tasteless. Â The noodles were hard. Â I complained to who I assumed to be the "head chef" (the eldest mama working there) and all she did was tell the younger mama behind the counter to turn the heat up on their crock pot housing the cold broth. Â Poor. Â
Their sandwiches are no better. Â All the ingredients are there for authentic Bahn Mi, but the taste is sadly lacking.
Ridiculous. Â I literally just finished eating the original bahn mi, which I picked up from the MCA farmers' market, and was annoyed enough to log on and write my first review in several months. Â There were some good flavors happening, but I literally got one slice of ham, one slice of pork, and like, a sliver of pate on that thing.. Â for $7. Â The flavor was pretty good, but seriously.. Â really aggravated, and now I'm going to have to be a pig and eat something else for lunch. Â I envy the person who got theirs and said it was crammed full of meat.. Â maybe they just had an off day or something. SIGH.
The two stars are only because last week, I had the shrimp roll, and that was lovely.
I was really excited to learn that the Saigon Sisters has a stand at the Farmer's Market at the MCA on Tuesdays (7 - 3pm). They only sell their classic and the vegetarian sandwiches, plus some spring rolls at the stand though.
I thought the $7 sandwiches were a bit pricey compared to the $3 sandwiches on Argyle, so I almost didn't buy it. When I got their menu last week, I thought I'd be able to get the chicken salad so I was a little sad they didn't have it at the stand. Ah well. The classic sandwich was pretty good, and I think I convinced myself that paying $7 for the sandwich might be worth it since we don't have that option around this area where I work.
The only problem I have with the sandwich was that the bread was a little hard and the mayo was a little on the heavy side. I also don't know how I feel about knowing that the pate wasn't spread on the bread... Ok, so maybe I'm a little anal about this but I think that the order of the ingredients makes a huge difference in how the sandwiches taste. (I used to work at a Vietnamese deli--one of those Lee's Sandwiches in California). I like that Saigon Sisters really packed the meat in though; it certainly helped making me feel as if I'm getting my money's worth.
I love places that serve one unique thing and do it really well. Â Siagon Sisters has a pretty small menu, just about 8 different varieties of banh mi: Vietnamese sandwich's (pronounced "bang me", which always makes me laugh).
They are so good. Â I've been trying different sandwich's on their menu, but I always return to the Porky, which is slow cooked pork with some kind of hoisin sauce, pickled daikon radishes, hot peppers, cilantro and who knows what else, served on a french roll. Â Amazing.
After making a loop of the French Market it was this Vietnamese sandwich booth that tempted my boyfriend and me to stop for lunch. Big banh mi sandwiches stuffed with a variety of flavors beckoned us, as did the friendly service.
I got the Hen House ("caramelized chicken, lemongrass, ginger, Â mint, lime, crushed peanuts" -- a nice amalgam of flavors); he got the Suntanned Cow ("coconut milk braised beef, kaffir lime leaf"). Both were contained within hearty, crusty torpedo rolls: a nice choice, to hold in all that goodness. My sandwich also contained some kind of mayo-y sauce, peppers (jalapeno?) and a lot of cilantro; I didn't know that these items would be on there or I would have asked for no cilantro, but it was easy enough to get off the top (and the young man was happy to appropriate it for his sandwich). Overall, a good choice; the chicken tasted like it might have been hanging around for a while but the "caramelized" aspect made up for it. The boy also liked his; neither of us had trouble polishing them off.
Saigon Sisters had a nice array of beverages on offer, from San Pellegrino Aranciata to Coconut Water to Argo iced teas. Aside from the sandwiches, edibles included pho (beef and vegetarian) and lettuce rolls.
A unique dining choice in the French Market; more banh mi for me, please!
Oh my Banh Mi!
After perusing the number of food options at the French Market, we finally set our sights on the Saigon Sisters. We shared a Porky (which is a "braised Duroc pork belly" with "pho flavors" and a "hoisin glaze") and had a portion of a friends Shrimp Salad Roll. At $7 and $6 a piece they were a little pricey in comparison to their Argyle and Broadway counterparts, but they definitely hit the spot.
The french roll was perfectly crisp and fresh on the outside and soft on the inside. The ingredients were fresh and the flavors mingled perfectly from the fatty pork to the pickled daikon and vegetables.
As for the Shrimp Roll, I would only recommend this if you are a fan of cilantro. The shrimp were a good size and the roll was so delightfully light, rightfully accompanied with a peanut dipping sauce.
Super friendly staff/owners and fresh ingredients. It was a nice snack, albeit pricey (especially for what it was) but then again you are paying for the atmosphere and the experience, which is a good mindset to go into it with.
This place is still one of my favorites, and with Lent in full swing, nothing makes me happier than the Vietnamese Shrimp Rolls on a Friday! Â Instead of suffering through nasty fish filet, I have light shrimp rolls with crisp veggies, noodles, cilantro and yummy peanut sauce. Three of those in a container for only $6 is a steal compared to the sandwiches.
I will be making the trip over here at least until the end of Lent for this and more likely after!
Its been over four years since I've had a banh mi so I was really excited to try one of the sandwiches at Saigon Sisters. Â I ordered the "porky" because lets face it, little piggies taste so good!
The french roll was excellent. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Â The pork was tender, but when I took it apart, it was very fatty, as in strips of fat between the meat. I prefer the fat in my pork to be incorporated into the meat so I feel a little less guilty about eating it (reasons why I dont eat bacon). When I saw all the fat, I totally lost my appetite!
Overall the sandwich did not have much flavor. The radishes and other fixins werent very vinegary like I'm used to. It just didnt taste like the ones I've had back at home (in San Francisco) which in my opinion were a little more authentic. Â I know someone who tried the duck sandwich and she said it was only ok. Â The talapia special got rave reviews though.
The prices were a bit much for the sandwiches. Back at home it costs $3-4. Not $7+. Â I guess its just the price you pay for something located downtown. I'm happy there is a Vietnamese shop in the downtown area though! I would be willing to go back and try a different sandwich.
Saigon Sisters is the Vietnamese sandwich shop I've waited for years to see in the Loop - though it's a bit different that what I had hoped for. Â The greatest thing about it is its location, in the newly opened French Market in Ogilvie Station. Â There is so much bland lunch crap in the Loop - filled it chain sub places and coffee shops. Â The French Market adds a ton of great options, each with its own unique flavors and culture. Â And it's all across the street from me!
The menu is rather small at Saigon Sisters, but that's what you get when you are operating a food stall in a marketplace rather than a full restaurant. Â They have like 6-8 "banh mi ba le" (Vietnamese sandwiches) now. Â Warning: prices are twice what you'd expect - in the $6-7 range. Â Whoever called it a "Loop surcharge" was right; it would be hard to stay afloat down their otherwise. Â I'd much rather spend my money here than spend it on "5 dollar footlong" commercials :)
I've had three of the sandwiches so far. Â I first had to try the "Classic". Â Banh mi veterans would know this as "dac biet" (special) or "thit nguoi" (cold cuts). Â It was.... meh. Â It was a decent sandwich, but not nearly as tasty as a good banh mi dac biet at most Vietnamese sandwich shops. Â The flavors were a bit off. Â Maybe the picked carrots/radishes aren't right? Â Or the pate? Â Not exactly sure. Â I didn't give up on Saigon Sisters though. Â The next one I tried was the "Porky" sandwich. Â Wow. Â That's a damn good sandwich!!! Â It's filled with pork belly meat, plus a rich and succulent sauce. Â I've had this one a few times, and it has been impressive each time. Â Yesterday I tried the "Frenchman" sandwich. Â This one is duck confit with a reddish sauce that kinda looks like Russian dressing. Â The Frenchman was very good too. Â Not as good as the Porky but quite good nonetheless.
They also serve pho (beef noodle soup) on Mondays and Saturdays. Â Haven't tried it yet. Â And there are some appetizers like spring rolls.
I came to a realization about this place - hence why I say it's not what I had expected. Â If you expect an authentic, classic Vietnamese banh mi place, it's not the best. Â You'd only find the Classic on any other store's menu. Â If you want that, take the time to go to Argyle. Â But if you are willing to try a little "fusion squared" - modern fusion of a dish that was already French-Vietnamese fusion - you could be in for a treat. Â The Porky and Frenchman sandwiches (and probably the other ones like meatball and short ribs) are more like gourmet experiments on the traditional Vietnamese sandwich. Â I like them quite a bit, but yeah they are different. Â
I'm very glad the Saigon Sisters and the rest of the French Market came to the Loop (after what, 10 years of waiting??). Â It's great to have something ethnic and interesting in a sea of chains and corporate blah blah blah.
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