Saigon Sisters — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

20% service charge and reservations are best!

If you don't want to wait make a reservation. Fortunately for us we were seated immediately even though we didn't have reservations, we were seated at the bar which was fine bc we wanted to eat right away but if you want a table definitely make reservations.

It took 10 minutes for the waitress to take our order but once we were served our food, she gave us our napkins and silverware immediately so we could eat.

I was disappointed with the pho bc it didn't have enough broth. They load it up with so much noodle it sucks up all the broth which left hardly any broth in the bowl for both of our pho. I didn't have any issues with the flavor, the beef pho has a sweeter broth and the beef short rib has a savory broth. It was the lack of broth/liquid that was the issue.

We ordered the beef pho $18 and the beef short rib for $26. The beef pho has 6 thin slices of beef which were tender and the beef short rib was very tender it fell off the bone BUT my gripe is that my pho only had one short rib and a small portion of shredded beef on the side. For $26 I would expect to be served at least two beef short ribs not just one, very skimpy and kinda ridiculous. The portion sizes of the bowl are smaller than your standard pho that you'd get at another pho restaurant that isn't located in the downtown area, definitely smaller.

And both of our bowls had very little broth as the noodles sucked all the broth up. My feedback to management is to get the ratio to noodles right so that there is enough broth in proportion to the noodle otherwise you'll continue to have disappointed customers. I had so much noodles in my pho I had to remove some.

I actually mentioned this very feedback to our female waitress and all she kept saying was "I know I know I know, thank you" but I don't think she took that feedback seriously and shared it with the management and cooking staff, she came off dismissive and didn't state that she would let management know. Some advice, if you want repeat customers you need to listen to their feedback and take it into serious consideration and even implement it where it applies.

The shrimp papaya salad $18 was absolutely delicious and tasted very fresh so no complaints there.

Another feedback for the management would be to note on their menu the 20% service charge. I didn't see it listed on the in person menu (unless I missed it, in which case if I did they need to make it more obvious) and didn't see it listed on the online menu either. We were planning to leave a tip bc we always do but as a business I would think you'd have the professional courtesy to notify your patrons in advance so there is no surprise when they get the bill. This just sours the vibe/mood and that could be avoided if customers are given notice on the menu in advance so they are at least aware. I would think a business that considers themselves successful and professional would notate that on the menu instead of surprising customers at the end when paying the bill. It doesn't seem respectful nor professional and kind of sneaky.

In terms of the ambiance it is a very small restaurant and definitely feels cramped. The decor is nice but other than that it's not very spacious and it can get loud where you can't hear yourself speak.

Total cost for one salad and two pho, no drinks (water) with 20% service charge was $81.

It is very hard to find parking and parking is metered.

Will not...

I will say this simply before I say it with much more detail: Go patronize Daniel and Mary’s restaurant. It’s a gem.

I came with a group of 20, despite the ~36 seating situation in the restaurant they accommodated our group better than a place that seats 200 would. The co-owner (Daniel, husband, co-owner and front of house) made an international call to reach me and get my voicemail and asked if due to our group’s size we could do a set menu. I was happy to agree but let him know what I needed to confirm dietary restrictions. I got him those restrictions only a day in advance because we were in town for a conference and he and his wife (Mary, executive chef and co owner) handled our group like a charm.

I want to qualify my review. I’ve lived all over the world and love food. I have had food in dives in Hanoi and Michelin starred restaurants in France. I have had bad tourist trap food in Marrakech, and delightful tacos out of a truck in California. I love a Neapolitan pizza but recognize deep dish and tavern styles as legitimate additions to the brand. I am an Iowan who is wiling to accept that the best pork chop he has ever had was in Dublin, and delight in a road side hamburger if it is made well. I don’t turn my nose up at food but I do appreciate tradition. I’ve worked food service and I’m also a guy with a corporate card now. I offer this not as a way to brag but as a way to make sure the words that follow land.

The dishes ranged from traditional Vietnamese to dishes that (I believe) were slightly adapted for a more American taste and every one impressed and satisfied. Team members I brought with a taste for spicy food and the more spice adverse were pleased. Our vegan, pescatarian and halal diners were not only pleased but felt welcomed and included.

The service was delightful and cheery and the food came out at a fantastic pace and was on point.

At this point you may think I’m gilding the Lilly but I really want to drive home how great of an evening we had. Some of us had gone to Duck Duck Goat the night before, a place owned by an internationally renowned Chicago chef, and we all agreed that we had a better dining experience at Saigon Sisters.

So I’ll end where I started: patronize this place. The restaurant biz is a brutal place sometimes filled with callous characters with pumped up ideas of how good their food is when it shouldn’t be so pumped up, and good food that isn’t served with care. Saigon Sisters is the antithesis to that, it was warm, welcoming, accommodating...

Wow! Just wow! What an experience…hands down one of the best meals I’ve had since moving to Chicago.

We came hungry so we got quite a few dishes! Here is my overview of what we had:

Vietnamese Eggrolls: The breading was crispy but was also paper thin with tons of meat and veggies and delicious dipping sauce.

Papaya Salad: Not something I would usually order but so glad that I did, the papaya combined with the shrimp pork and homemade beef jerky was the perfect amount of freshness and savory. You have to try this one!

Pork Dumplings: were phenomenal but they got even better when we tried dipping them in the sauce that came with.

Bronzino: The entire fish is flash fried and presented in this amazing sauce with onions and dill huge portion definitely recommend sharing!

Bo Luc Lac Steak: literally so tender it’s melts in your mouth, served with white rice this one was definitely a staple and would be great to get to go.

Grilled Baby Octopus: Oh My God was this delicious. A combination of spicy and sweet unlike any flavor I’ve had before. Something That was definitely a bit outside my comfort zone but trust me you have to get this one!

Bbq Eggplant: Amazing tangy eggplant dish perfect for vegetarians and meat eaters alike!!

Lemongrass Pork-chop: One of the most well cooked flavorful pork chops around. Usually super fatty in my prior experiences, but not here. This tasted fresh and had one of the most impressive Smokey flavors I’ve had.

Bun cha Hanoi : Lettuce wraps with pork meatballs rice noodles pork belly wraps. Do Not Skip these! The pork belly is as tender as it gets and having it in a wrap is even better!!

Banana Butter Cake: Holy S@$T this might have been a top 5 dessert I have ever had. Reminded me of home cooked desserts I can only dream about. If you are stuffed, make room because this is a necessity.

Bread Pudding Dessert: If after all of the appetizers and entrees you can find the room this was one of the best desserts I’ve had in the city. Simple but delicious and dipped in a salted caramel sauce.

Overall: 100/10 the service was amazing, the owner Dan checked up on us multiple times and made amazing recommendations. Our waiter was great and made sure we had a wonderful meal. I cannot wait to try their other locations and might just have to go back this week....