Tien Giang: A Taste of Argyle

One of the charms of our neighborhood is that a few blocks away are over a dozen Vietnamese, Chinese, and Thai restaraunts along Argyle Avenue and that area.  For years, we had a favorite that was right by the El.  The food was always good, there was lots of room, and the service was dependable.  The fact that the owner looked like the bad guy from an 80s Chuck Norris movie was an extra plus for Neil.  Sadly, the place burned a few years ago and we've been meandering between a number of places for Vietnamese and Thai since.  Imagine our surprise recently then when we noticed that the name on a tiny Vietnamese place on Broadway looked an awful lot like the name of our old favorite.  After consulting an old menu we had laying around, we confirmed that our favorite place had indeed been reborn a block away for who knows how long without us even knowing it.  Excited to try it again, we set out for Tien Giang to take our food adventure to Vietnam!

Drinks
When our water glasses were filled, Beth noticed that the color was a little dark for water.  Concerned that maybe the tap water in Chicago had finally taken a turn for the worse, she tasted it tentatively.  We were both pleasantly surprised to find that it was a very mild iced tea.  It had just enough tea flavor to give it a nice flavor and make it a little more interesting than just a regular glass of water.

Food

Beth has usually enjoyed a nice coconut drink in our previous trips to Tien Giang, but the waitress suggested that she try a little something different this time.  Not sure what we were getting, we were a little surprised when she showed up with a carved coconut with a hole cut in the top.  Instead of a drink, it was a coconut jelly, a mix of coconut and other sweetness that tasted really good, but was definitely more dessert than a drink.

Coconut Jelly

For an appetizer, we went with their spring rolls, called goi cuon in Vietnamese (excuse the lack of accent marks over the Vietnamese words since our keyboard can't hack the language), which have always been a favorite and didn't disappoint.  The rice paper was wrapped around pork, vermicelli noddles, mint, sprouts, scallions, basil, and shrimp.  The ingredients were fresh and the flavors mixed together in a great way.  They came with a peanut based sauce that added fantastic flavor.

Spring Rolls

For her main course, Beth went with mien ga, a chicken and rice vermicelli soup.  It came with a plate full of fresh accompaniments, including jalapeno peppers, sprouts, and lime.  Beth mixed in the lime to add a little tartness and the jalapenos for heat.  The broth was super savory and the mixed in greens and chicken combined for a great flavor.

Mien Ga

Neil went with a dish featuring one of his favorites, a wide noodle.  His was called hu tieu xao xa xiu, or BBQ pork with wide noodle for non-Vietnamese speakers.  The noodles had been fried and lightly browned to add flavor and the pork had a nice flavor in the tasty sauce.  Bok choy and carrots highlighted the vegetables and the mixture made for a delicious and satisfying meal!

BBQ Pork with Wide Noodles

Overall
The food and service of Tien Giang quickly reminded us why this is one of our favorite places along the Argyle corridor.  The food is still fantastic and the service was good.  Our waitress made some suggestions, including the coconut jelly, and kept our water/tea glasses full during the entire meal.  This was a meal that didn't disappoint!

What We Learned
The freshness of Vietnamese food never disappoints.  The way simple ingredients are mixed together provides great flavor.  This is another BYOB restaurant, so a great meal is very reasonably priced.

Foreign Factor
8 out of 10  A place must be foreign if a standard keyboard can't even handle typing up the food!  The menu is full of colorful English translations that do their best to convey what the food is while providing some amusement for your average diner.

More
Who knew that this area was officially historic?