HaiSous – First Impressions

There is no better introduction to Pilsen than that institution of deliciousness on the corner of 18^th and Wood.  But Pilsen is Pilsen.  Full of surprises.  New kids can even come into the hood and shake things up a little.

Some know Pilsen intimately well.  A Vietnamese restaurant taking up residence down the street might not raise an eyebrow. And this is no bare bones storefront.  HaiSous is smooth as glass.  Glittering in gold on the inside; austerely demur out. First thought – the restaurant got lost and thought it was in the West Loop.

With mystery and a small blizzard of buzz engulfing it, what could it really be like?  Polished and shy might be a good call.  The restaurant gleamed and the waitstaff blushed.  They don’t seem to understand this menu is not only alien to Pilsen, its alien to just about anybody.  And it’s a tiny menu; at lunch/brunch anyway.  Can you break down Bánh Xèo please?  I got that it’s some kind of a crepe, but how substantial is it?

For others who might be unaware, as presented by HaiSous, this dish is a voluminous bean sprout filled crepe that includes a few shrimp.  Sitting on a wire rack that lifts the dish from the woven tray carrying it, the crepe is beautiful.  The perfect rich golden tan and crisp.  The rest of the presentation shimmied too. An assortment of fresh edible leaves invited tasting and a small dish filled with a dipping sauce sat sentry on the right.  How to eat it was a complete mystery.  “Break the crepe into parts, wrap each section in the large leaves on the bottom of the greenery and dip into the sauce. “ I should have mentioned I don’t enjoy the labor needed to eat lobster; either.  Anyway, make sure your hands are clean for this one.  Neither wonderful nor awful, the dish fell into some netherworld of the more than passable.  Greater complexity in the filling would be a boon.  That may have been the job of the dipping sauce which added immeasurably to the meal.  But you can’t expect it to do all of the work.

It’s a bad sign when the entire waitstaff recommends the most expensive thing on the menu as a slam dunk. Because I wasn’t sure if the crepe itself would be filling, on my waitress’s recommendation, I also asked for the papaya salad with beef jerky, Gói Du Dú.   Tasty dish.  Needs work.  Half the amount, maybe.   Julienne the papaya by half too; especially if it’s particularly young.   Perhaps sweeten the sauce a bit more and you’ve got a winner at $6.   Not $9.  As it was, like chewing rope.

First impressions, this restaurant is lovely but in serious need of carbs.  Pho is like an afterthought even though it looks like it would nail the hunger thing. HaiSous only offers beef as an option, the most classic rendering.

Admiring the space and glancing to the right at an expansive room that could seat 100, I could only imagine and drool at the spectacle that a hot late night would create.  Aesthetically, HaiSous is a beautiful addition to the neighborhood.  A place to feel classy and cosmopolitan in the middle of thriving complex Pilsen.  Worth a second visit?  A hesitant yes.  To make it a more emphatic affirmation, the quality of the food would have to be much higher which would raise the restaurant’s status to that of destination.  They may get there and the parking will still remain challenging.

HaiSous

1800 S. Carpenter St.

Chicago, IL  60608

312-702-1303