NOW CLOSED...Formerly: The down-to-earth owner/chef of this not-so-fancy-pants Vietnamese storefront has quite an impressive resume: Susan Furst has worked at five-star restaurants such as the Four Seasons, Printer's Row and Seattle's Flying Fish restaurant. Always thinking outside of the box, Furst saw a hole in the market: healthy and fun fast food (fruit and walnut salad at McDonald's doesn't count). Now Furst works in shorts and a T-shirt, rolling rice paper and simple ingredients into Vietnamese spring rolls that cost $4.25 a pop.
Fan Si Pan's fresh spring rolls come with either shrimp, vegetables, marinated and seared beef or aromatic chicken, dressed up with ingredients like rice noodles, green onion, basil, shredded carrots, cilantro and mango. Upgrade at the cost of 25 cents for the "deconstructed" version, which, the menu notes, you eat with a fork. Flaunting the French influence on Vietnamese cuisine, the menu also includes Banh Mi, Vietnamese sandwiches on French baguettes that also come with chicken, beef, veggies, country ham or pate. French fried green beans served with wasabi dipping sauce replace French fries, but health-conscious diners can choose from salads such as a green papaya or tropical fruit, served with shredded coconut and dried banana. Sweet drinks like honeydew limeade infused with kefir lime, ginger and lemongrass, as well as the tasty treat of mochi on a stick, top of the meal.
Housed in a relatively teensy blink-and-you'll-miss-it kind of storefront in order to keep the overhead and therefore the cost of a meal down (hence the label "fast food"), Fan Si Pan relies on a Technicolor sign jutting out over the sidewalk to advertise its presence. So keep your eyes peeled. Wood floors, bright green and orange walls lined with mini flower vases and an open kitchen behind the cash register make it a cozy place to meet a friend. However, don't count on loads of ambiance.
Furst says that Fan Si Pan is the first of five concepts that she plans to introduce under the "Fast, Fresh, Fun Foods, LLC," most likely kicking off each in Chicago. Be on the lookout for more eateries that will keep your heart and wallet happy.
Reviewed By: Jessica Herman
