Famished Girl
Fan Si Pan
If you visit Fan Si Pan you must order the honeydew limeade not so much for the drink itself (although it is terribly tasty with kefir lime, ginger and lemongrass), but more for the straw that accompanies the drink. The straw is approximately three times larger than straws typically found in sodas and iced lattes and other such sip-worthy beverages. This makes for a drinking experience that is at once awkward and satisfying due to the extra amounts of liquid rushing to your tongue with every drink. The best part about this straw, however, is that it allows the chunks of fresh honeydew to sneak up the plastic tube and pop right into your mouth. This is a wonderful surprise, bumping this drink up a notch from simply refreshing to both refreshing and intriguing.
In fact intriguing is probably the best word to describe the entire Fan Si Pan menu. A quick glance at its offerings is all your taste buds need to begin buzzing with wild anticipation. The restaurant’s concept is simple: fresh (as in not fried) spring rolls. Ordering is not simple, however, even though there are only four different spring roll types. With options like aromatic chicken with papaya, rice noodles, mint and cilantro, to five star beef with green onion, mango and peanuts, to veggie, to shrimp with basil, how is a girl to choose? The fried green beans served with wasabi dipping sauce are addictive and the coconut sweet potatoes are rich and flavorful served in a portion big enough to share. End your meal with a bowl of fresh fruit or a mochi on a stick.
It seems that everyone is talking about Fan Si Pan. My neighbor raves. The salesman at the store where I recently bought a new pair of boots exclaimed before even helping me with the shoes, “You must go to Fan Si Pan!” And just yesterday I overheard two women talking about the place while waiting for the bus. The food is great, but I think all the rage must have at least a little something to do with the exponential size of that straw.
Fan Si Pan
1618 W Chicago
(312) 738-1405
Area: West Town Categories
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