Sawtooth Restaurant and Lounge

Has anybody tried this place? It bills itself as Vietnamese and has taken the old Salthaus space on Randolph in the West Loop.

Sawtooth Restaurant and Lounge
1350 W. Randolph St.
Chicago, IL 60607
312-526-3320

I went to Sawtooth this weekend with my fiance and a friend for dinner. I thought it was great. It is more upscale than the Vietnamese restaurants I usually frequent. The space is amazing. It has a contemporary feel that makes you feel just a bit cooler than you felt before entering.

The liquor selection might be a reason in itself to go. I really enjoyed the specialty drinks they served as well as the wines.

We started off with the sawtooth wings. They were fantastic. I would definitely recommend them.

Next we had the imperial rolls, they were perfect. I tend to think Vietnamese egg rolls are the best and these did not disappoint.

We also had the pho bo (beef). But for pho, go to a noodle shop if you're not looking to splurge. This place is more about being upscale. The pho was good, but for the same price you could get four times the amount at a noodle shop.

We really enjoyed the grilled prawns; they were flavorful and delicious.

For entrees, we had the roasted quail (our favorite) and the red snapper (I loved it). Both were prepared perfectly and had a nice balance of flavors. The shaking beef also was delicious. They told us it's a crowd favorite.

All in all, I thought is was a wonderful meal. The food was well made and we all enjoyed the atmosphere. I am sure that this will be a go to place. The staff were helpful and friendly and the service was outstanding. A very hip place in a cool restaurant district. Our friend from out of town was blown away. We will be coming back!

http://www.sawtoothrestaurant.com/

I had dinner at Sawtooth a few weekends ago. My expectations were pretty low, and the food turned out to be much better than I thought, even if just solidly inoffensive.

Their papaya salad was somewhat odd in that the ingredients all seemed fresh or of good quality, but the dressing was served on the side, and I thought insufficiently fishy. We doused the salad with dressing and tossed the heck out of it, but the flavors never came together. The Cha Ca La Vong was slightly better with nicely fried fish but also lacked complexity and tang. At someone else's suggestion, I might go back to Sawtooth for the roasted stuffed quail. Crisp on the outside and moist and deeply aromatic on the inside with the mushrooms and lotus seed. We also had a few cocktails, but I can't remember the details. I walk past this place all the time going to and from boxing class. Now. I. Know.

I have been back a couple of times and have enjoyed the food and space. Very cool room with great drinks. I believe the main chef has left, the food hasn't changed yet. It was mentioned in the recent Michelin guide. As upscale Vietnamese cuisine goes, I like this one better than the others.