The Pig and the Lady Now Open for Brunch, Dinner and Late Night

January 24, 2014

Martha Cheng,

Clockwise from top left: sweet Dutch pancake with kaya jam and lychee; almond tofu granola parfait; Saigon steak and eggs; one-eyed Willie toast with roast pork

Brunch, lunch, dinner, pau hana, late night, farmers markets: The Pig and the Lady is doing it all. It's been just two months since the restaurant opened in Chinatown and, after some settling in, the menu has expanded far beyond its lunch fare.

While lunch is mostly noodle soups and banh mi, dinner brings some inventive Southeast Asian dishes like lechon mussels—lightly battered and deep-fried mussels taking the place of the traditional crispy pork and tossed in a punchy, herby salad. Dinner or pau hana time is also the perfect time to take in the cocktail menu. My favorites: the Fancy, a frothy bitters-based cocktail that tastes like a heavily-spiced punch, and I Swear, smoky mezcal mixed with Cynar, an artichoke liqueur. (Yup, artichoke.)

During Saturday brunch and late night, the menu moves even farther from its Vietnamese roots. There are sweet and savory Dutch pancakes, liberated from the Original House of Pancake's menu. At Pig and the Lady, the custard-y puffed pancake (more like a giant popover or Yorkshire pudding) is topped with fried curry leaves and gruyere (for the savory one) and kaya jam, lychee and basil (for the sweet one). You've never had a Dutch pancake like this.

Tonight, Friday, the late night menu (available Friday and Saturday nights) features Vietnamese-style beef tongue tostadas; headcheese katsu, kimchi and ranch sandwiches; and shrimp chip nachos (why didn't I think of that?).

If you've ever only known The Pig and the Lady for its traditional Vietnamese soups and noodles at the farmers markets, its brunch and late night menus will make you feel like you've entered a whole new restaurant.

The Pig and the Lady, lunch: 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; dinner: 5:30 to 10 p.m.; Saturday brunch 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; late night: 10 p.m. to midnight. Closed Sunday and Monday.
thepigandthelady.com