3 minute read
Food & Drink: Family Traditions Served Fresh at chi em EATS
Spring rolls that are cool and refreshing, with the delightful crunchiness of fresh lettuce, cilantro and cucumber.
Crispy chicken wings drenched in a delectable lemongrass sauce, paired with the gentle sweetness of lightly pickled red onion, carrot, cucumber and jalapeno, if you want to raise the heat.
Oversized bowls of steaming Phở — a noodle soup — are savory and brothy with the added citrusy brightness of a generous squeeze of fresh lime.
These are just a few of the culinary pleasures that await you at chi em EATS, at 11 East 6th Avenue in the heart of downtown Emporia.
In Vietnamese, chi em means sisters. In Emporia, chi em EATS means delicious and delightful Vietnamese dining, the dream of three sisters made real.
At the helm of chi em EATS is Mai Fields. Her two sisters and business partners support the efforts from afar. Nguyet Pham lives in Oklahoma City and runs the test kitchen, honing recipes for the restaurant. Trinh Vu lives in Los Angeles and notably lent her aesthetic talents to the modern minimalist design of the restaurant.
When they first opened in 2019, the trio's goal was to bring the foods they grew up with, in their Vietnamese community in New Orleans, to a place where customers might not have had a chance to enjoy them. "I wanted to open up people's palates to the different flavors. A lot of people are afraid of Vietnamese food because they don't know it or know what to expect…Some people think it is the same as Chinese food, and there are some overlaps, but Vietnamese food is unique," said Fields.
It's true. The food at chi em EATS is a mixture of familiar flavors and new experiences. The dishes are complex and multilayered, accented by notes of ginger, garlic and lemongrass. It isn't automatically spicy, although sriracha or red chili paste can be added to each person's taste.
Many menu items are not overly heavy. There are lots of options for the more healthconscious diner, as well as vegetarian and vegan options.
But if you are the sort that hears those words and thinks, that's not my cup of tea, think again. Because all the entree menu items are made with your choice of protein — beef, pork, chicken or tofu — devoted carnivores and vegans alike can have many menu items just the way they like it.
Weekly specials are where Fields lets her cooks explore. On any given week, you could try traditional curries and delectable fusions like kimchi grilled cheese with tomato soup and Phở burgers. Desserts tread the line between familiar and unusual ingredients with offerings like hibiscus lime ice cream and pineapple guava cupcakes.
Mai and her sisters have more exciting avenues for the business in the works. They value partnering with and giving back to the community that supports them. One way they are approaching this is through local sourcing of ingredients. "We are collaborating with small farmers to supply us with local produce to help support sustainability and no-till farming. We hope to collaborate more with local ranchers in the future to supply us with grass-fed meats as well," said Fields.
chi em EATS is open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday, from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm, and dinner Thursday through Saturday, from 5:00 to 9:00 pm. The next time you are in Emporia, stop in and let your taste buds explore.
