Such a beautiful weekend on the East Coast! Saturday was spent biking through Central Park and loafing around the city. At the point of starvation, I stopped at Lili 57 for a bite which I found by typing a quick “gluten-free friendly” search in the area.
Everything I tasted was incredible, most notably my appetizer, which happened to be so good, a second plate had to be ordered.
The saigon roll had avocado, cucumber, lettuce, rice vermicelli, mango and cucumber rolled together in a rice wrap. The odd combination was slap-ya-mamma-worthy at the very least.
So good, in fact, I was determined to recreate the masterpiece. The rolls were served with a spicy mint dip, that I had no luck in finding at the Asian market.
Instead, I added mint leaves inside the roll and used this sweet and tangy sauce, which turned out equally delicious.
Saigon Rolls
vegan, gluten-free
rice wrappers
mango
cucumber
Maifun noodles
mint leaves
avocado
San-J Sweet and Tangy Sauce
vegan, gluten-free
rice wrappers
mango
cucumber
Maifun noodles
mint leaves
avocado
San-J Sweet and Tangy Sauce
- Slice mango and avocado in thin, long slices.
- Using a julienne, finely shred cucumber.
- Coarsely chop mint leaves.
- Soak noodles and wrappers in hot water to soften.
- Add all ingredients to the center of the soft rice wrapper, fold in the ends and roll tightly.
- Serve with sweet and tangy sauce.









