For more than a decade, The Pig and The Lady has been sharing modern Vietnamese and Asian cuisine with locals and visitors in Honolulu.
The Pig and The Lady started as a stall at a local farmers market back in 2013. Chef Andrew Le turned his business into a bustling eatery in Chinatown, drawing the island’s foodies as well as travelers. Showcasing local ingredients, the menu consisted of Le’s contemporary interpretation of traditional Vietnamese fare passed down from his mother.
In October 2025, the family-run restaurant reopened in a larger space in Kaimukī. For Le, it was a homecoming, as his parents moved to Kaimukī when they immigrated to Hawaiʻi in 1975. The new location continues to exude The Pig and The Lady’s eclectic spirit, from exciting dishes to the memorable artwork on the walls.
This Caesar salad recipe by Le is bold and complex. “In true Pig and The Lady fashion, we love to take classic recipes that many people are familiar with and add our own Asian-inspired twist to it,” Le says. “Enhancing its flavor with pungent Chinese hot mustard and Vietnamese fish sauce grabs the attention of the senses by adding complexity and depth. The change from croutons to garlicky puffed rice allows this crispy condiment to scatter into the nooks and crannies of the salad leaves, maximizing the crunch factor to its fullest potential. Of course, we also have to add my mom’s salad onions to the mix. We love to play with our favorite foods and make the familiar feel new again!”
Chrysanthemum Cesar Salad
Salad Greens:
Ingredients:
- 1 bundle chrysanthemum greens: Pick leaves and soak in an ice bath for about 15 minutes. Spin dry.
- 1 head radicchio: Remove core and soak whole head in ice water, peeling petals as you go. Tear leaves into bite-size pieces and spin dry.
- 1 bunch escarole: Tear leaves into bite-size pieces and soak in an ice bath for about 15 minutes. Spin dry.
- 1 Shinko pear
- Parmesan: You will need powdered Parmesan and a block for grating.
*Store all greens separately, as they will break down at different times.
*If prepping ahead, mix the greens the day of serving.
Puff Rice Seasoning
Ingredients:
- 10 grams garlic powder
- 2 grams dried parsley
- 10 grams sugar
- 5 grams pepper
- 50 grams MSG
Preparation: To puff rice, heat oil until smoking. When hot enough, fry small amounts of dry wild rice in the pan. It will bubble, so be careful. Fry the amount of rice you’d like, then season liberally with the ingredients.
Hot Mustard Caesar Dressing
(Yields 4 cups of dressing)
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons Chinese hot mustard powder
- 4 tablespoons ice-cold water
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons capers
- 5 anchovy fillets
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 generous tablespoon black peppercorn
- 1½ tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3½ cups olive oil
Directions:
- Mix the Chinese hot mustard powder with the ice-cold water to make a paste. Set aside and let sit for 10 minutes to fully release the flavor.
- In a blender, add the mustard mixture and all ingredients except the olive oil. Blend until smooth.
- Slowly add the olive oil while the blender is running at medium-high speed. Once incorporated, it should look like a creamy emulsified dressing.
- Taste and adjust to preference.
To prepare salad:
- Place greens in a bowl with Shinko pear and powdered Parmesan.
- Add dressing so the salad is lightly coated; add a pinch of salt.
- Toss until evenly coated.
- Place on a plate and sprinkle liberally with puffed rice.
- Grate Parmesan on top of the salad.
ʻOno at Home is HAWAIʻI Magazine’s recipe series that brings the flavors of the Islands to you, wherever you are in the world.
