Shikago Restaurant

Dear Friends and Family,

Ah. A review I can sink my teeth into. What'd we have?

1. Tartare of Tuna with Wasabi, Soy and Ginger and Spicy Tuna and Avocado Maki
2. Vietnamese Springroll of Grilled Korean Style Short Ribs with Lettuce, Ginger, Papaya and Sesame and Sriracha
3. nigiri sushi: hamachi, sake and unagi
4. Rice Cracker Crusted Shrimp with Toasted Garlic, Chili and Soy on Kneaded Cabbage Pickle in Red Curry Vinaigrette
5. Grilled Black Cod in Spicy Broth with Crab, Daikon, Tomato, Ginger, Chili, Chinese Broccoli Leaves, Scallion, Garlic, and Basil with Fresh Pickles
6. Bulgogi Marinated Grass Fed Red Angus Ribeye with Ginger Roasted Shiitake, Daikon, Garlic, Sesame, Chili Arugula and Scallion Pancake
7. dessert: poached pear, ice cream, caramel sauce

The service was impeccable and the food delicious. We ordered our dinner a plate or two at a time over the course of several hours. Once our waiter figured out that we'd be ordering a bunch of small bites, he kept an eye on us without making it seem like he was hovering. We had a secluded corner booth from which we could enjoy the food and the atmosphere.

We ordered the tasting portion of each of the dishes. And, the portions were just right. The tuna tartare was nicely seasoned and light. The spring roll was fatty in a good way with the spicy sauce cutting into it so it didn't seem greasy. The sushi was okay. That was the only part of the meal that was disappointing. The shrimp was hot and spicy and complex. I wanted a second to dissect the flavors a little more, but since we only ordered the tasting menu, it was one shrimp each.

The cod was delicately done. And, the steak came with some delicious mushrooms. I'm becoming an even bigger mushroom fan than I ever thought possible. And, dessert was just the right amount of sweetness to finish off the eight course meal. I forgot to count the tiny macaroon that came out at the end. It had a sharp citrus bite that cleansed the palate beautifully.

A perfect way to kick off the holidays.

Overall rating: 8/10

Shikago
190 South Lasalle Street
Chicago, IL 60603 map it
(312) 781-7300
http://www.shikagorestaurant.com


Cheers!
mouse

Kum Gang San (aka Kumgangsan)

Dear Friends and Family,

Funny. Another restaurant without a URL. Why am I not surprised.

We went for dinner Saturday night with my entire family. We started with bulgogi (marinated, barbecued beef) and haemul pajun (seafood pancake) to share. Then, Mr. mouse and I split a maeun kalbi tang (spicy short rib soup). The bulgogi is good, but I prefer their kalbi (short rib). The pajun was stocked with seafood, but it was a little greasy (not that that stopped me from finishing my piece). And the soup was delicious - nice and spicy with a bright red broth.

Overall rating: 8/10

Kum Gang San
138-28 Northern Boulevard
Flushing, NY 11354 map it
(718) 461-0909


Cheers!
mouse

Georgia Diner

Dear Friends and Family,

My dad took Mr. mouse and me to Georgia Diner for breakfast. It's another place we used to go to all the time growing up. And, it hasn't changed at all in the past ten years. You get seated quickly. Coffee and tea come out quickly. You order. The food comes out hot and just the way you ordered it. You eat. You pay. You leave full. (If you go late at night, you can dawdle, but Sunday brunch is not the time to squat on a table. Once you're done, they'll hustle you.)

I got a mushroom omelette with toast and home fries. My dad ordered scrambled eggs with bacon. And, Mr. mouse had challah french toast. All good standard diner fare.

Overall rating: 8/10

Georgia Diner
8655 Queens Boulevard
Elmhurst, NY 11373 map it
(718) 651-9000


Cheers!
mouse

Singas Famous Pizza

Dear Friends and Family,

More comfort food. Growing up, we'd go Singas for lunch. It's pan pizza, but not deep dish pizza. Now, they've expanded beyond their original location to fifteen locations throughout the New York metro area.

We ordered three pizzas - one cheese, one pepperoni and onion, and one half pepperoni and half hamburger. The onions made the pepperoni and onion pizza a little watery. The others got inhaled by my brother, my sister, my dad, Mr. mouse and me.

Overall rating: 8/10

Singas Famous Pizza
8286 Broadway
Elmhurst, NY 11373 map it
(718) 651-3190
http://www.singaspizzas.com


Cheers!
mouse

Sam Won Gahk (aka SamWonGahk)

Dear Friends and Family,

Chinese food if you're Korean. Growing up, we used to go to the one in Elmhurst before it closed.

We ordered the sweet and sour pork (tangsooyook and/or tangsuyuk) and the garlic chicken (gganpunggi) to share. Then, we split a single order of the black bean noodles (jajangmyeon and/or jjajangmyun) which was enough for each of us to get a taste without getting overly stuffed.

For me, the Sam Won Gahk is the yardstick by which I measure all other black bean noodle places since it's the one I grew up with. The noodles are dense and chewy. And, the sauce is thick and rich. I love all of the onions they put in the sauce. The chicken and pork are both deep fried with a lot of sauce. I'm not sure either are super healthy, but, for me, this is comfort food. And, I love it.

Overall rating: 8/10

Sam Won Gahk
144-20 Northern Boulevard
Flushing, NY 11354 map it
(718) 445-8500


Cheers!
mouse

Noodle Chu Dim Sum Seafood House

Dear Friends and Family,

What can beat dim sum for brunch on Christmas day? Very few things.

I've learned to navigate the non-pork options for dim sum with the exception of the congee. I love congee, and the standard dim sum congee has pork and preserved egg in it. I figure if I'm down to one pork dish for dim sum, it's close enough for now. Now, if I could only find a way to make it low points like sushi. Sigh.

I thought the dim sum was very good. Mr. mouse's step mom says it's normally better. It confirms what I've always suspected. There are no good dim sum options in Chicago.

Overall rating: 8/10

Noodle Chu Dim Sum Seafood House
770 Route 46 West
Parsippany, NJ 07054 map it
(973) 299-6518


Cheers!
mouse

Irving's Delicatessen

Dear Friends and Family,

We went with Mr. mouse's dad and step mom for lunch at Irving's. Their tag line says it all, "Huge servings... at Irving's." I ordered the stuffed cabbage. Mr. mouse got half of a pastrami sandwich. The half sandwich is served full-sized, but with half the meat of a full-sized sandwich. My stuffed cabbage was stuffed with almost all meat and very little rice. Mr. mouse's pastrami was juicy and flavorful although the rye bread was very bland. He finished half of his sandwich. I finished two of my three pieces of stuffed cabbage.

The fries looked amazing. Fortunately, we didn't order any. I'm sure I could have finished a plateful if we had. Although the food was decent, the service was atrocious. They had one person running the entire restaurant when we were there. It was super slow to get anything from her. I'd recommend take-out if that's an option.

Overall rating: 7/10

Irving's Delicatessen
575 Mt. Pleasant Road
Livingston, NJ 07039 map it
(973) 994-5100


Cheers!
mouse

Nonna's Italian Feast

Dear Friends and Family,

My expectations were low going in - family style Italian. But, the food was surprisingly good. We ordered the fried calamari and the crab cakes for our appetizers and linguine bolognese, chicken parmigiana, and broccoli rabe for our main entrees. Each dish is perfectly sized for a party of six although there were lot of groups of four in the restaurant.

The calamari was crispy, not greasy. The crab cakes were small, but almost all crab without a lot of filler. The linguine was hearty with good tomato flavor. The chicken parmigiana was standard, but we had an eleven year old with us, so we had to order something he would eat. And, the broccoli rabe offered us some greens to round out the meal.

We got desserts to go (pannetone, cannolis, eclairs, and chocolate covered strawberries) since we were too full from dinner to eat dessert. The cannolis and the chocolate covered strawberries were well done. The eclairs had an off taste to them - we thought they might have added some cheese to the filling.

In summary, good food and hearty serving sizes. It's Jersey, what more can you say?

Overall rating: 8/10

Nonna's Italian Feast
190 Route 9 North
Marlboro, NJ 07726 map it
(732) 536-9050
http://www.nonnasnj.net


Cheers!
mouse

Uncle Julio's Hacienda

Dear Friends and Family,

As usual, I'm behind on my food posts. My favorite fajitas down in Texas was Pappasitos. And, there had been rumors that they were opening up location in the Chicagoland area. In trying to divine the location, I came across several threads about Uncle Julio's. Of course, I was skeptical.

We went. And, it's, at least in my mind, almost the same restaurant as Pappasitos. Whichever one opened first should sue the copy-cat. It's that similar. We tried our usual the first time we went - tamales with meat sauce and beef fajitas. The chips are warm and thin. The salsa tangy and runny. Both just the way we like it. The tamales are fluffy. And, the meat sauce... I could eat it like chili with a spoon. The fajitas and tortillas don't disappoint either. The beef is tender with a very nice char. The onions, jalapeño, pico de gallo and guacamole allow you to personalize each and every bite. I want to go back, just writing about it. Alas, it's a points hog, so it'll have to be an occasional treat for us.

Overall rating: 8/10

Uncle Julio's Hacienda
855 West North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622 map it
(312) 266-4222
http://www.unclejulios.com


Cheers!
mouse

Sushi Station

Dear Friends and Family,

We went for conveyor belt sushi this past Sunday. Sushi Station was packed. There was a 15 minute wait for a table, but that's okay. A packed conveyor belt sushi restaurant means the fish turns more which means the plates are fresher. If you've never been to conveyor belt sushi, check out the website below, it does a good job of explaining the process.

The fish was fresh. The saba (mackerel) was $1 for two pieces. They have a couple of special pieces (e.g. shark's fin and jellyfish) that were good. I left stuffed and the tab was only $35 for lunch for two. I had 12 pieces of nigiri and 2 pieces of maki. When I say stuffed, I mean stuffed. I'd like to go back. I had fun and it's cheap and quick.

Overall rating: 8/10

Sushi Station
1641 Algonquin Road
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 map it
(847) 593-2450
http://www.sushistation.us


Cheers!
mouse

Sam Won Garden

Dear Friends and Family,

Always game to try a new Korean restaurant. We went for dinner a couple of weeks ago. I ordered the kalbi tang (short rib soup) and Mr. mouse ordered rice with bulgogi (marinated beef). My soup was okay. It needed salt. And, the stock at Pusan Kalbi has a nicer, beefier flavor. Mr. mouse's dish was good. It had a nice crispiness on the rice and nice char on the beef. We got an egg dish that I really like for an appetizer. It too needed salt. Maybe they're targeting older folks who're watching their sodium. If I went again, I'd get the bulgogi rice bowl. But, given the number of restaurant choices, I'm not sure if I'd go again.

Overall rating: 6/10

Sam Won Garden
1249 South Elmhurst Road
Des Plaines, IL 60018 map it
(847) 437-1595


Cheers!
mouse

Alliance Bakery & Cafe

Dear Friends and Family,

We ducked into Alliance Bakery on our way to Bob San for a birthday cake. Based on the location and the exterior, I thought it'd be an old-fashioned Eastern European bakery with your traditional old school bakery items. Not so, my friends. Instead of standard issue, bad frosting sheet cakes, they have cakes in the shapes of cute bags, cupcakes in multiple flavors, and oh-so-cute mini pastries you can bring with you to a party. Nice!

We got two of the cupcakes - yellow cake with chocolate hazelnut frosting. The cake had a nice crumb to it. And, the frosting, I was licking my fingers. It was rich without being too sweet. And, the hazelnut made it an adult cupcake vs. plain old chocolate would have made me feel like I was three again. Not, that there's anything wrong with that. We split one cake for dessert. And, I had the other one for breakfast. Not the healthiest of breakfasts, but birthdays only come around once a year.

Overall rating: 8/10

Alliance Bakery & Cafe
1736 West Division Street
Chicago, IL 60622 map it
(773) 278-0366
http://www.alliance-bakery.com


Cheers!
mouse

Bob San Sushi

Dear Friends and Family,

Oh. I was so torn between giving Bob San an eight or a nine rating. The nigiri was that good. We went to Bob San for my birthday dinner. And, we ordered some tempura by the piece, sashimi, a couple of maki rolls, some nigiri and some sake.

The tempura was done with crushed panko which gives it a thicker, crispier batter than normal tempura. It had a good crunch without being greasy. I like that you can order it by the piece and have one or two pieces instead of having to get a whole order. We had the sweet potato. So good. And since it was only one piece, so manageable, points wise.

The salmon sashimi was served with jalapeno peppers in a soy sauce dressing. The pieces are cut about a quarter inch thick so you get good fish flavor. I guess for $17, you're not going to get the paper thin slice of sashimi you get at Nobu. Good, but next time, I think I'd just get more nigiri.

Then, we had the fire dragon roll and the mackerel roll. The fire dragon roll is a take on the traditional dragon roll. Instead of shrimp tempura in the middle, it has spicy tuna in the middle. The sauce is a hot sauce without mayo. So, you get spicy without getting creamy. Nice way to save on the points. The mackerel roll. OMG. I love mackerel! And, their mackerel was SO good! The fish was so oily and rich, when you bit into it you'd get a little squirt of fishy goodness.

And, last but definitely not least, the nigiri. By far the star of the night. Nice simple slices of fresh fish. Sushi is all in the execution. I'd choose Bob San over Mirai or Blue Fin. The atmosphere is more laid back. The sushi is better. The mackerel is some of the best mackerel I've had anywhere.

Overall rating: 8/10

Bob San Sushi
1805-1807 West Division Street
Chicago, IL 60622 map it
(773) 235-8888
http://www.bob-san.com


Cheers!
mouse

Root Cause Analysis

Dear Friends and Family,

I think I've sorted it all through - why I'm feeling so off. We were driving home yesterday, and I was STARVING. Mr. mouse asked me if I wanted to go back to Bon Soiree for dinner. They have a three course prix fixe menu on weeknights for $24 per person, no invitation or RSVP needed. I enjoyed the food last time, so I thought it sounded like excellent suggestion.

First off, the non-alcoholic drinks are not free on weeknights, we spent $7 on two bottles of soda that would have cost a fraction of that at Whole Foods. But, there wasn't anything on the signage or menu saying that until we got to the dessert menu after we had drunk the drinks. It was the, oh, surprise, they were complimentary last time... feeling. And, with the exception of a few appetizers and a couple main dishes, the other options all had an "upcharge" associated with it. $2 here. $3 there. $5 here. $10 there. We avoided the $10 upcharge like the plague, but I felt nickel and dimed on the other ones. Really, am I going to not order what I want for $2 more? Come on. Dessert menu comes out, and there's one house option and the rest have an upcharge as well. And, espresso, cappuccino, coffee and tea are no longer complimentary either. So, I passed on those as well. What started off as a $48 dinner for two ended up being a $70 dinner plus tip.

I'm not saying the food wasn't good because it was. Well, to be honest, I wasn't particularly thrilled with my braised pork shoulder. It was just too salty for me. But, Mr. mouse really liked it, so it might just be me. I'm just saying it annoyed me to have found myself spending 40% more for dinner than I had expected to. I'm not sure I'm entirely sold on the concept anymore.

I feel better now. Sorry to vent.


Cheers!
mouse

Coalfire Pizza

Dear Friends and Family,

I was craving pizza Sunday night even if it increased the risk that I wouldn't make goal this week. And, I decided I would be willing to forgo goal for a week to maintain a normal life.

I read about Coalfire Pizza in Chicago magazine in an article they did on thin crust pizzas in the Windy City and decided to give it a try. The pizza was excellent. The crust is thin, but still chewy. It's cooked in a coal fire oven so there's a nice char on the bottom and on the crust that I really liked. They're a tad more liberal with their tomato sauce than I would be, but it's not overly salty or tart or sweet, just good tomato flavor.

I'm torn between going back and trying all of the other places in the article. Choices. Choices.

Overall rating: 8/10

Coalfire Pizza
1321 West Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622 map it
(312) 226-2625


Cheers!
mouse

Friends Sushi

Dear Friends and Family,

Trixie and I were nearing the end of our walk on Saturday and checking out food options. And, just as we were walking past Friends Sushi, Trixie asked me if there were any small, decent sushi places nearby. It seemed like fate, so we went in for a try.

I was pleasantly surprised. We ordered four rolls to share - salmon avocado maki, spicy himachi maki, unagi cucumber maki, and shiitake mushroom maki - and two pieces of tamago, one for each of us at the end of the meal. The rolls were all good. The ingredients were fresh. The spicy himachi had just the right amount of spice. The cucumber added a nice crunch contrast to the unagi. Both the salmon and the avocado were buttery and creamy. And, the shiitake mushroom kept it all balanced. I couldn't decide which one I liked the most. They were all good in their own way.

I took a brochure so I could remember the place for the write up. And, on the back of the menu it says September 2007 Grand Opening. Okay.

Overall rating: 8/10

Friends Sushi
710 North Rush Street
Chicago, IL 60611 map it
(312) 787-8998
http://www.friendssushi.com - site not live yet


Cheers!
mouse

So Gong Dong Tofu House

Dear Friends and Family,

We wanted to take Trixie for soon tofu, but our usual place is closed on Sundays. So, Mr. mouse looked for a recommended place on lthforum.com.

So Gong Dong is short on style and long on taste. The exterior is nondescript and the interior clearly hasn't been updated in the past 15 years. But, the food is good. We ordered the mandoo (dumplings) to share and a bowl of soon tofu for each of us. The dumplings were a mix of beef dumplings and kim chee dumplings. Both were good. The filling was a mix of meat, tofu, kim chee and noodles. The dumplings were steamed so the skin was soft and translucent. Mmm. I love dumplings.

Mr. mouse ordered the pork soon tofu, Trixie ordered the vegetable soon tofu and I ordered the beef soon tofu. The broth was spicy with a hint of fermented bean paste in the soup base. The tofu was creamy and mild. The soup contained a good mix of tofu and vegetables. And, they did an excellent job with the rice. It was cooked in a hot stone bowl. The rice was cooked for exactly the right amount of time with the right amount of water. The "crust" came off in one giant piece and I munched on both Mr. mouse's and mine.

Overall rating: 8/10

So Gong Dong Tofu House
3307 West Bryn Mawr Avenue
Chicago, IL 60659 map it
(773) 539-8377


Cheers!
mouse

Bon Soiree Underground Restaurant

Dear Friends and Family,

A friend at work told me about Bon Soiree. They're a catering company that decided to open an "underground" restaurant. You go to their website and sign up for a seating. Every week, people get "invited" to join for dinner, up to 30 people per evening. It's a five course prix fixe dinner for $55 a person. It's BYOB, no corkage fee.

Our menu

1. sweet diver scallop, summer plum chutney, and pepper-lime drizzle
2. chilled velvety zucchini & roasted garlic soup, toasted coriander
3. salad of haricot vert & fresh artichokes, macadamias and pink peppercorn vinaigrette
4. sliced flank steak, heirloom tomato salsa, wasabi whipped potatoes, charred red onion sauce & chive coulis
5. chef's assorted selection

We had a surprisingly easy time getting "invited" to dinner. I think it's because they've added a weeknight dinner and a second seating on Saturday. The pressure's eased quite a bit on demand for the prime Saturday seating. We brought a bottle of South African red and a bottle of port and (don't ask) the remnants of a bottle of rum.

Seating is split between inside the restaurant and a cozy backyard patio. We opted for the patio since we have had a love affair with courtyard patio style dining dating back to our first trip to New Orleans. I wasn't sure what to expect food-wise so I judiciously saved up ALL of my flex points, just in case. But, no worries, between the portion sizing and the ingredients, it worked out fine. All of the dishes, with the exception of the mashed potatoes, were light and summery. None of them were overly creamy or saucy. And, since most of it was vegetable based, it wasn't a heavy hit to the Weight Watchers points bank in the end.

The food? It was excellent! Mr. mouse and I both enjoyed each and every dish. I especially liked the scallop with chutney. I forgot how good scallops are. And, we resolved to have them at home more often. Will add the food porn pictures once Mr. mouse uploads them to flickr.

Overall rating: 8/10

Bon Soiree Underground Restaurant
2728 West Armitage Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647 map it
(773) 486-7511
http://www.bon-soiree.com/underground


Cheers!
mouse

The Phoenix Restaurant

Dear Friends and Family,

We drove out to Chinatown Sunday morning for Shanghai dumplings (aka soupy dumplings), but the restaurant we were going to try was closed. And, since fate had fortuitously offered us a parking spot in front of Phoenix, we decided to give it a try.

Chicago has a disappointing track record for dim sum. So, we both had the bar set pretty low walking into the place. The food was, surprisingly, pretty good. We only had a couple of dishes, but they were all fresh, hot, and well flavored. I knocked the rating a point because the service is slow, the carts don't come out frequently and when they do they don't follow an efficient pattern and if you don't get to them quickly, they run out. So you have to work to get food. You expect some degree of that in a dim sum restaurant, but this was more work than usual. They have a "last mile" issue, or technically, a last 100 feet issue.

Still, I'd be willing to go back. Since, so far, it's the best dim sum, quality wise, we've had in the Chicagoland area. Unfortunately, given the sad shape of dim sum in the Chicagoland area, that's not a ringing endorsement.

Overall rating: 7/10

The Phoenix Restaurant
2131 South Archer Avenue
Chicago, IL 60618 map it
(312) 328-0850
http://www.chinatownphoenix.com


Cheers!
mouse

J. Christopher's

Dear Friends and Family,

We went to J. Christopher's for brunch on Saturday. Disclaimer: I've gotten totally spoiled with the multiple brunch options within shouting distance of the mouse pad. So, the bar is set pretty high.

Mr. mouse ordered a typical Southern breakfast - biscuits and gravy with a side of country ham, fried eggs and potatoes. I got the smoked turkey avocado skillet with pico de gallo hold the cheese. The skillets come with roasted potatoes and two eggs.

I hate to say it, but there wasn't a lot about the meal to make it stand out as a destination place. It was fine. But, I'm not salivating writing about the place. Now, the croissants from Premiere Moisson... That was a memorable breakfast...

Overall rating: 6/10

J. Christopher's
1205 Johnson Ferry Road
Marietta, GA 30068 map it
(770) 579-6800
http://www.jchristophers.com


Cheers!
mouse