Noodles Etc.
Location – 1333 E. 57th Street (57th and Kimbark) and 1460 E. 53rd Street (53rd and Blackstone)
http://www.noodlesetc.com/
In one word – Clean
Food – Come to Noodles for pan-Asian cuisine. It’s my comfort food locale when I’m in Hyde Park. I had the spicy curry noodles. True to its name, it was spicy. My eating partner had the egg drop soup and the Vietnamese spring rolls. I always like Noodles, but I’m not going to tell you it’s the end-all-be-all. If you are in the neighborhood and don’t feel like a burger at the Med, try it.
Drink – 57th Street in Hyde Park is a dry street, so you have to BYOB.
Service – There’s not all that much to comment on at Noodles. We got our meal quickly and the eating utensils were clean. That’s good enough for me.
Occasion – You will see a lot of families and college students dining at Noodles. The feel is very casual, similar to Penny’s Noodle Shop.
Dress – You’re sitting next to students from the University of Chicago. I can guarantee you’ll be better dressed than them, no matter what you’re wearing.
Cost – We paid $9 each including tip. That felt reasonable to me.
If you like, try…Penny’s Noodle Shop
Mysore Woodlands
Location – 2548 W. Devon (Devon and Maplewood)
In one word – Chutneys
Food – You’ll get South Indian fare (vegetarian). The speciality of South Indian cuisine is the masala dosa (a crepe of sorts with seasoned potatoes). If you want to go with my favorite, get the paper masala dosa, even thinner and crispier. Beware, dosas are giant here. While I didn’t think that the dosas were that amazing (compared to its neighbor, Udapi Palace), the chutneys were notable. You are offered tamarind, mint and coconut chutneys in addition to sambar. All seemed fresh and were flavorful. We also ordered the appetizer sampler. I was not impressed by their offering of vadas (fried veggies) and samosas (potatoes in fried dough).
Drink – It’s BYOB. But often I like to order a mango lassi (thin mango milk shake). It compliments a paper masala dosa perfectly.
Service – This was a problem here. Many of the glasses and silverware weren’t clean. Then, we ordered a second appetizer platter, and the waiter made it seem like it was a big hassle. I’m sorry we’re ordering more food, which equals more money for your restaurant. My apologies.
Occasion – It’s pretty casual here. We saw dates and groups of friends dining after shopping along Devon Avenue.
Dress – You can wear pretty much anything. We came straight from work and were perfectly fine.
Cost – We each paid $11. That’s kind of amazing.
If you like, try…Udapi Palace
Roseded
Location – 2308 W. Leland Ave (Leland and Lincoln)
In one word – Bargain
Food – Roseded has the best low-budget Thai food I’ve had in a long time. My favorite of the night was the Rama Noodles, peanut curry sauce over noodles. I may have been licking the bowl clean. We also had the ginger tofu and pad thai. Here’s what my eating partners and I decided we liked most about Roseded – The food seemed fresh and authentic (though I’m sure someone of Thai descent might disagree about the authenticity, but whatever). For example, the pad thai was not overly fried and didn’t have that processed orange color and unnatural sweet taste. I would definitely come back.
Drink – It’s BYOB. This totally helps you save on cost.
Service – The place is a neighborhood hole in the wall. You get good service, but nothing to remember.
Occasion – Everyone in the restaurant was having dinner with friends. The feel of the place is uber-casual. It lends itself to occasions where you want to sit for a while and catch up over a good meal.
Dress – I saw sweatshirts and jeans. Save your evening wear for somewhere else.
Cost – Yeah, I paid $8 for my portion of 3 shared entrees. This included tip. And I was full. Best deal ever!
If you like, try…Panang, Garlic and Chili Healthy Thai
Sura Thai Bistro
Location – 3124 N. Broadway
www. surachicago.com
In one word – Space-agey
Food – If Ping Pong is too crowded, this is a decent substitute. We started with the Crispy Ginger Calamari. It’s served with this creamy avocado and green onion sauce. I really enjoyed it just because they were interesting flavors to place with the calamari. For my entree I had the sesame tofu. After my bad experience at Niu, I was a bit nervous. However, the tofu used at Sura is really firm and delicious. The dish was a bit spicy, so I got a free sinus cleaning. My eating partner had the pad thai and was really happy with it.
Drink – They don’t have their liquor license yet. Right now it’s BYOB. When they get the license, it might be fun to go to their bar. They have these giant bucket seats near the bar that hang from the ceiling. We partook in sodas and teas. I ordered the tea because it was so unbelievably cold in the restaurant. I needed ways to stay warm.
Service – For a new restaurant, they did quite well with service. Nothing bad to report.
Occasion – This place is good for dates or friend get-togethers. Overall, the restaurant looks like a mix between a club and a spaceship, which honestly, I kind of liked: lots of white furniture, space-age seats, low lighting, low-key techno music (yes, it exists).
Dress – Because it’s in Lakeview, there isn’t a need to get overly dressed up. But, if you want to try out that new dress, you wouldn’t be out of place wearing it here. Beware of the cold temperature, wear layers.
Cost – I paid $20 for a shared appetizer, an entree, a Diet coke and a pot of tea. All in all, a bargain.
If you like, try…Ping Pong
Niu
Location – 322 E. Illinois
In one word – Underwhelming
Food – This is the new Japanese fusion lounge next to the AMC River East theaters. Looking at the menu, I thought the place had a lot of fusion. The menu is divided up into traditional and fusion cuisine. Despite the fact that they listmiso soup under fusion, I was pretty pysched . I ended up ordering the honey sesame tofu dish. Believe it or not, it was not good. The tofu was more gushy than pan fried. My eating partners had thesashimi plate (seemed to be a better option than the tofu) and the asparagus wok (not very flavorful). I’m not ready to write off the food completely, but they do have a lot to prove to me before I can say something good about them.
Drink - We stuck to standards, Kirin Lite. They have a lot of cocktails, but all of them seemed too sweet for Japanese cuisine. You can also get a sake flight, which sounded interesting.
Service – When I went to Niu, it had been open for four weeks. I feel like that’s enough time to make mistakes and fix them. They didn’t bring enough waters to the table, so we had to request the third glass…twice. We didn’t get a cocktail menu until requesting it. The food came late. The people next to us waited and hour and 15 minutes for their food. Eventually they just walked out of the restaurant. Either they need to hire more staff or make their kitchen move faster. No matter, they need to figure out how to serve their clientele in a timely manner.
Occasion – You can come here before or after a movie at AMC…it’s a better option than Lucky Strike.
Dress – We saw the gamut of clothing. Some were in their comfortable movie wear. Others were in their “going out dresses and suits.” I would actually recommend dressing on the nicer side at this place. It kind of has aclubby vibe.
Cost – With tip, I paid $27 for my beer and entree.
If you like, try…Ping Pong, Wave
Ken Kee
Location – 2129 S. China Place (in the New Chinatown Mall)
In one word – Variety
Food – Based on a recommendation from a GB reader, I decided to try this place. I had a great time with the cuisine at KK. They had an illustrative menu (definite plus). I could see what I was ordering before doing so, which was essential as I was unfamiliar with about everything expect the sweet and sour chicken. We ended up ordering the white fish fried with a saki sauce, the fried tofu and portobello mushrooms and the orange chicken. All of which were fantastic, particularly the fish with saki sauce (get that one for sure!). My eating partner also ordered the fried intestines for himself. Call me unadventureous, but I didn’t want anything to do with that. However, props to the restaurant for the variety in the menu. Offering everything from tofu to intestines, that’s pretty impressive.
Drink – We stuck with the jasmine tea.
Service – Yeah, we had to request water a couple times, but I’ve had worse service (see my entry on Crust). All in all, it was fine.
Occasion – This place isn’t a fancy joint. Come here if you’re craving authentic Chinese food. Perhaps come with a group of friends.
Dress – Jeans will do you just fine.
Cost – Each entree will run you $6 – $8. We over ordered, you could easily get by with one entree per person.
If you like, try…Happy Chef, Phoenix
Tokyo Marina
Location – 5058 N. Clark (Clark and Winnemac)
Food – I had a great experience at TM. The meal started out with a little veggie salad with a fresh ginger salad. Then they brought outmiso soup (complimentary). I just have to say that this was one of the best miso soups I have ever had (fresh seaweed, substantial broth). Then we ordered age dashi (fried tofu in a sesame sauce) – Delish! For our maki, we ordered the Windy City maki (not my favorite), Kaiware maki (the total dark horse of the night) and avocado maki. I really liked the Kaiware maki, the kaiware daikon added a nice crunchy touch to the roll. I felt special when the server brought out watermelon slices for us to eat at the end of the meal. Fresh and a great finale to a good meal.
Drinks – They have your Sapporo and Kirin beers. What else do you need with sushi?
Service – We were well attended and they offer those nice extra touches (the veggie salad, miso soup, watermelon). They get thumbs up on service from me.
Occasion – The setting here is very casual. Couples, friends, a larger group and a family all were sitting around us. Perhaps if you’re looking for an inexpensive, good quality dinner inAndersonville at a place other than the Hopleaf, come here.
Dress – It’s so casual, anything and everything would work. There were tshirts and suit jackets, dresses and jeans.
Cost – With tip, I paid about $16. Love that I could get full sharing an appetizer, 3 makis and one large beer.
If you like, try…Wakamono
Republic Restaurant and Lounge
Location – 58 W. Ontario, 312-440-1818
In one word – Sceney
Food – I went to this place during it’s opening week and was pleasantly surprised. The food is more upscale than your usual pan-Asian locale (Big Bowl) and slightly more authentic (though how authentic can you be with PAN-Asian cuisine?). We started out with a sushi roll. You know, I didn’t love it. There was something a bit mundane about it. But that’s okay, we’ll just note that Republic doesn’t excel at sushi. There are plenty of other things it does well. I stuck by my old favorite, sesame tofu. It was on par with that of Ping Pong’s in Lakeview. Friends of mine had the orange chicken (delicious but still standard), the red curry chicken (a speciality of the place, I’d order it on a future visit) and the hot pot. Metromix said that this place was a bit bland, which is true. However, isn’t pan-Asian sort of the wimps way of eating Asian food anways? My point is I don’t think that the blandness really affected the eating experience.
Drink – Despite the large amount of typos on the drink menu, there was a lot offered. I stuck with the server’s wine recommendation and was quite content. Friends of mine had mojitos. Why do you get a mojito at an Asian restaurant? Their next drinks were Sapphoras.
Service – Going opening week meant there were inevitably kinks in the system. Despite this, our server was very pleasant and honest. The place was built to be sceney, so when it takes off, I wonder if the service will be as attentive.
Occasion – Big tables, hip music. Come with friends before a night out. Or come with a date. If you really want to converse, this might not be the atmosphere. I felt like I was eating in a club. Not a criticism, just saying you have to be in the mood for that kind of environment.
Dress – I came underdressed despite my attempt to mimic the Sienna Miller slouchy boot/oversized sweater look. As we were finishing the meal, many people came in who probably started primping early that morning. Wear that hot little dress you’ve been saving for a night out to this place. Guys would fit in with the toolish blazer and jeans look.
Cost – Yeah, this was a downside. I think I shelled out $50+ for my meal, sushi portion (we split it) and two drinks. I mean I liked the place, but maybe not for $50+.
If you liked…, try – Opera, Ping Pong
Opera
Location – 1301 S. Wabash, www.opera-chicago.com
In one word – Loud
Food – I’m torn about Opera. The food is well made. Good ingredients, clearly a capable chef, but there’s something about the cuisine as a whole that I don’t get. I understand that the restaurant is supposed to be modern Chinese. However, the menu doesn’t work together all that well. But like I said, the food here is still good. So just because I don’t like the thematic nature of the place doesn’t mean you should write it off all together. If you block it all out and just eat, it’s quite good!
Drink – I didn’t partake in any mixed drinks. I took my server’s advice on white wine and was content.
Service – I have had a couple of experiences at Opera. One time my server had a cooler than thou attitude and wanted to rub it in my face. Appetizing! This last time, I had a slightly dowdy server, who was very willing to share recommendations but didn’t mind that I was a bit snappy and decided to not take her advice. She got a good tip.
Occasion – This place really feels like you’re eating in a club. You can go the date route or go with a big group. The atmosphere aims to be more trendy than other KDK-owned restaurants in my opinion (with the exception of Carnivale).
Dress – Perhaps forgo the sweatshirt (what?!?!) for sleek jeans or a cute dress? Just this once?
Cost – You’ll probably drop $45-50 per person here. It’s more than I usually like to spend, but once in a while I’ll do it.
If you liked…, try – Carnivale, Mirai
Wakamono
Location – 3317 N. Broadway, http://www.wakamonosushibar.com
In one word – Bargain
Food – Wakamono is the Japanese sibling of Ping Pong. That already gives it favor in my book. You’re going to get your standard Japanese fare with a couple of interesting twists. Take the gomae (spinach salad) that comes in a roll form. The most clever roll is the Oedipus roll – salmon roe over salmon (shouldn’t that be named the Electra roll to be correct?). I dug the Maki Mexicana, cilantro in a roll, interesting idea…And apparently their spicy miso soup is one of a kind.
Drink – BYOB! Hurray, a cost saver! Another restaurant helping me to send in my rent check. Thank you Wakamono.
Service – So you don’t have the fabulous men of Ping Pong here. Instead you have their sweet sisters (I mean I don’t know if they’re ACTUALLY related). I was pleased with the service, nothing more to say.
Occasion – The place is small, so if you’re with a group larger than four, uninvite someone. The space feels very zen with the dark decor (quite the contrast to the stark white walls of Ping Pong).
Dress – This place feels low-key. Perhaps just a sweater and jeans would allow you to go unnoticed.
Cost – With no cost for booze, the place is cheap. You’d probably pay $25 for a good dinner. Given that it’s Japanese food, it’s a bargain.
If you liked…, try – Ping Pong, Oysy, Mirai
