Wakamono
3317 N. Broadway, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-296-6800
Date of Review: February, 2009
Wakamono is a chic little sushi spot on a busy stretch of Broadway (tough to find parking) that has good sushi at average prices in a fantastic environment. On top of that, it is BYOB.
I don’t usually get too enamored with atmosphere but it is hard not to be impressed by Wakamono. From the cute stools for people to wait for their seats near the entrance to the neat sake jars, and the colorful art work, this is a restaurant whose environment one can indulge in. This is a very cozy restaurant with small tables near each other. It is a great place to cork a bottle of wine, munch on some sushi and look into each other’s eyes. The adjoining bar next door (Wang’s) is in one word, awesome. It is a small place that feels like a lounge with accents of China crossed with a fantasy world. It is too neat to pass up for a drink after dinner, especially when it’s right next door.
We sampled a variety of sashimi and sushi rolls. We started with the seaweed salad. They gave us a large portion for $6 and it was decent although the dressing was a bit too sweet for my taste. We ordered 10 pieces of sashimi ($18). This was a chef’s assortment and it was high quality. We had a few rolls including a spicy white tuna, rainbow, sweet potato roll and the yellowtail jalapeno roll. All of the rolls were solid although the rainbow didn’t do much for me. I was particularly impressed with the sweet potato roll which had tempura yam, cream cheese and green onion and the yellowtail jalapeno roll which had just the perfect amount of kick to it.
Our food bill and 1 $5 corkage fee came to $85 and that included tax and tip. I will visit Wakamono again for good quality sushi in a neat, romantic environment.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Friday, February 06, 2009
Chicago (Chinese) - Spring World
Spring World
2109 S. China Place, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 312-326-9966
Date of Review: February, 2009
Specializing in Yunnan cuisine, Spring World is one of the few restaurants anywhere that focuses on cuisine from this region of China. Located in the middle of S China Place (in Chinatown), Spring World is an interesting place to locate. First of all, it was 1 degree Celsius with snow covering the ground so we were trying to locate a warm inside as quickly as possible. Secondly, I have never been to the interior of China Place which is a cross between New Orleans style building with stores and restaurants on the 2nd floor and an outdoor mall. Come to think of it, it reminds me a bit of some open air “places” I encountered in Singapore
The atmosphere in Spring World is pretty basic. It is about a 40 seat restaurant with mostly basic surroundings and 4 seat tables. It is clean, well lit and features prominently a TV that has the news being blurted out in Chinese.
We were having dinner and I already had an idea for some of the dishes I wanted to try based on my research of the restaurant and Yunnan cuisine. A nice start to the meal is a complimentary dish of 2 different types of cabbage and some peanuts. The cabbages were kimchi like with a different, but nice combination of spices. We started with the hot and sour soup. They give you a pretty large bowl for $1.95 and the flavor was quite good. It had a nice spice mix and the scallions gave it a nice flavor. This is a solid rendition of this dish. We decided to order 3 different dishes and sample them all. The best of the dishes we sampled was the stir fried chicken with rice cake. This dish featured small rice cake chunks that were the size of miniature tater tots. They were soft like a pillow and melted in your mouth like gnocchi. The spice mixture of red and green chiles, chicken, chunks of fresh ginger and garlic and lots of black pepper was a beautiful explosion of flavors in my mouth. It was bit greasy and that is the only thing that stopped me from eating everything on the plate. The colorful (lots of green scallions) spicy baby chicken was a little tame compared to the chicken with rice cake dish but it was still solid. There was loads of ginger, chicken, garlic and chili and I could pick up a slight taste off some rice wine vinegar which could have been a bit less prominent. The last dish we tried was the spicy shrimp. This dish featured a mountain of lightly fried shrimp speckled with red pepper. It was cooked with scallions and red pepper. It was decent, but just OK compared to the other 2 dishes. On another, visit I came for lunch and had the kung pao chicken. Interestingly, the complimentary cabbages weren’t offered with lunch. This dish had chunks of fresh ginger in the dish, but it lacked the spiciness that I had hoped it would offer. There were plenty of red chilis but I needed to actually bite into them to get to something spicy. The portions are large and my favorite thing about Spring World is the fact that all dishes are made to order so the food comes out fresh, hot and quickly. The bad thing is that the food is pretty greasy. It is not all that healthy as everything that I have tried is stir fried in a fair bit of oil. There are many other healthier options on the menu that we didn’t opt for including many Yunnan mushroom dishes and the hot pot which features meat and vegetables that you cook in huge pot of broth on your table.
On one visit, our total bill came to $39 for 1 bowl of soup and 3 entrees. We had water and tea is included. This is a good value for the quantity and quality of the food which is solid and probably one of the better options for a meal in Chinatown. This restaurant is also BYOB.
2109 S. China Place, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 312-326-9966
Date of Review: February, 2009
Specializing in Yunnan cuisine, Spring World is one of the few restaurants anywhere that focuses on cuisine from this region of China. Located in the middle of S China Place (in Chinatown), Spring World is an interesting place to locate. First of all, it was 1 degree Celsius with snow covering the ground so we were trying to locate a warm inside as quickly as possible. Secondly, I have never been to the interior of China Place which is a cross between New Orleans style building with stores and restaurants on the 2nd floor and an outdoor mall. Come to think of it, it reminds me a bit of some open air “places” I encountered in Singapore
The atmosphere in Spring World is pretty basic. It is about a 40 seat restaurant with mostly basic surroundings and 4 seat tables. It is clean, well lit and features prominently a TV that has the news being blurted out in Chinese.
We were having dinner and I already had an idea for some of the dishes I wanted to try based on my research of the restaurant and Yunnan cuisine. A nice start to the meal is a complimentary dish of 2 different types of cabbage and some peanuts. The cabbages were kimchi like with a different, but nice combination of spices. We started with the hot and sour soup. They give you a pretty large bowl for $1.95 and the flavor was quite good. It had a nice spice mix and the scallions gave it a nice flavor. This is a solid rendition of this dish. We decided to order 3 different dishes and sample them all. The best of the dishes we sampled was the stir fried chicken with rice cake. This dish featured small rice cake chunks that were the size of miniature tater tots. They were soft like a pillow and melted in your mouth like gnocchi. The spice mixture of red and green chiles, chicken, chunks of fresh ginger and garlic and lots of black pepper was a beautiful explosion of flavors in my mouth. It was bit greasy and that is the only thing that stopped me from eating everything on the plate. The colorful (lots of green scallions) spicy baby chicken was a little tame compared to the chicken with rice cake dish but it was still solid. There was loads of ginger, chicken, garlic and chili and I could pick up a slight taste off some rice wine vinegar which could have been a bit less prominent. The last dish we tried was the spicy shrimp. This dish featured a mountain of lightly fried shrimp speckled with red pepper. It was cooked with scallions and red pepper. It was decent, but just OK compared to the other 2 dishes. On another, visit I came for lunch and had the kung pao chicken. Interestingly, the complimentary cabbages weren’t offered with lunch. This dish had chunks of fresh ginger in the dish, but it lacked the spiciness that I had hoped it would offer. There were plenty of red chilis but I needed to actually bite into them to get to something spicy. The portions are large and my favorite thing about Spring World is the fact that all dishes are made to order so the food comes out fresh, hot and quickly. The bad thing is that the food is pretty greasy. It is not all that healthy as everything that I have tried is stir fried in a fair bit of oil. There are many other healthier options on the menu that we didn’t opt for including many Yunnan mushroom dishes and the hot pot which features meat and vegetables that you cook in huge pot of broth on your table.
On one visit, our total bill came to $39 for 1 bowl of soup and 3 entrees. We had water and tea is included. This is a good value for the quantity and quality of the food which is solid and probably one of the better options for a meal in Chinatown. This restaurant is also BYOB.
Chicago (American) - Handlebar
Handlebar
2311 W. North Avenue, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-384-9546
Date of Review: February, 2009
Handlebar is one of those places that tries to be cool and actually is. What they are doing with their beers and innovative (predominantly vegetarian) dishes makes it more than worth taking a look at. Located on a slightly less busy section of North Avenue, Handlebar is perfectly placed an earshot away from the hustle and bustle of Wicker Park and just close enough to feel the edginess of Logan Square and Humboldt Park. Based on the cool, slightly alterative layout of the interior of the restaurant (they also have an outdoor dining area in the back), I would say it is located right where it belongs. They have a small bar with counter space for about 10 with many different stickers and other paraphernalia affixed to the cabinets behind the bar.
They have an impressive beer menu with many micro brew beers and Belgian ales that would raise the eyebrows of those who frequent the Map Room or Quenchers nearby. They also have excellent fresh squeezed lemonade with free refills. For appetizers, the chips and salsa are solid and come with 2 homemade salsas (a green tomatillo and a wonderful pico de gallo). A much better option though is the Chili Quesadillas. This large quesadilla is filled with veggie chili, cheese and avocado and is served with pico de gallo and tortilla chips. The chili is the key to the dish as it has a nice flavor with just the right amount of spice. The portion is large enough to have as an entrée (which I did once).
For entrees, I enjoyed the Black Beans Maduro which features sweet plantains layered with brown rice, jack cheese and beans with a spicy chipotle tomato sauce. The combination of flavors with the sauce and sweet plantains really works and I found myself enjoying the dish even more as I got deeper into it. The fish tacos include 3 large tacos, some veggie chili and a nice size scoop of brown rice. Filled with grilled catfish, jack cheese, red cabbage, avocado and served with tomatillo salsa and sour cream, this dish is unexceptional, yet a solid bet for a filling dinner. All of their side dishes sound very appetizing but the only ones I have tried are the collard greens and the French fries. The collard greens were only ok but the fresh cut fries are fantastic, some of the best I have had in Chicago. I am much more cognizant of the quality of fries these days as I try and avoid this unhealthy indulgence and it is kind of a downer when you splurge to have them and they are just average. You won’t have that problem at Handlebar.
The prices are pretty reasonable with most sandwiches (served with 1 side) priced between 8 and 9 dollars. The entrees are reasonable too as there is nothing on the menu over $15 and most are priced around $10. On one visit, I had lemonade, chips and salsa and the Black Beans Maduro and my total bill was $17 with tax, not including tip. On another visit, we had the quesadillas, fish tacos, veggie burger special (very good), side of fries and 2 beers for $44 with tax, but no tip. All of the portions are large, ensuring that you get a lot of food for the buck.
They also have an impressive brunch menu.
2311 W. North Avenue, Chicago, Illinois; Phone 773-384-9546
Date of Review: February, 2009
Handlebar is one of those places that tries to be cool and actually is. What they are doing with their beers and innovative (predominantly vegetarian) dishes makes it more than worth taking a look at. Located on a slightly less busy section of North Avenue, Handlebar is perfectly placed an earshot away from the hustle and bustle of Wicker Park and just close enough to feel the edginess of Logan Square and Humboldt Park. Based on the cool, slightly alterative layout of the interior of the restaurant (they also have an outdoor dining area in the back), I would say it is located right where it belongs. They have a small bar with counter space for about 10 with many different stickers and other paraphernalia affixed to the cabinets behind the bar.
They have an impressive beer menu with many micro brew beers and Belgian ales that would raise the eyebrows of those who frequent the Map Room or Quenchers nearby. They also have excellent fresh squeezed lemonade with free refills. For appetizers, the chips and salsa are solid and come with 2 homemade salsas (a green tomatillo and a wonderful pico de gallo). A much better option though is the Chili Quesadillas. This large quesadilla is filled with veggie chili, cheese and avocado and is served with pico de gallo and tortilla chips. The chili is the key to the dish as it has a nice flavor with just the right amount of spice. The portion is large enough to have as an entrée (which I did once).
For entrees, I enjoyed the Black Beans Maduro which features sweet plantains layered with brown rice, jack cheese and beans with a spicy chipotle tomato sauce. The combination of flavors with the sauce and sweet plantains really works and I found myself enjoying the dish even more as I got deeper into it. The fish tacos include 3 large tacos, some veggie chili and a nice size scoop of brown rice. Filled with grilled catfish, jack cheese, red cabbage, avocado and served with tomatillo salsa and sour cream, this dish is unexceptional, yet a solid bet for a filling dinner. All of their side dishes sound very appetizing but the only ones I have tried are the collard greens and the French fries. The collard greens were only ok but the fresh cut fries are fantastic, some of the best I have had in Chicago. I am much more cognizant of the quality of fries these days as I try and avoid this unhealthy indulgence and it is kind of a downer when you splurge to have them and they are just average. You won’t have that problem at Handlebar.
The prices are pretty reasonable with most sandwiches (served with 1 side) priced between 8 and 9 dollars. The entrees are reasonable too as there is nothing on the menu over $15 and most are priced around $10. On one visit, I had lemonade, chips and salsa and the Black Beans Maduro and my total bill was $17 with tax, not including tip. On another visit, we had the quesadillas, fish tacos, veggie burger special (very good), side of fries and 2 beers for $44 with tax, but no tip. All of the portions are large, ensuring that you get a lot of food for the buck.
They also have an impressive brunch menu.
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