ignatz@ihuxx.UUCP (Dave Ihnat, Chicago, IL) (03/09/84)
Gosh, thanks for the vote of confidence. I guess that means I'd better not be wrong. First off, however, I'll confess to something. I have an incurable love of finding little, nameless, ma-and-pa ethnic restaurants; that's one reason I love Chicago. Fortunately, the food in such places often tends to be excellent, and very representative of the actual fare in the country of origin. (Why, oh why does the average "American" taste run to bland pablum?? If you want to eat curry, eat CURRY, by Ghod; and if you want a hot Thai dish, then be prepared to pay the consequences!!) Anyway, I'm going to first mention several easily-found resturants that are somewhat well known, yet have managed to not descend into the bland nothingness that most people think represents Chinese cuisine. (Incidentally, since I've written so much, I'm going to go ahead and post this to the net; I'm sure others would be interested. So, to you others, ignore the first two sentences of this article.) Please, no flames if I missed someone's favorite--Chicago has, quite literally, hundreds of restaurants; and the Asian offerings are particularly well represented. I'm not even listing all of *my* favorites here; this is just to start people off. ------------------------- Chinese ------------------------------ The Szechwan House - 600 N. Michigan Ave. - 642-3900 Yes, just north of the loop, at the foot of the Magnificent Mile, and they know it. The last place I'd expect to find fairly authentic Szechwan cuisine, but they do manage it. There is, as you might expect, a bit of a tendency to over-indulge in the 'Chinese' decoration that owners of such places think Americans want to see, but not as much as most places; and the prices are not good for the budget-minded. But it is far cheaper than a corresponding French restaurant; you can easily get out for $20 apiece, or less, for everything. Also, they properly prepare some of the dishes that are difficult to find elsewhere, such as real shark's fin or squab soup. The best time to try this is on Sunday morning/afternoon, when they have an outstanding buffet brunch for about $11.00. Actually, my only complaint is that they give you these godawful plastic chopsticks; but if you speak nicely, you can get bamboo. (I don't know if I'm supposed to prefer those fake ivory things, but I'm much happier--and in better control--with my cheap, homely bamboo tools!)(Gosh...do you know what the real name for 'chopsticks' is? I've always hated that word.) House of Hunan - 535 N. Michigan Ave. - 329-9494 I have to mention this, because everyone expects me to. The food *is* quite decent, and it tends toward Hunan and Mandarin. Otherwise, most of what I said about the Szechwan House applies here. It's well worth trying--I promise you, as with the Szechwan House, it'll far outstrip anything I've found in the suburbs. The two above are easy to find, and worth the trip. Both might be considered an occasion for a suit, or at least sports jacket, and corresponding female garb; but I have hit both in sweater and jeans, and received the same courteous service. But now let me move on into some of the more obscure places, that I really prefer... The Mongolian House North - 6345 N. Western - 338-6320 Make sure you get the Mongolian House *North*; the original, on Clark street, just doesn't seem to do as well. First, let's get this out in the open: the decoration is a bit much, from lacquer to tasseled lanterns. (Although the fish tanks are a nice touch.) But I come here for the food. You've got a menu that requires a couple of hours to peruse, and I've never had a poorly prepared dish. The dishes are Szechwan and Mandarin, with little, if any, concession to American squeamishness about peppers, garlic, or 'funny' sea creatures. I particularly love the Hot and Sour soup; it never seems to have the same ingredients (which is the way I make it...maybe that's why I like it), and isn't the watered-down, bland vegetable slop that a lot of places pass of as Hot'n'Sour. Prices are *decent*, attire is casual, and the attitude is friendly and relaxed. When I want Chinese fare, this is my place-of-choice. I've several others in this vein, but how about some other types of food? --------------------- Thai ------------------------ The Thai Hut - 1509 W. Devon - 274-1960 This is one of the little hole-in-the-wall places I warned you about. It's not much to look at, but the food is *authentic* and *good*. Always assuming you like Thai food, of course. An interesting anecdote about this place: A friend of mine was recently going to spend a few weeks in Thailand with a friend of his who's in the Peace Corps--and he'd NEVER tried Thai cuisine! Of course, we hustled him to the Thai Hut, where we had a feast. After he returned, his first comment was that he was amazed at how authentic the food there was; it was literally just like the food he was served 'over there'. Need I say more about the food?? Definitely casual attire, and if you drink, be prepared to schlep to the liquour store next door for a bottle or two. P. S. Bangkok - 3345 N. Clark St. - 871-7777 After my friend got back, we also hit this place, where he and the waitress went into a non-stop frenzy of "Did you see..." "Oh, yeah..and have you ever been to...". In the course of discussion, he got her to agree that, with warning, they'd prepare something called 'sticky rice' and the accompanying dishes. I can't wait to try it...but you get the drift. This place ranks right up there with The Thai Hut. --------------------- Japanese ------------------------ Happy Sushi - 3346 N. Clark - 528-1225 This place has received no small amount of publicity, and is a favorite with theatregoers at the Organic, which is just across the street. I've been going here for years; it's informal, and the people are very willing to teach and suggest, so it's good for 'beginners' in the world of sushi. Two caveats, however: first, if you want *cooked* Japanese fare, I might suggest another place. It's just not Happy Sushi's forte. Secondly, in recent months, I'm sorry to say that I've been able to get somewhat better sushi from a couple of other sushi bars; not that it's bad here--it's NOT--but if you've an experienced taste in sushi and sashimi, you might notice a difference, too. So why do I keep coming back? The people know me, I get an occasional bottle of Asahi or saki for free (MY bringing in a couple of sixes of homebrew beer for the staff and owner one night seems to have accelerated this...), and overall, it's a fun place to be. I always, far and away, recommend ordering a la carte, preferably with someone who can suggest what to order, if you're not quite sure. Matsuya's - 3429 N. Clark - 248-2677 Actually, this is two places--the original Matsuya's, and Matsu-sushi. Since they're connected, though, the only problem is what to get. This is where I go for cooked Japanese cuisine; be sure to check the specials of the day. The only problem is, a couple of years ago they expanded to include a sushi bar. This is one of the places that, I feel, are somewhat better than Happy. (The last time I was here, they had an incredible sushi salad, if you can believe it! Just make sure that, if you've a squeamish American friend, you don't tell him or her what's in the salad!) Itto Sushi - 2530 N. Clark - 871-1800 I've only been here once; but it shows every promise of being a win. Since I've only been there once, I don't know how their cooked food stacks up; but the sushi was outstanding. A little experimentation is definitely in order on this new find. ----------------------- Korean ------------------------ Cho Sun Ok - 4200 N. Lincoln - 549-5555 If you're a wampyre, forget this place. Garlic is a critical component in much good Korean cooking, and this place believes in good cooking. I especially love vast quantities Kim Chee, even though I have to close my office door the next day. A nice touch here is the appetizer tray they set out while you await your order--various snacks, ranging from bean sprouts, seaweed, marinated fish, and (occasionally) little whole fishes wrapped in seaweed. (Don't look at them--they'll look back.) Pusan House - 6928 N. Glenwood - 262-4450 This is another hole-in-the-wall, living on that funny street that is bounded on one side by the embankment of the Jackson-Howard 'L' and is the home of so many interesting little shops and restaurants. (Such as the No Exit, one of Chicago's first--and last--true 60's coffee houses, and the Heartland Cafe.) I'll warn you, if you can find this, you're becoming a true Chicago street-crawler. Its novelty is the reason to find it--the food is plentiful and cheap; while I, personally, think some dishes at Cho Sun Ok are better, Pusan has some real winners (the Bul Ko Gi--pardon my spelling--is a good choice, as is the Bi Bim Bop. Really, that's what they call it.) and a restaurant that has only room for about 6 or 7 tables quickly turns into a private party. (Incidentally, make time to wander up and down Glenwood Ave.; as I indicated above, you'll find some interesting and fascinating shops, restaurants, and the like.) I hope this answers the call for good Asian restaurants in Chicagoland; if anyone has any questions, just call or mail! Dave Ihnat ihuxx!ignatz (312) 979-0946