A Critic Gives Zero Stars to Sodikoff’s ‘Half-Assed’ Japanese Restaurant

Jeff Ruby gives Radio Anago zero stars and calls it a “half-assed afterimage of its [Hogsalt Hospitality] predecessors.” Steamed pork buns are “tragically undercooked, lending the meat the springy texture of a lukewarm Sausage McMuffin” while wagyu tartare is a “gloppy, oversweet” mess. The nigiri are “forgettable slabs” of fish “slathered with so much potent sesame oil that even the boldest-tasting fish drown[s] beneath it.” The worst dish, though, is the “disturbing” Houji fried chicken. It arrives “overbattered, burnt” and resembling “something between a trio of burgers left overnight on a grill and decomposing limbs in a serial killer’s basement.” The skin has an “off-putting tang and a rancid flavor” and is covered with gold flakes for a “top note of bullshit.” All in all, it’s the “worst new dish of the year. Maybe the decade.” And worse yet, the “food isn’t memorable--except when it’s memorably terrible.” [Chicago]

The food at 3 Squares Diner “appeals yet consistently fails to live up to its promise” according to Mike Sula. The “Chicago Pastrami Dog” is “simply a pastrami sandwich dressed up in a Halloween costume of Chicago-style hot dog toppings.” Even worse, the meat seems “undercured” and the brioche bun is “old.” Duck confit hash features potatoes that “don’t harmonize with the bird” while lamb bacon “consists of scraps of irregular, gnarly flesh that appear[s] to have been reheated.” There are a few highlights: Drop biscuits are “moist and warm” and a vegan chocolate-peanut butter milkshake is “thick, delicious, and pretty convincing.” But on the whole, 3SD is more bark than bite. [Reader]

Graham Meyer checks out lunch at the reborn Palm. For $26, the three-course power lunch “feels more than reasonable, especially compared to the overpriced remainder of the menu.” Steaks “excel at a level notably beyond the pedestrian rest of the dishes.” The 10-ounce New York strip spots a “light char” and “fatty juices” while the filet medallions emanate “beefy flavor despite their low fat content.” It’s best to stick to the prix fixe because on the a la carte side, there’s a “wan” lobster bisque and a “dull, underseasoned” hamburger. [Crain’s]