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Mike Sula discovers a trove of unique tacos at Arigato Market. The Japanese taqueria and butcher shop specializes in âAmerican-styleâ tacos with Asian influences. Hearty options include Japanese curry and pork tonkatsu wrapped in flour tortillas. Other choices, such as a cheeseburger taco and a tomato-meatball risotto taco, âinvite indiscriminate wolfingâ and âcould credibly be placed in the category of stoner food.â On the whole, âmost of the tacos are well-balanced innovations that borrow from seemingly disparate cultures and cuisinesâ and they wonât be found anywhere else in Chicago, if not the world. [Reader]
Jeong takes Korean food to new heights. Ariel Cheung enjoys a meal at the highly anticipated West Town restaurant from Dave Park and is delighted from start to finish. Tteokbokki â âchewy, spicy, tangyâ stir-fried rice cakes â is a memorable dish, as is mackeral sashimi cured in a citrus-genmaicha brine and plated around a pool of sesame-gochujang dressing. Braised short rib touts a ânice crusty exterior and smart pairings of a light brown-butter carrot veloute and an airy rice puff,â while duck confit is âdrier than youâd expect, but in a way that lends choice texture to the meat and contrasts nicely with the rich gochujang-duck jus and kabocha squash.â Desserts are all winners but the rice pudding impresses the most âthanks to its rainbow of flavors that seem to evolve with each bite.â
The Bamboo Room, the offshoot bar located within Three Dots and a Dash, puts the spotlight on âhigh-end rums and innovative cocktails,â writes Cheung. House daiquiris are a focal point and include a rhum agricole blanc daiquiri thatâs a ârefreshing blend of sweetness and high-octane chutzpah.â The large-format Missionaryâs Downfall â Don Q single-barrel rum, Don Pancho eight-year rum, peach, mint, pineapple, and honey â is served in a carved-out pineapple and âstays light on the palate.â Among the modern tiki cocktails, the Tall Drink in a Short Glass is a play on the iconic Wray & Ting and features Jaimican rum, EspadĂn mescal, jerk spice, and a house version of Ting soda. [Modern Luxury]
Gene Kato is putting his mark on Momotaro. The former Sumi Robata Bar owner has âramped up the robata-yaki component of the Momotaro menuâ with items like âparticularly flavorfulâ grilled quail served with a soft-poached quail egg, writes Phil Vettel. Katoâs abalone is also a ârevelationâ and the lamb chops are âmarinated with a complex miso paste that brings out the meatâs sweetness.â Cold dishes include a âbeautifully presentedâ oyster surrounded by a dashi and vinegar jelly, cucumber slices, and caviar. On the sushi side, Shigeru Kitano offers daily specials, such as âpristineâ tuna collar, and Hokkaido hotate, a âgorgeous scallop topped with sea urchin and salmon roe.â To finish, the Omiyage pairs fried pineapple pie with pineapple sorbet. Momotaro was already a âremarkable restaurant prior to Katoâs arrivalâ but Vettel hopes this âserendipitous pairing of chef and concept lasts for a long time.â [Tribune]
Le Colonial has a new home but the experience is still excellent according to Graham Meyer. The ambiance âremains transportingâ with indoor plants, white tablecloths, and uniformed servers while the menu has been slightly revamped. Ca tim nuong is an eggplant dish, âgrilled to warm-blanket consistency,â that shows how to âflaunt the uniqueness of an individual from the menagerie of vegetables.â Another favorite are the pork ribs, âcovered in a Vietnamese dry rub and texturally contrasted with toasted peanuts.â
Joanne Trestrail sits down to lunch at three sushi spots. The food at Roka Akor is âstellar, with execution going well beyond careful to the upper reaches of artful.â The bento-style meals are ânot only a bargain but also a great way to sample the kitchenâs refined offerings.â Robata grill items are also standouts: Lamb cutlets with Korean spices are âfor the record books, as is a succulent slab of lightly glazed pork belly with pickled radish.â
Sushi Dokku âcontinues to please long-timers and first-timers with great sushi in unpretentious surroundings.â The sprawling menu âcovers all the basics and then someâ and the space is âas approachable as your friendly neighborhood place but with a much bigger selection of excellent sushi, served simply.â At Sushi-San, âthe ambiance and dĂ©cor are young and fun, but the sushi is serious.â Start with âexcellentâ charcoal-grilled shishito peppers or splurge on roasted lobster with lime soy glaze. [Crainâs]