Girl & the Goat :: Dinner with Ali

 

 

Fuh :: Dinner Round #2

Build Your Own Fuh ($8.95)

rare beef, bean sprouts, mint, basil, arugula, garlic, carrots, lime, cilantro, beef stock

After hearing about this place from several friends, I finally got to try this restaurant with Chris, Jenn, and Wendy. Since this was round 2 of dinner, I ended up sharing this bowl with Wendy, whilst the other two had their own bowls. The best way I can describe Fuh is by comparing it to Subway where the bowl is your 'bread' and the ingredients are placed in front of you in containers and you just point at what you want. You also have a choice of building your own sandwich or picking a preset one like a footlong sweet onion chicken teriyaki. I would still consider Fuh a fast food joint.

While the other two also opted to get set bowls (pre chosen combination of ingredients), Wendy and I chose to build our own pho bowl! It was interesting designing our own pho bowl as Fuh also had some non-traditional ingredients like carrots and arugula. While the pho was pretty decent, I didn't think it was amazing enough to warrant a trip to try it. Fuh doesn't taste like authentic Vietnamese pho (more like westernized Asian fusion) and the beef broth was quite salty. One thing of note was that the service was quite friendly and very prompt. I would recommend only trying Fuh if you were in the area and looking for some hot soup noodles to warm you up in the winter.

Fuh

2218 N Lincoln Ave

 Chicago, IL 60614

 773.270.4418

website

Kameya :: Dinner Round #1

Orange Moon Roll ($13.50)

unagi, crunch, avocado, cucumber, top salmon, green tobiko, wasabi mayo, unagi sauce

Kameya Roll

White Ocean Roll ($13.50)

shrimp tempura, cucumber, avocado, with s.w. tuna on top of wasabi mayo, unagi sauce

Kameya

806 W Webster Ave

Chicago, IL 60614

773.935.3474

website

Joe's on Weed Street :: Quarterly Traditions

Avocado Caprese Salad ($9.50)

avocado, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and arugula. tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Every first Tuesday of the quarter, it's a tradition at my school that all the students (usually first - third years) go to Joe's. It's best known for the $2 beer pitchers, $5 pizzas, and $2 vodka sodas. Most the time students head over around 7pm to start eating pizzas and by 11pm the large dance floor opens up. It's my 3rd quarter at school and every time I've been to Joe's has been a great time (I've went once outside of of my school's traditional dates with a friend for a pharmacy frat school party). If you know that there's a good crowd at Joe's, its always fun. 

Food wise, you can't beat the pizzas for $5. They always come out super hot (especially the cheese ones) so let it cool down before you start chowing down. I think last time a few of my classmates and I almost cooked the insides of our mouths cause it was so hot! Also, can't beat the $2 beer pitches, but beware, it's quite watered down. Since I'm on a 'bland' diet (sad... limited to non-greasy and non-spicy foods) due to medical reasons, I stuck with the Avocado Caprese Salad. I was pleasantly surprised by it and really quite enjoyed it! The ingredients are all fresh and the dressing ratio was perfect (it comes on the side, but it's just enough). I would definitely order other food items on the list if I had to, but chances are I'll stick with the Tipsy Tuesday specials when I visit Joe's.

Joe's on Weed Street

940 W Weed Street

Chicago, IL 60622

312.337.3486

website

Jamie's Italian Yorkdale :: GNO Dinner with Tiffany, Taylor, and Nina

Jamie's Mojito ($9.95)

bacardi superior rum, martini bianco, fresh mint, lime & sugar, topped with prosecco (2.5oz)

Ginger Mojito ($4.95)

mint leaves, lime, sugar syrup & ginger beer

Cured Meats ($11.95/person)

fennel salami, pistachio mortadella, prosciutto & schiacciata piccante served with mini buffalo mozzarella, pecorino & chilli jam, a selection of pickles, olives & crunchy slaw

Prosciutto & Pear Salad ($14.95)

with pecorino, honey, arugula, herbs & toasted pine nuts

Arancini Margherita ($8.50)

stuffed risotto rice balls with pickled piri piri chillies, mozzarella, spicy arrabbiata sauce & parmigiano reggiano

Fresh Crab Spaghetti ($19.95)

with garlic, capers, chilli, fennel, parsley, anchovies, lemon & olive oil

Proscuitto & Arugula ($18.95)

sicilian tomato base, San Daniele prosciutto, arugula & Parmigiano Reggiano

Amalfi Lemon Meringue Cheesecake ($9.25)

velvety mascarpone & lemon cheesecake topped with Italian meringue, served with lemon curd & seasonal fruit compote

Jamie's Italian

Yorkdale Shopping Centre 

3401 Dufferin Street, off Allen Road, near 401 Entrance through north parking lot

416.23.7450

website

Izakaya Mita :: Restaurant Week #1

RainbowSashimi Avocado Salad

tuna, yellowtail, salmon over avocado and spring greens in a special wafu dressing

I enjoyed this dish but it was quite small and on the salty side.

Kani Ankake Tofu 

blue crab in a thick wafu-chuka sauce with carrots, onions, kale and shiitake mushrooms served over silken tofu

I personally didn't care of this. It was small and soup like. Didn't taste the blue crab and the sauce was too overwhelming. Considering it was a tofu dish, there wasn't much tofu.

Niku Katsu Panko 

breaded beef sirloin served deep fried with special ponzu dressing

I liked this despite it being very oily and not very crunchy. Note ponzu sauce was had hints of wasabi.

Kamo Misozuke 

cold smoked duck breast marinated in a miso and ginger sauce served with a special ume pickled plum puree

Pretty disappointed with this as it was pretty bland and the meat was very chewy.

Robusuta Slider 

rice slider topped with deep fried lobster and drizzled with spicy mayo

Was also disappointed by this. The slider was soggy and couldn't taste much of the lobster as the batter was overwhelming.

Mama Mita’s Matcha Green Tea Cheesecake 

the owner’s homemade matcha green tea cheesecake steamed in a custard bowl, topped with whipped cream and served with 2 green tea chocolate pocky biscuits

I really enjoyed the green tea cheesecake but wished it was bigger!

Came here for the first time during Restaurant Week. As an izakaya aficionado, I was pretty excited to try it after looking at the Restaurant Week menu and the 4 star ratings on yelp. Unfortunately, Izakaya Mita didn't meet my expectations and left underwhelmed. Despite arriving for the Restaurant Week menu, I also looked/considered the restaurant's regular menu. Despite the numerous menu items, I didn't find anything that caught my interest and I noticed it was slightly on the pricy side. As such, I stuck with my choice in trying the Restaurant Week Menu. One of the deciding factors in choosing Izakaya Mita over any other Japanese establishment for Restaurant Week was that there was more courses than the others (6 courses for $44). Don't let this fool you! The portions for each course was quite small and I left the restaurant pretty hungry. Since the portions were small, I was planning to split a ramen with my friend but the waitress never came back so we never ordered it. In terms of the food taste and quality, I was a little disappointed. Ingredients are good but average. Taste missed the mark as some items were either overly salty, overly bland, or overly fried. The one thing I did really enjoy was the matcha green tea cheesecake! Service is prompt and friendly, but not very attentive. We initially ordered the Restaurant Week menu to get the food order started and told the waitress to comeback after we decided on some additional dishes from the regular menu and she never came back. I also asked for some hot water in addition to my friend's beer, but only the beer came. Overall, I wouldn't say Izakaya Mita is a bad restaurant, but I've definitely had better experiences elsewhere.

Izakaya Mita

1960 N. Damen Ave

Chicago, IL 60647

773.799.8677

website

restaurant week link :: menu

Sapori Trattoria :: Proper Italian Dinner in Chicago

Risotto ai Funghi ($21.99)

italian arborio rice sautéed with italian porcini mushrooms, fresh mushrooms, a touch of onion and garlic, fresh herbs, and parmesan

Gnocchi al Brivido ($20.99)

semolina gnocchi pasta with chopped chicken breast, sun dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese and pine nuts sautéed in a basil pine nut pesto sauce

Risotto Pescatore ($23.99)

italian arborio rice sautéed with a generous portion of mussels, clams, calamari, shrimp, and scallops with a touch of onion, garlic and white wine

Cappuccino (free with Yelp check in)

Sapori Trattori

2701 N Halsted

Chicago, IL 60615 

773.832.9999

website

Longman & Eagle :: First Meal In Chicago in 2016

Unibroue La Fin Du Monde ($7)

Unibroue Brewery, Quebec, Canada, 9% ABV

Medium Body, Coriander, Orange Peel

Slagel Family Farms Burger ($16) 

Aged Widmer's Cheddar, North Country Bacon, Housemade Sesame Seed Bun, Beef Fat Fries 

Wild Boar Sloppy Joe ($16) 

Crispy Sage, Onion, Pickled Jalapeno, Housemade Sesame Seed Bun, Beef Fat Fries 

Black Sesame Doughnut ($10)

Coconut Tapioca, Black Sesame Puree, Powdered Coconut, Lime, Coriander, Lime & Palm Sugar Granita, Coconut Sorbet 

Longman & Eagle
2657 N. Kedzie Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
773.276.7110
website

TÊTE Charcuterie :: Dinner Date with Big !

Small Charcuterie Board ($26)

Dry-Aged Beef Tartare ($16)

smoked ketchup, egg yolk jam, mushroom 'escabeche', mustard blossom

Hamachi Crudo ($17)

yuzu-aji amarillo vinaigrette, asian pear, myoga

TÊTE Charcuterie

1114 W Randolph St

Chicago, IL 60607

312.733.1178

website

Devon Seafood Grill :: Happy Hour

Mini Lobster Rolls* ($12 Regular)

butter-toasted roll, old bay fries

Beef Carpaccio* ($14 Regular)

arugula, parmigiano reggiano, truffle aioli

Shucked Oysters* ($3/Each)

Ahi Tuna Tartare* ($14.50)

avocado, mango, pineapple stack, cilantro oil, crisp corn tortilla

Maine Lobster Bisque* ($10)

rich lobster cream, sherry, chives

Lobster Mac n' Cheese Side ($10.50)

* = $7 selected appetizers and $1/oysters during happy hour!
Happy Hour :: Monday - Friday | 4 – 7pm & 9 – 10pm • Sunday | 4 – 9pm

Devon Seafood Grill

39 E Chicago Ave

Chicago, IL 60611

312.440.8660

website

Yuzu Sushi & Roberta Grill :: BYOB Dinner with Brian

Tuna Poke ($11)

Hawaiian tuna marinated in soy sauce

Chicken Sausage Truffle ($4) 

brushed with truffle garlic

Tempura Udon Noodle Soup ($12)

Monster Spider Yuzu Roll ($10) 

whole soft shell crab, kani kamo, cucumber, spicy mayo, avocado, black tobiko, sweet soy sauce, served with pepper yuzu sauce

Dragon Yuzu Roll ($15) 

shrimp tempura, unagi, avocado, cucumber, tempura crumbs, spicy mayo, sweet soy sauce

Mochi Flight ($10) 

three house flavours

Yuzu Sushi & Robata Grill

1751 W Chicago Ave

Chicago, IL 60622

312.666.4100

website