CHO ON THE GO @juliacho - Tumblr Blog

Furious Spoon

Wicker Park, Chicago View Map

#ChoOnTheGo #FuriousSpoon #ShinThompson #food #design #brandidentity #interiors #japanese #ramen #wickerpark #chicago

Dove’s Luncheonette

Wicker Park, Chicago View Map

#ChoOnTheGo #@dovesluncheonette #oneoffhospitality #food #design #brandidentity #interiors #brunch #diner #mexican #texmex #southern #mezcal #friedchicken #wickerpark #chicago

Tanta

River North, Chicago View Map

#ChoOnTheGo #Tanta #food #design #brandidentity #interiors #peruvian #streetfoodstyle #rivernorth #chicago

The Dawson

River West, Chicago View Map

#choonthego #thedawson #food #design #brandidentity #interiors #american #supper #chickenfriedlobster #lobster #riverwest #chicago

Jam

Logan Square, Chicago View Map

#choonthego #jam #food #design #brandidentity #interiors #brunch #eggs #sausages #frenchtoast #logansquare #chicago

Din Tai Fung

Taipei, Taiwan View Map

Din Tai Fung is just as delicious as I imagined it to be. From the soup dumplings to the sides, all of it made an amazing meal together. This restaurant is so popular, even locals will stand hours in line to get a seat at every one of their locations. As you're waiting, you can see cooks making the dumplings; one guy rolling out the dumpling skins, one guy stuffing them with ground pork, and one guy pinching the dumplings closed with exactly 18 folds to optimize texture. Not only are soup dumplings delicious, but they're also fun to eat. I would dip one carefully in a bed of thinly sliced ginger soaking in black vinegar, and when I'm lucky enough not to break the skin, I place it on my soup spoon and puncture a small hole to slurp up some of the soup. Then I would put a sliver of ginger on top of the dumpling and shove the whole thing in my mouth. Talk about technique! I know street food is satisfying enough for some of you, but if you ever find yourself in Taiwan, don't forget to make a visit to Din Tai Fung. You won't regret it!

#choonthego #dintaifung #food #taiwan #taipei #soupdumplings #xiaolongbao

Taiwan Chapter I

Taiwan View Map

Indulging in Taiwanese street food and night market food is my heaven. The pictures I've posted doesn't even begin to show the variety of food that is sold in Taiwan. With so many different types of food, I instantly felt overwhelmed by my indecisiveness on what to eat first, as this is a super important factor in strategizing your whole day in terms of what will go into your belly. My strategy was to start with the most popular items and take two to three bites of each item in order to experience the most variety without my body breaking down. Of course I pushed my limit everyday and my tummy hated me by the end of the trip, but I have no regrets whatsoever. Some of my favorites included stinky tofu, pig's blood cake, fried chicken, and skewered octopus leg, but my ultimate favorite was the Jjua-Bing, I had to go back for seconds.

#choonthego #food #taiwan #tainan #taipei #kenting #nightmarket #streetfood

Taiwan Chapter II

Taiwan View Map

#choonthego #food #taiwan #taipei #tainan #nightmarket #streetfood

Bub City

River North, Chicago View Map

The perfect sports bar-meets-barbecue joint. I mean, what's better than getting your hands dirty eating ribs while watching your favorite sports team win? Loud music, playful shouting, and the crowded atmosphere can get you rowdy here within seconds. The mood will make you want to take multiple fireball shots and have a great time. Certain features in the interior will make you smile or laugh. I've seen numerous women open the door to the women's restroom and jump back abruptly with an embarrassed look on their faces, double checking to see if they were entering the male's restroom. Yeap, that's a male mannequin right in front of the door in the women's restroom! The ribs are good and the burnt ends are better, but the corn off the cob is my favorite. The Mexican twist on the elote-style corn salad keeps the palate fresh and cuts the heavy richness from the smoked meats beautifully. In my opinion, the best time to go is during the summer when they open up the facade to the patio.

#choonthego #bubcity #food #design #interiors #brandidentity #restaurants #bbq #ribs #southern #rivernorth #chicago

Bow & Stern

West Town, Chicago

Closed for business as of December 31, 2014.

#choonthego #bow&stern #food #design #interiors #brandidentity #oysters #westtown #chicago

High Five Ramen

West Loop, Chicago View Map

My excitement heightened as I walked down the stairs to the basement of this grungy hidden dungeon. So raw and effortless, the space is purely designed of exposed concrete and dark wood. Limited bar-style seating makes it feel more like a traditional Japanese ramen shop setting, where you stop by, quickly slurp, and head on out. The High Five ramen, however, is far from traditional. Szechuan peppercorns become the key ingredient in adding a unique Chinese touch to the flavor. I love my food spicy, so the burn in every bite was a pleasant surprise for me, and cooling my mouth down with a slushy cocktail in between was the cherry on top. The noodles were more chewy and springy than your usual ramen noodles. It was so good we had to get another order of noodles to finish off the last of our broth.

#choonthego #highfiveramen #food #design #interiors #brandidentity #ramen #brendansodikoff #westloop #chicago

Peacemaker

St. Louis, Missouri View Map

James Beard Award winner Chef Kevin Nashan is one you should keep an eye out for. His first restaurant Sidney Street Cafe was truly memorable for me, as his upscale dishes were innovative and presented like art. Whereas his second restaurant Peacemaker Lobster & Crab is more down-to-earth and nostalgic. The rustic interior made me feel like I was in a simple family-owned eatery near a dock somewhere on the coast with all the painted wood and metal light fixtures. The seafood is fresh, the sides are fun to eat, and who can resist boozy slushy?

#choonthego #peacemaker #lobsterandcrab #food #design #interiors #brandidentity #seafood #kevinnashan #stlouis

Cemitas Puebla

West Loop, Chicago View Map

I've had a torta before, but I've never had a cemita with homemade sesame seed roll layered with avocado, housemade chipotle sauce, and hand-pulled oaxacan cheese, until I stepped foot in Cemitas Puebla, a Dia de los Muertos inspired sandwich shop / taqueria. I'm not a big fan of sandwiches, but I ordered one anyway even though I really wanted tacos, just to see what the big deal was. I probably finished the whole sandwich in 3 minutes, which is a good size by the way. The three sauces that came in mild, spicy, and chipotle, were so tasty I had to drizzle all three on my cemita. So the next time you're in the West Loop and want some Mexican, but different Mexican, perhaps some Pueblan Mexican, I suggest you come here. Next time, I'm going to have to get the Atomica, which is the Carne Enchilada, Milanesa, and Jamon all in one cemita... Just sayin'.

#choonthego #cemitaspuebla #food #design #brandidentity #interiors #mexican #taqueria #cemitas #sandwiches #tacos #diadelosmuertos #skulls #westloop #chicago

Momotaro

West Loop, Chicago View Map

The traditional columns, custom panels, and environmental graphics were only a few of many interesting elements that caught my attention as soon as I walked into the ground floor space. The food was crafted meticulously and tasted refined. Every dish was presented to us almost like an art piece. We were lucky enough that the chefs sent us a complimentary dish that blew our minds, a puffed cracker filled with basil cream topped with akami, olive, and sardine. After enjoying our meal with delicious craft cocktails, we headed downstairs to their izakaya to indulge some more. The change in atmosphere intrigued me and so did their list of Japanese whiskeys. All I can say is, you should never skip on the after-meal drinks in the basement. Oh, and if you happen to go down there, pick up the pink phone at the furthest corner.