The Gastronauts

The story of two boys exploring the food of Chicago. 100% Delicious conversations or your money back. Tips are welcome.

[thegastronauts]

Two

George Cheng: I was going through the Michelin Guide to see where we should go next. That’s how we found our way to Two, just off the I-94 highway. The interior decor was very rustic and dim. The restaurant was divided into two sections. The section by the entrance was set for larger parties, the second section in the back, for parties of four or less it seemed. Now on to the food. It has been described as New American cuisine.

Alex Wen: New American has always been a category that’s difficult to pin down. Like America, its inspirations come from various sources--some completely divergent, resulting in a cuisine that’s constantly straddling the line between the familiar and the experimental.

GC: We ordered 6 dishes plus one dessert. The first dish served was the Duck Egg Fettuccine, which was delicious. It was basically buttered noodles, but the butter was duck fat. Surprisingly it did not feel too heavy to eat. The scallions sprinkled in helped freshen the overall taste. The duck meat was very tender and flavorful. What did you think about it, Alex?

AW: The Duck Egg Fettuccine was my favorite dish. It tastes like a paradox, the strong aroma of the fatty duck gives way to reveal light, slippery noodles. We also got the Lamb Shank. As with all the meats here, they were cooked to perfection: tender and chewy, but it never grew tiresome. At the same time, there was little that made it really stand out, a disappointment among the sea of strong scents and punchy flavors.

GC: The Lamb Shank was good but didn’t feel that spectacular. I would say the butternut squash bisque was the highlight of the dish for me. Dipping the lamb into the bisque enhanced the savoriness of the lamb.

GC: Our next dish was Brussel Sprouts. My initial thoughts on this dish was that it was very light but the flavor was very deep. Some of the brussel sprouts were very tender, while others felt tougher, like the crunchiness of raw lettuce.

AW: The Brussel Sprouts were a nice change of pace from the meat-heavy dishes we were having. I found the flavors rich and tasty, but it lost some of its appeal once I got through a few sprouts.

GC: Our second lamb dish came, it was a tenderloin cut. It tasted very similar to the Chinese Char Siu BBQ duck. So it might have been that flavor that confused me to thinking that it was duck at first. For a good 10 min we thought we were eating duck until we finally asked our server. There was also a root mixed in. They told us it was called sanchouse, but I can’t find anything about it. The texture reminded me of lotus root. It had a crisp to it, but did not carry a lot of flavor.

AW: The root was certainly new for me. It was mostly flavorless, and a bit plain, but made a good compliment to the Tenderloin. There wasn’t a strong scent of lamb, and I think that contributed to why it resembled duck. While it tasted good, it couldn’t compare with the actual duck we had.

GC: I was impressed with the duck special. It had dollops of raspberry sauce around sliced duck breast. Duck isn’t the usual poultry that we eat on a daily basis, I feel like I am easily impressed with the flavor. But while this duck seemed very simple, each bite delivered a flavorful punch.

AW: We followed it up with walleye. The fish was delicious: crisp and flavorful. The bones were still in, a minor hassle, but at least a sign that it’s fresh. It came in a fennel puree that just didn’t quite connect with me.

GC: To me the fish tasted very fresh and tender. The fish flavor was enhanced by the chanterelle mushrooms. The fennel puree had a unique taste especially with parsley oil dripped in, but I wasn’t really feeling the combination of the puree with the walleye.

AW: Two! It’s a bit pricey, but I like it. They strike a good balance between delivering very solid traditional meat cuts with a few curveball ingredients and spices.

GC: Overall, I really enjoyed my time at Two. There wasn’t anything in particular that stood out to me other than having very well made duck dishes.

4 out of 5 rocket ships.

[thegastronauts]

Andy’s Thai Kitchen

Alex Wen: Getting Asian food outside of Chinatown or Argyle is always a gamble. If you manage to avoid the contemporary Americanized fine dining experiences, you might fall into a fusion disaster that fails to have a handle on the Asian cuisine they’re dishing out. But sometimes you hit a gem.

George Cheng: That’s right Alex! Andy’s Thai Kitchen is nestled under the CTA Brown line; it was a great find for sure! It was small but nicely furnished. When we entered, it was fairly empty but 30 minutes later all of the seats filled up.

AW: Trendsetters.

GC: Yeah we are. We ordered one appetizer which was the Pork Neck. It was marinated in a sauce very similar to Korean BBQ sauce for gal-bi. It comes with a spicy lime dipping sauce. The pork was marinated so well that the flavor kept coming as you continue chewing.

AW: I agree, the pork scent paired really well with the included sauce. More importantly, the pork neck was just the right amount of tender, giving it a nice texture.

GC: For my entree I ordered the Duck Curry. The curry had a coconut base, and the sweetness was similar to yellow curry. What was interesting about this dish was the grape and pineapples added. Those additions definitely made for a sweeter curry sauce. The duck did not feel extraordinary, but it was still very flavorful. The duck was the only savory part of this dish. I would order this as a dish to share with someone so we could have something savory to eat. For me, having such a sweet dish for dinner doesn’t really satisfy my appetite. If this dish added more savory elements maybe some sauteed mushrooms to balance out the sweetness, it might have been more satisfying. How was your dish?

AW: For my meal, I got the Basil Crispy Pork Belly. Pork belly is a cut practically guaranteed to be delicious, the thick, fatty content makes it easy for restaurants to indulge their dishes with strong scents and dense sauces, all without losing the meat. The trickier element has always been with how to handle the skin, which can either be too chewy or too flabby if not carefully cooked. Much of this concern is foregone with this dish, where the crispy part of the title ensures the entire meat is crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside--like chocolate chip cookies.

The basil flavor is strong, but works well with the meat. However, they work even better with the mushrooms included, where the two flavors exist in harmony. This might point at the only drawback of the dish. The belly and the basil both emit strong flavors, pitting them in a struggle for dominance, rather than coexisting as compliments. But I guess that’s life.

GC: Would you want to go back and try some of their other dishes, Alex? I would definitely go back and order some more of that Pork Neck. I felt the Pork Neck really made it worth considering going back for a second time. Even though the Duck Curry felt a bit normal, it was still a delicious dish to eat.

AW: Andy’s Thai Kitchen! This is definitely a place I would like to revisit. My meal was very satisfying, so I would love to see how their other dishes stack up.

3 out of 4 rocket ships.

[thegastronauts]

Vapiano

Alex Wen: I’ve always associated Italian food with a homey-style, comfort food vibe. The thick creamy sauces, plentiful veggies, and loads of starch combine for a heavy, filling meal. It’s an easy go-to for simple, satisfying meals. After all, even I can make a half-decent spaghetti. However, this makes truly exceptional Italian food a fine art of proper ingredients and precise timing. Vapiano’s fast-food cafeteria setup isn’t trying to redefine cheese or pasta--and that’s fine, but even for a quick bite, Vapiano fails to be simple or satisfying.

George Cheng: I’m actually not sure what comes to mind when I hear Italian. I guess it would be lots of carbs; pasta, bruschetta, gnocchi. I know there is so much more to Italian cuisine, I want to search for a good Italian restaurant. Wasn’t sure what I would expect from Vapiano. My impression of Vapiano started with curiosity, but after ordering my experience started to head south. Vapiano’s card ordering system was interesting to use, but the layout for ordering food was a bit disorganized.

AW: I had the Chicken Alfredo, prepared with chicken breast, cream sauce, egg, and parmesan. The cream was thick, the taste of cheese palpable. The first few bites were certainly quite enjoyable. I got the dish with penne noodles, and they were tougher that I would have liked. Unfortunately, after a few mouthfuls, the sauce lost much of its allure, and the noodles only became less appetizing. The dish felt increasingly dry and I started to regret using one of my lactose pills on this meal.

GC: I ordered the Penne Pesto, a simple dish. The dish was prepared with basil pesto, pine nuts and… you guessed it, penne pasta. The first bite was good, probably because I was hungry, but the subsequent bites were lackluster. The pasta started to feel very dry and stiff. The taste of the pesto became overpowering, but thankfully I also ordered a side salad that helped change up the flavor for my tastebuds.  

AW: Vapiano! Honestly, I wasn’t expecting too much, so I’m all the more disappointed with the final result. The cafeteria setting can definitely lead to variances in quality between meals, but it’s still upsetting to find them fumbling with simple dishes.

GC: I’m still on the hunt for my go-to Italian restaurant. My first experience with Vapiano was not very satisfying, it was not up to par for me. But I’m willing to give it another try as I continue searching for the right Italian restaurant.

2 out of 4. Low orbit launch.

[thegastronauts]

Oiistar

Alex Wen: I’ve long been on a quest to find the best ramen joint in Chicago, there’s been some hits with Wasabi and Misoya, as well as some misses--like Strings and Slurping Turtle. I’ve had a good experience with Oiistar once before, so I wanted to see how exactly it stacks up in the popular ramen field.

George Cheng: Yes yes! The search for the best ramen in Chicago. Well, I’ve only been to a couple ramen places in the Chicagoland Area. I would say, so far, Wasabi and Santouka in Mitsuwa would be in my top picks. This is my first time at Oiistar, hopefully I can add it to my list of go-to ramen shops.

AW: We both started off with some buns. I got the 6 Hours Pork Shoulder, which was adorned with sauerkraut napa pickles, cojita cheese and crisp onions.

GC: I got the Pork Belly Bun, topped with cucumbers, dressed in their Oiistar signature sauce, and finished with some micro wasabi. The bun was very soft and fluffy, and had a very subtle sweet taste that you get from the carbohydrates just breaking down in your mouth. Now on top of that, the savory flavors of their signature sauce adds another dimension to the bun. The flavor of the sauce is very similar to that of the Taiwanese braised pork belly over rice. As I bit into it, the pork fat gushes out and drips over my fingers. It was quite messy, but very oishii. What did you think of your bun, hun?

AW: The Pork Shoulder was tender and well-cooked. The pickles and onions added a nice crunchy texture to the bun. If anything, it made me appreciate traditional pork belly buns more. I found the shoulder to be too heavy when paired with the soft buns, making for a mushy experience.

GC: The ramen I got was the Oiimen Umami ramen, which was one packed ramen bowl. It had barbequed pork belly, ground pork, scallions, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, and lastly soft boiled egg. The soup base was a spicy pork broth. It was very savory. It felt like there was so much going on, which may explain the soft-boiled egg being bland. The egg was not seasoned like the usual ramen egg. To get any flavor, I had to sip the broth with each bite into the egg. They may have done that to try to counter the blast of flavors from the broth. The noodles were their homemade original. These noodles had a very nice bounce to them, very QQ. They carried broth flavor really well.

AW: My Spicy Oiimen came with the same spicy pork broth. While I found the broth delicious, its strong spices mask much of the flavor coming from the other ingredients. It’s a shame because the cabbage and green onions tasted fresh, and the meat had a hint of charred taste to it--giving it a hint of smokiness.  I ordered it with the wavy noodles, an underwhelming selection when compared to their handmade ones.

AW: Oiistar! I think the restaurant has all the right ingredients, but it just doesn’t quite come together. Its individual spices and components make for mouth-watering food, but the inconsistencies result in a solid--but not spectacular--bowl of ramen.

GC: I am going to agree with you on this one. Overall it was a good bowl of ramen, but there were some parts that could be better. In the end, I would say if I was craving ramen, this might be my go-to, since it is close to where I live. I wouldn’t say, you have to go out of your way to get this bowl of ramen.

3.5/5 Rocket Boosters

[thegastronauts]

Cumin

George Cheng: For our next adventure we took to Google to help us out on this one. We decided on Indian cuisine and found Cumin out in Wicker Park. It is a casual Indian and Nepalese restaurant. Their interior layout is very modern, but stepping into the restaurant you are greeted with the full aromatics of Indian cuisine. What were your initial thoughts on the restaurant?

Alex Wen: Compared to other restaurants in the Wicker Park area, Cumin has a modest--perhaps even bland--exterior, but within, we find a chic red and black palette. They had an extensive menu of Nepalese and Indian dishes to choose from; we started with Chicken Momos and Lamb Keema Samosas.

AW: I found the Chicken Momos to be quite tasty and filling. They were each packed with grounded up chicken with spices, and paired with tomato sauce.

GC: Oh yes~ The Chicken Momos were much like Xiao Long Baos, just packed with more meat filling. The tomato dipping sauce was an interesting addition to the momos. I thought they were good without the sauce. This is a dish I would recommend. There were a total of eight momos and they were slightly smaller than my palm. It was quite a filling appetizer, could probably be enough for an entree.

AW: I’m a big fan of samosas, but I don’t think these stood out too much. The cones were pretty crispy, and I found the lamb meat to not taste very lamb-y, probably due to the spices.

GC: I am also a fan of samosas. It’s been a while since I had one. But I have to agree with you that these didn’t really have any special flare to it. I would say that I was a bit disappointed, because the lamb didn’t really have much flavor or kick to it. Seeing how the place is named after a spice, you’d think they would put emphasis on flavoring. A plus side is that they packed it with a lot of meat. Now let’s move on to the entrees.

AW: For my entree, I got the Chicken Vindaalu. It’s a spicy mix of boneless chicken and potato cubes. The tangy curry sauce had just the right punch to it. Nothing goes better with rice than a nice and spicy curry.

GC: I ordered the Chicken Tikka Tandoori with naan bread. My first bite into the chicken was quite fiery; I could tell they loaded up a lot of the spice. It may also be that my tolerance for spicy foods has gone down. But it was still really enjoyable to eat. The chicken came with a curry sauce in a separate bowl. The sauce tasted a bit like a mix of Frontera’s spicy sauce and spicy japanese mayonnaise. The curry had a light spicy level; it was definitely good with the fluffy naan. Overall it was great dish, but I was feeling stuffed about halfway through the meal. We had ordered too much for the appetizers.

AW: Cumin! It’s hard to narrow down dishes when we have to cover not one, but two cuisines. I really enjoyed all the food I had, even if some of it didn’t feel particularly notable. I think Cumin really shines where it matters, delivering flavorful meat and spices.

GC: It has been a while since I had Indian cuisine, so I can’t be too judgmental about the dishes we had this time. The food was good, but there were some flavors that I felt were lacking and nothing really stood out to me. I’d give this 3.5 out 5 rocket boosters.

[thegastronauts]

Mr Brown’s Lounge

George Cheng: Nestled inside the Hard Rock Cafe Hotel on E Wacker Place, Mr. Brown’s Lounge jams on the the reggae tunes and spices up the surroundings. I was excited to try out Jamaican cuisine for the first time. Have you had Jamaican before?

Alex Wen: My stomach might disagree, but I love spicy food, so I’ve had some Jamaican jerk dishes in the past. We started out with an Island Style Mac & Cheese--also to the disagreement of my stomach--which boasts five types of cheese with a house special kick. Perhaps my tongue is not quite refined enough, but I might’ve detected three cheeses--tops. Otherwise, it was a pretty standard mac & cheese. The cheese has a clumpy texture to it, did you like that?

GC: The cheese did feel a bit grainy as if some of the cheese was not completely melted. I wonder what type of cheese it was and if they purposely left it like that. To me it felt a bit weird to feel cheese particulates in something that was expected to be smooth. To me, the mac & cheese seemed good, except I didn’t taste anything special. It seemed that they added a little bit of the jerk spice, but it was quite faint. They say on the menu that it’s a “Top secret family recipe with 5 types of cheeses with a kick!” Just like you I could maybe distinguish two to three cheese types. I could maybe taste cheddar, parmesan, and mozzarella cheese.

AW: For my entree, I had the Curried Chicken. It came with some rice & peas, cabbage and plantains. My chicken came out nice and juicy. And the curry flavor packed a satisfying punch, making it a good compliment to the packed rice and lighter cabbage. It bore a strong resemblance to Thai yellow curry. The standout for me was the plantains though. Warm and mushy, it was like sweet potatoes, but sweeter.

GC: The Jerk Chicken was very good and the portion was quite worth it. There was about a half of a chicken on the plate along with rice made with coconut milk. The closest taste I can refer to the jerk spice is a dry rub bbq spice. There was a hint of a smoky taste that may have been from the spice. Allspice and Scotch Bonnet Peppers are two main ingredients that go into the jerk spice. I could definitely taste the peppers. My mouth was on fire after the first couple of bites.

AW: Mr. Brown’s Lounge! For a restaurant in the Loop, the portions are generous and the price is fairly cheap. I think some of the individual flavors were impressive, but nothing stands out at the end of the day.

[thegastronauts]

Frontera Grill

Alex Wen: XOCO is my favorite spot to grab Mexican food in the River North area, so I was excited to see what the restaurant's big brother, Frontera Grill had to offer. What were your first impressions of the place?

George Cheng: My impressions before our dining experience were a bit mixed. I knew that Rick Bayless was the owner and had other well known establishments like XOCO and Topolobampo (the second big brother, that got a star in 2015), but I am not very familiar with Mexican cuisine, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I would say that I was definitely out of my element, but I was excited for the novel experience. Let’s dig in! What was our first dish?

AW: We started with two appetizers, the Ceviche Trio and the Short Rib Queso Fundido. The Trio was a sampler of three different ceviche that Frontera offers: the Frontera Ceviche, the Tropical Tuna Cocktail Shrimp, and the Scallops Ceviche Verde. They may come in small cups, but they each packed a punch.

GC: Out of the three ceviches, I really enjoyed the Frontera Ceviche. Taking bites of the chopped raw Hawaiian albacore tasted very refreshing. Each bite was as fresh as the last, with the diced tomatoes and olives drizzled with lime juice. I would say this was my favorite part of the meal. I just ended up craving for more albacore.

AW: I really enjoyed the Frontera Ceviche too, especially with a dash of hot sauce, but the Tropical Tuna was my favorite. It’s sweet in all the right ways, and the diced mangos added a freshness that really suits the seafood. But the Scallops Ceviche had the opposite problem, it tasted too fresh. It felt like I was eating leaves.

AW: We followed it up with the Short Rib Queso Fundido. It was certainly better than Kraft Singles, but I didn’t find much that stood out.

GC: Ah yes, the Short Rib Queso Fundido. The short rib braised very well so it packed a nice flavorful punch to the creamy cheddar cheese. This queso was interesting, because my previous experience with queso was essentially as a very thick cheese sauce/dip. But the Short Rib Queso had melted cheddar at the bottom with the short rib sitting on top, and this watery, but creamy, cheese liquid poured on top.

GC: I think we should have mixed the whole dish a little more before we ate it. I want to say that if we had done that, the ribs would have been more evenly distributed within the cheese. So then each bite would not have been overpowered by cheese, or just meat. I was just too excited to eat that I didn’t think about it until the dish was all gone.

AW: I can see that, properly mixing seems to be a weakness of ours. For my main dish, I had the Pescado in Squash Blossom Sauce. The ceviche proved that Frontera only had the highest standards when it comes to seafood and it shows--and tastes. The mashed squash and grilled fish are a perfect match. The white fish meat is dense with flavor, allowing the lighter cream and squash to act as nice complements. What did you order for you main course?

GC: I ordered the Duck in Mole de Manzano and had the duck breast cooked medium rare. The mole sauce was very creamy and savory; made from manzano chiles, sesame, tomatoes, plantains, white chocolate. I thought the sauce worked well with the flavor of the grilled duck, but the duck meat came out to be a bit tough. It took some effort to masticate each piece. For me I didn’t feel the same desire to eat more as I did with the Frontera Ceviche. But all in all it is a great dish, I would recommend this dish for anyone that enjoys eating duck.

AW: Frontera Grill! There were some flavors that really stood out for me, but the experience was kind of underwhelming in the end. I found myself enjoying the sauces and spices a lot more than the meat of the dishes. But with an ever-rotating selection of dishes, I’m sure that I’ll eventually find the right fit for me.

GC: Yes yes! With the menu changing with the seasons, we should go back and try out what they create next. My experience this time was not extraordinary and yet it was not a typical meal. After finishing this meal I became more intrigued about Mexican cuisine. We’ve also only just scratched the surface of their menu. I have much more to learn and explore.

[thegastronauts]

The Purple Pig

6/17/16

George Cheng: Did you have any thoughts about The Purple Pig before eating there?

Alex Wen: All I remember is that the last time we tried to come here, the wait time was four hours. I did hear the place has killer appetizers though.

GC: Indeed they do! I’ve come here a couple times before, and the appetizers never disappoint. Stepping into the lively ambiance of the restaurant, what were your first impressions?

AW: It’s a pretty cramped space with unstable stools, but I agree with the lively atmosphere.

GC: First things first, the antipasti--or the appetizers! The Salt-Roasted Beets was our first dish. I’ve had this dish on one of my previous adventures here.  I’m curious what your thoughts are about this dish?

AW: The first beet was great. The second was good. After that? Not so much. It felt overwhelming in its sweetness.

GC: I agree with you, the sweet tartness of the beets were a bit overwhelming. What might have made it better would have been to completely mix the whole dish. Instead of eating it as an amalgamated glob, we eat each part of the dish individually. I had forgot to mix the whole bowl as I was too excited to just eat a spoonful of the beets.

GC: The next appetizer courtesy of our waitress, Andy, was the Broccoli with Roasted Garlic. This was my first time trying it and I was elated to have ordered this one. The toasted breadcrumbs dusted on top of the broccoli was a nice touch to add a crispy texture to the broccoli.

AW: This was actually my favorite dish of the night. The soft texture and mild flavor of the broccoli was the perfect conduit for the crunchy breadcrumbs. The broccoli provided the substance to the flavorful garlic. What else did we get?

GC: We also got the Bone Marrow Spread. This would have to be my personal favorite of the night. I really enjoy eating bone marrow in general, but it is sometimes hard to prepare on my own. What did you think about the bone marrow?

AW: I really enjoyed this dish as well. It’s rare you get to eat marrow is large quantities, really accentuates the richness of the flavors.

GC: We also ordered the Guinea Hen with Smoked Almond Foam, Housemade Greek Sausage with East Coast Oysters and the massive Smoke Pork Leg Steak for Two.

GC: My favorite part of the Guinea Hen was the almond foam. It was such a unique taste because of the texture it was served in. We are used to eating almonds in its solid form and the foam was a nice change in experiencing such a nutty/earthy flavor.

AW: I think the foam looked cool, but was nothing more than a gimmick. The taste was too subtle next to the hen.

GC: I can see that as well. Maybe they could’ve added more salt to bring out more of the almond essence. But it also depends on how much foam if on the hen.

GC: The Housemade Greek Sausage came with East Coast Oysters. The oysters sat on top of a pile of inedible colored salt. The sausages were sliced and placed on top of a mustard-like tartare sauce. I did not enjoy this dish much. The oysters did not taste very fresh; it was masked by the lime juice that was squeezed over them.

AW: The inedible salt was the best part. It’s tough getting good oysters in the Midwest, and this didn’t convince me otherwise.

GC: Our last dish for the night was the monster size Pork Leg Steak for Two. In comparison to the other two dishes we ordered, it seemed to lack a punchy flavor. It may have been because it was being served for quantity. The flavors were not as delicate or intricate as those tasted in the Guinea Hen. The one interesting part of the dish was the bone marrow custard.

AW: I think the problem here is definitely quantity. The meat was mostly tender and I thought the sauce was actually pretty delicious.

AW: The Purple Pig! Was it worth the wait? Maybe. I think the place is a bit overrated. The flavors were always interesting and I appreciate the variety, but the execution didn’t always fall into place for me.

GC: Yeah, it is a good restaurant to go to for the first time and experience the different flavors. But I wouldn’t go back too often. I want to say they do change some of their items on their menu. So that could be a reason to go back.