A Girl & Her Food: Asian

Showing posts with label Asian. Show all posts

28.12.12

Fat Rice

New spot to Logan Square, Fat Rice draws Euro-Asian (Chinese and Portuguese) fusion with flavors and culture from Macao. Steve & I have both traveled to Macao and we were very excited to try Fat Rice's menu which offers exotic and lesser known ingredients like calamasi conserva, charred padrón, and parrano that we really enjoy! Many of the tables are communal, but we sat down at the bar so we could we could watch the food being made in the open kitchen. We spoke with Adrienne Lo, the manager & owner of Fat Rice throughout the night. She is extremely friendly, and very passionate about her Chinese heritage. She shared several family traditions, stories about her studies in in a top Chinese culinary school, and her adventures through China and Macao. We felt like we were at a hip spot in Shanghai, that's how authentic and delicious the food is.

We started with items from the "pickles"

Top Left: Charlie's Peanuts

Named after Adrienne's Grandfather

Middle Center: Smoky Tofu

Steve ordered a passion fruit dream green tea and it came with powered organic honey.

Being Polish, I love sausage and the house made sausage, Lincuiça, was killer.

The lincuiça was served with cilantro, chili cabbage, ginger & olive.

Pot stickers made of pork, shrimp, Chinese chive, black vinegar are hands down the BEST pot stickers in Chicago. The presentation with the egg film is very unique, you have to break the pot sticker from the film to eat it.

Shaken Chili Whitefish was prepared with Sichuan pepper, shisito, preserved lemon & black beans.

Coconut Rice

It really compliments the heat from the Shaken chili whitefish.

We capped off our meal with the serradura, a Portuguese dessert. Adrienne mentioned to us that's it's becoming an extinct dessert. I don't have a big "sweet tooth" but I wanted to lick the glass clean. It was so forking good!

The check comes in a tin can with some awesome guava-flavored candy!

Fat Rice

2957 W. Diversery

Logan Square

773.661.9170

NO RESERVATIONS

19.4.12

Shitake Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes are MY comfort food. When plain mashed potatoes can’t do, I dress it up with horseradish, roasted garlic, chive and now shitake mushrooms. It is a prefect combination to go with the miso glazed cod.

ingredients

6 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

6 fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced

1 small shallot, minced

2 tablespoons of butter

¼ cup of heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped roughly

Salt and Fresh Ground pepper to taste

preparation

Place potatoes in a large saucepan or stockpot with water, bring to boil and cook potatoes for about 20 minutes or until they can be pierced with a fork.

In sauté pan, over medium heat, melt butter. Add Shallots and cook and stir for one minute. Add shitake mushrooms; cook until mushrooms are tender and heated through, stirring occasionally. Stir in heavy whipping cream and cook at a low simmer for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Drain potatoes and place back into saucepan. Add half the shitake sauce to the potatoes and mash. Pour remaining sauce on top of potatoes. Stir in parsley. Serve immediately.

18.4.12

Miso Glazed Cod

Have you been to NOBU? It's one of my favorite restaurants but we don't have one in Chicago....yet!
Nobu's black miso cod is to.die.for., so here is my take on the famous Japanese dish, it is not hard to make. It's delicate and delicious.

ingredients

2 4-6 ounce cod fillets
1/8 cup mirin
1/8 cup shiro miso paste (organic EDEN shiro miso is the best)
1/8 cup of sugar ( MADHAVA Agave nectar is a girl's sugar substitute)
Scallions, cut diagonally as garnish

preparation

In a saucepan combine mirin, miso and sugar (agave nectar). Cook over medium heat until it simmers and sugar melts and dissolves. Set aside and cool. If you are on a time crunch,stir the mixture well. Marinate cod in the miso mixture for about 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place cod on a baking sheet or dish, brush the cod with the miso mixture. Bake, about 8 minutes or until the cod is flaky and browned. Remove and serve. A great side to this dish is bok choy or shitake mashed potatoes.

15.4.12

The Bento Box

The Bento Box is a girl's neighborhood gem located in Bucktown. It's BYOB, small and has a rotating menu of the best ingredients and flavor. A girl loves chalkboard menu eateries and is becoming a regular. The homemade kim chi, bulgogi and ramen are always staples on the menu. All DELICIOUS.We always dine in on a weeknight. If planning on going on the weekend, plan ahead because it gets crowded.We have never ordered take out or delivery yet. You must try this place ASAP. It's so YUMMY!

We started with the tempura tuna roll

A girl orders the Korean beef bulgogi with homemade kimchi

Steve, a girl's husband, orders the braised short ribs & ramen noodle soup.

The Bento Box
2246 W Armitage Ave
Chicago IL 49047
773.278.3932

7.12.11

yusho-chicago

As I travel the world, I believe the best way to emerge yourself in culture is by seeking street food. I have become a street food addict, currently obsessed with Asian. A girl hearts all her great Wicker Park/ Buck town nosheries but Logan Square is where this foodie can eat her heart out. Chef Matthias Merges, you are my hero of good food, taste and experience. Yusho is a yakitori inspired spot with funky and fun décor with unbelievable food and cocktails.
The grill is hot, make a reservation and head over there tonight for dinner!

Cocktail of the night:

pisco punch don cesar especial pisco, sencha, pineapple & umeboshi gomme syrup, lemon

a girl starts with grilled birds:

chicken wings bonito salt, lime, thai chile