Korean in Andersonville
If you were visiting Chicago for the first time and simply Googled “places to eat,” you’d be able to put a list together pretty quickly. It would be full of tourist-friendly lightning rods - big, popular spots like Girl & the Goat, Au Cheval, and RPM Steak (which, by the way, we like a lot).
Hamachi
The preparation of this changes (for example, one time it came with pickled lime, strawberries, and mint), but every piece of raw fish we’ve eaten here has been perfectly cut and seasoned.
Scallops
These raw scallops are fantastic. They’re topped with a spicy seafood-based sauce and a soy onion puree that we want to have with everything from now on.
Lamb Tartare
The lamb is mixed with soy-cured egg yolk, and covered with a pile of grated parmesan. It’s served with a very large puffed rice cracker that’s kind of hugely awkward but tastes wonderful.
Shishito Peppers
What saves this from being a standard boring roasted vegetable dish is an excellent smoked tofu sauce.
Pelicana Chicken
Fried chicken thighs tossed in a sweet Calabrian chili sauce. The chicken is juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside, and the sauce has just the right amount of spice.
Cavatelli
We like this pasta a lot. It’s in a nori butter sauce, and topped with Japanese sweet potato and pickled shallots. The nori flavor is subtle, and the pickled shallots brighten everything up.
