Alinea

Alinea currently ranks as the 9th best restaurant in the world, but many who have not yet dined at this incredible restaurant still ask, "Is it worth it?"  YES.  It's worth every penny and you get what you pay for.  The dinner lasts approximately 4 hours and reservations must be made in advance via a ticket system.   If you're lucky, you can purchase tickets for the same night or the next day if you follow Alinea's Facebook page or Twitter.  Some would say that Alinea is more about the experience as opposed to the food.  Although I could agree to a certain extent, I would have to say that the food, is in fact, incredible.  There were numerous flavor and texture combinations on each plate that my head still spins thinking about it... even 9 months after my dining experience.  The visual effects of using open fire, dry ice, test tubes, and even edible helium taffy balloons were elaborate and mesmerizing.  Before the food even hits your lips, you were intoxicated by a distinct scent used to enhance each particular dish.  The level of detail and precision of each plate were truly mind blowing.  For such a refined fine dining establishment, the service was unpretentious, very welcoming and the staff was even quite humorous.  Alinea is elegant and graceful and the atmosphere brought out different emotions during our 4 hour experience.  After each plate was cleared, the staff brought an element or utensil used for the next dish, bringing about curiosity and excitement to see what was next.  I think the most ironic thing about Alinea is that although Alinea is a fine dining establishment, Mr. Achatz's concept somehow made me feel like a kid again.  There was a level of playfulness and curiosity to each dish that brought forth an unreserved childlike reaction, just like when I was a little girl opening gifts on Christmas morning.  Blogging about Alinea brought back a flood of memories of my evening in that restaurant and viewing picture after picture, my mouth instantaneously began to water.  I think I'm going to have to revisit soon.  Special thanks to the gracious Ms. Hye Jin for allowing me to dine with her that evening. 

4 1/2 stars on Yelp

1723 N Halsted St

Chicago, IL 60614

(312) 867-0110

The restaurant was elegant yet simple and minimalistic in its decor. 

Osetra. A little caviar never hurt anyone before a full course meal. 

The service was impeccable.  Silverware was placed on a clean, white square cushion.  I told my friend that she needed to add this to her wedding registry. 

Rabbit.  Cherry blossom, smoke, and wasabi.

How gorgeous is this dish? 

Scallop. 

Lift the lid.  The sounds that came from the dish were reminiscent of a bubbling brook. 

Citrus aroma with fourteen textures.  14?!? Who's counting? 

Dungeness Crab.  Squash blossom, cardamom, and saffron. 

Is that cotton candy? Yes. 

Is that leaf edible? Yes. 

Binchotan.  Tokyo inspiration.  

Ahi tuna, Japanese wagyu beef, Pork belly, and a deep fried shrimp head.

Each piece had its own perfect little garnishes.  Absolutely fantastic. 

Just look at that level of detail. 

Veal cheeks.  Lapsang souchong, pine, blackberry. 

This dish reminded me of the Chinese dish called "jjajangmyun."

The bowl was nestled on a bed of fragrant lemongrass. 

Hot potato. Cold potato, black truffle, butter.  The truffle and potato were threaded on a pin.  You pull the pin from under the plate and immediately "drink" from the dish as if you were taking a shot.  This was one of my favorite dishes of the evening. 

Duck. ....... ????? ..... !!!!!!  [No joke, that's how this dish was named on the menu.]

Duck prepared five ways. 

Duck jus is poured over the meat. 

From here, you pick and choose which garnishes you would like to accompany your duck.  The options were overwhelming to say the least.  

The abundance of options made for quite a topic of conversation.  "Is that chocolate?" "You try the jelly thing..." 

Black Truffle Explosion. Holy. Balls. This dish was INCREDIBLE.  

The dish is small, but the truffle flavor is mighty and unforgettable. 

Ginger.  A palate cleanser to transition into the dessert courses.

Each cube was no bigger than 3-4 millimeters in dimension. 

Yet each tiny cube still had garnishes!  My camera couldn't even focus because this bite was so small.  To the line cook that skewered all these microscopic ingredients, I salute you. 

The servers brought out these test tubes. And left them there.  No instructions.  ?!?

Balloon.  Helium. Green apple. Every part of that balloon was edible. 

Suck.  Nothing inappropriate going on here. The fun part about this dessert was that obviously, when people spoke after inhaling the helium, everyone's voices sounded funny.  It was interesting to see how one dessert course brought a room full of strangers together through laughter. 

Strawberry. Sassfras, pine nut, long pepper. 

How gorgeous is this plating? 

Raspberry infused with rose. 

Insert the test tube into the raspberry soda. 

The test tube is your straw. 

Milk Chocolate.  For the final course, the table was cleared and a mat was rolled over the surface. 

Chefs came out and began creating the dessert. 

Yup, I can definitely do this at home. Except my design would look more like a mess, most likely resulting from an accident in the kitchen. 

An absolutely unforgettable dining experience and definitely worth it. 

Happy eating. 

xoxo

Grace

OON Chicago

OON Chicago is the newest addition to the famed Restaurant Row located in the West Loop.  This highly anticipated restaurant took over one year in the making, with many wondering what was brewing behind the brown papered windows at 802 W. Randolph Street.   Seemingly enough, the restaurant appeared out of nowhere, and its unexpected debut brought forth the eatery's suitable alias, OON.  Chef Matt Eversman creates Asian-influenced dishes that immediately distinguishes OON from the rest of the Randolph Street restaurants.  The dishes at OON are light, fresh, and full of bold and savory Asian flavors.  The one-page menu is simple.  However, each plate is constructively comprehensive in its ingredients and textures.  Not to mention, the food photographs beautifully.  The soft lighting was specifically implemented for guests to photograph their food for social media, such as Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.  Ample daylight streams in from one entire floor to ceiling wall of the restaurant, filling the lofted space with natural light.  The design of the restaurant is clean and elegant, and exudes contemporary Asian design with the use of raw materials such as wood, bamboo, and steel.  The original exposed industrial steel beams are left in tact while the front of house is an open and continuous space.   The dark wooden floors and tables provide warmth to the neutral interior and white ceilings.   A partial open kitchen allows for guests to watch the chefs in action, while the smoke and fumes from the stoves are contained in the back.  Not to mention ladies, Chef Eversman is a cutie, so let's thank Parallel Architecture for designing the partial open kitchen.  Reservations can be made via Opentable.  Special thanks to Mr. Jon McDaniel, Chef Matt Eversman, Chef Sean Currie, and the team at OON for a wonderful evening. 

802 W Randolph St

Chicago, IL 60661

(312) 929-2555

5 stars on Yelp

Look for these three capital letters on Randolph Street.

Rich and bright artwork created by artist, Ginny Sykes, are hung in the main dining room against the restaurant's neutral walls for a nice contrast. 

Why hello there, Chef.  You'll see Chef Eversman and Sous Chef Sean Currie popping in and out on occasion to make sure things are running in proper order. 

Floral arrangements put together by Mr. Jon McDaniel's mom.  Cute. 

The waiting room can be easily distinguished by the impressive tamarack root chandelier.  I was told that this room would be reserved for walk-ins only.  So get there early if you want a seat under this spectacular lighting.  

This chandelier was found hanging in a home, which OON eventually acquired for its restaurant. 

Menu.  The menu also offers a nice vegetarian selection. 

A preview of the drink and cocktail menu curated by the wonderfully charming General Manager, Mr. Jon McDaniel.

These drinks definitely get the job done.  Stiff and potent with very prominent flavors.  I will say, if you're a fan of sweeter drinks, you may want to opt for a glass of Riesling instead.  [Pictured: On the left, Second City Samurai.  On the right, Stroh Boat to China.]

Tiger beer, originated from Singapore.

Green papaya salad. 

A fantastic salad to start with.  I LOVE papaya salads.  Fresh bright flavors with a nice crunch.  

Mussels in a red coconut curry broth. 

HOT DAYUM. This dish is a must order.  The broth is creamy, delicious, and full of great Thai curry flavors.  Plus the fried bao is seriously like crack. 

We ordered extra fried bao.  This was necessary to further our new found addiction. 

Grilled octopus. 

ORDER THIS.  A definite must order.  Tender grilled octopus in a sweet and savory unagi glaze with chewy wheatberries, crunchy fried chorizo, with smoked strawberry puree.  Just thinking about this dish makes my mouth water.  

Spring roll with five spice pork belly, radish, nuoc cham, and grilled corn puree. 

Light and fresh.  A great appetizer to wet your palate. 

Foie gras pho with duck broth.  Elegant presentation. 

Foie gras with pho.  Who would've thought to marry these two wonderful ideas together?  Only at OON.  A great dish for those who love a lot of spice. 

BBQ Tofu with corn bao. 

A tower of grilled tofu topped with a bed of fresh kimchi slaw. 

The texture of the bao is soft and chewy and tastes slightly sweet.  The bao reminded me of the bao I would eat in grade school that would be filled with red bean instead of corn.   

Toasted coconut crusted halibut with cauliflower two ways, zucchini puree, and yuzu. 

This sweet and savory dish has a great crunch from the coconut coating. The halibut is tender, flaky, and just scrumptious.  Absolutely delicious.  One of the favorite dishes of the evening. 

Lamb rack.

Fantastic.  Perfectly cooked, juicy, and beautifully presented.  Loved the savory oyster sauce flavor as well as the added pickled red onions. 

Dark Matter coffee.  French pressed to order.   

Yuzu panna cotta. 

Gorgeous presentation.  The panna cotta was creamy yet light with bright citrus flavors.  The yuzu was a bit overpowering to the point where I was puckering my face a bit while eating it.  If you love tart desserts, definitely order this.  I also have a crazy obsession with granola and I would buy bags of that granola in a heartbeat.  The addition of black sesame seeds gave the granola a bit more nuttiness, as well as a healthy dose of Asian flair.

5-spice doughnut.

GLORIOUS.  Just absolute perfection.  Freshly fried little balls of dough resting on top of a generous brush of heavenly chocolate. The chocolate is just fantastic!  A hint of cayenne pepper gives the smooth chocolate a bit of heat, bringing out a sweet yet spicy flavor.  

Glazed and Infused may have gained some competition. 

OON opens today so be sure to make your reservations soon.

Happy eating. 

xoxo

Grace