Chicago Foodies

Spoon Thai – A Poor Man's Next Restaurant Tour of Thailand?

Not sure if this is the "Poor Man's Next Thai Menu" or the "Luckless Man's Next Thai Menu" but either way it's way cheaper and waaaay easier to get a table! That being said, while the rigamarole is apples and oranges, the food is far more similar. It's a testament to Next that they are able to shift to a Thai menu that provides a combination of authentic flavors while adding wonderful proteins and preparations that go a long way to create something more unique.

Spoon Thai has always been notorious for their Thai-language menu, which has changed a bit over the last 10 years. The last 2 pages look like an appendix but you can, and should, order off of that menu for unique and tasty fare that they, in the past, deemed too unusual for western palates. The lettuce leaf salad here is in that part of the menu.
 
I wasn't planning on writing this as a comparison but when I saw the catfish curry in banana leaf, it made me think of my dinner at Next. Those flavors were there but not in the same dish in the same way. In any event I ordered the Hor Mok which is steamed catfish in curry that is pressed into a banana leaf. Think of it as a curry-catfish-cake.

Wellfleet at The Fish Guy Market

On Thursday evenings the Fish Guy Market on Elston closes its retail fish shop and transforms into Wellfleet fish restaurant. Tables are set out between the refrigeration cases and tea lights and candles create an unorthodox atmosphere for a 6 course dinner, though some courses are plated and served together.

The candlelight effect is terrific but the presence of Bill Dugan and crew is equally engaging. Anything you want to know about anything with gills he can explain and he takes you through the evening's dishes with a genuine enthusiasm.

The menu changes every few weeks but the service and level of preparation of the dishes should be constant. Given that they've only been at it for a short time it should even improve. It's BYOB and a couple of different bottles would give you a nice range considering the several courses.

The first course came as a plated combination of three large oysters in an "Asian style," a soy and radish treatment. It was a very clean way to serve a very fresh oyster. A ramekin of creme fraiche covered a layer of cauliflower puree and a healthy portion of Illinois sturgeon caviar – Joel Robuchon style. I enjoyed the cauliflower puree but would have liked toast points or something on which to spread the very rich and very tasty dish.

Kang Nam

A couple months ago I met Mike from Eatchicago.net at Kang Nam. It's a Korean BBQ spot in a strip mall off of Kedzie. It's by the brown line stop and well worth the trip. It was my turn to spread the word and brought a group of 4 for dinner this past Saturday night.

The deal with Kang Nam is that the BBQ is over charcoal. Every time I've tried Korean BBQ it has been over gas. The coals add a distinct flavor to the already distinct marinades bulgogi (Pul-Kogi), kalbi, and others. The nice thing is that the flavors match so well.

I think I've admitted in some article that I'm not super crazy about the vinegary base to Korean flavors. That seems like it's changing slowly. I made my way through most of the panchan this time. The 15 or 20 different sides that magically appear with everything from everyone's favorite kim-chee (pickled cabbage) to pickled cucumber slices, spinach with sesame sauce, even crab legs. Well I didn't try the crab legs... I had to save something for next time.