India House

India House in Oak Brook was actually recommended by Bobcat's co-worker, but honestly, we never got a chance to stop by until I purchased a Restaurant.com coupon.

This place was indeed difficult to find. You have to drive into a business park, and wind around the huge lot before finally locating it. The place seemed pretty big, had outdoor dining area, but seemed pretty slow. At 7:30pm on a Saturday night, we were one of 4 tables.

According to online sources, mango lassi is a delicious non-alcoholic beverage made of yogurt. Since I don't usually eat mango, I chose their strawberry option, which was decent. Nice cool drink against the spicy Indian food.

strawberry lassi - yogurt blended drink- $4.25

The waiter recommended their Flying Horse beer - $8.00

It wasn't bad, but it didn't stand out either. Huge bottle.

Sauces & Cracker - typical

Dal Ka Shorba - lentil soup- $3.00

We enjoyed this soup. It was soothing, calm, nice bean flavor.

Papdi Chai (Street Food of Bombay) $5.99 - Homemade pastry crisps mixed with potatoes, garbanzo beans, chopped onions, tomatoes, and cilantro smothered with sweet chutney and chilled light yogurt

I love street food. So I had to give this a try. Bobcat thought it was alright. I liked the cold yogurt/onions/cilantro against the crisp, crunchy pastry crisps. I don't think I'd order this again, but it wasn't bad.

For the entree, I wanted something vegetarian and mild, so I chose this:

Baigan Bharia- roasted eggplant, skinned and mashed, cooked in a rich blend of mughlai spices over low heat to observe the richness of spices $13.99

It was decent, slightly too sweet. I didn't really taste the eggplant flavor, even though it was chunky with eggplants.

naan - bred made from fine leavened flour- $3.50

tandoori roti- whole wheat bread- $3.00

The breads were typical, not exceptional.

Curries - Kadhai - stir fried with bell peppers, tomatoes, onions and spices (chicken) - $16.99

I think the curry dish turned out to be the best. It was recommended by our waiter. The chicken was very moist & tender, and curry had a good flavor.

Overall, the food was decent, and I would've said "yes" to a re-visit, but we were quite unhappy with the services. After ordering all of these dishes, our waiter asked, "is that it?", as if we needed more. (we obviously didn't -- brought so much food home) He asked if we wanted naan, because these dishes only came with rice. I said yes, and again, he asked, "is that it?" So I thought we needed to place 2 orders of bread. But it turned out, we only needed 1. I just don't like it when waiters do not help customers figure out perfect portions. He was obviously trying to get us to order as much as possible. Also, rice wasn't even brought out with the curries. We ended up having to ask from the guy that brought out our dishes. He seemed confused, as if naan replaces the rice, and he asked, "just white rice?" I had no idea what options I had, and whether or not we'd be charged for the options. Lastly, our waiter claimed that we have to pay in cash when we use restaurant.com coupons. WHAT?! This rule was not on the web site, not on the coupon, nor has this ever happened to us. When I questioned him, he said, "You didn't know this???" Thankfully, we had cash. We paid, and booked the heck out of there.

Bobcat reminded me that the last time we went to an indian restaurant (Shakira), we were treated similarly. I really hope it's a coincidence. I would not be able to put up with poor services again.

Lastly, the food was decent, but it's not exceptional. Since the prices are higher than other Indian restaurants (and we weren't even treated well), we'd rather try elsewhere.

India House Restaurant

2809 Butterfield Road
Oak Brook, IL 60523

(630) 472-1500

www.indiahousechicago.com

Pho Le

The Bobcat & I love Vietnamese food. Richly savory broth with fresh herbs & lime, usage of pungent fish sauce, shrimp paste, refreshingly delicious spring rolls and rice crepes... we love it all. It's almost a weekly ritual when we stay in the city. But when we don't spend the weekend in the city, we miss it dearly. For a while, we got our fix at Tay Do. This restaurant also introduced us to beef spring rolls -- which was VERY delicious, even better than their shrimp counterpart. I didn't care that the chairs / tables were sticky. I ignored the fruit flies that accompanied the sauces. It was that good. But alas, all good things come to an end. Since Tay Do, nothing else stood up nor gotten close to our expectations (nay to Vietnamese Bistro, nay to Pho Ha in Naperville (which closed down anyway).

My parents aren't fans of going out to eat, but they do love a good bowl of pho. So that added to why I really wanted to find a decent V. place to go to in the western burbs.

I was feeling ill over the weekend, and did not want to make dinners. I suggested Yokohama for their udons/sobas/sukiyaki... or Joy Yee's for their Hainan Chicken (which, I STILL want to try)...but the husband wanted pho. After a brief search on Yelp, we decided on trying Pho Le in Carol Stream.

It's a small place in a strip mall, 10 tables or so. The menu has the basics, including sandwiches. We made eye contact with the young man at the counter right away, and he pointed towards a two-seater table. On a Saturday night, the place was 85% full. A flatscreen tv plays Vietnamese music. Our server came to us right away to take our order:

Spring Rolls

solid. tightly wrapped, fresh ingredients, nicely flavored pork. well-balanced. as usual, I requested nuoc mam (good balance of sour/slightly sweet, slightly spicy).

Pho Tai

solid. broth was a little oily, but flavorful, and you can really taste the elements that was slowly drawn into the soup. meat wasn't already well-done (raw pieces present)--which is perfect. So little restaurants manage this for some reason (even though they describe Pho Tai as rare beef). The plate of ingredients were decently fresh -- typical sprouts, basil, lime, jalepeno peppers, sawtooth herb, and they also had mixed thinly sliced cabbage.

Noodles with shrimp paste & crab meat (forgot to write the name down)

very good. looked red & oily, but it wasn't that spicy at all. definitely closer to mild. rich broth, strong flavors, very delicious.

We found it we found it we found a gem! This place will DEFINITELY hold our cravings over when we go on a Chicago/Argyle hiatus. Yay!

As a side note, the servers accidentally gave us the wrong bill. They only charged us for 2 bowls of pho. Since we were coming from a church service that TALKED about lying, we definitely did not want to just be lazy & walk away. Since our credit card was already charged, it ended up getting slightly complicated. Everything was resolved in the end -- they were grateful.

Can't wait to go back!!

Pho Le

541 S Schmale Rd
Carol Stream, IL 60188

(630) 588-8299

PF Chang's

I am not a fan of americanized-Chinese food. There's a difference between imitating authentic Chinese dishes but making changes so that it's more acceptable to the general palate vs. utilizing Chinese ingredients to infuse your own creations (asian fusion). I appreciate the latter. PF Chang's serve americanized-Chinese food. They use better ingredients than other americanized-Chinese places, hire friendlier servers, in a nicer environment, at a higher price (of course). I'm not angry about this place, because it wasn't bad...but it isn't good enough for us to waste another meal on.

A while ago, I had a sub-par experience at Big Bowl in Schaumburg. Opera in Chicago wasn't so great either. So I always told Bob that I'd never go to PF Chang's ("I'd be betraying my ancestors"). However, a couple weeks ago, visitors came from China, and a guy that used to live here said great things about PF Chang's. Really? A fob is saying this?? Then my co-worker chimed in, knew every location in Chicagoland area, and insisted on taking me there sometime.

So we went there for dinner yesterday (co-worker, Bob, myself). Here is what I posted:

Pleasant ambiance (similar to other chain restaurants, ie. cheesecake factory)...decently-prepared, fresh ingredients... and wonderful services (our cute waitress was perfectly friendly & attentive w/out being overwhelming). However, we just didn't love it, probably because we're not too thrilled with americanized-Chinese food.

Here is how I'd rank the dishes we ordered (best to worst):

OOLONG MARINATED SEA BASS - melt-in-your mouth bass w/ fresh baby spinach. tasty, but there's no hints of oolong at all. tasted like typical broiled sea bass easily found at other restaurants.

VIP DUCK - I really wanted to love this dish, because I do enjoy Chinese wraps (ie. peking duck). The flavor of the duck was underwhelming, slightly tough. They should've provided more pancake for wrapping.

CHANG'S CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP (BOWL) - felt like a lighter version of tom yum soup. it was decent, but nothing spectacular.

CHANG'S CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS - epitome of a very general dish

SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN - not a fan...the most americanized of all
--

Again, it's not bad at all. Definitely edible and decent. But we're just not that into it. Very "futsu". However, I am thankful for the experience, because now I know.

P F Chang's China Bistro

www.pfchangs.com
2361 Fountain Square Drive

Lombard - (630) 652-9977

Five Guys

Five Guys is an upscale fast food restaurant chain that originated in Arlington, Virginia. I've heard about this place from various sources during the past couple of years, and noticed a location that opened in downtown Naperville. However, since Bobcat & I aren't big fans of "grease food", nor do we eat out during the weekdays, we never had an opportunity to stop by.

Then I read an article in INC. Magazine... I really love their coverage on well-known "giants", ie. Yelp, Facebook, etc. Since they're interviewing the owner of these companies, and writing in a story-telling style, I always end up intrigued.

"Five Guys" was named after the owner, Jerry Murrell, and his 4 sons (later, his 5th son also joined this business). Jerry's sons didn't want to attend college, and he was supportive of their decision, so they took their college tuition to open up 'Five Guys'.

This is a place that put little focus on decor, but strong emphasis of fresh ingredients. For example, although it would be easier to import potatoes from California, they are insistent on quality Idaho potatoes. They do not want to add a lot of menu items...just want to focus on making good burgers & fries. They never advertise... they believe customers are their best advertisement. They do not deliver...the Pentagon once called for a delivery, and they insisted they do not deliver. They are also insistent on cleanliness. Although Jerry Murrell originally did not want to franchise (felt he wouldn't be able to ensure quality), they now ensure quality by holding meetings & having 3rd party auditors. They have $1000/store contests for cleanliness and excellent services.

I respect all of the principles, thus, decided that I must try their burgers & fries. Bobcat & I went to their Naperville location after work on Thursday. The place is simple, straightforward, much like their services (nothing extraordinary nor friendly). The kitchen is open, so you can see that it seems well-organized and clean. However, the dining area had nut shells, receipt, misc. garbage on the floor and dirty tabletops. I don't remember seeing anyone on the floor, clearing up the tables after customers (ie. at Panera, there's always someone that sweeps & wipe down tables).

Food-wise, the boardwalk-style fries are good. I thought it had just enough salt, with crisp exterior, soft potato-intense flavor. It's good by itself, but dipped in vinegar & ketchup was tasty too. In the article, it said they soak fries in water, so when they pre-fry them, steam is forced out of the fries. This creates a seal so when they fry them a second time, the fries won't be greasy.

The regular burger is too big for me.. I didn't realize the "little" version would be single patty, which I'd strongly prefer. I thought about getting the smaller burger, but I didn't know what the difference would be. Since it was the first time trying a place, I didn't want to end up not being able to enjoy their "best" item to its full potential. I appreciate the fresh, meaty flavor of the beef. But after getting through half, I was stuffed, and the meat started to feel bland, and I needed more ketchup. I really think a single patty would be a better balance w/ the ingredients. Since it was double, I could barely taste the sauces & veggies. The bread was soft -- I prefer it slightly crisp. I'm surprised grilling it didn't make it crisp. Maybe it was because they use their hand to mash the sandwich together (you can see the finger imprints on the buns). The bun has a sweetness, soft flavor to it though. I do like their variety of free ingredients, since I love piling stuff on my burgers. Bobcat was not impressed by the burger at all. It was complaint after complaint. One of the big issues is their patties are always cooked well-done (another thing they're insistent on). We're used to the red, juicy, soft medium rares (or at least medium well).

It will probably be a while before we stop by again, but when we do, I'm going for the single patty.

Sidenote: HUGE portion on fries -- we shared 1 regular order & it was more than enuf.

Five Guys Burgers & Fries

www.fiveguys.com

22 East Chicago Avenue
Naperville, IL 60540-4900
(630) 355-1850

Vincitori

We paid $2 for a http://restaurant.com coupon ($25 certificate), and stopped by this restaurant on a Saturday night. Even though it was rainy, this restaurant was packed. We actually waited 15mins or so before getting seated. Aside from the crowd, the volume of this space was increased by a singer on a karaoke machine. We definitely needed to raise our voice to converse.

Here's what we ordered:

Grilled Calamari $12.95 (appetizer)
Served over flash fried spinach and topped with plum tomato relish
Although it's $12.95, the portion is generous. Calamari was cooked nicely, but I'm not a fan of the flash fried spinach -- I think this dish would've worked better if it were sauteed or steamed.

Shrimp Vincitori over Angel Hair Pasta $17.95
Gulf shrimp sautéed with garlic, green scallions, plum tomatoes, ground red pepper, finished with white wine, cream and Romano cheese
This was recommended as a "signature/popular" dish by our waitress. Again, it was tasty but heavy.

I've been craving italian-style pizza for a while.. the kind that's thin, flatbread-like, with fresh ingredients. So when my husband suggested ordering a 12' prosciutto & spinach, I said "ok".

THIN CRUST PIZZA
Cheese
12" $14.95

Toppings (each) - prosciutto & spinach
12" $1.35

Pizza turned out to be thin-crust made at mediocre pizzeria. It was overly salty, and we could barely taste the spinach. The only positive point was the flavorful, decent amount of tomato sauce.

Generally, the food was a bit on the heavier - creamier & buttery- side. Tasty, but nothing spectacular.

Vincitori

www.vincitori.com

14 North Cass Avenue
Westmont, IL 60559-1602
(630) 663-9467

Opera

Everyone knows I am not a fan of "americanized-Chinese" restaurants, so I was never interested in Opera (self-proclaimed "Chinese with Modern Presentations"), a part of KDK Restaurant Group. However, this was one of the first groupons we received, and it's located close to our place, so we got overly excited and suckered in.

It took us months to make a reservation. When we finally did last weekend, I decided to keep an open mind, accept it won't be authentic, and just appreciate it w/out thinking it's Chinese... because it won't be.

It's a huge space, exciting/celebratory-ish decor, yet it wasn't overly loud. We were comfortable. There were empty tables, but it was quite busy, and it felt like there weren't enough wait staff, because we waited a while before our guy came to us to take the order.

under "dim sum" - Malaysian Red Chili Mussels ($9) - ground pork, sambal olek (chili paste sauce), cilantro

mussels were fresh, cooked well, and the sauce is slightly spicy but flavorful (reminded us of 苍蝇头 or "mosquito head", a famous Taiwanese dish that goes with rice). Slightly on the greasy end, but good.

under "the wok" - Diver Sea Scallops ($23) - Japanese brown rice risotto, bacon, sweet peas, shitake mushrooms, kaffir lime buerre fondue

Scallops were huge & cooked well, but way too salty. The risotto was kind of tough, but maybe it was supposed to be, since they used brown rice. The sauce was overly creamy, definitely not lime-y at all. Decent, not spectacular.

under "grilled" - Vietnamese Chicken ($17) - 1/2 free range chicken, ginger spring onion marinade

We're not sure what was V. about this chicken, and it seemed more baked than grilled. There weren't much flavor in the chicken...I guess they solely depended on the ginger spring onion sauce on the side, but that was just oily. Vegetables were tasty, but very oily too.

Everything up to this point was workable...I may be able to come try something else. However, I made the mistake of ordering a dessert...

dessert - creme brulee ($9) - flavor of the day: vanilla mint

This was the worst creme brulee I've ever had. The burnt sugar on top was THICK, I had to pull it off, otherwise my teeth would've fallen out. The filling was half cooked & tasted like toothpaste. I don't waste food, and def. didn't want to throw a fit, so we finished it... ANOTHER mistake. I ended up with a stomach ache, then sharp pains in my stomach, then "kill me now" feelings on the toilet until the night ended with D. very painful.

Opera

www.opera-chicago.com

1301 South Wabash Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605-2504
(312) 461-0161

Le Colonial

The hubby & I heard so much about Le Colonial, but we never had the opportunity to go (or so we thought). Since they were offering Restaurant Week options (February 19th ~ February 28th), we decided to check it out.

Parking was easier than expected. At first, we accidentally "stole" a parking spot from a cabbie. The driver (of course) pointed that out, so we apologized and circled around again. We then found a spot on the same street. And upon parking, a random stranger had 45 minutes left on his ticket, so he gave it to us (gift from good karma?)

As soon as we came upon the restaurant, the hubby said, "we've been here. I remember going upstairs. I don't remember the food, but I know we've been here." When he went to the restroom (upstairs), he also recalled being seated and looking out the window... I vaguely remember any of this. He said we weren't as into analyzing good eats as we are now. So interesting how the mind recollects, sparks up memories.

Moving forward...

First Course

3. Bo Bia - soft salad rolls of julienne carrots & jicama, bean sprouts, & aromatic herbs in rice paper with peanut plum dipping sauce

Tightly wrapped spring roll that was fresh, crisp, delicate, and perfectly (lightly) flavored. I liked the peanut powder flavor (either in the roll or sauce) that really brought the whole thing together. I really love spring rolls -- it's like one perfect bite of salad, without having to fork through all of the separate ingredients.

6. Banh Cuon - steamed Vietnamese ravioli of chicken & mushrooms, with chili lime garlic sauce

I love steamed "ravioli" & the nuoc mam cham -- absolutely delicious.

Main Course

38. Ca Nuong - grilled salmon over vermicelli noodles, with dill, mesclun greens, & lime garlic fish sauce

Salmon was grilled perfectly. I love the balance of hot (salmon), warm (noodles) & cold (greens, bean sprout, etc.) and the balance of crisp (exterior of salmon, greens) & soft (interior of salmon, noodles). Signature Vietnamese.

42. Com Tho Ga - clay pot chicken with crimini mushrooms, peapods & ginger, over seasoned rice

This is the only dish I wasn't a huge fan of. It tasted like a typical Chinese dish.

Dessert

Banana Tapioca Pudding - warm tapioca, coconut milk & bananas, topped with sesame seeds

mildly sweet, creamy dessert that we appreciated after a filling lunch.

Gourmet Ice Creams - two scoops of ciao bella brand ice cream; chocolate or vanilla

ciao bella ice cream does not disappoint...it's creamy yet silky, & deliciously flavorful.

We were very impressed by their portions...I honestly cannot imagine how big the dinner portions are. At $22/person, this meal was VERY worthwhile. The service was amazing, especially the bus boys...they filled up our waters often, and cleaned our plates / tables in a timely manner. At one point, a guy spilled a piece of ice that went under one of our plates. He grabbed a napkin & delicately covered the spilled spot immediately. As soon as we finished the plates, he grabbed another piece of napkin to re-wipe that spot and pick up the ice that was hidden. He did this faster than I was able to lift my napkin to do the same...and I was actually sitting at the table.

The ingredients were definitely fresher than typical Vietnamese places, but we can definitely get our "fix" at the V. places for a lot cheaper. As good as it was, unless we are in the area and seriously craving V., we probably won't return.

Le Colonial Chicago

www.lecolonialchicago.com

937 North Rush Street
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 255-0088