Arami - Tasting Collective Dinner

 

Among sushi restaurants in Chicago, Arami is frequently listed as one of the best.  It has earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for the last seven years and while it has been on my list for a while, I had not yet dined there.  I was very excited when the dining group to which I belong, Tasting Collective, announced a six course Hawaiian-style dinner.  I will grant that while the dinner was going to be non-standard and I would have to return to truly see what it's about, I figured that I would at least be able to get an idea what it's about.  The space is a storefront with a very open entryway behind the door.and a bamboo curtain separating it from the front dining room and the bar.  To the right side of the dining room there was a hall leading back into the restaurant, past the kitchen and a sushi counter, to a second dining room, which is where we dined.  The room had brick walls, a cathedral ceiling with a large skylight on one side (as we were dining at night, the skylight was dark) and French doors in the rear of the room, leading to a semi-private dining room. There were banquettes on one side of the room, two long tables in the center, where we sat,  and a few other tables on the side of the room that the hall enters the room.  I ordered a cocktail similar to a Pimm's Cup called a Bohemian Grove to start things off.  It contained St. George's Botanivore Gin,. Pimm's #1, Rosemary, Lemon, and Cynar.  It was spicy, very herbal, and very good.  While I do like gin and I did like this, I did wonder if it would work with the subtle flavors that are frequently found in sushi (it did).

Our first course was a Maki Roll.  Though it was a little loose, it didn't fall apart in handling.  Called a Hayashi Maki, it contained Big Eye Tuna, Papaya, Shiso and Cucumber.  While it was stated that the Maki plate was for four, there was enough for at least two other people.  It was good.  The tartness of the papaya played well with the sweetness of the tuna and there was a lot to eat.  My thought after this course was that if all of the courses were like this, I was going to leave very stuffed.

The next course that came up was my favorite.  Called Kani Motoyaki, it consisted of King Crab Legs, Tobiko (Flying Fish Roe), and Old Bay Aioli served with Cheese Bread.  The crab legs were served in a split shell with the Old Bay and Tobiko spread over top of them.  The meat was tender and sweet with a little spiciness from the Old Bay and a little brininess from the Tobiko.  The cheese bread was dense with a nice cheesy and salty flavor that went well with the crab legs.

 

The next course, I would call the Hawaiian version of Ramen.  Called Tako Luau, it contained Octopus, Coconut Broth, served with a bowl of Sticky Rice.  The Octopus was large and tender, the coconut broth was creamy and went well with the rice and octopus.  As I have never had luau leaf before, I don't know what it's supposed to taste like.  Considering the amount of green in the soup/stew, I imagine that that's what it was.  It was plentiful, well cooked, and had a vegetal flavor.

What is a key component in a luau but a pig and that was our next course.  Called Kahlua Pig and Cabbage, it consisted of Pulled Pork, Napa Cabbage, and Brown Sauce.  There was plenty of of pork and cabbage for us and the texture was great, it was just a little bland.  It could have used a little spice of some sort.

Our final savory course, tasted exactly as the name implied.  Called Chicken Long Rice, it consisted of Roast Chicken, Long Rice, and Clear Broth and was very bland, as many chicken noodle soups are.  I trust that it came out and was served as it was meant to, but if that's the case, I have to say that I didn't care for it.  Everything about this tasted like it was of high quality, but it was boring and needed something else in order that my palate might appreciate it.

Looking at the menu before the dessert came, I saw that we would be getting Mochi.  Mochi is a rice cake made with high gluten rice which is pounded out, formed into a ball and frequently served with ice cream.  In the past, I have not cared for the mochi that I have had, so I really was not looking forward to it.  In this case we were being served something called Butter Mochi which did not sound like any of the mochi that I have had in the past, so I had a little hope.  When it came to the table, it also did not look like any mochi that I have had in the past.  It was listed as being a sweet rice and butter flavored cake.  I took a bite and it was very dense and tasted like sweet rice and butter as the description stated.  I will say that it was not the worst mochi that I have ever had, but it was also not something that I plan on seeking out in the future.

While there were courses that I did not care for in this dinner, overall it was a positive experience.  It is not their regular menu, so I will keep them on my list to try it, though if I have a chance to have a Hawaiian dinner, I will have to look at the menu and think about it beforehand.         

       

Sola

Chicago has a wealth of restaurants of all different varieties.  Many of the same types are located together so if you are interested in a certain style but aren't really sure about what restaurant to go to, you can go to a specific neighborhood.  There are exceptions of course, but if you know what you want but aren't really sure about restaurants you can go to a neighborhood.  For instance, if you want Chinese, go to Chinatown.  There are a lot of Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai restaurants in Uptown around Argyle Street.  There are a lot of Indian restaurants in Rogers Park on Devon Ave.  Mexican?  While there are taquerias throughout the city, if you want good Mexican, go to Pilsen or Little Village.  Where do you go though, if you're interested in Hawaiian?  There is actually a restaurant in Chicago that embraces a Hawaiian aesthetic in it's food (although it does avoid the illusion of being in a tropical paradise).  Sola is this restaurant.  Located in Northcenter on Lincoln Avenue, Sola is inspired by the warmth and sense of community of the Hawaiian Islands while also using local ingredients and embracing sustainability (also a Hawaiian ideal).  While it is a pretty big restaurant and the address is on Lincoln Avenue, it's actually a little hard to find.  It is on the corner of Byron Avenue and the entrance is actually on Byron.  When I came to the corner, I saw a bank on the corner where it was supposed to be located and ended up passing the corner twice before I noticed the restaurant on the side street.  There was a very nice and big patio outside but as it looked like it was going to rain, I decided to eat inside.  There was a big divider wall just inside behind which, was the Host's Station.  The space was divided into two large dining rooms and the entire space seemed to be done in browns, yellow, and orange.  With a banquette along one wall where I sat and round tables with white tablecloths in the rest of the room.  There was a long bar on the wall opposite the banquette seating.  The lighting consisted of several hanging lights in cylindrical light covers.  The light was slightly dim but it wasn't dark as has been the case in other restaurants.  I looked at the menu and while I saw several things that looked really good, but there were a few things that stood out and I was quickly able to make a decision.  As I was waiting, I was brought an Amuse Bouche consisting of Smoked Salmon, Mizuna, Pineapple, Tobiko, and Soy.  It was surprising and really good.  I wouldn't have expected smoked salmon and pineapple to work together and while both tastes were prominent, they did work together well.  The tobiko (flying fish roe) was very subtle as there were only a couple used but they did contribute to the taste.  The mizuna provided more texture than taste.

I really liked my appetizer but I did forget to take a picture of it.  It was grilled baby octopus and lemon topped with arugula.  I think there were some other things in the dish but I don't have a picture and it has since come off the menu.  I do specifically remember the greens because the plate was essentially covered when it came over.  There were a few octopus tentacles sticking out underneath but you had to look.  After digging in, I found that there were a lot of octopi which had a nice char and a good texture and obviously, a good flavor.

While there were several entrees that looked good, my choice was obvious, I chose the duck which was served with Lemongrass Risotto, Baby Bok Choy, Curry Syrup, and Coconut Butter.  This was amazing.  The duck was cooked medium rare and was very tender and juicy.  The risotto was very creamy and had a nice flavor with the lemongrass.  The bok choy was crisp and slightly lemony and the curry and cocunut provided additional flavorrs that complemented everything well.

While I thought everything was good so far, I had not had the dessert.  The dessert was actually the highlight of the meal.  I had the Five Spice Salted Caramel Creme Brulee which was served with Ginger Cookies.  While every element of this sounds good on paper, it was just as good as a whole.  The creme brulee had a nice crust to it that did require some cracking to get into.  The custard had a nice buttery sweet and salty flavor and the five spice, a combination of star anise, cinnamon, fennel, cloves, and Sichuan pepper, added a spiciness that matched well with both the sweetness of the custard and the ginger cookies.  I really like a well made creme brulee but this was one step beyond.

I really enjoyed my dinner here.  The place looked nice the waitstaff was friendly and helpful and as I have stated, the food was great.  I will really enjoy returning here.  They also do a weekend brunch that looks good, I may have to try this as well.