*What's it like?
When people think of North
African food, they think of couscous. This is a delicious pasta which looks
as if it was rice or seeds. On top of the couscous, you pour different
types of spicy meat and vegetables. The dominant flavors are often a mix
of sweet and spicy. You might find some fruits like dates or apricots mixed
in with the main dishes.
*Recommendations
Couscous and tagine are
two types of dishes that you should definitely try.
*Problems
If you like pork, you won't
find any at most Arab restaurants. Most Arabs are Muslim and do not eat
pork. The most common meats are mutton (sheep) and beef.
Lebanese
*What's it like?
The main ingredients are
wheat, rice, mutton, olives and olive oil, goat cheese, and many different
kinds of vegetables. Compared with North African food, Lebanese probably
has more sour and dairy flavors. Cheese, olives and grape leaves are three
common pickled (or fermented) foods. Instead of couscous, you're most likely
to be served pita bread.
*Recommendations
Schwarma is always delicious.
Many people know this mutton (sheep) dish by its Greek name: gyros. Basically,
schwarma is a large block of mutton, with spices, that is cooked in front
of a fire. Schwarma is served on pita bread and comes with a yoghurt sauce.
*Problems
Some people find the sour
flavors of vinegar in the olives to be a problem.
*What's it like?
Lots of rice, beans and
meat with many tropical oils (palm and coconut).
*Recommendations
Although not really a restaurant, Mad Bar sometimes has a Brazilian night on the last Thursday of every month. For $10, they provide Brazilian food. You only get ONE plate of food and ONE drink for this price, so it is really a little bit expensive. It might be a better idea to eat someplace else and then come and watch the show for free. I'd recommend La Cumbamba which gives great Colombian food in a fun, crazy setting. It's about 15 minutes walk from the Damen Station on the Blue Line; it's on North Avenue, between Oakley and Western.
What's more, at Mad Bar they sometimes also have performances of capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian combination of sports, martial arts, dance, religious meditation. On the Brazilian food nights (the last Thursday), this performance begins after everyone has eaten and runs from 10 until 10:30. On other Thursdays, they have free classes that go from 6-8:30, but there's no food.
Mad Bar is near the Damen
station on the Blue Line. It's address is 1640 N Damen which
is just half a block north of North Avenue. You must be 21 or older
to enter and also need to bring an ID.
*Problems
Many people find feiojada, a bean and pork dish, a little salty and boring. It certainly is very heavy and will fill up your stomach. You might find that you like Brazilian soccer, fruits, beaches, music and people more than you like Brazilan food..at least the kind of food that's currently available in Chicago restaurants!
Another problem is that there
really aren't any Brazilian restaurants in Chicago. If you know of any,
please email me at wwolf@wppost.depaul.edu.
I've heard that there's a church at 1637 W Melrose that has Brazilian food--all
you can eat for $10--once a month. If you have more information, please
write me.
* What's It Like?
Cantonese food comes from
the southeastern Chinese province of Gwandong (Canton), and, being on the
coast, makes great use of sea food. Compared to other types of Chinese
food, Cantonese tends to be less oily and less spicy. You'll notice that
its sauces are often clearer than those from Sichuan or Hunan.
* Recommendations
Most of the restaurants in Chinatown (take the Red Line to the Cermak station) will serve Cantonese food.
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* Problems
This type of Chinese food will not be spicy, so if that's what you're been looking for, you'll be unsatisfied. In addition, Cantonese might be a problem for those who don't like seafood or who don't like their vegetables cooked just a little bit, firm and crisp.
* What's it like?
Mandarin food comes from the north of China, and one surprise will be that noodles are often more important than rice in this cuisine.
* Recommendations
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* Problems
Compared with other varieties
of Chinese food, you will find less rice and fewer vegetables in
Mandarin cooking. Some people might be disappointed with lots of noodles,
meat and sauce.
* What's it like?
This version of Chinese food pleases anyone who loves hot, spicy cuisine. The sauces tend to be darker and heavier and some people might find Sichuan food to be a little too oily.
* Recommendations
One good restaurant is called Mandarin Chef and is at 2172 S Archer. (312) 326-5040
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* Problems
Some people find this variety
of Chinese food to be too oily and spicy.
* What's it like?
Lots of seafood, lamb,
olive oil and rice.
* Recommendations
There are many Greek restaurants in the old Greek Town on South Halsted. This is about a 30 minute walk from DePaul. Many people will prefer to take the Blue Line to U of I / Halsted station. My favorite is Greek Islands on the corner of Adams and Halsted. Most dishes are under $10 but if you just $3 more you get soup, salad, dessert, and coffee.
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* Problems
Greek food isn't very spicy. The most important meats are lamb, fish, and chicken. If you've never had lamb before, it's flavor might surprise you a little bit. It tends to be rather earthy and other common things in Greek food also have a similar quality: olives, feta cheese, lamb, eggplant. Some ingredients in Greek cooking are a little bit sour: vinegar, grape leaves, feta cheese. Greek food is often quite salty.
* What's it like?
Ethiopian food is spicy,
colorful and a little bit sour. Of course, you can ask the restaurant
to recommend dishes that don't have so much chili, but ordinary Ethiopian
food is about as spicy as Mexican, but less spicy than Thai, Korean, Szechuan-Chinese
or Indian.
Ethiopian food will be served on a large plate covered with injera, a soft, sour bread. On top, you'll see small servings of all the foods you ordered: vegetables, meats and grains. People eat from a common plate; you won't be given a separate plate. Good manners require you to wash your hands first and not to put your fingers inside your mouth.
People eat Ethiopian food
with their hands: most restaurants will not have knives, spoons, or
forks. Don't worry! Just wash your hands, sit down, and enjoy this very
sociable way of eating.
* Recommendations
Injera is the soft, slightly wet and sour bread that comes with every meal. I recommend that you order a combination plate and just tell your waiter to choose food for you.
Adis Abeba, 3521 N Clark, is one of four Ethiopian restaurants in Lakeview near Belmont Station.
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* Problems
Ethiopian food is about as
spicy
as Indian and rather less spicy than either Korean or Thai. You'll usually
have to eat Ethiopian food with your hands from a common plate covered
with bread. Some people find this difficult to do. The bread, although
wonderfully soft, will be a little bit sour. Remember, good Ethiopian
manners say you should NOT lick your fingers
when placing bread
in your mouth.
*What's it like?
Indian and Pakistani food
could be described as spicy, with lots of vegetables and
delicious
rice. People familiar with East Asian cuisine might have
a few surprises here. First, milk products--whether as butter, cheese,
yoghurt or cream--play an important role in traditional and modern South
Asian food. Further east, in Thailand, Indonesia, China, Korea, Japan,
such dairy products were never used traditionally although they might be
nowadays. Second, the best rice used in South Asia differs significantly
from that in East Asia. In India,
basmati rice is much longer and
less sticky than many varieties further east. This rice smells a little
bit like nuts, again something that makes it different from East Asia food.
Third, the traditional method is to eat food with one's hands,
not with forks or chopsticks. Of course, in almost all restaurants in Chicago,
forks, spoons and knives will be provided, but traditionally Indians
simply use their right hands to eat with.
* Recommendations
When you eat at an Indian restaurant, you should be certain to combine a variety of different dishes. Choose some vegetarian and some meat dishes. You'll notice that most Indian restaurants won't serve beef, and most Pakistani restaurants won't serve pork. But all will have a huge selection of spicy, vegetable-based dishes. Saagsimply means spinach, paneer is a type of fresh cheese; it's not aged like most European or American cheeses, and therefore has a much more mild flavor. Kofta are balls of meat and spices.
Of course, you'll need to choose a main dish, but don't stop there. First, order at least one or two different varieties of bread. Nan are large, white bread baked in a clay oven and can come plain, with buttered, or even stuffed with meat and fruit. Puri (or poori) are fried in oil and look like small basketballs, but they're hollow and taste great. Paranthaare similar to nan but are heavier and oilier.
Some restaurants will give pickles and chutneys for free or you can ask for them. These are hot, spicy, oil-based pickles made from garlic, mango, lime, and other fruits. You put a little bit on the side of your plate and mix it with whichever food you want.
The Star on Sheffield just northwest of the Belmont station serves tasty food. The Star has an all-you-can-eat buffet both for lunch and for dinner and costs only about $8. Another restaurant that's easy to get to is Moti Mahal, 1031 W. Belmont on the corner of Kenmore, just one and a half blocks west of the El station. Moti Mahal has a buffet but only for lunch.
The Standard on Belmont is NOT recommended because they have a habit of cheating and over-charging customers.
The center of the South Asian community is Devon, near Western Avenue. If you go there, you will find many excellent and inexpensive restaurants. Some of my favorites are The Viceroy, Udipi Palace, Sher-I-Punjab, Moti Mahal and Hema's Kitchen. It's a little bit difficult to get to Devon by subway (El).
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* Problems
Indian food will seem spicy
to some. Although vegetables play an important role in Indian cuisine,
which will be great for vegetarians, they are heavily cooked. If
you prefer your vegetables only lightly cooked, this may be a problem.
Most Indians will use bread to eat with their hands although this is not
so common in restaurants in the US. Most Indian restaurants will have no
beef and no pork.
* What's it like?
* Recommendations
The best Iranian restaurant in the city is Reza's at Clark and Foster.
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* Problems
Italian restaurants come in two varieties. The first are simple and devoted to pizza or other basic food. These places are cheap, tasty, and sometimes a bit greasy. The second resemble French restaurants and serve more elaborate food in more elegant settings at much higher prices.
* Problems
Ordering food might be a little confusing in the beginning. In a restaurant (as opposed to a pizzeria), the pasta will not be the main dish but something like an appetizer.
* What's it like?
Most people will find Korean food to be rather spicy. Korean food usually large amounts of both chili and garlic. In this respect, Korean food differs greatly from both Japanese food and from northern Chinese food. Korean food usually has rice or noodles as one main ingredient, and here it is similar to both Chinese and Japanese food. Generally, every meal in Korea will have a number of small side dishes that come with the main dish. These are free and often are pickled vegetables. One thing you'll notice about Korean food is that there is very little frying, especially compared to Chinese food. Salt and vinegar, rather than oil, are used to give extra flavor to vegetables. The most famous pickle of all has to be kimchi, a very spicy preparation of vegetables. Pickled cabbage is most often used to make kimchi, but turnips and other vegetables will also be found.
* Recommendations
Everyone who visits a Korean restaurant will be encouraged to try bul gogi (this literally means "fire meat" and is a Korean version of barbecue). Not only is it delicious, but diners cook the meat at their table Part of the fun of eating bul gogi is simply the experience of watching your food roast on top of a fire built in a grill in the middle of the table. Bibim bap, which simply means "mixed rice", won't excite you the way bul gogi does, but it's generally cheaper and easier to eat. Bibim bap is a dish with rice, egg, pickled vegetables all served in a steel bowl.
In the summer, there are a number of cold dishes that can be eaten more easily than barbecue. Neng myon, literally "cold noodle", is cooked and then cooled in water. It will come with the usual vegetables and spices; in some better restaurants, they might even add a slice of watermelon for a surprisingly delicious combination of sweet and spicy.
Sam Mee Korean Restaurant is one of the few choices in Lakeview. Despite being totally empty most of the time, it has very good food and specializes in barbecue. Lawrence has many more restaurants but isn't as easily reached by public transportation; probably you can get there most easily by taking the Brown Line all the way to the last station, Kimball. Please send me recommendations for more Korean restaurants at wwolf@wppost.depaul.edu.
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* Problems
Korean food counts as one
of the world's
spiciest along with Thai, Indian, Sichuan (Chinese),
and Mexican. Generally vegetables are pickled rather than fresh.
Food is often eaten from a common bowl.
* What's it like?
Many people incorrectly assume that Chinese food will be similar to Japanese. Despite some similarities--both use chopsticks, soy products and rice--the two differ greatly. Japanese food uses little oil or frying and has only the smallest amount of spices. If this is your first time eating food from Japan, you might be disappointed and think it tastes boring. Japanese food certainly has flavors, but the emphasis is on naturally occurring, and sometimes delicate, tastes rather than on spices.
In Japanese cooking, salt adds in a number of ways. First, seafood (fish and shrimp) is a common ingredient in Japanese cooking and naturally contains a good deal of salt. Second, products made from soy beans are combined with salt to add flavor in a number of ways. Soy sauce and miso are two of the most common flavor enhancers in the Japanese kitchen.
Japanese cooks pay a great
deal of attention to visual preparation. Your meal will come to you with
colors and textures arranged in an attractive manner. Take a minute
to enjoy how your meal has been set up before you start to eat.
* Recommendations
Almost everyone knows about about sushi, or raw fish. Because it's so fresh, it has none of the unpleasant fishy smell that some people fear will ruin a sushi meal. Most restaurants will provide their customers with two aids in ordering sushi. First, there will be some pictures--or even better, plastic models!--of the variety of sushi that the restaurant offers. Of course, these won't tell you how they taste, but they will give you an accurate idea of what your food will look like. Second, restaurants often hand out pieces of paper that let you write down what type of sushi you wish to eat.
My own favorite is not sushi, however, but noodles. These come in several varieties but the two most common are udon and soba. Udon are thick white noodles, while soba are thinner and darker; they're made from buckwheat and can even look almost blue. These noodles are then combined with other ingredients: oyako (egg and chicken), yasai itame (fried vegetables), tempura (deep-fried vegetables and meat). Most menus will explain what the different offerings are.
Lakeview once had a sizeable Japanese population and today has a great number of restaurants. Shiroi Hana, on Clark, is much better and fills up every night with people who come there for sushi. Nakayoshi, just a little bit further north, is also popular for sushi. My favorite is Nagano about 3 blocks further north on Clark. It specializes in noodles (soba and udon) and rice dishes (donburi). I usually get yasai itame soba or oyako don. Broadway has a number of Japanese restaurants as well. Wrap and Go, just east of the Belmont El, serves simple food in a basic, family-run place. Benihana downtown, on Superior just 1/2 block east of Michigan Avenue, has an all-you-can-eat sushi bar every day in the basement for about $15.
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* Problems
People who love spicy food
will be disappointed: Japanese food is almost always very mild.
* What's it like?
Mexican food usually emphasizes meat, beans, rice, and corn. Although it has a reputation of being spicy, the food itself generally is mild; it is the salsa that comes with the meal that will add fire to your food. Tortillas are the round, flat bread that will generally come with every meal. They can be made of either wheat or corn flour. Other dishes--tacos, burritos, enchiladas, flautas--will be made of tortillas prepared in different ways.
* Recommendations
A popular item is the burritowhich is also very filling. One surprise is that this dish, so popular in the United States, is not common in many parts of Mexico. Burritos are eaten only in the northern third of the country. Tacos in a Mexican restaurant are much better than their American equivalent. They come in soft tortillas and can have many different types of filling: beef, pork, barbecued meat, tongue.
Just south of Starbucks on Belmont and Clark, you find Cesar's which offers good, standard Mexican food and huge margaritas (a fruity, salty alcoholic drink). Mamacita's on Broadway has an outdoor dining area in summer. Halsted contains a number of Mexican restaurants just north of Fullerton that are convenient for students living on campus who don't want to take the train to Belmont. Los Fuentes also has a dance floor!
Las Mananita's on Halsted near Cornelia is one of the nicest Mexican restaurants in the Lakeview area. For places nearer the Lincoln Park campus, there are a large number of restaurants on Halsted in the several blocks north of Fullerton.
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* Problems
Some people will find the
salsa too
hot and spicy. Sometimes people complain about how few
colors or vegetables there are in the food. Mexican food will often
seem heavy. If you don't eat pork, you might have problems
since pork meat and fat are used in many dishes.
* What's it like?
* Recommendations
* Problems
* What's it like?
Thai food is spicy, sweet, and delicious. Thai food will probably be the spiciest food you'll eat in Chicago, but restaurant cooks know that some people prefer milder meals and will always adjust their dishes for you. Just tell your waiter how spicy you'd like it. They'll add as much garlic and chili as you tell them. Thai cooking relies on a number of sweet spices also found in India: ginger, cinnamon, basil, cardamom, But it also uses coconut, lemon grass and seafood much more than South Asian cuisine.
* Recommendations
Try pad thai, whichis probably the most popular dish eaten in Thai restaurants and a very easy one to love even the first time you try it. It's made from noodles, peanuts, bean sprouts, and vegetables. Drunken noodles (pad ki mao), which contain no alcohol but are spicy and all mixed up, are also good introductions to Thai cooking. Satay is meat, usually chicken, barbecued on a stick; the best part is the incredible sauce that comes with it. Try this and you won't believe anything on this earth could taste so good. It has peanuts, sesame, ginger, garlic and some other special ingredients. Every menu will have a number of different curries which will generally be among the hottest items on the menu.
Chicago's filled with Thai restaurants and almost all of them are good. In Lakeview, I think the best is Thai Classic, which is famous for comfortable atmosphere and also for its large Sunday buffet. Just across the street is PS Bangkok which serves what I call neo-Thai cuisine; they have many traditional dishes but also experiment with modern creations. It's not my favorite, but many of my friends love it.
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* Problems
Some people will find the
food too
spicy.
Basil leaves can sometimes bother people
both because of their taste and because they look just like leaves. You
might be invited to sit on the floor.
* What's it like?
Vietnamese food tends to have much less oil or frying than Chinese food. It also has more raw (uncooked) vegetables in it. It's common to get salads in a bowl with fresh vegetables on top and noodles below that. You will often be given a clear red sauce--a little bit spicy with some lemon flavor--to put on it.
* Recommendations
The North Side neighborhood of Argyle Street is the best place to get Vietnamese food in Chicago. It's very easy to get there: just take the Red Line to Argyle station and you'll be in the middle of the neighborhood. Many of the restaurants are a combination of Chinese and Vietnamese food. There are also a few Thai and Laotian places in Argyle.
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* Problems