NoMi at Park Hyatt

I've been wanting to try NoMi for the longest time.  So when some of my friends told me they wanted to try something Japanese, NoMi was the first thing that came to my mind.

Located at the 7th floor of the Park Hyatt in Chicago, this is considered a pricey place so prepare your wallets.

For starters, we had Roasted Salmon and Barley.  The salmon was roasted to perfection and the barley complimented so well!  For the sushi and sashimi platter, we loved the fact that you could actually savor the freshness of the fish.  This is always a plus factor for raw dishes.  Though, it would have been better if they have more maki options.

Ambiance wise, this place is on the chic and posh side.  It's a perk if you'll be seated at the window area, because it overlooks Michigan Avenue.

Giving this place 4 stars.

All of our orders were served in one platter:
Signature Sushi and Sashimi, Katsura Platter and some Tiger Rolls

Website: http://hyatt.com/gallery/nomi/

Address: Park Hyatt - 7th floor, 800 North Michigan

Bistro Zinc

One of our teams in the office decided to give our visitor Kathe a dinner while she's here in Chicago.  They let me decide on where to eat, so I thought of a place we haven't had a team dinner yet.  While surfing the net, I saw that Bistro Zinc got rave reviews so I booked a reservation.

First and foremost, service wise, the staff deserves a big thank you from us.  Something came up that made us really really really late for our reservation... and yet they still found a way to accommodate us. 

When we got there, one of my friends first reaction was that the place was so French.  It has this feel that is perfect for group dinner.  We started off with appetizers: escargot and foie gras. Loved them both!  I loved the chutney that went with the foie gras, as it really complimented the flavor and richness of the liver.  

For the main course, Kathe and I decided to share our entrees so we could get to try both.  We got the La Crepe au Poulet (Chicken Crepe) and the Grilled Salmon.  We enjoyed both :)  They were so good!  Our other colleagues seemed to enjoy their entrees, too.

And as I mentioned awhile ago, the place is conducive for a fun group dinner.  It has been so busy for the past few weeks at work, but we all had a chance to bond that night at Bistro Zinc.

I'm giving this place 5 out of 5 stars. 

Website: http://bistrotzinc.com/

Address:  1131 N State Chicago

Phone No.: 312-337-1131

Toni Patisserie

So this is what I had a while ago for morning snack: a fruit tart and a pair of mocha macarons from Toni Patisserie.

The individual tart has strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, kiwi and mangoes.  It is good.  It would have been better had they used Philippine mangoes, which I think is the sweetest mango out there.

For the macarons, I wish they had more flavors. Their mocha is so far my favorite.  They said that a lot of people like the almond, but I'm not really a fan of that flavor. 

Ambiance wise, this is a cute place! The displays are mostly on the dainty side.  I recommend this for afternoon dessert.

Giving this place 4 out of 5 stars.

Website: http://www.tonipatisserie.com/

Address: 65 E Washington St. Chicago, IL 60602

Telephone No: (312) 726-2020

Isla Pilipina

This place is usually packed so try to call for reservation a few minutes before arriving.  Don't expect a big fancy restaurant. The first time I've been here, it reminded me of what we call in Manila a carinderia... but mind you, this place is a diamond in the rough.

It's really a bit frustrating that there are only a few Filipino restaurants in Chicago compared to the other Asian counterparts.  I beg to object that Filipino cuisines are not at par with them... and once you visit Isla, you would wish for more Filipino restaurants. 

For appetizers, the Lumpiang Shanghai and Pork Bbq are my favorites.  Filipino Bbq is not your usual barbecue... to begin with, anything barbecued in the Philippines comes skewered.  Lumpiang Shanghai is our take on eggrolls. 

For main course, one of our staple orders is Kare-Kare.  It's beef / ox tripe cooked in peanut sauce.  It's traditionally served with shrimp paste (bagoong) but it's good as it is.

You should also try the Nilaga and Sinigang: perfect for those chilly days. 

For those who are adventurous, you can try Dinuguan.  Its sauce has an interesting ingredient.

Dessert, they have halo-halo, ube ice cream (purple yam) and flan!

I hope that in time, they'll have another branch.  And I hope the next place is bigger and less crowded... that will entice more patrons.  I've seen non-Filipino patrons here at Isla, and it's so touching to see them enjoying Filipino cuisine. 

Food wise, I'll give this place 5 out of 5 stars.  Ambiance wise... come on! The food is so worth it ;)

Website: http://www.islapilipina.com
Tel No: 1-773-271-2988

Crispy Pata (pork knuckle)

Dinuguan (with the special sauce!)

Kare-kare (Peanut butter is the main ingredient of the sauce) -- perfect with shrimp paste

Ginataang Gulay and Hipon (Shrimp and Veggies in Coconut Milk) -- this dish surprised me!  It's very good.  The shrimp was cooked to perfection.

Blue Star Wine Bar

We went here to celebrate a dear friend's birthday last May. Located at a hidden area in Wicker Park, this place won't be noticed easily.
We started off with Bacon wrapped Dates as appetizer. We all loved it! The dates were cooked just right and the bacon and the pear slaw that went with the dish suits so well.
Me and my three other friends all loved our dishes.   We also shared a mushroom flatbread... so crunchy and good :)
And because it's my friend's birthday, he was surprised with a dessert: layers of chocolate crepe with berry sauce.  I loved it as if it was my birthday.
Ambiance wise, this place has it! Good for dates, double dates, girls night out and meet the parent nights.
This definitely deserves 5 out of 5 stars :)

Des Amuse-Gueules D'Henri (Appetizers of Henri)

For some reason, I have this craving for anything Francois for the past few weeks.  So a few days back, I went to Henri for a light dinner... I chose to have just appetizers instead of going for a main course.

If you choose this place, prepare your wallets... it's fine dining, so the dishes are a bit pricier than normal.

The appetizers looked all so fancy, especially on how they're plated.  Servings are a bit small, so if you want to feast, don't be shy on doubling and tripling your orders --- or better yet, order 2 or 3 appetizers, just like what I did.

My favorite among the appetizers I sampled was the Escargot Bourgogne.  The herbs that went with the dish are refreshing... and their own garlic hollandaise gave the perfect flavor.

The next one I tried is the Foie Gras.  This is probably the most expensive appetizer -- even pricier than some of the main courses.  The foie gras itself is good... but I wasn't a big fan of the burnt peach panna cotta that went with it -- the flavor and the texture of the panna cotta didn't really compliment the foie gras.

Another appetizer I tried is the Diver Scallops.  It tastes just OK -- the scallops were pan seared and served with threads of almond crackers.  I find the dish a bit dry, though.

And finally, dessert.  I'm a big fan of their Creme Brulee!  The berries that went with the dessert complimented the Tahitian Vanilla flavor of the cream.  Make room for this.

Ambiance wise, it's not really one of the best, but it is good.  Fancy chairs and chandeliers... and dimmed lights (dim lights always oomph restaurant ambiance) and actually I got the best table when I dined there...  I prefer the tables by the window.  Oh by the way, during the latter part of the evening, it becomes a bit noisy here.

Service wise, I can't complain about anything.   The waiters are very attentive and knowledgeable of their menu.  When they serve the dishes, they would almost enumerate to you all ingredients in what you ordered. They actually even have a check-in for your bulky stuffs like your laptop and shopping bags.

I'm giving this place 4 stars.

Website:  http://www.henrichicago.com/
Address: 18 South Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60603
Tel. No: 312.578.0763

RPM Italian

RPM Italian is always packed that you need luck to be on your side to make a reservation.  Located in the heart of River North, this is one of the places often preferred by locals.

I went there with my friend, Kathe, during her visit here in Chicago.  I wanted her to experience Chicago dining so I did everything I could to squeeze a reservation for us.  Thankfully, we had that stroke of good luck. 

One thing I like about this place is that they have Moscato in their wine list.  I'm a sucker for Moscato so for a resto to have Moscato in their wine list is a plus factor for me.  

We had Mozzarella Capresse and the Spicy King Crab.  The Spicy King Crab is their pasta dish with squid ink infused in the noodles.  The dish is typically spicy, but we requested for the spicy factor to be modulated. The Mozzarella Capresse is just OK  But the Spicy King Crab rocks!!!!  We also got a tortellini dish... but it was undercooked and salty.

I had high expectations for this place given that it's one of the most booked places in Chicago... but this place didn't really wow me.

Ambiance wise, this place is OK... menu wise, the dishes could be better.

Personal Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5

Website: http://rpmitalian.com/

Address: 52 W Illinois Chicago, IL

Telephone Number: 312-222-1888

Mindy's Hot Chocolate

Dined here on May 25... we went here after the birthday dinner (advance celebration) of a friend at Blue Star Bistro and Wine Bar (will review on that separately).  And all I can say is… I can’t wait to come back here to try more dessert.  Their desserts are that freakin good!

The moment you come inside the place, you’ll be welcomed with the aroma of coffee beans (they also sell coffee and the bean bags are right by the entrance).   Dimmed lights and tea candles are the primary light sources, so it’s a cute place for after dinner dates ;) <3 nbsp="">

And check out the plating... they plated so good that  they look like hundred dollar desserts!

From the dessert menu, my personal favorite is the Milk Chocolate.  It has tons of yummy choco stuffs like milk chocolate & coffee panna cotta, milk chocolate wort sorbet, almond nougatine, honeyed hazelnut candy, shaved halvah… mmm yum yum!

Personal Rating:  I’m giving this place five out of five stars!

Website:  http://www.www.hotchocolatechicago.com/

Address: 1747 N Damen Ave. Chicago, IL 60647

Phone Number: 773-489-1747