Showing posts with label chicagoillinois. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chicagoillinois. Show all posts

Friday, February 19, 2016

WINDY CITY FOOD

My family and I love food so much.  We love to cook, bake and of course, eat!  I have actually researched about Chi-town's local food before we actually set foot there.  I know that we just had to have the deep dish pizza and the famous Polish hotdogs.  Chicago did not disappoint when it comes to food.  There are lots of options and for me, everything tasted awesome or at least everything we have eaten.
The Nachos at Gino's East Pizza
Mozzarella sticks at Gino's East Pizza
Calamari at Gino's East Pizza
with my college friend Joe at Gino's East Pizza
we haven't seen each other for almost 10 years
eating the left over deep dish pizza from Gino's east at my hotel
Portillo's
interior is classic Italian eatery 

Mini-me's burger

my first try on the Maxwell street Polish hotdog and I fell in love with it.
the philly cheese steak sandwich at house of wings, North Clark

burger and chicken wings at house of wings, north clark

the celery sticks reminded me how much I love this snack.

my second polish hotdog sandwich at house of wings, north clark

the grilled beef set at Del Seoul, North clark

bibimbap at Del Seoul, North Clark
my family loves to eat late at night and Bockwinkel's deli was our saviour because it was opened 24 hours and just a few steps away from Hyatt Regency. 

a whole lot of selection
but we love their roasted chicken best!


The quest for rice



I am not the type who can't go on from day to day without eating rice.  I am not really so fond of it.  I am perfectly fine with sandwiches or breads for lunch.  On the contrary, my family is a big rice eater; you know, us being Asians and all.  Rice is usually a vital staple during lunch or dinner or more, even breakfast.  So imagine my husband's dismay when he couldn't eat rice out there in the US.  He lasted for a night with only burgers and sandwiches but the next day, he insisted on going to the Chinese restaurant that we saw the night before.  Well, we went all the way to Chicago from China to eat Chinese food.



So we found our family's meal savior in a form of a striking red one storey building near our hotel called Ming hin Cuisine.  We already searched the menu online so we came in prepared.  We knew what we wanted.  

that red box out there
I was quite surprised to find it jampacked with both Asians and Americans.  It gave us a good sign that the food might be great.  The attendant was very warm and polite.  He attended to us immediately and pretty soon we were sat in a cozy booth spacious enough for the three of us.  I actually just went back to the hotel from the ASLA convention to have lunch with my family so I was really relieved when we got a table quite quick.

Their service was great.  Having spent more than five years in China, we know very well that restaurant hospitality is not their biggest strength; even in fine dining restaurants.  But out there in Ming hin, the staff were really nice to us, especially when we communicated with the little Chinese vocabulary that we had.
As for the food, everything we ordered were delicious and were just right for our palates.  Local food here in the Mainland tends to lean more on the bland side and being Filipinos, we likea little more richness on our food's taste.  We actually came back there thrice and I think if my hubs had his way, we would be eating there for every meal.  If my daughter has her Nando's and Shake Shack, my hubby has his Ming hin.
breaded pork


stir fried beef
steamed rice roll or lachang as we call it here


and my favorite, braised eggplant with salted fish

Thursday, February 18, 2016

NANDO'S (DIVERSEY, CHICAGO)


As I have mentioned before in my previous blogs, mini-me and I are big fans of One Direction....stop rolling your eyes over the fact that an adult is head over heels for boys in skinny jeans!  They are actually good.(oh yeah I am hardcore!). Anyway, so imagine my daughter's delight when I told her that the windy city has Nando's which is Niall's favorite takeout.  She actually almost dragged us to the place and made us eat there more than twice.  But hey, I am not complaining because those peri-peri chickens won me over.  Those soft and juicy skins mixed with a tinge of spice that is just right to tickle your tounges with hotness.  The drink bar is also a plus as well as the nice interior decor.  Too bad I was not able to take pictures of the interior that much; well I was busy eating.
mine...all mine
peri-peri chicken
view from outside


a whole bunch of chicken
the first try
I think the second one
the sauce I prefer
we love Nando's