For the third year in a row, I’m using each day in December to celebrate the rest of the best bites (and sips) that I didn’t get to blog about in 2014, posted in chronological order. Browse all of this year’s Best Bites, or look back at year-end Best Bites from 2012 and 2013.
BBQ brisket bibimbap with soy/maple/sesame glaze, assorted vegetables, steamed rice, fried egg, kimchi, pickled daikon, and Korean chile paste
Why it’s another 2014 Best Bite: Much like yesterday’s post, this dish represented a partnership between two foods I’m crazy about: Korean bibimbap and BBQ beef brisket. The brisket came glazed with a umami-rich blend of soy, maple, and sesame, and was joined by pickled veggies, crunchy kimchi, and the healthy dab of gochujang-style hot pepper paste that’s always necessary when mixing bibimbap together. I was just as impressed by the other side of the tray: the rice was flavorful and pleasantly sticky, and the egg on top may have been the most perfect consistency I’ve ever had on bibimbap, with a soft, well-seasoned center and lots of crispy pieces around the edges.
Why it’s this week’s Best Bite: In the past few months, nearly every food critic in Chicago has published a glowing review of Parachute, helmed by Top Chef alum Beverly Kim and her husband Johnny Clark. After dining there, I can only agree that they’ve brought something very special to a quiet block in Avondale – even against financial odds, as covered in this fascinating Chicago Tribune feature. Every dish I tried was imaginative and memorable, which made the whole meal one of my favorites this year.
I was already blown away after sampling the two snacks we ordered: crispy sesame leaves and baked potato bing bread. The leaves were lightly fried in a tempura batter, then ready to plunge in a bourbon-soy dipping sauce. Both components enhanced the sesame flavor brilliantly and make it the kind of snack you’d want to order over and over. The bing bread left a similar impression, packing all the best parts of a loaded baked potato into an even more texturally appealing format. The soft bread was rich without being greasy, and the sour cream butter that came on the side was another subtle hint of genius.
Baked potato bing bread with bacon, scallion, and sour cream butterLocally brewed makgeolli rice wine and oysters with soju granita
I was also impressed by the soju granita that came with an exquisite duo of West Coast oysters; besides being visually stunning, it added a cool, floral complexity unlike a typical mignonette sauce. To pair with the oysters (and the rest of the meal), we ordered makgeolli, a Korean rice wine that was brewed locally by Slow City Brewing. This was my first experience with rice wine, and I was fascinated by how its milky appearance belied a beer-like yeast flavor. One last standout dish was the hand-torn noodles, a toothsome tangle of wide noodles and ground lamb. The dish reminded me of an elevated version of chili mac, especially because of the sweetness in the lamb sofrito balanced by cumin and peppery heat. I’m already looking forward to my next meal.
Hand-torn noodles with spicy lamb sofrito, sichuan peppercorn, and cuminThe charming interior, with polka-dotted glass and colorful parachutes as curtains
The details:Parachute, 3500 N. Elston Ave., Chicago.
Each day in December, I’m celebrating the rest of the best bites (and sips) that I didn’t get to blog about in 2013, posted in chronological order. Browse all of this year’s Best Bites, or look back at 2012’s Best Bites.
4-piece fried chicken with sides of pimento mac ‘n’ cheese, whipped sweet potatoes with balsamic marshmallow, and creamed corn with Thai green curry
Why it’s another 2013 Best Bite: Honey Butter Fried Chicken was another darling of the Chicago food scene this year, and I finally got to check it out on a recent weeknight. There’s no question that the signature dish lives up to the hype. You really do slather whipped honey butter all over buttermilk double-battered chicken – and then immediately wonder why you haven’t been eating fried chicken this way your whole life. All the sides I tried were exceptional, too: ultra-cheesy pimento mac ‘n’ cheese spirals, green curry-scented creamed corn, and sweet potatoes with puffy balsamic marshmallow, plus the adorable honeycomb corn muffins.
Each day in December, I’m celebrating my best bites (and sips) in 2012, posted in chronological order.
2x fried chickenGrilled mochi
Why it’s a Best Bite: I was so torn between these two dishes from Yusho, another 2012 favorite, that I’m bending the rules and posting both. Dusted with matcha powder, the 2x fried chicken stayed outstandingly juicy with the right amount of crunch and seasoning on the outside. And that sauce, red-peppery with lots of lime zest, was so addictive that I wanted to take home a bottle for daily use. On the sweeter side of things, Yusho brilliantly incorporates its robata grill into dessert with skewered mochi that’s charred enough to add campfire smokiness, yet still chewy and delicate. Add oozy brightness from meyer lemon filling and depth from sweet potato and dark chocolate underneath, and it becomes the best mochi preparation this mochi-lover has ever had.
