Slurping Turtle: Good to the Last Drop

High-powered celebrity chefs and restaurateurs all over the country are reaching out to new clientele with more casual concepts, and Chicago-area chefs are no exception.

Consider Nieto’s Restaurant or Publican Quality Meats and Big Star. That brings us to the story behind Slurping Turtle, a very hot dining destination in River North.

From Haute French to Japanese Comfort Food

Takashi Yagahashi made his name here in fine dining with a long stint at the late, lamented Ambria in Lincoln Park, left to open other temples of cuisine in Detroit and Las Vegas, and returned to Wicker Park with the eponymous Takashi. Now, he turns to the comfort foods of his Japanese childhood with Slurping Turtle, a sunny, fun restaurant full of good vibes and camaraderie.

Whether you’re seated at one of the long communal tables that run the length of the restaurant or one of the cozy booths in the front window (or lining the wall), you will want to join the party. They don’t take reservations, so I recommend coming at lunch when the wait is shorter. The dinner menu has a few more items, but happily, the prices are the same – another thing to appreciate about Slurping Turtle.

Exciting Textures and Flavors

You’ll want to start with a few of the appetizers, perfect for sharing. We loved the Seared Big Eye Tuna ($12), ruby red slices of goodness with avocado, black sesame seeds and sweet onion dressing. Gorgeous! Don’t shy away from the Homemade Silky Tofu ($7), which has a velvety soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture, dotted with bonito flakes, fresh ginger, and “umami soy.”

450x175Tuna Tofu1

If you’ve ever had a tastier tidbit than the Duck Fat Fried Chicken ($7), I’d like to hear about it. Perfectly crispy, yet tender within, it’s addictive. Actually, they do quite well by the fryer. The Crispy Curry Croquettes ($7) will please any vegetarian, and most meat eaters. Both come with a creamy, spicy dipping sauce and an Asian coleslaw.

450x175Chicken Croquette

Introducing the Bincho Grill

The bincho grill is a unique element at the restaurant, and it’s a Japanese technique of grilling meats, fish and veggies on skewers over high heat (but smokeless) charcoal that seals in the juices and natural flavors. Worth a try, and so reasonably priced that you could get a platter with 4 or 5 different tastes from shrimp to kabocha squash or chicken gizzards.

To Share or Not to Share?

Now we get to the heart of the matter: big bowls of soup meant for slurping. We tried the Tonkotu ($13), tender egg noodles, braised pork shoulder and bok choy in a “silky” pork broth. Sounds like hyperbole, but wow, was that broth smooth and filled with flavor.

We also enjoyed the Slurping Noodle ($13), rice noodles and loads of fish tidbits: black tiger shrimp, fish “balls” (more like little dumplings) and thin slices of traditional fish cake, all simmered in a soy broth. Next time I’m not leaving until I try the Tan Tan Men ($14), with whole wheat egg noodles, ground pork and spicy homemade sausage.

The soups are easy to share, which lets you taste more. But don’t be ashamed if you want to keep it all to yourself. Perfectly understandable.

Donburi, the traditional rice bowl, is another way to go, and there are many options. We opted for the Kigiyaki ($12), steamed rice topped with caramel soy-grilled chicken, pickled ginger, nori, and green onions. It was yummy.

Keep Your Fork Away From My Creampuff!

Desserts aren’t the strongest part of the menu, although I would be lying if I didn’t confess to inhaling an enormous Coconut Custard Cream Puff ($3). Macarons (3 for $5) with Asian-inspired fillings like yuzu and raspberry-wasabi were the perfect after-meal bite. You could also try the intriguing An Mitsu ($5), a Japanese sundae of vanilla ice cream topped with chilled red beans, lychee and kiwi on a bed of agar agar jello cubes.

200x200JapanSundae

Takashi has said that the turtle is the Japanese symbol for longevity, and I can definitely foresee that Slurping Turtle will be sticking around.

4 out of 5 Stars

Slurping Turtle
116 W. Hubbard St.
Chicago
312-464-0466
www.slurpingturtle.com/home.php

MIBGradingStarDiningReviews

 

  Who We Are       NFP Support       Magazine       Programs       Donate    

X