Chicago has dozens of Vietnamese restaurants, and most of them have the same selection of soups, sandwiches, and rice dishes.
But a newer option in Chinatown offers both traditional fare and an extensive list of seafood dishes, including hot pot, according to NBC Chicago’s Food Guy Steve Dolinsky.
Almost every table has a wide bowl of pho – the ubiquitous beef soup from Vietnam – at the Ocean Grill and Bar in Chinatown, a good half mile from the center of the action. Their version is quite different from others in town. They start with that signature broth—boiled for hours, infused with ginger, onion, star anise, and black pepper—but they also take a few liberties that enhance their dish.
“Here we use fresh noodles. We can’t get here yet, so we’re rushing it from California, says Ricky Dinh, owner of Ocean Grill & Bar. “Normally in other places they use Eye of Round – the cut – but here we use sirloin.”
In addition to the soup, there are dozens of seafood options, most of which are grilled, fried or tossed in a wok. Grilled clams get a little punch with scallions, as do crushed peanuts and fried shallots. The same goes for the large oysters, grilled and topped with the same garnish, served piping hot.
“Because we’re in Chinatown, we have Chinese dishes for lobster, ginger onion, same as the crab,” he said.
In this case, whole crab, summarily stripped of its inedible parts, dredged in cornstarch and deep-fried until lightly golden. It is then strained and tossed in a wok with some traditional Chinese spices.
“Oyster sauce, soy sauce, ginger and onion…”
And lots of garlic. The resulting dish is a messy affair, requiring crackers and some napkins. Easier to share, DIY hot pots.
“Hot pot is not very popular in Chicago yet, but in California, where there is a larger Vietnamese population, they are well known for hot pot and seafood,” Dinh said.
Dinh says focusing on seafood is a much more difficult endeavor for a restaurateur, as it requires more volume and more turnover.
“If you don’t have the customers, there’s no way to keep it fresh,” he said.