You will not be disappointed having a meal at Strings Ramen–unless you eat the Level 5 Hell ramen, but more on that later. The Chicago-based restaurant has perfected the ramen bowl, from the broth to the noodles to the toppings. I happily accepted an invitation to experience the ensemble first-hand.
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Posts Tagged ‘Japanese’
Strings Ramen
Sunday, April 22nd, 2018Koi Sushi
Sunday, July 30th, 2017
Koi Sushi, like its sister restaurant Chili King, combines multiple cuisine types into one menu. Thus, you’ll see a variety of lunch specials, teriyaki dishes, tempura dishes, “American” Chinese dishes and of course, sushi.
Sushi choices are comprised of regular rolls (e.g. California roll), sushi/sashimi (e.g. yellowtail), assorted platters and special rolls. The Crazy Roll ($12.99) has a good crunch from the shrimp tempura, creaminess from the avocado and a little kick from the spicy tuna. It’s all wrapped together in pink soy paper and drizzled with eel sauce.
The Godzilla roll ($14.99) is similarly large and decorative. You can really discern all the components, including the eel, cream cheese and tempura batter; other ingredients include crab and white fish. The spicy sauce and eel sauce combine to add more flavor than heat. Other rolls in this category include the Golden Dragon (salmon and white tuna, $15.95) and the Black Thunder (shrimp tempura and spicy tuna, $15.95).
As previously mentioned, the rest of the menu presents a robust selection from which to choose.
Hot appetizers include gyoza ($6.95) and beef nagimaki (thinly sliced beef with green onions, $8.95). The tempura squid ($8.95) is a nice alternative to fried calamari. You get giant chunks of squid that are not overly battered and go well with a little soy sauce. The dish also comes with tempura veggies.
Based on their size, the entrees are really meant for sharing, which means you should order several items for communal eating. Under the Famous Sauteed section, I got the spicy fried eggs ($9.99), which are simple but satisfying. It’s a heaping plate of scrambled eggs mixed with sauteed peppers, including jalapenos that give this dish some heat.
You can read about other entrees in my Chili King review (they have similar menus).
Koi Sushi is open every day for lunch and dinner.
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See more photos in our Koi Sushi Flickr album.
Glaze Teriyaki
Sunday, March 12th, 2017
Glaze Teriyaki is slowly expanding its presence across the country, with the one in Madison opening last summer. It serves Seattle-style teriyaki, meaning grilled meat that’s sliced and topped with sauce, served over rice.
I thought this concept would be pretty simple to execute, but instead I experienced some disappointment. Your choices of teriyaki plates are steak ($9.75), salmon ($9.75), pork ($9), tofu ($8.50), sauteed vegetables ($7.50), chicken thigh ($8) and chicken breast ($9). Both my steak and chicken thigh, on separate visits, were overcooked–I can only imagine how dry the salmon and pork get here. Yes, I do know that Glaze Teriyaki is purposely trying to char the meat, but it’s doing so at the cost of tenderness and juiciness.
Fortunately, the teriyaki glaze, which is not overpowering or salty and is slightly sweet, helps. I also tried the spicy sauce, which had actual heat, but it’s overpriced at $1 extra.
Some tips: get the white rice, as the brown rice is as dry as brown rice can get. In addition, go for the sesame dressing for the side salad.
Speaking of sesame, you’ll find that same excellent sesame flavor with the cold soba noodle salad ($4). The julienne zucchini, carrots and peppers add a contrasting crunch.
The gyoza dumplings ($4) also are crunchy, as they’re deep-fried instead of steamed or pan-fried. The tiny amount of filling (I got pork) was tender and fairly mild in flavor. The shrimp shumai ($4) are deep-fried, too, but at least they burst with shrimp flavor when you bite in.
Glaze Teriyaki is open every day for lunch and dinner.
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