Jook Sing - Chicago
Jook Sing is a West Town bar and restaurant inspired by the night markets of Southeast Asian countries like China, Korea, Vietnam, and Cambodia. It's casual, hip, fun...and delicious.
Jook Sing comes to Chicago from the team at Chicago's Press Room: Paul Mena and Jeff Williams are partners in the restaurant, and they're joined by chefs Christian Sia (Delta) and Michael McCants (Au Cheval, Income Tax).
The approach is generally Pan-Asian, though as Sia explains, ""We aim to create a harmonious blend of cultures, embracing the spirit of shared dining as guests embark on a gastronomic adventure, savoring diverse dishes that come together to create an unforgettable experience."
There are definitely gastronomic adventures to be had at Jook Sing. Popcorn chicken is a familiar sight on many menus, but at Jook Sing, for starters, what you get with an order is chicken thigh pieces marinated in a soy sauce, fried in potato starch, and perked up with a side of housemade citrus kosho aioli; delicious. Pecel is a composition of Asian vegetables in a spicy peanut sauce, garnished with fried tofu, onsen egg, Asian herbs and toasted sesame seeds.
For main courses, the dish that's getting a lot of intention is Internet: Indomie instant noodles spiced with Calabrian chili sambal oelek, shallot oil and tamari sauce, and then topped with corned beef (didn't see that coming!), fried egg, Asian vegetables, pickles and herbs, and fried alliums. Roti John reflects the Indian influence on Southeast Asian culture, and it's a griddled egg omelette on a baguette, with sweet Calabrian chili sauce, aoili, Napa cabbage and Asian pickles.
Even the cocktails show a Southeast Asian twist: for the Old Fashioned, there's whiskey, of course, but also rock sugar, ginger, lemongrass and a Jook Sing Bitters Blend: you'll experience the familiar flavors of this classic cocktails, but you'll also sense some pleasantly different notes.