Kimchee! A Trip To Niles.

안녕하세요! or in other words hello in Korean! Today, Emma and I went to H-Mart in Niles, IL to grab some Korean food. Technically, this blog post doesn't count since it's not really a new restaurant and we just ate at the cafe.  But at the same time we tried some yummy stuff so we thought we'd share.

Emma got Yukgaejang (육개장) and I got Bulgogi (불고기). Yuk gae jang is a spicy beef and vegetable soup. It could have used a bit more spice but hey Emma got full from it. The rice in the broth was my personal favorite part while eating kimchee with it. My Bulgogi was something to cherish. I love my marinated meats 

 

Yukgaejang

 

Bulgogi

 

Someone did an awesome park job next to us in the parking lot.

We also bought some yummy snacks. I decided to try Ojingeo & Ttangkong (오징어 땅콩). I found out that it is dried roasted squid with roasted peanuts but I still really like it. It's really nutty and crunchy. It sort of reminds me of Captain Crunch. We did some research and found out that it's a popular snack in Korea to pair with alcoholic drinks.  

We also got a snack called Cereal Choco (쌔리얼 초코). Emma really likes them. She told me that it's like an oat kind of cereal with chocolate inside. 

Emma also got Sweet Potato snack. They're really crunchy yet light (airy). We found that the sweet potato flavor is not over powering plus they have black sesame seeds.

We also got Chilsung Cider. Chilsung Cider is kind of like Seven-Up but not as fizzy and a little sweeter. 

Then at whim, we also got this random Japanese snack that basically is a Starburst with a gummy inside. Emma decided to get it because the front of the bag looked so happy.  The candy settles in your mouth and gets the juices flowing with some a fruity burst. Then when you begin to chew it you notice the gummy inside. Really it is my dentist's worst nightmare.

H-Mart (aka "Asian Whole Foods") is more than a place to get good food. It is a place where Korean immigrants can come and share some of the food they had growing up with their own children. As Emma was eating her food, I could not help but notice the smile on her face as she was eating food that reminded her of when she was Korea.  Later for dinner we made some stir-fry from PF Chang's and Emma made Apricot Gotgamssam (곶감쌈) which is walnuts wrapped in dried apricots. It's usually made with dried Korean persimmons but we decided to try apricots instead. Persimmons are a sweet and a little tangy fruit that is commonly used in South Korea but also in many other countries. The recipe Emma used is from this website. 

The stir-fry, which was frozen, actually turned out pretty well for a frozen dish. There were enough peppers to spice up the dish and provide a substantial amount of flavor. Definitely better than other frozen Asian dishes. For dessert we had the Gotgamssam and tea. The Gotgamssam wasn't heavy and the dry apricot mixed with the walnut was a great blend to cap off this fun-filled day. Stay tuned as we'll be going to Lincoln Square next!

"The Couple that Grubs Together Stays Together"

-Grub Couple-

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Vacation!

Wayne and I went on a little vacation this weekend. Wayne had purchased a LivingSocial deal for Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. I was really excited to relax and also get away from the busy city. During our drive, we discussed how to survive a zombie apocalypse. It was fun trying to create a game plan if the apocalypse occurred while we were in Wisconsin.

For example, we discussed how we would need to utilize several stores and find a gas station. We had passed a Home Depot, Walmart and a magnificent mansion. So we would have weapons to kill the zombies, food/supplies, and a place for shelter. We probably would have a greater chance of survival in a rural area anyway because cities are more populated a.k.a more zombies. 

Anyways, we really wanted to go hiking and enjoy the fresh air. So, we went to the Kettle Moraine State Forest and found the Ice Age Trail. 

Going hiking was absolutely amazing. But the greatest part of it was how lucky we were. It had been raining a lot during our drive to Wisconsin. But once we started hiking the rain ceased. The rain made it a perfect day for hiking (we were the only people out on the trail and the rain made the forest smell remarkably fresh) 

Another cool thing about our little hiking adventure was the fact Wayne got in touch with his childhood. He had gone to Camp Joy as a child and remembered some of the sites.  I personally think that camping or going to a camp is one of the best things you can do as a child. It creates a human connection and also an appreciation to nature. The best thing about hiking or camping is enjoying nature. I think people too often get sucked into technology and forget the small things in nature.

After hiking we had some time to kill before checking into the Harbor Shores hotel. What better place to get some cheese?  I mean we ARE in Wisconsin. We drove to a little shop in Lake Geneva called Cheese Box. 

We were in the mood for something a bit smokier so we got the Smoky Cheddar and Swiss cheese and man, we loved it! It was absolutely delicious and totally worth it! The staff was super friendly and sampled different types of cheese. On Yelp we had noticed that some of the reviews say that the Cheese Box is too expensive. We felt although the prices can be pretty steep (if you’re buying a lot or a gift basket) the quality is definitely worth it. I’ve never had better cheese in my life.

After we checked in, we got some goodies from our LivingSocial deal. We got popcorn, a coupon to Gino’s East pizza and two movie rentals. I thought it was great because I was feeling a bit sleepy from taking Benadryl. Some kind of stupid beetle bit me. So, we had to take a trip to Walmart to grab some Benadryl and Bactine. After I relaxed a bit and watched a movie, I felt ready to go. 

We then grabbed dinner at the beautiful Baker House. 

The house is absolutely magnificent, the restaurant ambiance was amazing and the lakefront view was gorgeous. As for the food, I was a little let down that it wasn’t a culinary experience to compliment the fantastic atmosphere.

However, I thought the best part of dinner was the hats. The Baker House has all these old fashioned hats to help their guests in the mood of the restaurant. You can wear different hats during dinner too. I also thought it was really cute that Wayne picked out a hat that matched my dress. He is a wonderful gentleman. J Another thing that was awesome was the live piano player and the eccentric birthday crew. I think there must have been six or seven people with a March birthday in the restaurant. It was really neat how the birthday crew was so into pleasing the guests.

For our meal we ordered the Signature Crab cakes, the Venetian Chicken and the Cajun Shrimp Sautee.

Now, the crab cakes were really tasty. Sometimes crab cakes lack the strong seafood flavor. These crab cakes had the right amount of flavor and texture. As for the entrees, I felt that they could have been better. The Venetian Chicken had amazing sundried tomato and cheese tortellini. Wayne and I both agreed that the pasta had the perfect amount of cheese. However, the chicken wasn’t that great. I expected it to be juicy and flavorful when it was really kind of plain. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. As for the Cajun Shrimp Sautee, Wayne really liked it. But I found that the Cajun seasoning was too powerful for the dish loosing a lot of the other flavors of the dish.  Then for dessert we ordered the Signature Chocolate Fondue with dark chocolate and milk chocolate. It was pretty tasty but again not jaw dropping. In short, if you’re looking for a unique, fun and magical experience in Wisconsin, the Baker House is a must see if you don’t mind sacrificing the food quality. 

The next day after we drove back to Chicago, we went to watch The Hunger Games. I was SO excited to see the movie!!! I even bought a Hunger Games necklace. (Nerdy I know, but I don’t care) 

I thought the movie was pretty good! Plus Wayne even liked it.  I thought the movie and the characters were portrayed fairly well. But I wish that the books were tailored to adults instead of young adults. I personally feel that there was a lot of potential in the concept of The Hunger Games. I would have liked it if there was more depth the the concept.  The Hunger Games reminded us of Battle Royale, a Japanese manga and controversial Japanese film. I know there are some people who will argue that the concepts are the same but I think they bring out different issues with the idea of government and power. However, I am glad that I was able to read all three novels before the movie came out. I like imagining the characters myself.  That way it allows me to utilize my imagination. I think when people become older they forget what it was like to be a little kid and have the world at your tips with their imagination.

Anyways, we had an absolutely amazing weekend in Wisconsin! Stay tuned! We will be exploring a restaurant in Lincoln Square soon. 

"The Couple that Grubs Together Stays Together"

-Grub Couple-

P.S. 

We have deer pictures! 

Okay, not really but our deer faces are pretty funny!

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Good O'l Baileys

**Update**

If you're ever looking for a juicy, savory gourmet burger around Lincoln Park, you should head over to Etno Village Grill! Burgers are a lil pricey as they are around $10 not including fries it is worth it if you're craving burgers! We ordered the Etno Burger and the Cason Burger and it was yummy!

Happy St. Patricks Day!

We started the day to our St. Patty's day going with some good o'l Starbucks and Baileys. Then we went (along with everyone else in the city of Chicago) to see the greening of the Chicago river. We've both never seen the greening of the river before. So we figured it'd be a good thing to do once in your lifetime if you're living in Chicago.

Green river!

Emma and Jason

After meeting up with some of our friends, we walked around Millennium Park and enjoyed the spectacular spring weather. Afterwards we then grabbed some sushi at Hot Woks Cool Sushi.

Bob and Marissa

Marissa and her friend Yu

Everyone shared the Goyza or Japanese dumplings. They were good just tasted like a regular dumpling. We ordered the Caterpillar roll and the Fukudome roll. We found that the sushi to be pretty okay. We've been to a lot of sushi places, so it takes a lot to wow us. It was interesting since Marissa's friend, Yu, is from Japan and it was his first time trying American sushi. In the end, not bad of a place to grab sushi if you're either hungry and nearby.

*NOM*

Hope you have a fun St. Patricks Day!!!!

"The Couple that Grubs Together Stays Together"

-Grub Couple-

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Green with Envy!!!

So St. Patty's Day weekend is upon us and we wanted some authentic Irish cuisine (or as authentic as we can get). We heard about  Halsted Harp in Lincoln Park, which is owned by a man from Ireland and has a 4.5 star Yelp rating, and thought that would be a great place for good 'ole Shepherds Pie. Unfortunately, we got there late and it was super crowded. Bummer.

Our next step was trying to find somewhere in walking distance in Lincoln Park. Using the Yelp app for the Android, Wayne looked up nearby places and decided to go to John Barleycorn. Wayne used to be a sales rep for a restaurant technology company so he knows the owners and thought "Why not? It's a big space so we should find room despite it being March Madness season and St. Patty's weekend." 

Upon arrival, we noticed we were dead wrong. It was flooded with Michigan St. patrons and there was no table available, so we chose to eat at the bar standing up. Not ideal but we are hungry after all that walking.

We ordered Fish and Chips and a Pulled Pork Sandwich with Green Line Pale Ale from Goose Island. Ironically, it wasn't green but went down well with the Fish and Chips. The chips, a.k.a standard bar fries, need a splash of ketchup but the fried fish with tartar sauce mixed well with the beer of choice. Emma liked the Pulled Pork Sandwich, but then again she was starving after not eating all day due to final exams. Wayne tried it and thought it was "Aight, had better". 

Wayne of course was more interested in the dismantling of his March Madness bracket with Duke and Missouri losing (had Missouri going to the Final Four). All in all was not a bad night out especially with the weather being so perfect. Things could have gone better, but the important thing is that we both spent it with someone we care for. And really, what more can you ask for?

"The couple that grubs together stays together"

-Grub Couple-

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Baroque

Today we ventured out to Hyde Park near University of Chicago because Emma had to conduct an interview for her final research paper.

But why is our blog titled Baroque?

Well, as we were walking around U of C, Wayne was looking at the different buildings and said one was during the "Boroca Period." I think since we were among other intellectuals, he thought their intelligence was rubbing off on him....When in reality, he was going off of the Mortal Kombat character, Baraka, and the Baroque Period from the 1600's.

Oh boy. Emma's dating a smart one here.

After Emma got done conducting an interview, we went to eat lunch at Rajun Cajun. It is a casual and small private restaurant that serves Indian cuisine.

We ordered the Butter Chicken and the Lamb Curry.  It was under $20 with two drinks and two entrees. The spices were flavorful and the music creates a cool vibe. Plus we were stuffed afterwards.
In short, we definitely suggest this place if you're in the mood for being a little adventurous for your lunch or looking for a bang for your buck.  Now for the best part...PICTURES! :)

Butter Chicken

Lamb Curry

Inside of the Restaurant 

"The Couple that Grubs Together, Stays Together"

-Grub Couple-

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