Mike G wrote:Yeah, don't eat Thai food if you're a strict v'ian, because Thai food without fish sauce is just stir-fried vegetables.

I couldn't agree more. We have a vegetarian in our office and one time when we ordered Thai carry-out for lunch, he requested no fish sauce in his entree. Unfortunately, the restaurant misunderstood and prepared our entire order with no fish sauce. It was remarkably flavorless and bland.

=R=

Just a quick question for the discussion -

One of the reason's I have been eager to dine at Arun's is that I have heard consistently that the tasting menu is readily adapted to the vegetarian, where I am not quite so comfortable with these other great Thai restaurants adeptly adapting to not using fish sauce, etc.? Any comments on this regard?

My friend who dined with us who doesn't eat meat was very disappointed. She does eat fish. In one of her dishes pike (which she described as "fishy") was substituted for beef. The one dish which was intended to be vegetarian (not just a makeshift substitituion) was a tofu appetiter (which she described as "horrible").
I was telling her about the contraversy here: Is Arun's just suffering in comparison to other great Chicago Thai places? She's not nearly as into food as I am (though I'm working on her) and doesn't eat Thai food that often and her statements about Arun's were as follows:
"It was bland. There was just no flavor. I asked for spicy. They just put some peppers on it. There was no flavor".
Just one more comment, then I'll get over my disappointment and let go of the bitterness over my squandered $150.
I have a David Thomson Thai cookbook which is full of intricate recipes requiring a mortar and pestle, asian citrus, green peppercorns, etc. I also have several 'quick and dirty' Thai cookbooks. On a weeknight, I'll often throw together a curry with canned curry paste and coconut milk, a little fish sauce, a kaffir lime leaf and some palm sugar. It's an easy meal and most of the ingredients have shelf life. I thought the food at Arun's was more like the quick curries I throw together (honestly a little inferior to them). For $8 an entree, I'm O.K. with that. But not for $150/person. For that I expect intricate, well-flavored, balanced dishes (more along the lines of David Thompson). O.k., I'm done.

That's interesting and disappointing - if someone who doesn't eat meat was very disappointed, then I am no longer vey excited.
Thanks for the info.

I think I'll do the vegetarian menu at Charlie Trotter's instead...

thaiobsessed wrote:

Just a quick question for the discussion -

One of the reason's I have been eager to dine at Arun's is that I have heard consistently that the tasting menu is readily adapted to the vegetarian, where I am not quite so comfortable with these other great Thai restaurants adeptly adapting to not using fish sauce, etc.? Any comments on this regard?

My friend who dined with us who doesn't eat meat was very disappointed. She does eat fish. In one of her dishes pike (which she described as "fishy") was substituted for beef. The one dish which was intended to be vegetarian (not just a makeshift substitituion) was a tofu appetiter (which she described as "horrible").
I was telling her about the contraversy here: Is Arun's just suffering in comparison to other great Chicago Thai places? She's not nearly as into food as I am (though I'm working on her) and doesn't eat Thai food that often and her statements about Arun's were as follows:
"It was bland. There was just no flavor. I asked for spicy. They just put some peppers on it. There was no flavor".
Just one more comment, then I'll get over my disappointment and let go of the bitterness over my squandered $150.
I have a David Thomson Thai cookbook which is full of intricate recipes requiring a mortar and pestle, asian citrus, green peppercorns, etc. I also have several 'quick and dirty' Thai cookbooks. On a weeknight, I'll often throw together a curry with canned curry paste and coconut milk, a little fish sauce, a kaffir lime leaf and some palm sugar. It's an easy meal and most of the ingredients have shelf life. I thought the food at Arun's was more like the quick curries I throw together (honestly a little inferior to them). For $8 an entree, I'm O.K. with that. But not for $150/person. For that I expect intricate, well-flavored, balanced dishes (more along the lines of David Thompson). O.k., I'm done.

Mike G wrote:Yeah, don't eat Thai food if you're a strict v'ian, because Thai food without fish sauce is just stir-fried vegetables.

Maybe in Chicago this might be true.
But, in Thailand, vegetarian food can be quite tasty!

Curt wrote: Maybe in Chicago this might be true.
But, in Thailand, vegetarian food can be quite tasty!

Interesting, Curt - do you know what they use in place of fish sauce?

Thais often dine vegetarian. It is part of their Buddhist practices.

Thai vegetarian, just like other vegetarian eats, is best prepared by a restaurant specializing in it.
Often, a "regular" eatery will simply come up with a plate of vegetables.

There are "jay" fish sauces and oyster sauces, along with soy and gluten "meats".





You may notice the prik kee nu nam pla (fish sauce with chilis).
It is strict vegetarian, and is indistinguishable from the "real" thing.

You know,.. I'm not a vegetarian. Most vegetarian fare leaves me hungry, at best.
Yet, we actually head to this vegetarian, food court stall for it's food.
Unfortunately for most, it's in Bangkok!

FWIW, Dharma Garden specializes in vegetarian Thai. I've not tried the vegetarian options, but I had a dinner there with Erik M. that was really good, if not quite on par with Spoon, TAC, Aroy and such. If they approach their vegetarian dishes with the same care, I've no doubt it'll be quite delicious.

Okay, feel free to delete, rename, move this, etc. I need some help and I don't know where to start. I'm looking for a thai restaurant up on the North side, that is suppose to be 4 stars and one of the best. The name sounds like Aruran or begins with an A? This is all I know about the restaurant, well someone said it was the best maybe in the US, and I've never heard of this.

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Arun's, Kedzie and Berteau.

Shaggywillis wrote:Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Shaggy,

In addition to the thread I merged you into there is another Arun's thread --> here

Enjoy,
Gary

Well, forgive me for replying to some posts from six months ago, but since the topic has been re-opened (and I have some updated information for at least one of the points)...

Kennyz wrote:Prior to the opening of Lockwood, I considered Arun's the biggest dining rip-off in Chicago.

I would hate to hear mention of such a category without nominating Nick's Fishmarket.

Vital Information wrote:The philospher's question, of course, is, was Arun's reputation based on the fact that the place served great food or based on the fact that most of the people who lauded it, had nothing better to base it on?

I had my first bad experience at Arun's in 1994, so, at least by this one meal (that still sits with me), I can argue that it was over-rated by then.

I had my first (and only) meal at Arun's in the early to mid 1980s. My reaction then was exactly the same as the more recent posts. Compared with other good Thai restaurants in Chicago - and there were plenty, even then - the food at Arun's was neither better, nor different, and did not justify the substantially higher price (even with the luxury service and decor).

jbw wrote:If you look at the other top ten rated Zagat restaurants, they all have a few things in common; they're all gonna cost around $100/person and up, they all have (I believe) respectable wine lists, and, with the exception of Vie, they've all been around for quite awhile. That alone should tell you something about the preferences of the average contributor to Zagat's survey.

I have the latest (2008-09) Zagat's in front of me. In the "top food ratings" summary (which excludes restaurants with low vote counts), there are 2 restaurants rated 29 (Alinea and Tallgrass, both of which IMHO deserve their top ratings), 6 restaurants rated 28, and 11 restaurants rated 27. Two of those restaurants rated 27 are Hot Doug's and Avec, and the above characterization doesn't apply to either of them.

Dmnkly wrote:I don't consider Arun's a poor value because the only difference between Spoon and upscale Thai is the trappings, I consider Arun's a poor value because the only difference between Spoon and Arun's is the trappings.

Well said.

I am going to Arun's Thai this weekend for the first time. I was just reading that the courses are paired with wine? Is alcohol-free an option?

Thanks,

Mike

I have never been to any restaurant which forced you to pay for alcoholic beverages. Wine pairings, when offered, are always an option, unless it's a special menu for a wine dinner event. Even at a place like Alinea or Avenues, which are known for their wine pairings, those pairings are optional, and you can instead buy wine/alcohol by the glass or bottle, or skip it entirely.

It's been a long time since I went to Arun's, so I can't say specifically about Arun's, but I would be shocked - SHOCKED - if the above description were not applicable to them as well.

Have you tried calling the restaurant?

I just e-mailed them and I'll call later on today. I'll post the results thanks for the prompt responses!

HI,

I hope you will post on your dinner as well. There have been few reports from Arun's, largely because many have been quite happy at a lower price point.

Regards,

UniAddict wrote:I just e-mailed them and I'll call later on today. I'll post the results thanks for the prompt responses!

Last time I was at Arun's, which was quite a while ago, wine parings were an option. Like Cathy, I would be very interested in reading about your meal.

Answer:

We have fresh fruit juices, varieties of sodas, jasmine tee, and coffee options as part for our alcohol-free beverage program. We are highly anticipating your patronage. Thank you

Sincerely yours,
Niwat Dtingli

Thanks for the follow up.

Incidentally, many Thai restaurants serve Thai iced tea and Thai iced coffee. Thai iced tea (or "cha-yen") is sweetened and mixed with condensed milk.

I read somewhere that "ROYAL thai" is a way to describe this experience. I would agree. I would say perfection exists - except I found the basil chicken to be overly salty. Otherwise everything was beyond any kind of expectations. Treated like royalty, and myself and my date were sectioned off in a "compartment" as most people were. It seems they try not to sit you near other people which is perfect. We had a team of people taking care of us, each with their own particular duty.

They began with asking us what kind of water we would like (just went with ice water) and if we were familiar with Thai food. We were and she asked us about spicy level. Thai hot. They came to ask us if it was spicy enough after the first course - yes it was and it didn't interfere with the other flavors. They used finely sliced thai chilis, either red or green depending on the dish.

12 Courses total, 6 appetizers, 4 entrees "family style", 2 desserts. My date and I were blown away. Was it worth it? Yes. The tab was $209 before tip, no alcohol, just 4 thai iced teas.

I'd do it again.

Care to tell us what you had, what was good about it, etc?

We went to Arun's last night (first time diners) enticed by the Winter mid-week dining special I read about on line. They are doing a Tues-Thurs 5-7pm $65 7 course menu. The menu we were served last night was almost identical to the sample menu on their website. http://www.arunsthai.com/aruns.html

Steamed Rice Dumpling was served on top of an amazing tomato vinaigrette.


Another appetizer highlight was the fresh crab meat spring roll.


The 4 appetizers were very, very good. The entrees were mediocre. I am very glad I went once but don't feel the need to return.
http://www.arunsthai.com/aruns.html

This is the deal at Arun, in my opinion. Terrific appetizers, very good desserts, and main courses reminiscent of a good neighborhood Thai restaurant.

thaiobsessed wrote:

Just a quick question for the discussion -

One of the reason's I have been eager to dine at Arun's is that I have heard consistently that the tasting menu is readily adapted to the vegetarian, where I am not quite so comfortable with these other great Thai restaurants adeptly adapting to not using fish sauce, etc.? Any comments on this regard?

My friend who dined with us who doesn't eat meat was very disappointed. She does eat fish. In one of her dishes pike (which she described as "fishy") was substituted for beef. The one dish which was intended to be vegetarian (not just a makeshift substitituion) was a tofu appetiter (which she described as "horrible").
I was telling her about the contraversy here: Is Arun's just suffering in comparison to other great Chicago Thai places? She's not nearly as into food as I am (though I'm working on her) and doesn't eat Thai food that often and her statements about Arun's were as follows:
"It was bland. There was just no flavor. I asked for spicy. They just put some peppers on it. There was no flavor".
Just one more comment, then I'll get over my disappointment and let go of the bitterness over my squandered $150.
I have a David Thomson Thai cookbook which is full of intricate recipes requiring a mortar and pestle, asian citrus, green peppercorns, etc. I also have several 'quick and dirty' Thai cookbooks. On a weeknight, I'll often throw together a curry with canned curry paste and coconut milk, a little fish sauce, a kaffir lime leaf and some palm sugar. It's an easy meal and most of the ingredients have shelf life. I thought the food at Arun's was more like the quick curries I throw together (honestly a little inferior to them). For $8 an entree, I'm O.K. with that. But not for $150/person. For that I expect intricate, well-flavored, balanced dishes (more along the lines of David Thompson). O.k., I'm done.

I don't blame you at all. I searched this thread basically to see if Arun's is still good or past its prime. For a place that is/was considered to be the "best Thai restaurant in the US" I don't think this place really has it going on. You saved me $150 and the horrible feeling of disappointment. Thank you.

I only ate their once about 7 years ago for special occassion and liked it.
The main entree was only very good, but everything else was fantastic.
I have not ate at Spoon so perhaps I don't have a good reference point, but it was way better than the generic Thai food located in the loop and the burbs that I have had before and since the Arun meal.
I would try it again only on a special occasion though.
Sometimes I think a place gets piled on with negative views when perhaps it is not that bad. The place is $$$$ so maybe why the hate.

I have enjoyed Arun's, but as I mention above, it is the starters which are really special (that and the setting). I think that it is also true that with the growth of haute-Thai cuisine the novelty of Arun's has worn off (such as David Thompson's Nahm in London, which is really more creative, a more culinarily challenging restaurant). Still, Arun's is a lovely, quiet, reserved space, and especially nice for a romantic Thai dinner. Main courses are more interesting at TAC Quick or Spoon or Sticky Rice. Is Arun's worth the price? That depends on everyone's price point.

I went to Arun's for a birthday dinner a looooong time ago - more than 12 years. At the time, Arun's was celebrated as one of the most innovative, delicious Thai restaurants in Chicago. I was totally unimpressed. Service was excruciatingly slow and uncommunicative. I guess that can be easily forgiven in a storefront, but not for fine dining. We ordered appetizers to share and were left wanting due to the minuscule serving size. Servers did not let us know that appetizers were more like amuse bouche and not meant to be shared. Entrees were no better than some of our favorite hole-in-the-wall places (Thai Little Home Cafe, for example, long gone). I have never been back. I decided that Arun's wasn't worth it long ago, but I feel strangely comforted to see others agree.

Franabanana wrote: Entrees were no better than some of our favorite hole-in-the-wall places (Thai Little Home Cafe, for example, long gone). I have never been back. I decided that Arun's wasn't worth it long ago, but I feel strangely comforted to see others agree.

God, I miss Thai Little Home Cafe. One of my top ten lamented ex-restaurants along with La Choza and Hong Min. Bengal Lancers. Hashikin.

I returned to Arun's last night for the first time in years, all thanks to a Groupon. At $60/person, I figured it was worth another look. Overall, a rather mediocre experience, lacking to some degree in every respect.

Let's start with decor. I don't think it's changed in 20-plus years. They even have their 1980's track lighting still in place. And the men's bathroom proudly featured a hand-pumped dial soap dispenser, a really old electric hand dryer (that you could hear from the dining room) and no paper towels. Table decor featured plates that were probably beautiful 10+ years ago but now show some scratches and age. From what meets the eye, this looked like a stubborn restaurant with little desire to attract new diners or to adapt in any way.


One of Arun's two dining rooms



With the Groupon, we were given Arun's standard 12-course menu - 6 appetizers, 4 entrees served family style and 2 desserts. The first appetizer was the one-bite salad and it was a terrific start to the meal. Well balanced, spicy, fishy, and a fresh and beautiful betel leaf. A very promising beginning.


One-bite salad



Next were fresh spring rolls. I should note that your server asks whether you would like your food mild, medium or spicy. My dining companion asked for medium, and I asked for spicy. The difference was evident with the spring rolls where I was given two large slices of fresh, hot pepper (only one for my dining companion). We also experienced one of the service misses at this point, with the person delivering the food having to ask us which one of us ordered the spicy food. Not a huge deal at most restaurants, but Arun's is selling (and charging for) an upscale service experience. That, for sure, was missing.

The spring roll itself was fine, but unremarkable. At least they still know how to make those pretty vegetable garnishes, as you'll see below. The main selling (and I assume pricing) point to the dish was some crab meat placed between the two spring rolls, but even the crab was unremarkable. I would not be shocked if you told me it had emerged from one of those jumbo-sized cans at Costco, which would have been just fine, but that crab is nowhere as delectable as freshly picked crab meat. I should also note a dab of mustard in one corner of the plate (not pictured below) which would be worth noting in the egg roll thread because it was really potent.


Fresh spring rolls


Hoi thawt, the Thai mussel omelet, is one of my favorite Thai dishes. But too often in Chicago, the mussels featured in the dish are so bad as to slowly chisel away my willingness to order the dish. Arun's hoi thawt was quite good - crispy edges, leading to a softer middle with plump, briny and delicious mussels. I would have preferred a looser egg middle, but it was still terrific. The omelet was served with two sauces, including a sweet-spicy chili sauce, that were perfectly fine, but seemed designed more for appearance than for quality and flavor.


Mussel omelet



Arun's take on a nam tok followed, and featured major highs and lows of the evening. On the plus side, a wonderful and clever combination of flavors, including pomegranate seeds, avocado, a wasabi-lemongrass sauce and plenty of fresh hot peppers. Perhaps it could have been more herbaceous, but it was still quite delicious. And almost every element of this dish was terrific, except for the most expensive ingredient, the beef, which was cooked to medium/medium well. Whatever flavor this beef once had was sucked out by overcooking. There is no excuse for serving this beef cooked beyond medium rare.


Thai beef salad




Next was a soup that I believe was Arun's take on Khanom Jin. Regardless of what it was, it was a letdown for me. Spicy heat was promised, but it really wasn't spicy at all. Nor was there anything in the way of funk or deep flavor. It tasted more of an average tomato-based soup, with a miniature pork rib on the bone lurking beneath the ultra-thin noodles. I kept thinking of the soups and khanom jin at Aroy and wishing that was what I was eating.





The final appetizer was a relatively unremarkable noodle dish that included coconut, tofu, hot pepper and fish sauce. Unfortunately, the coconut flavor dominated and stole away complexity.





The four entrees were served at the same time, and unfortunately, there was not a single hit in the bunch. Beef tenderloin in a massaman curry was a disappointment in multiple respects. The massaman curry itself lacked the complex punch of other versions I've tasted. But perhaps the greatest disappointment was the beef tenderloin, which was overcooked and stringy. This was a dish that really called for a different cut of beef -- short ribs or beef cheeks perhaps. But not only did the tenderloin get lost in the curry, it never should have been cooked beyond rare.


Beef tenderloin in massaman curry


There was a perfectly cooked lobster, but expensive and luxurious ingredients were not enough to save this dish. The lobster was served with a slightly sweet, gloppy sauce that I cannot describe any better. I'll admit a little bias here as I love lobster, but tend to prefer it more simplistic, with just butter and lemon.





Chicken larb was probably my favorite of the entrees. It was delicious, though I was missing but spice heat and the funk I get out of my favorite versions of the dish.


Chicken larb


Finally, there was snapper served in the style of pla rad prik. Unfortunately, though it featured a beautifully fried piece of snapper, the sauce was way too sweet. I wish I could have ordered in Thai Aree's sauce for this dish (along with a whole snapper). At least carrot Nemo was there to smile at me.


Snapper/pla rad prik


We were served two desserts. The first was perhaps the most flawless dish of the evening: a kabocha squash custard with sticky rice and a pandan-coconut sauce. The perfect Thai dessert also incorporates a healthy dose of salt, and that was the final touch this dessert delivered to make it perfect.


Kaboch squash custard with pandan-coconut sauce


Arun's should have stuck to the more Thai-style dessert. The next dessert was a cookie cup filled with a sorbet (lychee and an ingredient I cannot remember) and the sorbet was terribly dry and grainy. There was also a poached pear, which with the sorbet, made for a seemingly disjointed dish.





Only three of the twelve dishes were ones I'd be really happy to have again: the one-bite salad, the mussel omelet and the kabocha squash custard with coconut-pandan sauce. And I kept thinking that I would have been far happier enjoying a feast at any one of a half dozen or so Thai restaurants in town. Arun's simply did not deliver complex and wonderful flavors of Thailand that so many other places in town deliver.

It also seemed like much of the cost of this meal was due to more expensive ingredients that were really unnecessary, and in some instances, not cooked well. However, I assumed that service was also part of the Arun's experience, but service was also a major letdown. Dishes were often left on the table well past when we finished a dish. I suppose I prefer this to another pet peeve, i.e., servers trying to remove dishes before I've finished. We also had to frequently request that our water glasses and wine glasses be refilled. And they always had to ask which one of us was drinking sparkling water. Multiple times servers asked which one of us ordered the spicy food. And there were long gaps between courses. The meal lasted three hours, whereas it really should not have lasted much beyond two hours.

Though Arun's seems to be promising a high level of service, there was nothing about the service that stood out and they seemed poorly trained. They were polite and friendly, but that was about it. I suppose I was happy to return and see what's cooking. What I found was a restaurant that feels like it's about ready to give up, that's not willing to invest anything into its future. So goodbye Arun's. I'm guessing we will never meet again.

BR, great review and photos. We ate there many, many years ago. Service was spot on as were the dishes I remember there was a special rice that was used that IIRC was either red or clear. Delicious. Sorry to hear about your experience.