"Goodbye to TonyC lunch" ~noon 5/17 KS Seafood

I'm leaving town f'real this time. May 22nd is our last day in Chicago.

Just spoke to Tom and they're going to make my fave Taiwanese dish: oyster omelette (O A Jien) for lunch. This may be the first (and last?) time this dish will be served to a paying public in this City.

On the newly minted lunch menu I see fried stinky tofu as well as stewed pork hock and radish egg omelette over rice, etc. So at least the restaurant is keeping good on Dr. Wu's promise of bringing some Taiwanese street food to Chinatown.

KS thread here

Come one, come all, or don't come at all.


KS Seafood Restaurant
2163 China Place
Chicago, IL
312.842.1238

TonyC wrote:Come one, come all, or don't come at all.

Tony,

I'll be there just to make sure you are actually leaving town.

Enjoy,
Gary

Count me in.

Count me in for one and a half.

I'm in.

TonyC wrote:Just spoke to Tom and they're going to make my fave Taiwanese dish: oyster omelette (O A Jien) for lunch.

Know offhand if o a jien is anything like an oyster omelette that one might find at hawker stands in Singapore ? God I love those!!

I'm supposed to be traveling but would love a chance to taste this (and see you off ), hoping I can make it.

--

I think I can make it.

Sweet Willie wrote:Know offhand if o a jien is anything like an oyster omelette that one might find at hawker stands in Singapore ? God I love those!!

yes.

And if KS butchers it, the 2 will taste exactly the same.

yes

HI,

If it had been 'Good Bye TonyC Dinner,' then wild horses could not have dragged me away. Unfortunately lunch is harder for me to pull off. If there is an opportunity, then I will be there.

Otherwise I look forward to your food exploratory posts in LA as well as your wedding photos. While an image of the happy couple will be interesting. I will be thrilled to see what food you selected because goodness knows you are Mr. Picky!

Now if you don't find good food in LA, then I will be laughing myself silly.

All the best to you and your fiance.

Regards,

Tony,

Please count me in as a tentative "yes". My workday is always subject to the whims of the moment, but I'm going to block off my calendar and do my best to be there.

Best,
Michael

eatchicago wrote:Tony,

Please count me in as a tentative "yes". My workday is always subject to the whims of the moment, but I'm going to block off my calendar and do my best to be there.

Best,
Michael

I'm a bit more than tentative, I'm there, but am too, a bit tied to possible work.

Hey Tony,

I wish I could join you all for lunch, but today is beyond impossible for me. Have fun at KS Seafood, keep posting here, and come back soon for a visit.

The way today's going, I'm going to have to take a pass. G'bye Tony, you're an entertaining writer, among other things.

Vital Information wrote:

eatchicago wrote:Tony,

Please count me in as a tentative "yes". My workday is always subject to the whims of the moment, but I'm going to block off my calendar and do my best to be there.

Best,
Michael

I'm a bit more than tentative, I'm there, but am too, a bit tied to possible work.

Woops (darn), I forgot that the long arm of the law requires my presence (in Monee, IL of all places) on that date. Wish I coulda...

Rob

Add one for oyster omelette.

pdaane

I'll be there.

Best,
Michael

Tony C goes to Los Angeles Lunch

I was so happy, ummm, I mean sad, to see Tony see, author of such infelicitous posts as my last abominable meal @ LTH and "no, this was down right cheap" leave Chicago I presented him with the coveted LTHForum Pork Clock.

G Wiv (L) Tony C (R)


Tony, know for his spare ordering style, admirably went cross current to his nature and preordered a feast of his favorites for 5, except there were 10 of us.

KS Seafood (5.18.07)


We started with, what some might call, a neutral palate cleansing soup of pork bone w/pickled mustard greens. I call it watery, bland and boring.

Pork Bone soup w/pickled mustard greens


Next up Soy Sauce Beef which evoked memories of dried out low-rent grocery store deli counter roast beef.

Soy Sauce Beef (Lamp Shadow Beef)


Tony C said, the reason for the lunch, at least his reason, ours was to see him off to LA, was O Ajien (Oyster omelet). Putting aside for the moment the seafood was so overcooked it was impossible to tell if it was oysters or clams, the overall effect of thin omelet with insipid watery sauce was more on the order something an angry wife might toss together for her out all night inebriated husband just to shut him up about how hungry he is, rather than longed for taste treat.

O Ajien (Oyster omelet)


I'm an offal guy from way back and found the Big steaming bowl of guts appealing. Hummmmmm, guts.

Big Steaming bowl of guts w/mustard greens (D4)


Pork Hock w/five spice was tasty, in an over the top pork fat fashion, particularly nice was the bed of rice which had soaked up the fragrant 5 spice infused hock run-off.

Pork Hock w/5 spice


I really like KS's salt and pepper chicken with it's bits of garlic, greens and hot peppers, unfortunately the Tony C lunch version was both over salted and over cooked. Still tasty though.

Salt and Pepper Fried Chicken (D16)


Stinky tofu was, once again, not that stinky. I'm beginning to think there's something wrong with my stinky tofu detector.


Pork belly with condiments and steamed buns has been much discussed in this thread , believe every good thing you read. Over the top rich balanced with the astringency of pickled mustard greens, texturally accented with peanut, brightened by cilantro encased by the neutral starch of the steamed bun.

Pork Belly (D24)


As befitting a lunch in Tony C's honor we repaired, sans Tony C, to Happy Chef for a post lunch lunch, mediocre dim sum, uninspired custard tarts, Malaysian Chicken wings that appeared so lifeless I did not bother to taste and rice in lotus leaf that had any potential goodness sucked out as if by magic.

The saving grace at Happy Chef, as last time I was there, was Crispy Milk. JeffB said it reminded him of fried flan, which is quite apt.

Happy Chef Crispy Milk


Truthfully, I'm a little sorry to see Tony C go, I hope he continues to post to LTH. In fact I think I may have given him fodder for his first Tony C style post from LA, I told him of my favorite place in all of LA, Tommy's for double chili cheese burgers with onions and sport peppers. I'm looking forward to his 'how can you recommend, much less eat, this s*it' review.

My favorite photo of the lunch.

That ain't Stinky Tofu I'm smelling!


Thanks to Tony C for arranging lunch, and I hope LA is all you expect. Thanks also to my fellow LTHers for the most enjoyable company.

Enjoy,
Gary

I think you definitely picked out the highlights, Gary. Pork hock, pork belly, and the chicken were the standouts for me. I had high hopes for the omelet, but I think I'll stick with the hawy thawt (mussel omelet) at Sticky Rice as an alternative (or TAC when it's available there).

Sorry to see you go, Tony. I hope you'll fill us in on all the food that you hate in LA Let us know when you come back for a visit so we can organize something festive.

Best,
Michael

Sorry I missed the lunch Tony, but bon voyage.

I do have a couple of questions:

Does this mean there is a good Chinese place in Chicago, or was this just the best available?

And, is there a pool on how soon you will be back this time...? Sounds like easy money to me .