The two best new restaurants in Naperville

Let's start with a confession - strictly speaking neither of these places is a restaurant, and one is really not particularly new or even unique to Naperville.

Ah, I feel better already for having confessed.

But both of these places are great additions, and one is just plain great.

Asia Supermarket is part of a mini-chain of asian markets, with places in Naperville, Glenview and Schaumburg. They also promise one in Aurora soon. It offers the best fresh seafood selection out here, hands down, as well as a large and pleasing assortment of fresh, dried, frozen and canned asian food stuffs.

But the point here is the food court. They seem to rent out their food court to third parties, so this will vary by location. Naperville has three stalls, two of which are currently empty. One had a Korean fast food stall, and it is promised that there will be another Korean place there soon. The occupied stall is primarily a sushi provider. Is it the best sushi in Chicago? Certainly not. But they move a lot of fish, and it is fresh, not very pricey, and done right. A big hot bowl of Uni-don (grilled eel on rice) for $7.99 had me.

Located at Naper and Ogden, three doors down from HP Schmaltz, and a great place to have around. Not worth a special trip, IMO, but a very reliable place for a real Japanese lunch. Thanks to Electric Mullet who has been telling me for two years that I need to go. I get it.

Mediterranean Oasis is another supermarket with prepared foods and meats in back. It is new, having opened around March. The owner is a very pleasant Palestinian fellow who runs the place with his sons. You are greeted with a glass of mint tea, or if you prefer a pack of mango or papaya nectar.

Excellent selection of breads (from Chicago bakeries) including the large, soft wheel of palestinian bread, multiple varieties of pita, and lots of pastries. But the prepared foods are what really shine.

So far I have tried vegetarian grape leaves, meat-stuffed zucchini, hummos, lamb pita, spinach pita, chicken and beef shwarma, falafel, tabouleh, baba ghanouj, and an eggplant salad that is very reminiscent of ratatouille. They also have kabobs, and a nice selection of meats, including a few marinated options.

Quality has ranged from very good (hummos and baba ghanouj) to blissful - the savory and sweet little crisp morsels of beef are to die for. Absolutely the best beef shwarma I have ever had.

Prices are good, though I always seem to end up spending at least $50 whenever I walk in that door.

Between the food quality, the selection, the affable owner and the fact that there is not another place like this within 20 miles, go, enjoy, soon. Even better, it is less than a mile from my house, but that would not be so important to others. A friend is having a Rose (wine) tasting on Saturday, and I know what food goes perfectly with that...

Mediterranean Oasis Mart
357 East Bailey Rd.
Naperville, IL
630-420-9507

D,

I LOVE ASIA SUPERMARKET! I shop there at least every other week. There I have found, frozen soup dumplings, very inexpensive gyoza, sauces to fill all of my refrigerator shelves, and some damn fine shortribs and frozen sushi grade tuna.

Now I'm intrigued by the Mediterranean Oasis. I'll have to visit there the next time I venture to the southside of N'ville to visit the parents.

Flip

Thanks for the tips. I recently began working in the area and have been looking for some good stores and/or lunch options.

Until now it has been pretty weak with the major exception of Michaels Fresh Market.

Sounds like Asia market leans more towards the Korean/Japanese end of things? As opposed to mainland/SE Asian?

How about more lunch ideas? Gemato's has good brisket and pulled pork. Any other suggestions, especially anything convenient to Diehl Road?

wak,


I have a recommendation for a chinese place. I like Lees Chinese Garden, it is on Route 59, just south of Diehl, in the same strip mall as the Wendys, and the Subway. In my opinion, good basic Chinese- American food with inexpensive, large lunch specials.

Its not Lao Szechwan, Katys Dumplings, or Fabulous Noodles, but I find it acceptable.

Asia Supermarket is going to face stiff competition from Super H Mart, a much larger and popular Korean grocery chain that is scheduled to open this summer very close by -- in place of the currently vacant Dominicks in Ogden Mall (Ogden Ave and Naperville Rd). (See the bottom part of this article.)

jow wrote:Asia Supermarket is going to face stiff competition from Super H Mart, a much larger and popular Korean grocery chain that is scheduled to open this summer very close by -- in place of the currently vacant Dominicks in Ogden Mall (Ogden Ave and Naperville Rd). (See the bottom part of this article.)

YIPPEE!

I can't wait. I've been jealous reading about the location in Niles. This location would be just 5 minutes from my house

Flip

jimswside wrote:I like Lees Chinese Garden, it is on Route 59, just south of Diehl

Thanks. I've driven by there before. I'll check it out tomorrow.

wak wrote:Sounds like Asia market leans more towards the Korean/Japanese end of things? As opposed to mainland/SE Asian?

How about more lunch ideas? Gemato's has good brisket and pulled pork. Any other suggestions, especially anything convenient to Diehl Road?

You are in chain-land, wak. Glad to see someone else has finally sampled and posted on, even if in passing, Gemato's. Have not been there in a while, but I like what they do even if it ain't really Q (slow roasted, then finished over an open wood fire, to be exact). Anyway, in reply to your questions:

Yes, I believe Asia Supermarket is Korean-owned, and the Sushi is Korean-style to some degree, though mostly it is Japanese food.

Depending on how far south you are on route 59, there is an outpost of Cocina Barro on Montgomery (which extends to the west from 83rd street) about a mile or so west of 59 on the north side that makes some decent Pan American sammies. There also is a Euro Deli in the same strip mall that sells prepared Polish meals. Have not tried it, but the food looked good when I checked it out, and they had some good looking sausages.

Heading east, Lemongrass off Ogden near River has decent Thai food. Not great, but not bad. There also are a few places in downtown N'ville that are actually nearer than Asia Market - Tango for the wondeful steak sandwich at the amazing price is really the only one I might drive to for lunch.

Over by Asia Supermarket, you have Yamado for some decent, well-priced Sushi. And if you want to spend $20-$30 on lunch, just ask Mr. Lee to make something special up for you. He always is hiding something in the fridge. I go to Qunicy's from time to time for a small salad (Greek is my choice) and soup special, but the place is really just a standard, Greek family style resto. And then there is HP Schmaltz for pretty decent deli fare.

I probably forgot some others, but those are what come to mind. There are threads on all of these, if you search.

jow wrote:Asia Supermarket is going to face stiff competition from Super H Mart, a much larger and popular Korean grocery chain that is scheduled to open this summer very close by -- in place of the currently vacant Dominicks in Ogden Mall (Ogden Ave and Naperville Rd). (See the bottom part of this article.)

i think you just made my year. this is going to be SO much more
convenient than having to drive all the way up to niles!

Back to Mediterranean Oasis for a moment:

They busted me on Saturday. I was talking to the guy behind the counter (probably the owner's son) and I said something about it being $50 again, and he said - "Did you just post about us on the Internet?" Umm, yeah.

Tried their stuffed eggplant - little pickled turds of delight, stuffed with savory and spicy goodness. Nice bite to them. Kefta sandwiches, pre-made kefta in pita, in a case up front are also good and a tiny bit spicy, if greasy and would be better if fresh. But for $2-$3 they are a fine deal.

Still very happy with the place, and a little pleased they are reading LTHForum, even if I would prefer to be incognito, unlike my more famous LTH brethren.

dicksond wrote:Back to Mediterranean Oasis for a moment:

They busted me on Saturday. I was talking to the guy behind the counter (probably the owner's son) and I said something about it being $50 again, and he said - "Did you just post about us on the Internet?" Umm, yeah.

Tried their stuffed eggplant - little pickled turds of delight, stuffed with savory and spicy goodness. Nice bite to them. Kefta sandwiches, pre-made kefta in pita, in a case up front are also good and a tiny bit spicy, if greasy and would be better if fresh. But for $2-$3 they are a fine deal.

Still very happy with the place, and a little pleased they are reading LTHForum, even if I would prefer to be incognito, unlike my more famous LTH brethren.

D,

The B2B and I stopped by on Saturday on our way home from lunch at Amanacer. Thank you for letting us know about this establishment. We brought home a pre-package selection of kabobs for dinner, and a tub of hummus. The kabobs were very good, we both agreed the kefta were the best of the bunch. But, OMG the hummus is to die for. We ate some with dinner on Saturday and brought the remainder over to my sister's house for my brother-in-law's birthday celebration on Sunday. B2B enjoyed it so much that on the way over to my parent house yesterday for dinner we stopped in again for another tub.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. B2B will never ask me to make hummus for her again.

Flip

A few other notable items:

- great selection of olives / pickled veggies
- $2.99 for all canisters of spices (8oz?) from whole nutmeg to ground white pepper.

jimswside wrote:wak,


I have a recommendation for a chinese place. I like Lees Chinese Garden, it is on Route 59, just south of Diehl, in the same strip mall as the Wendys, and the Subway. In my opinion, good basic Chinese- American food with inexpensive, large lunch specials.

Its not Lao Szechwan, Katys Dumplings, or Fabulous Noodles, but I find it acceptable.

I did try this place out and it was OK, but I found some better options.

1) Old Peking Restaraunt - 1536 Naper Blvd. For lunch, they specialize in big bowls of soup or noodles with a variety of meats - I had the short ribs which were a little tough, but the flavoring was good.

2) Joy Yee Noodle Shop. 1163 East Ogden. Certainly the best of the bunch. A small local chain with 5 outlets - http://www.joyyee.com/. I went to day and had the delicious Pineapple thai fried rice (served in a half pineapple). They have a huge and wonderfully illustrated menu with picutres of several hundred dishes. They also specialize in elaborate fruit drinks - we had the mango with little jelly balls (really tapioca balls) served with a big straw to suck up the balls. An intruguingly textured dining experience somewhere in the gray area between food and beverage. They have lunch specials, but the good stuff will put you back about $15 for meal and fruit drink of your choice.

3) There is one more - I think its Fortune Stix Chinese (Fortune Six Chinese?) - 1567 N. Aurora Rd. - in a mall with a Dominicks all the way to the left (west). A little hole in the wall that serves primarily takeout - what I call styrofoam box Chinese. Good for a quick $5 meal - although one of the three times I went the kitchen was all messed up and I had to wait half an hour for my food. I was really angry and planned to complain, but I was so happy when my food arrived I just wolfed it down and ran back to work. I'll be back tomorrow. Tasty, cheap, and it fills you up.

wak,

glad you gave Lee's a try, like I mentioned, a cheap lunch option, deifinitley not Lao Szechuwan, Katy's, or Fabulous Noodles.

I have tried Joy Yees in China Town, and the Naperville location, and did not like either location very much.

Another spot I have tried, and got a fresh Dungeness Crab pulled from their tank, and stir fried was at House of Emporer on Naper Blvd. just north of 75th street.

www.houseofemperorchinese.com

Homemade Pizza just opened there too near Ogden and Washington. Need to try it soon.

jimswside wrote:
I have tried Joy Yees in China Town, and the Naperville location, and did not like either location very much.

I have had better, but given the area, Joy Yee is the best I've found. I went to the Universtiy Village location once for dinner and wasn't thrilled, but for lunch its not bad. They certainly have some decent variety, fresh ingredients, a level of authenticity, and none of that gloppy corn starch based sauce dumped over everythig like you get so often...

House of Emporer looks quite good, just a little far from where I work. I'll check it out next time I can take a long lunch. I'll take my Chinese friends along and see if they have a Chinese menu.

BTW, I've seen a lot of little Thai places around. Every tried them out?

Also, I've passed a few Indian places. Any good Indian buffet?

Also, I've passed a few Indian places. Any good Indian buffet?[/quote


Wak:

I do not eat indian food, so I cannot help you out there.

I lived in Naperville for 35 years before moving out west to the Ottawa area, but I still work in Burr Ridge, so I am in the suburbs, or Chicago 5-6 days a week, working, eating, or shopping.

Sakura of Tokyo has re-opened in the Iroquois mall on Ogden (same area as Joy Yee Noodles). Has anyone tried it? I always meant to go when it was open before, and didn't.

Back to Mediterranean Oasis for a moment

diskson, thank you for this recommendation. We went Sunday around noon and while I didn't physically step foot in the place (kid sleeping in car) I can vouch for what I ate. The wife grabbed a package of the large fluffy flat bread baked somewhere in Palos Heights, the smaller round flat bread covered with oil, oregano and some other mystery herb, a tub of jerusalem salad, a freshly baked spinach pie, a few fruit juice drink boxes from Saudi Arabia and ..... a beef shawerma sandwich. Hot damn! That's a sandwich worth driving for. Surprisingly tender beef with maybe a hint of cinammon and a nice dispersal of char crust and carmelization on the chunks. The soft pita was sliced on the top and also filled with tomato, crisp white onions, pickle, a thin yogurt sauce and a sprinkle of sumac; a sandwich that makes you smile when you are done. The few bites I had of the spinach pie were equally enjoyable-highly seasoned spinach mixed with olives and baked into a golden brown thin bread dough reminicent of a flat calzone with a nice crunch on the bottom crust.

I look forward to going back and trying the hummus, falafel and some kabobs. Nice find!

jow wrote:Asia Supermarket is going to face stiff competition from Super H Mart, a much larger and popular Korean grocery chain that is scheduled to open this summer very close by -- in place of the currently vacant Dominicks in Ogden Mall (Ogden Ave and Naperville Rd). (See the bottom part of this article.)

Our local Dominick's was a victim of the closings - rumor has it the location will be turned into luxury condos ( ) but oh how nice it would be to get something like that instead!

But really though, I'd settle for a Jewel.

wak wrote:
I have had better, but given the area, Joy Yee is the best I've found. I went to the Universtiy Village location once for dinner and wasn't thrilled, but for lunch its not bad. They certainly have some decent variety, fresh ingredients, a level of authenticity, and none of that gloppy corn starch based sauce dumped over everythig like you get so often...

House of Emporer looks quite good, just a little far from where I work. I'll check it out next time I can take a long lunch. I'll take my Chinese friends along and see if they have a Chinese menu.

BTW, I've seen a lot of little Thai places around. Every tried them out?

Also, I've passed a few Indian places. Any good Indian buffet?

Okay, let's do this in order.

Joy Yee is not even close to the best in the area. If you drive that far, head to Fabulous Noodles, it is only 5 minutes further on Ogden. Check it out here.. Or you could go one mall east and enjoy Cho Dang Tofu Village, or LTH posts, which offers wonderful tofu soup and other, primarily vegetarian, dishes. There also is a decent Indian place, Cuisine of India.

House of Emperor is pretty decent for seafood, and everyone whose palate I respect likes it, but it never has done it for me. I prefer Fabulous Noodles in every way. HoE just seems upscale, Americanized Cantonese, done well with good ingredients, but a little pricey and with neither creativity or authenticity. But, like I say, no one agrees with me, so please go try it and report.

Old Peking is under new ownership. Seems like a chain, can't remember the name. I tried the Beef Noodle soup and it was mediocre at best. One dimenisonal flavor, chewy beef, underseasoned.

You can get decent Thai food at Bangkok Village, if you take them in hand. Negotiate with the servers that you want it prepared with fish sauce, not soy, seasoned almost the way the cooks would eat, and it can be okay. Otherwise, they serve respectable Ameri-Thai.

Lemongrass is a bit better. It still is Ameri-Thai mostly, but real Thai food peaks out a little more often. I have not challenged them as I have Bangkok Village, so I do not know how good they can be, but I think it could be pretty good.

Swagat is the best Indian place around, southern Indian so they focus more on Thali and vegatables. Good lunch buffet, tho I prefer the Thali.

Sizzle India is my favorite right now, since I like the spicier, meatier Northern cuisine a bit more, even if Swagat is very good. We go there pretty regularly for dinner. Have not been for lunch, but there is evidence they serve a buffet. wak, I suspect this place is very close to your work.

Somehow this thread has become a guide to eating in Naperville, as well as an homage to the Beef Shawerma of Mediterranean Oasis.

Swagat
1570 W Ogden Ave # 101
Naperville, IL 60540
(630) 420-7565

dicksond wrote:Or you could go one mall east and enjoy Cho Dang Tofu Village, or LTH posts, which offers wonderful tofu soup and other, primarily vegetarian, dishes.

I've only been there once, but I didn't get the impression that they had much in the vegetarian department. True, most things had tofu in them, but they also tended to have pieces of pork in there as well. I should make another visit there sometime. The first time I visited, they didn't make it very spicy, despite my request. OK, it's a common problem at suburban Asian restaurants, so I'll give them another chance.

Sizzle India is my favorite right now

I was there a couple of weeks ago, and noted that their name had changed. (I can't remember the new name.) The hostess said the restaurant had been sold. The buffet was a bit different. They no longer had the Indian/Chinese dishes that Sizzle sometimes had. They had idly & sambar, and some other dishes where were sort of "Indian buffet typical". It wasn't bad, but nothing knocked me out. I'll give them another try.

Tim

We used to enjoy the Sizzle India buffet regularly when they were on Devon. I am a sadder and thinner person since they departed.

dicksond wrote: Okay, let's do this in order......

Thanks dicksond. This is wonderful. In fact, several of these are quite close to where I work - closer than Joy Yee. I've taken notes and will report back.

pancake wrote:I've only been there once, but I didn't get the impression that they had much in the vegetarian department. True, most things had tofu in them, but they also tended to have pieces of pork in there as well. I should make another visit there sometime. The first time I visited, they didn't make it very spicy, despite my request. OK, it's a common problem at suburban Asian restaurants, so I'll give them another chance.

Tim

Fair enough, it is more Korean health food than vegetarian, tho there are at least a half dozen veg options on the menu, including the mushroom, dumpling and miso tofu soups and a few others.

I have noticed that the spiciness level served to me has gone down. When I first went, I ordered regular, but now unless I am getting the Kimchee soup, I order spicy. I assume this is in response to some western clientele having trouble with their normal levels of heat. Next time I go, probably a bit later this week, I will discuss heat levels with them and see if they acknowledge having a set of levels for Korean clientele and another for westerners.

The news on Sizzle India is disappointing, as it was the Sino/Indian stuff that I really liked, in addition to the fried peppers. But I should go to Swagat more often anyway, as well as the places in Downers and Glendale Heights.

Glad to be of help, wak. I trust you will find your lunches more varied and enjoyable, if only because you can avoid Joy Yee - did I mention I was not a fan of their bastardized, um, fusion cuisine?

I have tried several of Naperville’s lunch time speicals. Here are my initial impression, in order of my visits: (apologies in advance for my spelling of any foreign dishes)

1) Swagat - 1570 W Ogden Ave.

In a far corner of a slightly dilapidated strip mall, I ventured first to Swagat. No Buffet, but they do specialize in Thali – a tray with a bowl of rice in the middle surrounded by eight smaller bowls of various dishes. Really a mini buffet, and they let you get refills on any of the dishes you like. Not a bad concept, in theory. I ordered the vegetarian Thali.

Problem #1, the bread. Ordered the Chapatti. I can best describe it as a small, slightly thick flour burrito they picked up at Dominicks. Definitely store bought and mass produced.

The dishes were very small. Lots of sauce, not many vegetables. Of course you could order more, but the impression was of a miserly chef doling out food by the tablespoon. The green curry consisted of one piece of carrot and one piece of potato. I felt funny calling the waiter over for two more vegetable pieces. Despite the presentation, the curries were good – lentil, green w/ carrots, and one with garbanzos (favorite of the meal). There was a very bland soup, mediocre saag, decent curried rice, yogurt which I only tasted and was fine, a chutney, central bowl of overcooked rice, and a little bowl of some nasty tapioca type dessert – warm, soupy, and with little wormy threads of some gelatinous substance. Despite my better judgement I ate everything, except the yogurt.

Overall, not a great experience. The curries were actually good, but the overall impression was bad. I was one of three customers in the restaurant. No décor to speak of except for an elephant statue in the door. A sign on the door mentioned that it was under new ownership. Not a good sign if this is what they have put together. I wouldn’t go back.

2) Cuisine of India

In the mall on Ogden by the Kmart and the now shuttered Dominicks. (On a side note, they say the the Korean mega-store H-Mart will open in that space, something I am very excited about.)

From what I can tell, this could be the former Indian Palace. Same address (1255 E Ogden), and I didn’t find any Indian Palace in the area. Maybe someone can comment on this.

A big improvement over Swagat. The atmosphere was much nicer – well decorated, comfortable seating, decent service for a lunch buffet. I preferred the buffet format to the Thali. More options and no need to ask for refills. It was laid out nicely on several tables to the front.

Positive sign #1 – good bread. Nice Nan delivered to the table in a basket, alone with leg and thigh of Tandoori Chicken crackling hot on a bed of onions, along with an off-tasting bowl of tomato soup that I didn’t touch after the first spoonful.

The buffet had a dozen items or so – salad with a variety of dressings, Basmati rice, good paneer (but no palak cheese which I love), Very Good Rogan Josht (lamb), OK Chana Pindi (gabanzo bean dish), a good chile chicken. Good Samozas as appetizer. Several other items and desserts that I didn’t try. All in all a very pleasant experience. Not the best Indian food I’ve had by a long shot (a step below such downtown local as Klay Oven, Indian Garden, India House), but not bad for lunch. About half full of patrons, including a big table of people from one of my company’s competitors discussing business, so it was fairly busy and informative. I’ll definitely do it again.

3) India Harvest.

Several Indian colleagues recommended IH, so I was optimistic.

All started well with another nice fresh Nan to the table and the standard Tandoori crackling away on bed of Onions. Both were very good. The restaurant is a smallish storefront with only minimal decoration – a primitive mural painted around the wall - but not unpleasant. Just plain.

Buffet was smaller than Indian Cuisine in a stainless steel cafeteria style cart at the front. I was quite excited to see Saag Paneer, but it didn’t live up to the billing – slightly bland sauce with slightly rubbery cheese. Pakora appetizer a little over done and tough, although you could pick out the good pieces. A surprisingly tasty goat curry, my favorite selection. An Eggplant dish called Baingan Bharta that tasted more of onion than eggplant. Another garbanzo dish – Dal Dharba, that was OK, but needed more spice and flavor. Food was good, if slightly disappointing, but I ate everything because it was all you can eat and I always like to hold up my end of the bargin.

Overall, not quite as good as Cuisine of India.

4) Cho Dang Tofu

Same mall as Cuisine of India, two doors down. A Korean restaurant in which every dish includes tofu. Many vegetarian options, with a menu split between meal sized soups and plated food. Small, but very clean and well run.

The meal began with several small pickled items brought to the table – soy beans soaked in sesame oil, kimche, another spicy pickled vegetable that I could not quite identify, tiny and slightly sweet pickled cucumbers, and some sprouts in a sesame sauce. Together they formed a nice balance of sweet, spicy, sour and rich tastes.

For the main meal I had the beef with tofu which included more of the cucumber and soy bean appetizers, a bite sized salad, and eight bean rice. The rice itself was a little bland, but formed a nice contrast to the other sides and the main beef and tofu meal. Beef was shaved very thin and marinated. Tofu was very sparse – really just an accent to the meat – but it was all very good. Certainly the most original and unique offering of the group. The only downside for me was that the portions were a little small, but a trip to the Gelatti Gelato store around the corner solved that problem.

As a general comment, Cho Dang was the one place that really stuck out as something original, which may be a reflection on my lack of experience with Korean food, or maybe a more intentional attempt by the owners to do something different. At any rate, the result was the best culinary experience of the crowd.

I the future I’d split my time between Cho Dang and Cuisines of India, although I’m still a fan of Joy Yee which, although not quite as authentic, is a fun place with lots of good options, huge portions, and good food. And every now and they I can go for the Cholesterol hit that is Gemato's -although I don't think I've quite hit on their best dish yet.

More later once I try some other local options.

Mediterranean Oasis is quite the find. The hummus is the best I've ever had and worth stopping in even if just for that. Many exotic ingredients available for home cooking also. I always get some of the dates in the box on the counter for snacking also. They're unbelievably fresh. So glad they moved into my neighborhood.

Swagat has changed ownership very recently. It is now called New Cholaa. The sign says it is under the same management as Dakshin restaurant in Schaumburg. Dakshin is a very good South Indian restaurant, so I am hopeful.

Also, Bamboo Garden, the Indo-Chinese place on Golf Rd in Hoffman Estates is opening a branch in Naperville. It is located in the strip mall at the north-west corner of Rt 59 and New York Ave, just north of Fox Valley mall, across from Kohl's. It is still being furnished, but the sign is up. I guess it should open in a couple of weeks or so.

Thanks for the tip on the Mediterranean Oasis. The hummus was very different (much smoother) than what I make, and delicious - to say nothing of much easier.... I'll try the sandwich next time I'm over there. The man behind the counter was very helpful, and I was able to resist the pastries, but will likely succumb next visit.

I've been on a sushi (maki) kick this last week, and have eaten at the Sushi House in Wheaton - not so good - and Spring Garden (twice) in Naperville (off North Aurora Rd.) - pretty good.

I'm no expert, but my favorite remains Momoya which is west of Fox Valley mall on New York by the Harold's Chicken Shack (very tasty chicken, very small cups of slaw). The Sushi House in Naperville was much better than the one in Wheaton, I thought, although the service at both places was very good.

I still haven't gotten to Sakura of Tokyo since it reopened. I'd be interested to know if any one else has eaten at Momoya's or Sakura and what the take of those much more experienced than I am is on their maki.

Thanks for the updates. Wak, sorry I steered you wrong on Swagat - I had not been for a while, and it sounds like you went while they were in their death throes.

I try Indian Harvest every few years and always find it a bit bland, and overly buttery. They seem to be doing well, though, as the place was very busy last Friday. I do not need to go back.

Cuisine of India is quite near my office so I end up there once a month or so, and the place is infuriating - quality is okay, but seasoning is so variable. And the buffet is so main stream and boring I just wish they would do something even mildly different.

Apparently the only person who has heeded my Asia Supermarket recommendation is my son, who now eats lunch there 2-3 times a week - not sure if that is a recommendation. Good, inexpensive sushi and other Japanese food court standards. The Unidon is quite nice.

In fact I did stop by Asia Supermarket two weeks ago and was all ready to order, but alas I had no cash with me and its a cash only food window, so I slinked off to the deli in the same stripmall which was not bad, but not what I was hoping of that day, although they certainly give you lots of meat.

Otherwise I was out of town for a while, but I'm back now. Maybe back to the market tomorrow. And I still need to check out Fabulous Noodles.

I also visited Lemon Grass a few weeks back which was good, but my experience was tainted by a trip to Spoon Thai the previous weekend so the bar had been set very high. I'll need to go back and take some better notes. I also stopped by another Thai restaurant on Rt. 59 about half a mile south of Diehl Rd. on the west side. Can't remember the name, but my recollection is that it was about the same level as Lemon Grass. There was also a third Thai restaurant farther south on 59 by the Borders which was OK, but not quite as good as the others. In general though, all three seemed to be relatively authentic, if not spectacular culinary experiences. I'll do another round and put together some better impressions.