Have you tried these Thai + Sushi joints?

I can eat sushi everyday, while my good friend can't bring herself to try it, and is in general, a very picky eater. We've found that places like Butterfly are a good compromise for us, where she gets Thai and I get some rolls. We're looking to branch out - has anyone tried dib on Lawrence or Ta Tong on Lincoln?

Butterfly Sushi Bar & Thai Cuisine
1156 W. Grand Ave
ChicagoIL
773-563-5555

Dib Sushi Bar and Thai Cuisine
1025 W. Lawrence Ave
Chicago, IL
773-561-0200

Ta Tong
2964 N. Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL
773-348-6500

I get Ta Tong fairly regularly as take-out at work, and it's pretty good. I wouldn't go far out of my way for it, but as a neighborhood option it is more than adequate. The inside seems very nice, "cute" in a non-cutesy way, the staff has always been pleasant, and it's byob. I've had items from both the Thai and the Japanese side of things and have always been happy with them. As a plus, it's byob, and their prices seem very reasonable.

Have you tried Indie Cafe?

I've never eaten at Indie itself, but I've ordered takeout sushi a number of times. I've been pleased with the quality of the fish, especially for the price and for not having to leave home. I know people who have ordered from the Thai side and have favorable things to say, but cannot vouch for it myself. Fair warning: they have a number of pretty nouveau-sushi rolls, but some are kind of fun and tasty. That said, I still normally stick with nigiri.

I recall others on the board having mixed reviews, but I'd say it's worth a shot for you and your sushi-averse friend.

Indie Cafe
5951 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60660
773-561-5577
http://www.indiecafe.us

I've been to Butterfly, albeit a year and a half ago. Despite the remote location, we found the atmosphere pleasant, and the sushi quite good. The service was extremely amiable. Sushi was fresh, and there was a variety of creative maki rolls. Keeping with the Thai/Sushi theme, we each had Tom Yum to start, which was good.

I believe our bill, for two, was $26. Assuming its still BYOB, this contributes to the low bill. But given we had 2 orders of tom yum with shrimp, 3 rolls (2 standard and 1 "fancy" -- lobster, I believe), it was extremely reasonable.

Upon leaving, we noticed the wait staff (it was rather late) eating thai dishes in the corner. They looked and smelled fantastic, making us wonder if we shouldn't have split our order up more.

All in all, a good experience. Genuinely "out of the way", and certainly not a destination, but for the balance you're looking for, I think this would be a good choice.

I'll second Indie Cafe, for BYOB modern-style sushi. It's small, but a nice atmosphere - bordering, but not crossing over the too-hip line. I have had some of the Thai food there, too - I can't remember what I had, but I do remember it was better than many Thai places I've been to. Not up to the standards of the GNR Thai spots, but not bad.

Plus, if you don't like the bottle you brought, you can always go across the street to Broadway Cellars for a nice glass or two.

Having recently moved to uptown, one of my greatest losses was the tragedy that I would be missing my phenomenol, reliable Thai/sushi joint from the old neighborhood. I love this blend of Thai food with an extensive and impressive sushi menu. It allows me to indulge my constant sushi craving, while also taking along and pleasing my hordes of sushi-phobes and picky eaters.
After several visits, I can safely say that dib, on lawrence and a stone's throw from the Aragon, fits the bill as that reliable Thai/sushi joint.
For amazing prices, I can get a huge, delicately-presented plate of noodles (pad thai, pad see ew, drunken noodles, etc.), a bowl of curry (massaman mmmmmmm), or a number of sushi plates. Their signature rolls, like my favorite, the squash tempura, with tempura battered squash, avocado, and eel, are huge and come for about $12 for 6-8 maki. Check out the two flat screen LCD TV's they have on each end of the super-tiny dining room. They flash images of the signature rolls.
Service is so sweet and polite. The owner, a shockingly young gentlemen, often stands by the door and chats with the diners. It's critical to keep in mind, however, that the dining room is PETITE. Only maybe 15 tables, along with a miniature sushi bar for solo seating.
The place is BYOB- yet another perk. Safe to say that I now have dib on my speed dial. Discover and enjoy.

-M@

Just want to mention that dib is a near-clone of Indie Cafe, same menu, same ambience down to the nice unusual silverware. I have been to both many times. dib is a bit quieter and less of a crush---actually, no crush---to get inside and get a table. Both have a miso soup that is very non-salty, both are very good on thai reliable dishes, and both make a decent salmon teriyaki. They are both my top choices in the area for asian.

Mattkrc wrote:Having recently moved to uptown, one of my greatest losses was the tragedy that I would be missing my phenomenol, reliable Thai/sushi joint from the old neighborhood. I love this blend of Thai food with an extensive and impressive sushi menu. It allows me to indulge my constant sushi craving, while also taking along and pleasing my hordes of sushi-phobes and picky eaters.
After several visits, I can safely say that dib, on lawrence and a stone's throw from the Aragon, fits the bill as that reliable Thai/sushi joint.
For amazing prices, I can get a huge, delicately-presented plate of noodles (pad thai, pad see ew, drunken noodles, etc.), a bowl of curry (massaman mmmmmmm), or a number of sushi plates. Their signature rolls, like my favorite, the squash tempura, with tempura battered squash, avocado, and eel, are huge and come for about $12 for 6-8 maki. Check out the two flat screen LCD TV's they have on each end of the super-tiny dining room. They flash images of the signature rolls.
Service is so sweet and polite. The owner, a shockingly young gentlemen, often stands by the door and chats with the diners. It's critical to keep in mind, however, that the dining room is PETITE. Only maybe 15 tables, along with a miniature sushi bar for solo seating.
The place is BYOB- yet another perk. Safe to say that I now have dib on my speed dial. Discover and enjoy.

-M@

Dib
1025 W Lawrence Ave
(773) 561-0200

I live right by Butterfly, both the Grand location and the new one at about 1421 W Chicago. It is definitely my go-to sushi place, and I'd recommend it for anybody looking for reasonably priced, fresh, and somewhat creative rolls. That said, it certainly isn't one of those "creamcheese-mayo-deepfried" fusion sushi places (Sushi X, anyone?) that get such a deservedly bad reputation. Which is good. I really like the place.

Though the menu between the two is identical, as far as I can tell, having eaten at both I for whatever reason always order from the one on Chicago. It is more consistent and actually a bit closer to me. Although they're almost always out of toro (tears!), I'm consistently happy with the quality of the namasake and albacore, and i love the spicy scallop rolls. We've tried a few of the noodle dishes (pad see eiw and something else that escapes me), both of which were good, although I didn't like the fried rice. I tend to stick to the sushi mentioned above and edamame and am always happy. If you're feeling like something decidedly American, their crab rangoon are some of my favorites of the genre, and they come free with any order over $10 (you can choose egg rolls instead too).

more thoughts about Butterfly here.